(Chris Townsend) Allow me to preface this by empathizing with those who have been hurt by, disappointed in or even rejected from the church. I was an agnostic/atheist for 26 years of my life. Even after I got saved, I went nearly a year without going to a Sunday church service (granted, I was also in seminary and participating in many church activities). I wrote a book called Ekklesia Rising: The Organization Formerly Known as Church. I am a reformer by nature. I have many frustrations with the church. I get it. But… Without further ado, here are five reasons you shouldn’t abandon the church and definitely shouldn’t speak ill of her.
1) You aren’t perfect and Jesus didn’t forsake you
Remember that you are a follower of Christ, and that means that you have been forgiven. To whom much is forgiven, much forgiveness is required. Just because you make mistakes doesn’t mean that Jesus forsook you. So why should you forsake the Church because it has made mistakes? READ MORE
I have to disagree on four of the five points. Yes I agree that I am not perfect, but how can I work towards perfection without someone showing me where I have errored. Much of the church is no longer following the Word. They are following the doctrines of man. They are following a God of their design…(when you hear someone say “My God wouldn’t do that”….) They need to be told that they are not following the word of God, and they should be rebuked! Is it slander to point out that churches are preaching another gospel other than the one set fourth in the Bible? Is is slander to say they are apostate when they are!? I am not going to believe some pedigree who tells me I should follow them because of their title.
As for the Church having what I need……most of them feed nothing but milk. And it is soured milk to boot! The Word tells us that we need no other teacher than the Holy Spirit. Why should we trust one teacher/pastor to give us teaching. Why should we put more weight on what other people say about God. Read his word and find out what HE says about HIMSELF!
The Church as we see it today is not like the early church. It has become a business, filled with programs, and missions, and tasks. All things for us to focus on rather than focusing on Jesus. If we are kept busy enough, we will not realize we are off the mark.
There is still a Bride who is readying herself for the return of the Groom, but many of them are outside of the “Church” institution. They have been rejected by the institution, they are not allowed to use their gifts, and they are not being fed. So they have found fellowship and worship elsewhere. When the Institutional Church comes back to the Word of God, starts to preaching repentance and holiness, and allows the Holy Spirit in to the Church to run things, then some of these folks will start to come back. But as long as the Institutional Church continues to preach apostasy, and work its way toward the “One World Religion” that is the Whore of Babylon, then you will find true believers rebuking the institution.