Sunday, November 21, 2010

Why People are leaving the Church

We are not waiting for divine inspiration before teaching


I have been trying to post regularly and that has been working good so far.

But then I kind of ran into a wall.

And it got me to thinking about how pastors have to pull out some type of revelation each and every week rain or shine.    They can’t really wait for divine revelation.  We have uninspired sermons by default.

This brings me back again to how the contemporary church is just not getting it right.

I have subscribers all over the world.  Places where Christians are persecuted, beheaded, and  terrible atrocities are almost commonplace.  Those are real Christians in my humble estimation.  People that proclaim Christ on pain of death have my sincere admiration.    I tweet  an article from time to time about Christian persecution and then I may see a Re-Tweet from that country.  It is humbling.

The reason people are fed up with churches is that they are not doing what God intended.  Churches are not following scripture.


How many times have you read the bible and thought to yourself, “that isn’t what the church does today”. Or “Pastor would never go for that”.  If that is the case, you are not alone.

Have you ever asked yourself why people get dressed up on Sunday contrary to scripture? (see James 2:2; 1 Peter 3:3,4).  Or heck, why do they have meetings just on Sunday??? In  Acts they met from house to house daily (Acts 6:1; Act 16:5; Acts 19:9).

Do you realize that the pulpit and the pews weren’t even around during the time of acts?  The Christian pulpit didn’t come into being until AD250.

The word pastor is only  mentioned once in the new testament in Eph 4:11.  Why is there so much emphasis on that ONE particular office now?

The church building itself was a product of  Constantine in 327 AD.  Now we see the upraised platform where the worship band entertains the audience.  I can’t find any scriptural support for this.  But I do see the same thing at rock concerts.


I am just calling it like I see it. I feel like I am being pumped full of self help lingo instead of the Way of salvation.  I feel like I am being entertained rather than entering in to the Spirit of God.   And talk about the spirit?  A lot of mainstream churches think you are a cook if you get into the spirit of God. Jesus says we must, excuse me MUST!!! worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24)!

The pew came into being from early England.    This church setup today is designed to have one person give a long oration and for people to sit, immobile,  and listen.  One big mouth and many, many small little ears trained to tithe.  Don’t dare ask questions!  Be quiet!

Paul talks to the Corinthians about how each of them have a psalm or hymn or wants to prophesy.  Paul doesn’t quell these gifts but encourages them (see 1 Cor 14).

The early church didn’t celebrate pagan festivals like easter, the winter solstice which we call Christmas and the like.

This list could go on ....

The church needs to repent.  If we can really even bother to call it the “church”.

I am going to turn you onto a good book.  Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna.  It is an eye opener.  Well worth the read.  And a lot of the information I espoused here came from that book.

Some of the data you will find in that book can be found here:

Warning!  If you are comfortable with pagan tradition in the church, this book is not for you.

The authors point out blatant departures from scripture in today's contemporary churches.  They also point out the strong influence of paganism in today’s so called churches.


9 comments:

  1. I love your blog! You are so right on with this!! Keep up the fight and preach what is on your heart.

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  2. Hey Stephen! Thanks for the comment!

    I really was apprehensive about posting this. However, i believe I was only saying what people were thinking anyways.

    God Bless!

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  3. Gonna share this on Facebook!

    Penelope

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  4. You definitely hit on something close to home for me. I'm a worship leader at a very old fashioned church. We've introduced modern worship, but it's not a message that's really getting across. I actually am getting ready to leave my church and start my own effort.

    But I don't think this problem is limited to the modern church or the old-fashioned church. I think it's all about this idea Christians have put in their heads about how you "do church." Often the church service and the building gets placed over the message of Christ.

    WE are the church. Jesus met in homes, on hillsides, in boats... it's not about how you "do church" it's about why. To me, the way to tell if you're "doing church" right is to look inside yourself. Are you growing in Christ? Are you helping others find their faith in God? Are you over-flowing with the love of Our Father?

    There is no one right way to "do church." I also don't think their is one way that will work for everyone. It's a personal journey that I think needs to be made more personal. Christians have been charged with reaching out to their communities to meet its needs. The community has not been charged with reaching into meet the church's needs. I think too many churches misunderstand this message. It's not an exclusive grace club, it's a community of ministers charged with spreading the gospel.

    After become a leader in the church, the problems have become even more relevant to me. I could write a book on all this, but I'll spare you. I wholeheartedly agree with this post.

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  5. I posted a crazy long comment to this, but somehow it did not get on here. Here's the jist:

    I'm with you on this one! I'm a worship leader who is actually leaving the church to start my own effort with a small group of hungry Christians.

    A lot of Christians have these ideas about how to "do church." That's the problem. WE are the church. Christ taught in homes, on hillsides, in boats... We need to make the journey personal again. The church has been charged with reaching out to their community to meet its needs. Not the other way around. Christ came for the sinners, the ones who needed him most. It's not the communities job to bend to the church.

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  6. This article may be a year old but the truth contained within it is to this very day totally accurate.

    I have often confronted Ministers about this issue and in every instance ridiculed and mocked. I usually just leave them with this Love test.

    Act 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

    I know from the experience of my own walk and the walk of multitudes of Ministers I have been close to for decades that one of the greatest reasons for the continued fall down this slippery slope is the fact that the path that many began on was the wrong path to begin with.

    Man attempts to correct his steps while traveling down this path but finds himself further and further down this slippery slope.

    Many become so tired of fighting the same old demons that they finally just give up and let the path take them wherever it chooses. The path of least resistance has less friction for a time.

    No man can change when he is walking down the wrong path, we must by the Spirit be removed from the old path and be placed on the one God has chosen for us.

    I have watched over the decades as this new movement came and left only to be followed by a new one. They all promised to be the answer for what was missing in the Church.

    Every single one of these movements did nothing more than leave another bag of garbage behind the pulpits of America.

    If the real truth be said, their was a time in the distant path when the Churches were warned by real Prophets of God to repent or face the consequences, they simply rejected the Prophets and chose the consequences, now behold the judgement of God.

    God does not change, what he said in answer to the prayer of Solomon is the very thing he is saying to his people today:

    2Ch 7:12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
    2Ch 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
    2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

    If there was ever a time for personal and national repentance in America it is at this very moment. Though many may walk in error, though God has warned of this evil day, there always remains room for repentance.

    May the God of mercy deliver us from ourselves, our self-centeredness, our pride, our love of other gods and hatred.

    Bob

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  7. ***Sigh*** This is the cry of my heart and the realization that pains me when I look upon the state of the church today. It is God's cry, his pain....

    The reason why so many people leave the church and why so much goes on withing and among churches is simply Love....

    The church has strayed from the first and uptmost commandament, to Love the Lord God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. Secondly, we have failed to Love our brethren likewise as we have been commanded by Jesus Christ!

    In it's place, we have allowed Self to come in and do what it plans. We have given our love to Self (self-love/ self-pleasers), and not those who are pleasing of the Lord. Our services are tailored to accomplish what we want and think we should give and not what the spirit of God impresses to take place. We have pastors who give Word, not spiritually guided and even if so, fail to follow through with lives that match their teaching. We have members that swear to the Christian faith but have not the love of God in their hearts.

    All of this lack of Love leads to the ability for Satan to come in and use it to his advantage, planting seeds of wickedness and causing mayhem in the church, divisions, and the repelling of others from coming to Christ. Apostast predisposes on the absence of Christs Love...

    In Jeremiah 31:3, it says :
    "The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you."

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  8. ***Sigh*** This is the cry of my heart and the realization that pains me when I look upon the state of the church today. It is God's cry, his pain....

    The reason why so many people leave the church and why so much goes on within and among churches is simply Love....

    The church has strayed from the first and utmost commandment, to Love the Lord God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. Secondly, we have failed to Love our brethren likewise as we have been commanded by Jesus Christ!

    In it's place, we have allowed Self to come in and do what it pleases. We have given our love to Self (self-love/ self-pleasers), instead of being those who are pleasing of the Lord. Our services are tailored to accomplish what we want and think we should give and not what the spirit of God impresses to take place. We have pastors who give Word, not spiritually guided and even if so, fail to follow through with lives that match their teaching. We have members that swear to the Christian faith but have not the love of God in their hearts.

    All of this lack of Love inables Satan to come in and use it to his advantage, planting seeds of wickedness and causing mayhem in the church, divisions, and the repelling of others from coming to Christ. Apostasty predisposes on the absence of Christ’s Love...

    In Jeremiah 31:3, it says :
    "The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you."

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  9. @Bonotor .-GOD wants your hearts,only this.PROV.23.V.26.-
    give me,my son you heart,And let thine eyes observe my ways...

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