Will you (and your family) be worshiping tomorrow (Sunday) with your church family?
Do you have a church family? If not, why not?
One of my all-time favorite authors and speakers once invited a woman to church, and she responded…
“I don’t go to church because there are too many hypocrites.”
Over the years, I’ve heard lots of excuses (like that one) about why people don’t go to church.
First, remember that the church isn’t the building. 
The church is the people. 
And, so the church (properly speaking) doesn’t just exist on Sunday. The real call for believers in Christ is to ACTIVELY FELLOWSHIP and PARTICIPATE in the church, because…
We ARE the church!
Some don’t think the church matters all that much. Whether YOU feel the church is relevant or not is immaterial. What matters is what JESUS says about the church. And guess what?
It’s HIS church. The whole thing is HIS idea. So… If you say you don’t think the church doesn’t matter or isn’t that important, you’re essentially saying that about something JESUS founded.
Some pick their church based on whether they like the political views of the pastor or the congregation. And then they leave if the pastor says something they don’t like or agree with. Let me be as clear as possible…
That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick a local church.
I’m not saying that politics isn’t important. But…
You shouldn’t care about a local church’s political views. You should care about a church’s BIBLICAL views! Does the church in question believe the Bible? And does the pastor preach the Bible? That is what should matter to you!
You might say: “Well, I don’t like the church I went to. They’re [insert whatever complaint].”
Okay…pray about your grievance. And if God is in agreement with you, guess what? There are over 350,000 churches (estimated) in America. You’re not limited to the particular church with which you have a problem. There are plenty of other local churches out there.
So…what’s your next excuse?
“Well, I’ve tried over a dozen churches and I had problems with all of them.”
Hmmmm. Maybe you should ponder that a little bit.
Now, listen…
I don’t mean to be (completely) insensitive. I understand some people have had genuinely bad experiences in one or more churches. I get it.
It’s just that, more often than not, people equate having their feelings hurt or their expectations not met with being wronged. Just because you don’t get your way doesn’t mean that a sin has been committed against you. Still…
I readily admit that many people have been legitimately hurt. And this, by the way, is why the Bible talks about the need for church discipline. And I do agree that many churches need to do a better job with accountability and discipline.
It’s also true that others are sincerely bothered by the hypocrisy they see.
I get it. I do.
I know that churches are flawed and imperfect — some more than others. And I know people have been hurt in churches. (By the way, that includes pastors).
As I said, many churches must do a better job of accountability.
But…
We must keep our expectations in check. No church is perfect. No pastor is sinless. No group of people, in ANY setting, will be problem-free or trouble-free. None.
Churches are imperfect because people are imperfect.
And that includes you.
When the late Zig Ziglar heard a woman give the excuse that I started this post with, he had a great response. She said she didn’t go to church because of the hypocrites. To which Zig Ziglar responded…
“That’s no problem. We’ve got room for one more.”
I also like the popular quip…
“If you ever find a perfect church, don’t join it because you’ll ruin it.”
Very true. Except there are no perfect churches. They don’t exist.
And our imperfections and flaws are why we need to join TOGETHER in love and humility — love for each other and (most importantly) love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need a Perfect God because we are imperfect people.
And the church is a way for us to remind ourselves of that and rally around Him — loving each other, encouraging each other, supporting each other, and (yes) holding each other accountable in love until the Day He returns.
The Bible is clear that the local church should be an active part of every believer’s life. Now you may not like that or even agree with that, but… the question is…
Will you submit to God or not?
I’m not saying you have to unite with a particular local church. Let GOD lead you to the church He wants you to worship with and serve with. All I’m saying is…
Don’t let excuses keep you away from what God wants for you.
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25, KJV
End sermon.
God bless you!
