Once you get past the stained glass windows, the padded pews, the grand pianos, the ornate decorations, and the hand crafted furniture, there is often an ugly side of church. You may not see it when you walk into the building but stick around long enough and you will see it. Few talk about it. I have seen the damage done. I have also felt the crushing effects of church gone wrong. I have not only shed a few tears myself but, more heart wrenchingly, watched fellow brothers and sisters be devastated and abused by wicked churches.
In the ugly side of church you have power mongering people who will lie, manipulate, gossip, and stir up division to gain control and to have their own way. They use bullying tactics to run off preachers, youth ministers, and worship pastors. They are quick to scrutinize the faults of ministers but are seldom held accountable for their ungodly tactics. These men and women will stop at nothing to have their own way. How many pastors and their families were wined and dined to come to a church only to be brutally attacked and forced to resign a few years later. We in the ministry refer to this as the honeymoon being over. In the beginning everybody loves you and wants you. In the end in some cancerous congregations they cannot get rid of you fast enough.
These broken servants of God are becoming more and more disillusioned with the church. It is the same story over and over again no matter the name out front, the city or state, or how impressive the facilities. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE PASTOR'S FAULT. Some churches are dead. Some churches have horrible reputations in their communities because of how they treat pastors and fuss and fight with one another all the time. Some churches are known for their hypocrisy in the community. A new pastor cannot fix problems that have been around for decades. You might as well write ICHABOD [I Sam 4:21] over the doors post of some sanctuaries. Yes, the glory of God has certainly departed from some congregations.
I recently talked with a friend from many years ago in a church I used to serve. That church fought with one another and split I don't know how many times. When I served there the attendance was strong. Things were exciting. Then the fussing and fighting started. In a sanctuary that can hold over 400 people how sad that on a good Sunday now they have about 40 and on low Sundays drop down to 15.
How can God bless churches where men and women fight to maintain control never surrendering to His leadership. God is not welcome to lead or to move in His very own house! In so many of these churches the bullies are really cowards. They do their dirty work in secret meetings, through private telephone calls, and evil emails. Does it ever cross anyone's mind that God hates the sin of stirring up division among the brothers? [Prov 6:16-19] Where is the reality of Jesus words being demonstrated in some churches when He said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another." [Jn 13:34-35]
Some of the meanest and most hateful people I have even known have been church members. I hesitate to call them Christians because there is very little spiritual fruit evident in their lives. The fruit of the flesh is on full display in these people in many churches. Nobody ever says a word to oppose them or confront them for their sinful actions. No matter how much hurt and damage they do people remain tight lipped. No matter how many lives they destroy, how much division they stir up, and how they bring shame on the name of Christ and the church nobody does anything about it.
A youth pastor friend of mine recently received an anonymous letter in the mail. It simply said, "You would be wise to resign." What a coward to write such a letter and not have the guts to sign their name. Two weeks later my friend was forced to resign over "personality conflicts." WHAT? This recent development comes after three other similar experiences in other hell churches. He has nowhere to go and is now forced to finish out the school year with his family in a community that has ripped his heart to shreds. He is contemplating leaving the ministry. Do you blame him. Over two years ago this same church made promises to my friend to get him to come. Promises they did not keep by the way. Now they force him to resign or he gets fired. Ironically I preached in that same church some time ago. I have seldom walked into more beautiful church facilities. O but there is an ugly side to that church lurking in the shadows.
Yes, there is an ugly side of church. A side where lives are crushed. Where grace is never extended. Where ungodly people connive to get power and are put in powerful positions and never called to account for attitudes and actions that do not honor Christ. It is much easier to attack the pastor or other staff members and run them off. There is an ugly side to church. A side where Satan rules and steals, kills, and destroys. There is an ugly side of church where intimidation and bullying take place that would never be tolerated in public schools.
Yet Sunday after Sunday people gather in these places to put on the facade of worship. They will dress in their Sunday best while shooting daggers at the pastor or other staff members from their perch in the pew. They strut around in God's presence seeking the glory for themselves. What a sham.
I thank God I have known some good churches. I thank God I have been blessed to serve in a couple of them. I have also been in some bad churches where the people are fickle and hatred supplanted love in those congregations. When will the people of God say enough? When will we take Matthew 18:15-17 seriously? When will the ungodly be held accountable and disciplined by the people in the pews.
To be fair I know there are some wicked pastors and staff just like there are some wicked church members. That is another topic for another day.
There is an ugly side to church and it is a foul stench in the nostrils of the communities they supposedly serve. REPENTANCE IS IN ORDER STARING WITH THE HOUSE OF GOD. If you are a part of such a church and you do not stand for truth and honor God shame on you. Many are leaving the ministry because they have experienced the ugly side of church over and over again. Ironic that the place where love, grace, mercy, and compassion are supposed to be championed in local churches these things are often hard to find. REPENTANCE IS THE NEED OF THE DAY. Repentance for the damage done to preachers and their families. Repentance for the damage done in the community. Repentance for division and for putting ungodly people in places of leadership.
This is the long term result of Christianity Light:
ReplyDeleteFor too long, the church has substituted attendance for obedience, programs for passion, fellowship for evangelism, apology for repentance, and buildings for ecclesia. We have allowed ourselves to be immersed in the culture of the self and served, where the Bible promotes a culture of selflessness and service. Leaders who lead, teach and preach against the former – rather, in favor of the latter - will find themselves, too often, alone.
I know of a church – I served on staff for years, that is now dissolved. Done. Closed. This church existed for more than 30 years, functioning EXACTLY has you have described above. They would not repent. They would not follow. They would not trust leadership.
And here is the message to all Christ-followers: Too many “churchmen” responded with a comment like: “That’s too bad. It’s always sad when a church has to close its doors.”
Biblically, the sadness is not in the closing of the doors, it is in the failure to follow, repent, trust, and obey. Why in the world would we think that when God has had enough of sin, that it is “too bad”? We may think that because we have falling victim to culture of substitution: we substitute our will for His, our ideas for His, our understanding for His, our desires for His, our holiness for His, our kingship for His.
Jesus was crucified because of the religious. John the Baptist was beheaded because of the religious. Paul had to suffer much for the Name of Christ… because of the religious. We must not think we are somehow exempt from that heritage.
Let me say to God-called leaders. We now live in a time where it is important to separate your calling from your vocation. Should God allow you to be a workman worthy of hire, then be grateful that you can invest all of your time and energy in that pursuit. But should the “church”… the “church of self” not want you around, then make tents.
Your call to Gospel ministry does not mean that you will be paid by those whom God calls you to serve. You must provide for your family. But if God has called you, he does not rescind that call because the Church of Substitution rescinds theirs.