One of the neat things about pastoring and blogging is that you get to meet a lot of people. And often times folks have questions. One of the most common questions I receive is “Should I leave my church?”
Folks struggle with why and when they should leave. Some people end up staying with a church that proclaims a false gospel under the guise of being a ‘missionary’ however, in doing so they undermine the command of God to not be ‘unequally yoked’ together with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6.14). Believers need the gospel to not only be saved but also to grow, if it is veiled then growth is stunted and God is undermined.
The Shepherds’ Fellowship (sfPulpit) blog provided a helpful answer to this question awhile back and I want to share it here.
Notice they do not reference whether or not AWANA is available or other youth activities, nor do they reference musical style. What I like about this list is that it is doctrinally anchored, and so then Christ centered rather than self-centered…here is the list:
If heresy on some fundamental truth is being taught from the pulpit (Gal. 1:7-9).
If the leaders of the church tolerate seriously errant doctrine from any who are given teaching authority in the fellowship (Rom. 16:17).
If the church is characterized by a wanton disregard for Scripture, such as a refusal to discipline members who are sinning blatantly (1 Cor. 5:1-7).
If unholy living is tolerated in the church (1 Cor. 5:9-11).
If the church is seriously out of step with the biblical pattern for the church (2 Thess. 3:6, 14).
If the church is marked by gross hypocrisy, giving lip service to biblical Christianity but refusing to acknowledge its true power (2 Tim. 3:5).
No comments:
Post a Comment