What to do when the Church fails you.

The church is meant to be a place of safety, worship, and fellowship. It’s the one place that you do not expect to be judged according to the world’s standard, to see the moral decay of society or meet hypocrites that spew all sorts of profanities. But what if your church has failed you? What do you do?

There are times in life when it seems as though “the church” has failed us.

Have you ever been there?

We are all one Church and the Body of Christ, but Jesus hasn’t come back yet so we are not yet physically united, but we are united in spirit, or at least we should be. For the time being, we are scattered all over the globe and we all have our own churches (a building of some sort) that we go to have fellowship with other Christians. It would be a lie if I said that all churches share the same agenda of worship, preaching, loving, admonishing and encouraging one another, because they don’t. Some churches are there to destroy the faith of Christians, to have them cleave to the world and to get rich by extorting the struggling and the poor. Other churches have good intentions, but there are a couple of goats among the herd of sheep that do not belong there and are causing wave upon wave of problems within the church. Although there are many good churches, the rate of questionable ones are growing and the population of name-only Christians is growing as well.

You see, the church consists of a body of human beings, to expect this body to be flawless is not logical. Yet many of us have been there- those situations in church that we truly didn’t enjoy. No matter if it is because we disagree on the decisions being made, or we feel that people are not treated properly.

Now I’m not talking about the color of the carpet or pews or the committee taking care of the tea tables is “just not getting it right.” These are not church problems. Well, they are, but of a superficial sort. I mean heart decisions. Decisions that make a difference in the everyday lives of folks. Church issues that just don’t belong “in church.”

What if you attend one of the more questionable churches? Your church could be filled with pastors who give false doctrines, backbiters, idolators, gossipers, people committing adultery, having sexual relations out of marriage, occultic practices, lovers of money and haters of generosity, truth, love and the powerful Word of GOD.

Maybe you were judged and rejected by members of the church. Day by day your faith starts to weaken. You start to question the foundation of your faith that is Christ Jesus. Can GOD really exist when these people do all of these sins? You came to church to learn about GOD, the Almighty GOD that created the world and created man in His own image. The GOD that sent His Son to earth to die for the sins of man, so that whoever would believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. You wanted to experience the presence of GOD, to find your purpose. Instead, you walked into a den of liars and people who seem lost, doing everything but what the Scriptures command. What are you to do? Do you abandon your faith? Do you walk away from your church?

The real problem is not with the church; there’s no doubt the church will make mistakes. Simply because it is a group of people.

And humans make mistakes.

The most frustrating part of the church making mistakes is not knowing what to do about it.

Do we leave? or do we stick it out and hope for a change?

Do we stay no matter what?

I believe the Bible really guides us with answers to these questions through the principles we find in it. While many more aspects exist to this broad topic, today the discussion is knowing what to do when the church fails you.

1. Take heart in what Jesus said about his church.

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18

No matter the issue of hurt, harm or anguish, Jesus is the head of the church and this will never change.

2. Stay in God’s Word and continually pursue your direct relationship with the heavenly Father.

“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11.

God’s Word is always successful. People within churches will fail. Leaders and teachers make mistakes. Friends say things that they later wish they hadn’t. But God’s Word is reliable and true.

3. Listen to the Holy Spirit living inside of you as a Christian.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13.

The Holy Spirit of the Living God speaks to us and for us. When we are living in close relationship with God, the close proximity of our heart to His allows us the privilege of hearing as He speaks to us with peace in our decision-making processes. If you are walking with God and do not feel peace about a situation, our God is not the author of confusion. (I Cor. 14:33) There is a reason the Holy Spirit is not giving you peace and this should guide your decisions in church situations.

No matter the story or problem or disagreement, the Bible is clear that as Christians we are to be an active part of the church. The one God has for you will clearly be revealed to you when the above three principles are followed.

How have you handled it when the church failed you?

Consider the following five steps before making a decision.

Step One: You identify that there is something legitimately wrong in your church. There will always be some people that are destructive in the church, but that doesn’t mean that the whole church is bad. Make sure that you’re not judging the whole church based on a few people.

Step Two: Read GOD’S Word to find out what He says about the people who follow His commands and those who do not. You will find that the fruits of the person will indicate their position with GOD.

Step Three: Understand that there are people who call themselves Christian and yet their hearts are far from GOD – these people have either backslidden or were never true Believers, to begin with. Be wary and watch out that you do not become influenced by them.

Step Four: If you are certain that the whole church goes against GOD’s Word, then leave the church and look for another church that is obedient to GOD in ALL things.

Step Five: Never lose your faith in GOD because of a couple of ‘goats’ in the church. Follow your Shepherd who is Jesus – He will never fail you or contradict Himself.

Whether you are a teenager, a seasoned Christian or an elderly person, GOD has a purpose for you. There will be many opportunities for you to question the validity of your faith, the grounds for your belief in Jesus, the necessity of the Scriptures, and even GOD’S love for you. Never allow doubt to take away your gift from Him- eternal life in Jesus. Rather than leave your faith, delve deeper into the Scriptures, look for answers, don’t just give up. Jesus is coming and He needs warriors, not lukewarm people who doubt His Word. Time is running out.