A look at when to leave a church that has already left Christ...

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Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. -- Acts 20: 28-30 (ESV)

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/72224-don-t-be-a-church-dropout

I receive emails all the time from Christians who have finally seen the true light of the Gospel and left their apostate church. As painful a decision as that is, what follows is not always reassuring as there simply is a dwindling amount of churches that are not poisoned by the purpose driven church, theories of seeker friendly church growth and the plethora of false theologies that have gone mainstream such as nationalism worship, prosperity, word faith and experiential Christianity. What is one to do beloved when faced with the prospect of doing the right thing and still seeing no way out? I think the first thing we need to do is understands the situation and the times we live in.

The Bible says narrow is the way to eternal life and few are those who find it. Few beloved. Not stadiums filled with people. Someone recently asked me about Hillsong and my answer was that I really do not believe you can have a ministry followed by millions of people and not compromise the Gospel. Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but a sword that would divide family against family. The Gospel offends by nature. It is exclusive by nature. Then we have the reality of apostate church. The Bible does not promise a great end times revival but rather a great end times falling away. We are living in the middle of that apostasy right now. What was anathema decades ago is considered acceptable doctrine today. Absolute heretics like Bill Johnson, Jennifer Leclaire, or Joel Osteen are revered within the church. Joseph Prince, Brian Houston, and TD Jakes? Considered mainstream! How many people in church point to the fact that a huckster like Paula White is the spiritual advisor to the President of the United States as a positive development for the church?

The key verses today remind us that Paul warned us about the apostate church when saying goodbye to the elders at Ephesus. What we need to learn from these verses starts with the fact that the wolves that run the apostate church are fierce. Fierce means intense and aggressive. Our enemy does not play beloved. The key verses say clearly they will not spare the flock! I am saddened and amazed at so many people who criticize discernment ministries who are overly concerned about the wolves with seemingly no compassion for the sheep. The next lesson from the key verses today is that these wolves arise from amongst us. This is how they so easily gain a foothold. We see it every day that seemingly solid preachers and Christian leader start to veer towards the purpose driven path or embrace one of the popular heresies of the day. The temptation for the average Gospel preaching pastor must be monumental. To see all of the churches around him grow and grow. Riches upon riches. Pastors gaining in popularity, prestige and pay. It is then that they must pay attention to what it is that they are preaching. The key verses promise us that the false will twist what they preach in order to draw disciples after them. What better way to describe the cult of personality churches we see across this world today. People not following Christ but instead following the pastor. Then all of the compromised pastors hold hands and sing unity. Suddenly those that dared to leave their churches are the bad guys. Those that continue to point to the Bible are labeled legalists or "religious." One such Christian leader that seems to have gone off the rails a bit lately is J. Lee Grady. Mr. Grady used to a lonely voice of biblical reason on the heresy island that Charisma News has become. Unfortunately, bad company corrupts good character. He wrote a piece today that I hope was well intended but missed the mark regarding unity. Let us review and reason together beloved through the article linked above.

"All my life I've heard people make up excuses for missing church. Long before funny memes were invented for social media, absentee churchgoers joked about attending "Bedside Baptist," "Church of the Holy Comforter" or "Church of the Inner Springs" to imply that they decided to sleep in on Sunday morning. I'm not going to condemn anyone for taking a week off from church if they are overly tired, going on vacation or hosting company. But today we have a growing subset of Christians who have developed a complex theology of church delinquency. They usually rattle off their list of complaints ("the pastor preaches too long," "the music is too loud," "nobody reaches out to me," etc.) and then they claim it's perfectly fine to practice faith solo style." -- J. Lee Grady

I agree with Mr. Grady that everyone should have the ability to know when to miss a week at church. I am afraid our agreement ends there. I do not know any sheep that have left the sheepfold because sermons were too long or the music too loud. I am sure outlier examples exist but the majority of people who fit this bill are probably unsaved. If they then feel they can practice faith solo, it only goes to show how poorly they were taught. I am with Mr. Grady 100% that we were meant to be in Christian community. The problem is when that community abandons the Gospel.

"The biggest reason people drop out of church is they've been hurt by other Christians. One offense spawns another. Resentment grows. And before you know it, they close their hearts to others, burn bridges, build walls and live in isolation. If you or someone you love has given up on church, I understand your pain. I've had my share of disappointments in church over the years, including some spiritual abuse from leaders. But I want to offer six reasons why you shouldn't let a bad experience end your connection to God's people." -- J. Lee Grady

It is a shame that here at the underpinning of the argument Grady just misses the mark. The biggest reason why people drop out of church is not that they were hurt by other Christians but that they were hurt by leadership. This is no small distinction beloved. Most Christians who have left their churches have done so over doctrine. The purpose driven church teaches new pastors that it is ok to let sheep go if they are disagreeing with the new purpose driven direction. That alone is blasphemous to the true nature of the body of Christ.

"1. The church is Christ's body on earth. With all its flaws, the church is still God's Plan A. Jesus announced before He went to the cross: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). Jesus intends to use the church--even in its weakness--as His primary tool to reach the world with the gospel. Heaven does not have a Plan B. Jesus is the head of his church (see Col. 1:18) and we are His hands and feet. To reject the church is to reject God's ultimate strategy to bring heaven's kingdom on earth." -- J. Lee Grady

If a church has some infrastructure needs or a small parking lot -- those are "flaws." No one leaves church over flaws. The difference Grady needs to understand is that the body of Christ is God's plan A, not the church. The gates of hades will not prevail against the uncompromised church. If Grady thinks that the devil is cowed by sneaky squid spirits or false prophecies about carnal political leaders he is sadly mistaken. God has zero intention of reaching anyone with anything other than the Gospel. Only the Gospel has the power of God unto the salvation of man and yes the church is the chosen vehicle for the deliverance of that Gospel. When churches decide to no longer preach the Gospel then it is no longer being used by God. Don't believe me? Let us look a few verses prior to the key verses:

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. -- Acts 20: 26-27 (ESV)

Paul tells the leaders at Ephesus that had he not preached the uncompromised Gospel then their blood would have been on his hands. It is not the church that people are rejecting Mr. Grady -- it is apostasy.

"2. The Holy Spirit has called us to work and flow together. When we were born again and baptized, the Bible says we were mystically unified with all other born-again believers and connected to each other by the Holy Spirit. The Lord also connects people in local congregations. This connection is holy, and we should never make light of it or damage it. Paul told the Ephesians to "preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" by being in close fellowship with each other (Eph. 4:3). To reject this union of believers is to dishonor the work of the Spirit." -- J. Lee Grady

This is fascinating. The first statement is correct. When we were born again, we were born into the family of believers. The second statement is incorrect. There is no biblical support that the Lord connects people in local congregations and that these are somehow holy. The harsh reality is that the vast majority of people in any church are unsaved. Thus there is no bond of unity with them at all. The purpose driven model draws the unsaved and expels the brethren. It caters to the lost while starving the sheep. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth to discern these things. Ignoring THAT is to dishonor the Spirit. What is Grady saying here? That to correctly discern false doctrine and separate from it is somehow dishonoring to God? Seriously?

"3. God accomplishes more through His corporate people than through isolated individuals. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit worked primarily through the nation of Israel, and through individuals who had special callings and remarkable courage. But in the age of the New Covenant, the Spirit dwells in every Christian believer, and the corporate church makes a much bigger impact. This is why Jesus told His disciples after He went to the cross that we would do "greater works" than He did on earth (see John 14:12). And because healthy churches can pool resources and organize volunteers, they are able to offer ministry to children, youth, families, singles, the needy and the lost overseas--in a way you could never do while sitting home alone." -- J. Lee Grady

I agree with Grady that we can do so much more together in unity but he pays no care to what we are unified around. To him the church is the thing to unify around and to me the Gospel is. It seems the assumption made by Mr. Grady is that if the building has a steeple then it must be filled with brothers and sisters. This flies in the face of Scripture where Jesus explains that only those who do the will of the Father are who we should consider our brothers and sisters. I am sorry but the cold reality is the vast majority of people who go to Joel Osteen's church are not my brother or sister. If they were the indwelt Holy Spirit would convict them to come out from among them. Paul Washer postulates that the Osteens of the world exist because he gives the people exactly what they want and it is not God. I have no unity with people who think that their personal experience rises to the level of Scripture. I have no unity with those who think they can usurp the power of creation from God Almighty. Nor should I have any unity with the forces of darkness.

"4. God's authority flows through His church, not through "lone ranger" Christians. Some people who've been hurt by church leaders feel they can never submit to another pastor again, nor will they honor a person who is called by God to carry the authority of a minister. Yet God has delegated to certain people the task of building up the church (see Eph. 4:11-12). It's totally acceptable for you to leave an unhealthy church with poor leadership, but you should quickly find a new church where you can be equipped to fulfill your ministry. It was never intended for a Christian to live with a my-way-or-the-highway attitude." -- J. Lee Grady

Yeah, says no biblical text anywhere. This is what is known as the false authority paradigm. Listen, pastors and teachers of the Word are due double honor because they will be judged by a stricter standard. That standard being the blood of their listeners based upon what they preached as we saw in the verses from Paul to the elders at Ephesus. People who insist on sound doctrine are not employing a my way or the highway mentality but rather God's way or the highway. This notion of ministry fulfillment is straight out of the purpose driven heresy. As for submission, which Grady speaks to,

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. -- Hebrews 13: 17 (ESV)

This is usually the verse that false authority paradigm followers turn to but this is speaking about doctrine. If you have a pastor that brings the uncompromised Gospel, then we are to submit to what it is that they teach. The authority of a minister is contained within their doctrine. It is the word that carries authority -- not the man. Any pastor worth his calling is going to point you to the authority of Jesus and not his own bloated sense of it.

"5. It is by living in Christian community that we learn to love and serve. The book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who were thinking of abandoning their Christian faith because of persecution. Some of them even stopped attending church, but Paul addressed their disillusionment by saying: "And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25). People who live in isolation find it difficult to develop character, and they often get discouraged; those who walk together in close fellowship inspire each other, and they improve each other just as iron sharpens iron." -- J. Lee Grady

Yes, but the notion that the church is the sole source of iron is inaccurate. I led a small group home fellowship for several years that was far more edifying than the last few years at the mega church I left. I am all for organized church but not for the sake of the organized church. Without the uncompromised Gospel it is just a whitewashed tomb with all the appearance of piety with none of the power of Christ. So if you find yourself today in a good church that preaches the true Gospel then hold on for dear life because the end times are here and the enemy will come for your church and your pastor. They will come for him with purpose driven dreams and greed disguised as growth. Stand in the gap. If you however find yourself on the outside and no church seems to be doing the right thing realize first that you are not crazy. Narrow is the way. Secondly, find some like-minded believers and start your own fellowship. There should be leadership and accountability but there is no reason for you to stay out of the fellowship found in the body of Christ just because you correctly refuse to go to Hillsong. Grady concludes:

"6. If you leave the church because of hurt or resentment, you make it more difficult to find healing and reconciliation. It might sound spiritual to say you are pulling away from people to focus on God. But the New Testament says your relationship with God is directly related to how you relate to others. John wrote: "Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark" (1 John 2:9, MSG). People may have hurt you, but God will also use people to heal you. Don't let the hurts of the past paint you into a lonely corner. Choose to forgive. Take a risk and keep loving. Please don't check out of church or give up on God's flawed saints. There is no perfect church--and if there were, it would not be perfect after you joined! There is a place for you in God's eternal family." -- J. Lee Grady

I want to end on a more agreeable note. Grady is correct if the reason you left church is because of resentment. Resentment is just another word for unforgiveness and left unresolved it will metastasize and spread like cancer. If you left because of being hurt by another brother or sister I agree forgiveness is the way to go especially if the church is solid. Do not let anyone drive you away from a church preaching the Gospel. If the real reason however is that your church has started to look more like the world than the world, you have made the right choice to leave. If the preaching is now more about you than Christ, you have made the right choice to leave. If your church refuses to listen to biblical counsel regarding sound doctrine, you have made the right choice to leave. Unity without doctrine is no unity at all. When we see the reality that the church will lead the way to take the Mark and embrace ecumenicalism we must realize that it is because so many have chosen unity with the apostate church. Our loyalty must always be to the Gospel alone.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- July 23, 2018

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.