Why Do You Attend The Church You Do?

Let me continue to challenge your thinking as it pertains to "nursery" style churches and "Army" building churches...

Tomorrow morning, people across our nation will attend church services. Some of them are already dreading it. I know this, because I hear people in our "culturally Christian" community constantly berating their church, pastor, deacons, choir members, other churches, etc. I talk with pastors in our community (and in other states) who are broken hearted because of the infantile behavior within their congregations. People know the Scriptures, but fail to apply them. These pastors feel like babysitters, rather than spiritual leaders. Sadly, this appears to the be the norm, rather than the exception.

Such common behavior prompts me to ask a few questions:
1) Is berating other believers helping or hurting the cause of Christ?
2) Do "Christians" understand that their negative comments may keep some from salvation?
3) Do people who gossip, sow discord, and divide the body; really think they can also worship?
4) Do those who attend churches as martyrs, really think that is a spiritual act of service?
5) Would we allow on a sports team, what we allow in the local church?

Some people in our area do crazy (and sinful) things under the guise of being 'spiritual.' The majority of believers simply laugh at them and call them crazy, but my heart breaks as they play the game of religion and worship the god of self. They are harming the body of Christ and such behavior certainly does not please a holy God.

So tomorrow morning, evaluate "why" you attend the church you do. If your answer begins with "God," then you're probably in the right place and probably for the right reason. If God led you to that church, and is using you to encourage others, exercise your spiritual gifts, lead some to Christ, and bring others to spiritual maturity; then stay put and keep serving Him!

On the other hand, if your answer contains the words "I," "my," "me," "mine," or anything similar... you only have a couple of options:
1) Repent of your self-centeredness, and rejoin your team.
2) Go find a church where they will worship you, appreciate you, sing your favorite songs, and avoid preaching against your sins. Hey... they might even let you choose the service start times, set the thermostats, and give less in the offering.

Remember: Setting up a nursery is all about keeping the infants comfortable; but building an army is hard work, it's uncomfortable, and it focuses on the needs of others. So... what type of church are you looking for?