What is Church? 4 How to leave a church.

While Jesus was about his business he customarily went to the synagogue, the place where he was brought up. He opened the scroll and told the people there that the messianic passage was about him and he was off! Of course, only he could use the scripture that way but many have been to their peers and announced they need to go and do what God wants them to. Jesus, stating the scripture was fulfilled there and then, left each person there with a decision: "Was this genuinely the fulfilment of this scripture, ie. is Jesus the Messiah?" The scripture tells us two common things that occur in churches-

1) "Isn't this Joseph's son?" To these people Jesus could never be anything else, he was in a box, pigeon-holed by those who had seen him raised from young. Jesus knew this and wasn't about to ask permission!

2) "Surely you will quote - 'physician heal yourself.'" This means the one who heals is the one who needs healing, a well know proverb. Jesus knew they would think like this as they relied on a system of suitability rather than God's calling for people to leave. In churches there are many criteria, key performance indicators and tests to see whether someone is 'ready' to be 'released' by the church leaders. With God, man's lists and criteria for you are ridiculous!

Some churches have forgotten that Jesus is the shepherd and Christians are sheep and the last time I checked, shepherds lead their sheep. The reason we have this example from Jesus Christ is because Christians need to know that God can call people from amongst you at any time! No matter what your opinion is about the why's and whatfors, the scriptures tell us that God DOES call people without the permission of you or the leaders!

As I noted in previous blogs, Jesus had a belligerent attitude towards the system and those who preferred man made plans over God's will. He pointed out to the people that in the history of Israel, God's messengers, Elijah and Elisha were rejected by Israel. Jesus reminded them that they were sent to the Gentiles! For the hearers this carried a threat that they were in danger of again rejecting God's Messenger and, in fact, the Messiah! This angered the people and they dragged him to a cliff edge to throw him off. Jesus went on with what he had to do and so must anyone who feels called by God.

In 2000, called by God, I wanted to leave a church and the leaders behaved just like those Jesus came across. The sad part of the story is that, like Jesus' experience, that church was, and still is, good people simply caught up in man's systems and structures. Because these churches are in a system, some see those who aren't as bad people! Here are a few things we need to observe when we are in a man made system :

1) Those working with the approved system will be 'sent' by the leaders as they are no threat

2) People get fed up with control. This is not rebellion, it is wanting what's theirs... freedom!

3) People do not need an approved path to move on to. Obeying God is called a "step of faith."

4) People can lose the plot if they leave a church. That's their own look out! God loves them too!

5) People who leave through arrogance return. Didn't the Prodigal tell us that?

6) If they don't return, they were not a Prodigal. You were wrong.

7) If you have a criteria for someones readiness for ministry, you must be Jesus, the Christ because you know all about their core workings/motives etc.

8) If you need to turn people toward your point of view when wanting to leave church, you're probably not called by God.

9) Jesus shows us our bad experiences do not mean we are automatically disaffected.

10) Those approving of church hierarchies click here!

If you want help in setting up a church in a home let us know and we can help you return to biblical church and the freedom we were all supposed to live in. Love one another people!