Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question, paraphrased below, followed by my response.

QUESTION

Bob,

I come to you with a heavy heart.  My church is falling away.  The sermons more closely resemble motivational speeches than Biblical teaching.  They avoid Biblical issues that they say are “gray areas.”  And our leaders are not forthcoming with church members about the changes that are being made. Paul warned that apostasy and heresy would become the norm.  So, my question for you is this:  What is a follower of Christ to do?  Is it ok to remain in a church that is falling away from sound Biblical doctrine when you cannot find a church that is more on track?  I don’t believe we can sit under false teaching, but we are having a hard time finding anything else.  

 

MY ANSWER:
The situation you describe is being experienced by believers in churches all over the country. However, I want to preface my answer with two qualifying statements:

First, believers should change churches very reluctantly.  Some Christians have a consumer mentality and jump from church to church to get in on the latest wave of excitement.  That shouldn’t be.  When we become a member of a local congregation, we are a part of the body of Christ in that location.  The body is a unit, and we are to support and encourage one another.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26  NLT).  So we are not to impulsively pack up and leave just because the body is experiencing some aches and pains.

Secondly, ensure the issues of concern are doctrinal, not procedural.  There’s an old slogan, “Methods are many, principles are few, methods always change, principles never do.”  Be careful not to identify changes in methodology as heresy or to label a legitimate difference of Biblical interpretation as apostasy.  For instance, I have seen people switch churches because they didn’t like the music style or dress code or a change in by-laws.  Yet, soon after, they would discover their new church would make some of those very same changes.  Orrin Root, a past editor of The Lookout magazine, used to say, “Fight the good fight of faith, but make sure it is the fight of faith that you are fighting.”  Therefore, ensure you are practicing that wonderful slogan, “In doctrine, unity; in opinion, liberty; and in all things love.”

However, as you mentioned, the Apostle Paul warned, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).  The Bible predicts that in the last days, there will be a great falling away from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3), false prophets would introduce destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1), and Satan will deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24).

That is why the situation you describe in your church is so concerning.  Mature believers in the pews are pleading for more boldness in the pulpit, yet many church leaders are becoming increasingly passive and silent on controversial issues.  Gradually the church becomes more concerned about public image than God’s approval, and eventually, the truth of God is exchanged for a lie.

I can really sympathize with the difficult position in which pastors find themselves. If they take a bold, Biblical stand on critical cultural issues, they are likely to be severely criticized by progressives, and those criticisms can be brutal and hurtful.  However, when pastors take a firm, Biblical stance, they seldom get the support they should receive from church leadership.  Consequently, it is much easier for pastors to soften Biblical teaching or simply avoid volatile issues altogether, so no one gets offended.

If you have not already done so, have a loving, one-on-one session with your preacher and commend him for the times he has taken a strong, Biblical stance.  Let him know he can count on your total support when he gets criticized for preaching Gods’ Word.  He needs to know that.  Then, as tenderly as possible, give him some specific examples where you think he could be bolder.  Hopefully, he will receive your gentle instruction with grace. (Galatians 6:1).

Perhaps you should also have a private conversation with a couple of your church elders.  Then pray the leaders will be nudged back on track.  I am convinced a healthy church in the future will not be a seeker-friendly church but a dramatically counter-culture church.  Without question, the church that pleases God is a church that courageously believes and behaves differently and is “not conformed to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2).

If your meetings don’t produce positive results and the church continues to fall away from Biblical teaching, then look for another church where the Bible is preached and its leadership is strong and courageous.  If you cannot find a church like that, continue to worship where you are, but avoid being contentious. We are instructed to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).  It is a serious offense not to preach the whole counsel of God, but it is also a serious offense to divide the body of Christ.

It seems to me you would be wise to develop a small group with several other families (preferably within your own church) who share your convictions.  Meet with them regularly for Bible study and prayer.  Christianity was not meant to be lived in isolation.  As the opposition to Biblical values intensifies, we are really going to need support from one another.

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING” (emphasis mine).  As we sense the soon return of Jesus, we need fellowship and reinforcement from those who share our convictions.  And we need that now more than ever.  If you can’t find that in a local church, find it in a small group.

– Bob

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