I Love Jesus But Don’t Go To Church

Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve heard someone say something like this before.  Maybe you are that someone.

This post is not referring to someone who isn’t a follower of Christ.   They wouldn’t say they love Jesus in the first place, so let’s clear that up.   I’m talking to anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ but lives outside the covering of a faith community.   In other words, those who acknowledge a personal decision at some point in their life to follow Jesus but don’t attend church.   This one’s for you.

I have an array of experiences that I’m pulling from to write this post but I don’t claim to have cornered the market on the subject.  I’m just doing my best to summarize the conclusions I’ve come to.

I grew up seeing church mostly from a church member’s perspective.  I didn’t grow up in a Pastor’s home but some of my cousins and uncles are Pastors so exposure to the world of ministry was never far off.   I went to a public high school, Christian college, and did graduate work at a local seminary.  I worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for 13+ years and have been part of small churches (50ish), large ones (2,500+) and ones in between.  And now, I’m a Pastor.   My wife is the daughter of a Pastor and that comes with a lifetime of experience.

Ok, after a lot of reflection, I believe there are three reasons why a Christian may say “I love Jesus but don’t go to church.”  Could there be more?  Sure, but here are my three…in no specific order:

Arrogance

Yes, I said arrogance.  This is the “Jesus saved me and that’s all that matters” perspective.  This sounds a bit harsh but you may know someone who is like this.  Maybe they don’t say it the same way but their actions do.  It’s the person who wants their faith to fit into a box that allows them to live their lives for themselves.  These are Christians who follow God as it relates to special events or services.   You may see them in church a few times a year but that’s about it.

Spiritually speaking, arrogance is a dangerous place to live.  Scripture shows us that arrogance is routed in pride and it puts you at odds with God because God opposes proud people (Prov 3:34). Pride needs to be replaced with humility if we want to experience God working in our life.  If we are really followers of Jesus, then He needs to be in charge.  Things get messy when we take charge.  That’s called sin.  If you’re living at the place of arrogance, I encourage you to pack up your things, rent a truck and plan on moving.  You’ll be happy you did.

Immaturity

This group just doesn’t know as much as they think they do.  They say things like, “I love God, I just don’t see the need to be a part of a local church” or “I don’t need the local church when there are so many great resources (e.g., podcasts, TV, etc).  I’ll just get spiritually fed at home.”   These are both statements that can point to immaturity.  What’s the solution?  They have to be taught from scripture with an attitude of grace why being a part of a local church is important and Biblical.  In other words, they need discipleship.  People to walk life with them, not talk at them.

So, why is it important to be part of a local church?  The Bible says a lot about the importance to gather as the church.

For starters, the church is God’s intended method to demonstrate His wisdom to the universe (Eph 3:10).  That’s right; God gave the church the role of communicating a message to the universe!  What is that message?  It’s LOVE, UNITY & HOPE (just to name a few).   If you don’t gather together how can you love each other?  If you don’t live life together, what opportunities do you have to demonstrate unity in the midst of diversity?   Anyone can love someone on their own terms but try loving them in the context of the church where we are called to function together.  THAT’S when strongholds are broken and the power of God is evident.  THAT’S when the message has power and the world takes notice.

Always remember that presenting the truth of scripture with grace leaves the decision in the hands of the individual.  It’s not your job to fix things.  If they reject what scripture says, they may be leaning towards the camp of arrogance which we know is not a good place to be.  Regardless of the response, do your best to instruct them in God’s truth, not your opinion.

Injury

This one, though not more important than the others, is probably more widespread in my opinion.  I’ve heard it a lot.  As awesome as the Church can be, it is also a lightning rod for people to get hurt by other people.

No one is exempt from this.  No one.   If you’ve ever been connected with a church you understand what I’m talking about.   Over the years, I’ve seen people come and go from many churches, citing injury as the reason for their departure.   “I was really hurt by my last church” or “If that’s the way the Church really is, I want nothing to do with it.”

Both of those statements are just examples but usually come from legitimate pain people have experienced.  I would never marginalize the hurt people have experienced.  I get it.  In my lifetime, I’ve heard countless stories of the pain people carry from other people through church experiences.  I carry them too.  Over the years, I’ve been hurt more times than I care to remember from people within the Church.  Sadly, I’ve also been responsible for causing pain to others which doesn’t just make me a victim, but an offender.  Like I said, it’s saddening.

Here’s my point on injury.  IF Jesus prayed that His church would be completely unified (John 17:20-21).  IF the Apostle Paul equated the church with a physical body, its many parts all having unique purposes but functioning together (1 Cor 12:12-31).  IF the writer of Hebrews challenges believers to spur one another on to love and good deeds by refusing to give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing (Hebrews 10:24-25) and IF the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers to promote unity, doesn’t it make sense that Satan will do whatever he can do to destroy the gathering of the church?

This is exactly how I see Satan work in the church.  An injury occurs and it is not usually addressed quickly (as Matt 18:15-17 and Matt 5:21-23 say it should).  The injury then grows into an offense which begins to bring distance between the wounded person and others.   If left unaddressed, division becomes permanent and then decisions are made that grieve the heart of God.   People uproot their families and change churches, which leaves a wake of pain and hurt for many.  Sometimes they may stay but don’t address the pain which ends up hurting others because ‘hurt people hurt people.’  Other times they unplug from church, choosing instead to separate themselves, vowing to never go to church again.  In every situation, Satan wins and everyone suffers.

We can’t completely avoid it or insulate ourselves against it.  It’ll happen.  Leaders, congregants, visitors, attendees, it doesn’t matter who it is or how it happens.  What matters in the end is how we address it. The discomfort of dealing with the injury is far less painful than the long-term effects from parting ways.

Wrapping Things Up

Of course there are legitimate instances and seasons when a believer is not actively connected to a church.  Maybe a recent move, a significant circumstance or rogue leadership that deviate from teaching Biblical truth.  All of these could require someone to put down new roots elsewhere.  That’s expected.  It should, however, be the exception to the rule, in my opinion, and before it happens, the exit should be done in an attitude of humility, peace and unity, in as much as it is up to you (Rom 12:18).  If you choose to leave a church in an unhealthy way or stay disconnected, you’re also choosing to accept the unhealthy relational and emotional consequences that can come from disobeying God’s instruction.

The truth is, the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Christ loves the church  (Eph 5:25) and gave His very life for it.  His death was the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of God’s love for us (Romans 5:6-8).  Did you hear that?  God LOVES the church which means He loves YOU.   If He loves the Church, His followers need to love it too…and that means learning to love each other, together.

Are you a professed follower of Christ but not involved in a local church?  If so, I implore you to check your heart’s motivation by seeking wise counsel from God’s word and mature believers.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 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.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25)