The Church Failed Me (Part 1)

Church. That is a loaded word or more like a loaded gun in some cases. No church is perfect because the church is filled with imperfect people. People make mistakes. They are sinners who distort a perfectly good thing, the Gospel. As a result, church turns non-Christians off. When they see the church acting just like the world, they have no reason to come to do so-called worship with people who claim Christ. They have no reason to fall in love with Jesus. The church can do something else almost as terrible. It can turn Christians off as well. It can burn God-fearing people to bits. My heart has been broken by church more than once in my life. The church has failed me at times, yet I learned a lot from being in different kinds of churches over the years. Here is what I have seen:

Healthy churches...

• value the Bible above any other book or document.
• have a biblical leadership structure (pastor, staff, and elders lead; deacons serve).
• are filled with broken people.
• don't fight over insignificant things like carpet, music, etc.
• fight for the right things and for each other.
• reach out with compassion and love.
• welcome people of all races and nationalities.
• are there for you when times get tough.
• discipline Christians who have gone astray to bring them back into fellowship.
• pray for unbelievers in the community to become believers.
• witness to their community, their nation, and their world.

Unhealthy churches...

• value documents like the Baptist Faith and Message (or the like) or their church constitution above the Bible.
• do not have a biblical leadership structure (usually deacons or a small group of members try to run the church).
• are filled with proud people.
• fight over the smallest of things like paint colors, air conditioner settings, etc.
• don't fight for the right things and forsake each other.
• point fingers and cast stones.
• don't welcome people who look differently than they.
• aren't there for you when you need them the most.
• do not practice church discipline. There's no accountability.
• do not pray for unbelievers like they should.
• do not emphasize evangelism.

There also are churches that possess characteristics of both. All churches have strengths and weaknesses, of course, just like Christians because the church is full of sinful, saved people. 

Again, I have been hurt to the core by unhealthy churches. I still have a god-given desire to fellowship with believers in spite of the damage done. Sometimes I don't understand why God allows those churches to continue to have open doors. My ways are not His ways, so I may never understand. What I do know is that you need to figure out if your church is more like the healthy or unhealthy church. If it's healthy, praise God and watch yourself so that you don't ruin it. If it's unhealthy, be convicted. Now, what are you going to do about it?