LEAVING A LOCAL CHURCH II

People often have a weird sense of what is important.

A pastor preaching against premarital and extramarital sex said that sex in its proper place (marriage) is good and certainly not sinful. God designed it, blessed it and determined its lawful use. Well, a member of the church we'll call "Dave" got upset with this pastor, even though what he said was Biblical. Dave left the church taking his wife and daughter with him. It didn't matter to him that the pastor had led both the Dave's wife and daughter to Christ. Nor did it matter that the pastor was preaching exactly what the Bible teaches. It didn't matter that the pastor apologized if he had said it somewhat indelicately (he didn't). Dave left. Well, all in all, better that someone leaves your church because you preach the truth than if you don't preach the truth. Unfortunately it was the beginning of the end for Dave. His wife and daughter eventually left him and he died a lonely man. Cause and effect? Not for me to judge. But I do know that pastor would have been a good ally to help hold the family together as both wife and daughter highly regarded him, but Dave had burnt that bridge and tied the pastor's hands.

If you have reason to leave a local church or even a denomination make sure it's Biblical. I left a church my family had been associated with for decades because the pastor didn't believe the Bible was God's Word, didn't believe in a personal devil and was a wolf in sheep's clothing. The local church itself gave a man's office of elder to his wife when he moved away. He moved because his wife was having an affair, divorced her husband and married her "lover". All this was common knowledge, and yet the church honored her with an office. The denomination itself no longer followed the Bible and openly supported many anti-Biblical causes. Even as a young Christian, recently saved and just starting to read his Bible I knew those things weren't right. So I left, looking for a church where the Bible was preached. Eventually I found one. Now I pastor one. All glory to God for the great things He hath done.