Out of Church Christians

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I too, considered leaving. Although I cannot say that my quest is at an end, I can say leaving the church is NOT the correct response . The Lord needs those who are desiring to experience Him to the fullest degree to REMAIN in the church. Those who perceive the need of Him have been given the assignment to pray, continually beseeching our heavenly Father for THE REST OF THE BODY OF CHRIST to want more of Him as well! We are abandoning our post if we leave because it is lonely, or trying, or sorrowful, or any of the many other descriptions that fit. Ultimately, the end result is this, we will either choose what we think is best for us, or we will cry out to our Father for what is best for HIS CHURCH. </div> <bR> <div> Instead of pining because the church experience is not what we are looking for, our position should be one of gratitude that we have been given sight to realize this is so. It is exactly this condition that is driving us to seek Him, behind the veil, for His presence. It is lamentable that the saints whom the Lord has equipped with what is necessary to overcome this pathetic state of the church, are the very ones who are LEAVING! What will we say to our Father on the Day of His return in defense of such an action? </div> <bR> <div> The very thing that Christ gave His life to form, THE CHURCH, is in need of our spiritual involvement. Yes, the work is hard, lonely and sometimes very tiring, BUT IT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!! Father, forgive us of our selfishness that we consider only ourselves and not Your desires. Convict us Father, and give us hearts that long to be able to say with our brother Paul “ I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,”.</div> <bR> <div> That in all things Christ may have the preeminence. Col 1:18</div> <bR> <bR> <div> WEBSITE RESPONSE </div> <bR> <div> First of all, thank you for writing. I appreciate your comments.</div> <bR> <div> I would like to say that I am absolutely for the church, but I am NOT for the organized "church" because it is divided into shreds based on personal preference, flesh, etc. The Lord told us that new wine cannot be contained in old wineskins, and my understanding of wineskins is the outward groups we belonged to. </div> <bR> <div> I am not trying to be a critic here, but according to your thought of remaining in the church, wouldn't we need to be part of the Catholic church or the Greek Orthodox church?  Maybe you are and that's okay with me as long as you are following Christ.  Look back through church history and the catholic church or the orthodox were basically "THE CHURCH" for centuries.  Even Martin Luther did not leave the Catholic church despite their opposing his teachings. It was his followers that "defected" from Catholicism. Would you tell them that they are wrong? Then, the anabaptist were persecuted by the Lutherans. Then, the methodists (Wesleyans) were persecuted by the anabaptists, etc. Each group left another because of problems that they felt lead of the Lord to leave. Unfortunately, each group became something beyond the Body of Christ. We do NOT need to support that. We only need to support the Body of Christ ... which is All His genuine believers.</div> <bR> <div> Our commission is NOT to be part of a group, but to follow Christ and fellowship with His saints. The church is NOT a building nor a specific, particular group defined by outward teachings, practices and history. Rather, it is a living, spiritual, mystical organism as the Body of Christ. </div> <bR> <div> Hope to continue our dialogue ...</div> <bR> <div> A Second Response</div> <bR> <div> Greetings in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.</div> <bR> <div> I am just a layperson, not learned or trained. I do not have much education either. But the little that I have seen revealed in God’s Word says that the Body of Christ contains His Spirit. As I understand it, to contain His Spirit means that there can be no shadow of turning in the truths that are espoused. For that very reason, I cannot say that the catholic religion can be called a part of the true church. To be sure, there are ones who are truly seeking the Lord within the catholic confines, I myself came from there, but the truth calls you out of falseness. It must be so, we must choose to follow Him. </div> <bR> <div> But if I understand you correctly, the exodus that you speak of is happening within the TRUE Church, the Body of Christ. It would be earnest believers, endeavoring to find more of the Lord, leaving the degraded church behind and betaking themselves to higher ground. </div> <bR> <div> Although the teachings may have the potential to be higher and the worship fuller, the core problem, degradation, will not have been addressed. The division will not help those who have separated themselves to love the ones who have been left in the degraded conditions. What about those who are weak and have little love for Him? If we leave, how will they ever see firsthand, up close and personal, Christ’s living in action? These too are brothers, these too Christ died for, these too Christ loves. Dare we love ourselves so much that we disregard them in their pathetic state of need? The divisions that you speak of, whatever the reasonings, were STILL DIVISIONS. The further divided we become, the easier it is to ignore the state of the church, our brothers and sisters. We must instead love the Body of Christ which is in such dire need with our daily living, daily petitioning, daily exhorting and eschewing. How can we do this if we remove ourselves from within their midst? </div> <bR> <div> Perhaps you are correct and I am just missing the mark, but it seems to me that the issue here is one of love and not of doctrine, one of self sacrifice and not of tradition, one of life and not of practices. </div> <bR> <div> That in all things Christ may have the preeminence. Col 1:18</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Website Response</div> <bR> <div> Thanks for writing again. I did want to stress the fact that we must follow the Lord and if your conviction is to remain in a certain denomination or church group, then you must and I say "amen" to that decision. I honor what the Lord is doing in you. The Lord is the Head of the Body and He will direct us and build His church. I want to make it clear that I am NOT advocating that christians leave whatever assembly they are attached to ... but that we must follow Christ where He leads us. He may lead us out of a particular group. He may lead us into another group. That is up to Him.</div> <bR> <div> I liked what you said here:  "<I>Although the teachings may have the potential to be higher and the worship fuller, the core problem, degradation, will not have been addressed. The division will not help those who have separated themselves to love the ones who have been left in the degraded conditions. What about those who are weak and have little love for Him? If we leave, how will they ever see firsthand, up close and personal, Christ’s living in action? These too are brothers, these too Christ died for, these too Christ loves. Dare we love ourselves so much that we disregard them in their pathetic state of need? The divisions that you speak of, whatever the reasonings, were STILL DIVISIONS. The further divided we become, the easier it is to ignore the state of the church, our brothers and sisters. We must instead love the Body of Christ which is in such dire need with our daily living, daily petitioning, daily exhorting and eschewing. How can we do this if we remove ourselves from within their midst?</I>"</div> <bR> <div> The part about our daily living, daily petitioning, daily exhorting and eschewing is especially good. I work (as a teacher now) and am with people everyday. That is my ground to minister, to pray and to follow Christ as of now. The weak ones are there just as they are in so called churches. I do not ignore the state of the church because I do not condone divisions. I pray for the Lord's Body regularly. Honestly, I am not sure what to do so I take the Lord's grace. I have contact with many believers and pray for them and offer myself to them. I will admit that most christians find it hard to fellowship with those "outside their own circle."</div> <bR> <div> Can I ask you what the history of your present "church" is? If you left the catholic church because of its falsehood, have you considered the foundation of your present group. Is it founded on Christ or other things as well. All I am saying is that I am for the ONE Body of Christ and all the members. Actually, if I confine myself to one group, I tend to become very exclusive, thinking "we're" the only true believers. I am not saying this is your case, but it has been my experience.</div> <bR> <div> Concerning divisions, the anabaptists were not divisive when they began. They saw something of Christ and followed it. As a result, they were persecuted (some even to death) by the Lutherans. This is not divisiveness, but faithfulness to the Lord. They were "kicked out." The Lutherans were the divisive ones, insisting that their way was the only way. The unfortunate part is that the anabaptists became their own "church." Then, the Wesleyans faced a similar situation BEFORE they were so called "Wesleyans." They saw something of Christ and followed it and were persecuted for such. After that, they became their own "church".  Every group that I am aware of, has left another group and became their own "church". How many churches are there? Some were following Christ, others were divisive. What is your real definition of "church" that we all must attend?</div> <bR> <div> Even more hoping to continue this discourse ...</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>