Recently I wrote a post about reasons why church attendance regularly is essential, but how about going for the wrong reasons which many people do. It is so easy to deceive yourself into why you are going. Do any of these have to deal with you?
1. Trying to find a spouse.
There is nothing wrong with looking for a spouse in your local church. There are many Christians who have found a wife / husband in church. The problem is that there are some people who don’t come to church for God at all. They obsess about a relationship so much that the only reason they come is to find a spouse. They want nothing to do with worship and fellowship with others and all that is on their mind is finding a spouse.
2. So you are able to call yourself a Christian.
Many people go to church to sooth their religious conscience not knowing they’re on their way to hell. They never repented and believed on Jesus Christ, but instead say, “I go to church every Sunday so I’m saved. God would not throw me into hell.”
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will go into the holy nation of heaven. The one who does the things My Father in heaven wants him to do will go into the holy nation of heaven. Many people will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not preach in Your Name? Did we not put out demons in Your Name? Did we not do many powerful works in Your Name?’ Then I will say to them in plain words, ‘I never knew you. Go away from Me, you who do wrong!’
3. So you can look religious to your family and friends.
Matthew 23:28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Mark 7:6 He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”
4. To find clients for your business.
Christians are the best clients and the church is a great place to promote your services, but sadly many people know that. I’ve seen many people who come to church not for God, but to promote their tax services, chiropractic services, etc. Judge your motives. Is it wrong if you made a church your home and someone needs your services? No, but when you deliberately come to church for potential business opportunities that is disgraceful.
5. To sing in the choir or play instruments.
Do I have a problem with people singing and playing instruments? Of course not, but many people don’t do it for the glory of God. You can sing in the choir all your life and try to convince yourself you are going to Heaven because your voice is beautiful, but that will not matter on Judgement Day. What will matter is did you give your life to Christ?
6. To justify your sin.
There are many cult churches today. Churches all around the world and especially in America are turning away from the truth. They are throwing away their Bibles and teaching things that are not to be taught. Repentance is not being taught in many pulpits, thus producing a defective gospel and with a defective gospel comes false converts. People will go to an unbiblical church because the pastor not only doesn’t preach on sin, but he says it’s OK. Fake Christians don’t want to be convicted of sin, but want to hear things that sooth their ears. Can you believe they even have homosexual churches now?
2 Timothy 4:3-4 The time will come when people will not listen to the truth. They will look for teachers who will tell them only what they want to hear. They will not listen to the truth. Instead, they will listen to stories made up by men.
2 Peter 2:1-2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
7. I’m trying to get right with the Lord.
People love to offer works in their attempt to get right with God, but our greatest works are like filthy rags. You have no merit of your own. To be saved you must trust in the merit of Jesus Christ. God desires perfection and Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and willfully fell upon the wrath of his Father that you and I may live. Christ is the only way to get right with God.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Way and The Truth and The Life; no man comes to my Father but by me alone.”
8. The preacher is very popular.
Don’t turn a pastor into an idol and never go to church because of a famous pastor. You go to church to worship God not to worship your pastor. Joel Osteen, who is the most popular preacher in the U.S. doesn’t even know his Bible.
Luke 6:26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
9. For the entertainment.
Leonard Ravenhill couldn’t have said it any better. “Entertainment is the devils substitute for joy.” In most of our churches in America we have lost the presence of God. In our attempt to attract people we have become worldly. In 2015 most youth groups are filled with Halo.
10. You think that because you go God will answer your worldly prayers.
Some people have been watching too many prosperity preachers like T.D Jakes, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, etc. Now they think if I just go to church and give, God will give me a huge financial blessing.
Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
11. Your family goes to an unbiblical church, but you don’t want to leave because if you do it might mess up your relationship with them.
Let’s say you are Christian, but you’re in a Catholic church because your family members are Catholics. You must leave from that church. You can’t remain at a church that teaches deceit and is unfaithful. Sometimes for God you’re going to have to do things that mess up your relationship with others.
Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.
Proverbs 14:7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
Other wrong reasons
- They have a lot of programs
- To show off your body or clothes
- They have a school
- It’s a big church
- The people are very nice
- I love their music
Find a biblical church and make it your home, but do it for the right reasons.
Proverbs 16:2 All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD evaluates the motives.
