Biblical Reasons For Leaving A Church

Most churches in America are throwing away their Bibles and believing in lies. If you are in a church that looks like the world, acts like the world, does not have sound doctrine, supports homosexuality and even has homosexuals working in the ministry, supports abortion, the prosperity gospel, etc. These are clear reasons to leave that church. If your church is about business and not about Christ that is a clear reason. Watch out for these fake powerless churches these days.

Be careful because sometimes we want to leave the church for dumb reasons such as a small argument with someone or “my pastor is a Calvinist and I’m not.” Sometimes people want to leave for neutral reasons such as there is a biblical church in your area and now you don’t have to drive 45 minutes to get to church. Whatever the reason you must pray thoroughly. Trust in God and not yourself.

1. False Gospel

Galatians 1:7-9 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

2. False teachings

Titus 3:10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.

Matthew 7:15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

2 Peter 2:3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Romans 16:18  For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

3. If they deny Jesus is God in the flesh.

 John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.

John 10:33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

4. Members are not being disciplined. Sin is running wild in the church. (Most churches in America are filled with false converts who don’t care about God’s Word anymore.)

Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

5. Elders with unrepentant sin.

1 Timothy 5:19-20 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

6. They never preach on sin. God’s Word will offend people.

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

John 7:7  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

7. If the church wants to be like the world. If it wants to be hip, trendy, water down the gospel, and compromise.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

8. Unholy living is tolerated.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

9. Hypocrisy

 2 Timothy 3:5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Matthew 15:8 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Romans 2:24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

10. Using money improperly. If people are passing the offering basket around four times in one service there is a problem. Is the church all about Christ or is it all in His name?

2 Corinthians 8:18-21 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

John 12:6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.