Has anyone here ever felt so frustrated with the churches around them?

[countrygirl4513]

Quote:
Amen!
The church is to be a hospital for sinners not a museum for saints!
The purpose is to go to church to fellowship with other believers. I've sat at the piano for 35 years giving of my talents and I've seen and heard alot of things I didn't agree with. We recently left the church we were serving at because we knew they were wanting to take the church in a direction that is the new fad. (praise and worship) We (my DH is a music minister) knew that we could be an obstacle for them so we felt it was time to leave for the churches sake. I never want to be accused of standing in the way of God's will. I refuse that burden. So, the church can move on without having to feel that they need to consider our feelings.
I'm proud to see a young person fighting so hard! But remember worship is not meant to be a self gratifying action, it is in it's essence to only be pleasing to God in our worship. We aren't suppose to leave a fellowship service feeling like we have accomplished something great for God and that he should be pleased with us, we are suppose to feel humble, reverent, and fed and be in awe of God and his blessings on his people.
It is hard to find a church without the problems you mentioned, the reason being, they don't exsist. We are humans and full of sin. Perfection belongs to God. You won't find it here on earth. Especially not in a Baptist church.! I've been a Baptist all my life, and seen more than I care to remember.
I will keep you in my prayers that God will show you the light to his will for your life.

 

[joebryant]

My two sisters, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law convinced Anne and me that we are destined for hell. It's very possibly true, and I won't be surprised if I learn too late that they're the only ones on Earth who will get into heaven.

Fearing hell and brimstone, I set about to save my soul (in spite of having been saved and baptised years earlier) by starting my own denomination, so I am now a devout Bryantist. Anyone wishing to join the Bryantist Church only has to agree to tithe and send me 10% of everything they earn. I will send you a letter of guarantee/assurance of being holier than everyone else, and you can show it to all your neighbors, friends, and relatives.

 

[Stumpy]

I left conventional church about 20 years ago because it seems to have so little to do with true Christianity anymore. "Where two are gathered together" is sufficient. I'm not interested in a religious club.

 

[karl lutz]

God is good persevere in your faith and you will find your reward in heaven Jesus often hung out with those that were socially unaceptable

 

[al6517]

Quote:
It is strange that you mentioned a hidden Financial agenda, I live in a portion of the country that is commonly refered to as the bible belt. There are as many churches here as there are blades of grass, and it is very evident that $$$$$ is the driving force not to spread the word of God. It is almost an exclusively a Baptist community. The message you get when you leave church is go out there and earn for me (the Pastor) my 10 % or else, they Ironicly all tend to live in the biggest finest homes and all drive Cadilacs. To me the message of $$$$$ is the primary word not word of love and Salvation, it just raises my Hackle feathers a bit, I understand a church needs funds to operate that is a given, but does the pators wife have to wear diamond rings the size of the titanic, that I payed for while we scrounge to make a living.

Please!!!! I hope a Pastor can chime in and answer why this perception is. Hope everybody has a great day.

AL

 

[Buff Hooligans]

All I ask of a church is that the preacher be intelligent and talk about Jesus and God a lot.

I've been in churches where neither was true.

 

[DiVon80]

Quote:
I have to agree with this post... I have been saved and baptised since 1985. What ever you do, get baptised. I do not belong to any one church. I was raised catholic did every thing necessary to be catholic. Older Catholics did not read the bible. They got all their info from the priest. I was one who always wanted to go to the source. Did not like other peoples interpertations. I was in a bible study w a group that broke away from a Church of Christ basically to form there own. One of the first things they did was get us directed towards being baptised. Now a days alot of the stuff going on in the churches I want know part of..I have learned a lot from the tv. TBN and INSP my husband calls it church tv. I just do not listen to the part when they start asking for the money.. Which once you understand the tithing part, this won't bother you much. I really like to listen to Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar,John Hagee,Billy Brim. There are some really good ones. I seem to get more out of this then sitting in a church being distracted by the whoopla. I have also found some of the meanist people are the ones sitting in church every Sunday...Good Luck

 

[EweSheep]

In my younger years, I was frustrated with the churches that my family and I "tried" them out and what's bad were the preachers and patrons alike. The preachers can be either rant and raving that we alllllllll are sinners, repent and give MONEY because money is the root of evil. Just about all of them we had kept saying more money and should not have alot of money because Jesus was not rich and we should be like him. Bible thumping was another one. Preachers interpreted the Bible whatever THEY think it should be interpreted and most of the time my father rephased or contest the preacher that it is NOT what the Bible said word for word! So my father was disgusted and left the crowd and a short time after that, the church lost their members and closed up.

It has left us a bad taste in our mouths and we didn't go back to church anymore even those who would say to us that we would burn in hell if we didn't attend church. We told them that the Bible didn't say that any sinners that does not attend church would be forever condemned to hell. A church is a house of God, under many people, a place of comfort and shelter. You can even have prayers and sermons out in the open field, on top of a mountain, under the sea, etc. God does not care WHERE you go to do your worship, He hears you and follows you everywhere even you may think He never hears you. He does!

Yes you are young and go and find another church that "fits" you. A non-denominal religion church might be worth looking into because they practice all faiths except for Catholics which it is a separate agenda of faith and how they interpret the Bible may be a little different. I have attend services for non denominal (sp) and Catholic services and they are alot similar but with a different interpretation of verses. A good preacher that can practice that, which it is rare, does a very good job and he would have followerers everywhere.

So to this day, my parents and I dont go to church (we are Methodists), hubby is not religious at all (his family is Methodists too) and we are not in a hurry to get saved. However I loved Billy Graham preachings, so clear and understanding in Jesus' way of doing things and why he did it. I cried when Mr Graham retired and I certainly hope that the broadcasts will re run his sermons he did. I am not certain about his son's preachings since I only saw ten minutes of it and didn't sit down to watch the whole thing. Maybe it is me, trying to see his son exactly like his father. If he does not have it, forget it.

 

[countrygirl4513]

I like what Grandpa Walton said that nature and it's beauty is God's Cathedral. Just sitting with my chickens or walking along the creek, I see God's beauty and love for His children. But I still feel the need for fellowship with other believers. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. Satan not only sits in the pews but often is in the pulpit! But as I said before, we are ALL sinners and fallen short. Time is your friend, you are young let God lead. It applies to churches, sometimes like in love... you have to kiss alot of toads before you find a prince. Sometimes you search endlessly to find a church that fits you... but we need to search for a church that fits God's plan in your/our life. Regretably sometimes we come up lacking. No church is perfect, perfection belongs to God.

 

[rebecca100]

It's like countrygirl said. If you feel that heavily that where you are at isn't where you need to be, then maybe it is the lord guiding you to where you need to be. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!! Maybe HE has something special in mind for you and it is time to move on. Have faith and don't give up! And remember, it won't always be easy to do his will and it won't always be clear either. Will pray for you.