Dear Frustrated-With-The-Norm,

I believe we as a church and community have struck a chord with our Post Script sessions after the Sunday service that provides a platform for questions and answers, and with a “Dear Abby-esque” blog that was posted a few weeks ago (you can read it here).  In that light, we’re going to continue answering some questions I’ve received.

Question:  “Why is it deemed necessary to go to a church in order to be saved, find the right path, and essentially be accepted? Why is self-study and individual motivation not seen as ‘right’ or accepted in most churches?  Someone says I have only studied on my own and many times they are scrutinized…”

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Those are some excellent questions that I’m sure many have found to be true and have allowed the responses or scrutiny to drive them away from God instead of to Him.  I sincerely apologize, as church-people can be some of the best in the world at judging others without knowing the heart behind it.  Let me break down your questions into a few parts, then we’ll put it back together.

 - Why is it deemed necessary to go to a church in order to be saved, find the right path, and be accepted?

Sadly, that’s a bit of a loaded question.  Some “churchy” people do think you need to be in church in order to be saved, but we can’t find that anywhere in the Bible.  What we DO find in the Bible is those following Jesus are SO EXCITED at the Truth they’ve finally found, and that hole in their souls finally filled that they can’t wait to tell others.  Not to brow-beat them, but to lovingly guide them to the same Truth.  Jesus didn’t come for the healthy, but for the sick… the problem is, many in church have this incorrect thought that they’re healthy and they became healthy because of the church, and not because of Jesus… and that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Jesus saves.  Jesus heals.  Jesus restores.  The church is a group of people who are on their journey following Jesus, and is meant to be a place of acceptance and encouragement to continue following Him, not to be an exclusive club that only certain people are welcome.  God LOVED US SO MUCH that He gave His only Son, that WHOEVER believes will have eternal life… (a paraphrase of John 3:16)  Acceptance by God happens that moment you call out on Jesus as your Savior and Lord and believe on Him, repenting of your sins.  Acceptance by a group of people calling themselves a church may never happen (sadly).

- Why is self-study and individual motivation not seen as ‘right’ or accepted in most churches?

 *sigh* Some people want control.  They don’t like all those “free-thinking, question-asking hippies from the 60’s and 70’s.”  They want structure and control and there’s lists of things you MUST do, and there’s a far longer list of things you CAN’T do.  The Bible has a word for those types of people - Pharisees.  Today’s word would be “religious.”  The bottom line is this - you are free and encouraged to ask ALL the questions you want, and you’re encouraged to study God’s Word AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE… but in your studies, recognize and elevate God’s Word above all other sources you consider.  It’s the trump-card (to use a euchre term).  It’s the absolute, undisputed Truth that guides us.  If, in your studies, you find that the Bible says one thing and another book/person/blog/article/etc. says something else, the Bible wins. every. time.  So, dig in.  If you’re looking for a great study Bible, I’d recommend this one.

- Someone says I have only studied on my own and many times they are scrutinized.

Sometimes that scrutiny is valid.  2 Peter 1:20 says no prophesy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  In other words, the Bible interpretation is clear, and when someone reads something out of context or a thought comes out of left-field that runs contrary to the whole of Scripture, scrutiny should be used, because it’s a false-teaching and should be recognized as such.  So because there have been SO MANY false-teachers using the Bible and twisting the Bible to suit their own needs, wants, and desires, people are generally a little leary of someone who refuses generally accepted interpretation.  Now… that being said, if you are studying the Bible on your own and using great study tools to help you through tough areas, there’s NO REASON to stop.  KEEP GOING.  I wish more churches would do the same… I’m finding that if we really studied what the church looked like in the time of the apostles and compared it to what churches look like today, we wouldn’t find many similarities. We’d find a few, but not many.  Songs are sung and the Bible is taught, but that’s about it.  

So, to put this all back together:

Many churches today have lost their way and become more focused on what they want to accomplish and how they want to grow and who they want to reach than on what the Bible teaches and how God leads them.  Some have become “country clubs” for the elite.  Some have become greedy for money and so they promise prosperity and wealth to those who give a lot of money to the church.  Others have swung the pendulum too far the other way and said churches shouldn’t grow, shouldn’t have buildings, and the Christians shouldn’t have anything - they think poverty is the way to go… 

So what do you do with this?  Realize that churches are made of people.  And, just like you, they’re imperfect.  They mess it up.  They don’t get it right very often.  But don’t judge them for it, and don’t refuse church because of it.  Find a church willing to ask the hard questions, willing to search for the Answer, and willing to admit their faults - because it’s with a group of people like that where you can learn and grow.  God will use broken people - He’s been doing it for 6,000+ years.  His perfect ways will be carried out by imperfect people.  And He loves us anyway.  Get involved. Stay involved. Dig deep.