There are many reasons why some Christians turn their backs on Christ, and there are many more reasons given why others stop attending church services. At times in the Christian experience it may become difficult to stay focused on Christ, because of situations that may develop within the brotherhood of believers, but we should never forget who saved us and who died for us on Calvary. Even though we are social beings and we need the support of like-minded believers, yet it is Christ who has called us to Himself individually, and therefore we must take His invitation very personally.
It is a sad fact that in a predominantly Christian nation, church attendance is actually on the decline, for many denominations and congregations are struggling to add members, and others are bleeding many more believers through the back door, than those coming through the front, and so the question is asked “Why are so many Christians leaving their congregations, and what can be done to retain a healthy membership?
One of the more prominent reasons given for persons turning back to the broken cisterns of earth is that there are many “Hypocrites” in the church, a fact that cannot be denied. But if a person is looking for the right church, and they have come across a church with no hypocrites, then they have found the wrong church. According to the Webster’s definition, “A hypocrite is one who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right, but who behaves in a way that is contrary to such beliefs”. This type of person is to be found in every denomination, in every religion, and even amongst members of God’s remnant people.
Whenever our focus is on what others are doing or not doing, and whenever we become intolerant of those who may genuinely be struggling with weaknesses and sins, then the problem of hypocrites looms large, and if not
managed properly, could cause us to stumble. In the days of Eli this was certainly the case, for his two sons were found to be doing the exact opposite of what any faithful priest should be doing.
This then caused many of the Hebrews to stop going to church, and as a result, the spirituality of the people took a hit, and every man started doing what was right in their own eyes. However, the Bible tells us of two faithful worshippers who were not deterred by the evils that were then taking place in the sanctuary services, and it must here be acknowledged that it must have required great faith on the part of Elkanah and his family to keep attending the yearly service. It means that their focus was not on what the priests were doing, but rather on what God was doing, and what He was about to do. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 1:1 Now there was a certain man of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah”… 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.
1:21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
1st Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
2:23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
2:24 Nay, my sons; for [it is] no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.
2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father”…
It is of critical importance then, for us not to allow any
hypocrites to steal our joy in The Holy Ghost, nor should we expend our energies policing others who may have a lesser understanding of the truths we hold dear. We are all in different stages of spiritual growth, and thus there is great need for tolerance and forbearance, so that growth in grace can take place according to God’s will. God is able to save even hypocrites, therefore we should see the potential for better in everyone, even though their actions may speak to the contrary. Let’s read:
Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.
3:14 And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
This leads us to another reason why some people turn their backs on God or stop attending church, because of the music, which may not appeal to their specific tastes. This reason is one of the more prominent ones, and must be understood in its proper context. Here in America we have a melting pot of believers coming in from different backgrounds, and different cultures, and because of this there are great variances in preference of music. Some like it hot, and some like it cold, and some like it in the pot nine days old.
In other words, we have believers from some Sunday churches who are accustomed to a high energy form of worship, in which rythm and contemporary music in their church services are the order of the day. These particular kinds of services are emotionally charged, with heart and soul being poured into their song. And then there are those of a completely different orientation, in which a very subdued form of worship and music is what is preferred, where the feelings and emotions are bridled so as not to cause any distractions.
This is all well and good, and both types of worshippers may be sincere in their praises, but according to the Bible, music should not be a determining factor in us leaving the church or turning our backs on Christ. Those who have truly accepted Christ as Lord and Savior will not permit music to be a stumbling block in our blood relationship with The Lord, for according to the Bible the true sheep listen to the Master’s voice, not to music, and so they will not forsake the assembly of the saints if the music is not to their preference. Let’s read:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of
my hand.
10:29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.
10:30 I and [my] Father are one.
Another reason why some folk desert Christ and the assembly of the saints is because church is “Boring” to them, especially if a plethora of unceasing activity is not abundantly provided. Hence we have in our day a multitude of concerts, bazaars, excursions, dinners, and other such occasions to make the Christian life “Interesting”. And whenever these additional activities are removed, there goes the membership of many who had built their relationship with Christ upon the shaky foundation of excitement and entertainment. If we do not enjoy the presence and companionship of Christ as being the center of our joy, then something is seriously lacking and needs to be addressed urgently.
Our highest and most intimate joy should be with Christ, and then the horizontal aspect of our relationship with others will find its rightful place. But never should the presence of God with us be substituted or supplemented with other activities in order for it to have meaning. This is one of the more prominent reasons why church attendance is on the decline, and the issue is addressed in the scriptures, from the right perspective. Let’s read:
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 42:1 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
98:5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
98:7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
98:8 Let the floods clap [their] hands: let the hills be joyful together
98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
In order for us to understand the real reasons why some Christians lose their way, and why some folk turn their backs on Christ and religion as a whole, we will need to study the parable of the sower, as related by Christ. In this parable the Lord reveals to us that the gospel seed falls on different minds, and the results vary from person to person, depending on the reasons why we accepted Him in the first place, and the personal choices we made thereafter. The first type of hearer brought to view is the “wayside hearer”, who hears the good news “By the way” and who then loses what he has seen and heard of Christ.
In His exposition on this first type of hearer, Christ says that a lack of understanding the gospel is what causes the wayside hearer to lose that which as sown in his heart. In other words, the gospel presented is not internalized, but is understood only in a casual manner. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.
13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
The next set of hearers described by Jesus are those who receive the word of God readily, because the good news sounds good. As this type of hearer listens to the gospel it seems as if it’s a win, win situation, for the death of Jesus covers all our sins, and then we are given eternal life, and so, when the rubber meets the road, and trials, temptations, and disappointments come along, the stony ground hearers begin to reason that they had never catered for such experiences in the Christian life, and after a while they are offended. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Yet another type of hearer is brought to view in those who actually understand and accept Christ and the gospel, but then the transient things of earth, together with material wealth and the cares of this life are allowed to take precedence over God, and as a result the word of truth loses its meaning and value to them, and thus they become unfruitful. Whenever Christ is put in second place in our affections for any reason, then we may know that we are in danger of losing our way. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Then there is the last set of hearers brought to view by Christ, those who hear the word, understand, and digest it, and who make a deliberate, intentional, and intelligent choice to accept Christ as Lord and savior. This last group indeed received the word with joy, and they received it readily, but their decision for Christ was not based on emotions which are here today and gone tomorrow. This group weighed carefully the import of the gospel, and they realized that the Christian will have sunny days and rainy days.
They understood that following Christ is not a bed of roses, in which all financial, social, and health problems will vanish into thin air. This group sat down and counted the cost, and then they did the wise thing by giving their lives entirely to God, with no reservations or conditions on their part, and with no upfront guarantees or any prenuptial agreements of prosperity and popularity.
When decisions like these are made, neither music, or hypocrites will be able to shatter their relation with Christ, for they built upon the sure foundation of the Rock, Christ Jesus. Those who thus decide to follow Christ are then made impregnable to the assaults of the enemy, and will live victoriously each day. Let’s read:
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is therefore incumbent upon us to search our souls to see what are our real reasons for following Christ. If Christ is just a side order to our main menu, then we need to address the situation by praying to God for a new heart and mind, so that we may serve The Lord in sincerity and joy. If Jesus is not the center of our joy, and if we find ourselves requiring boosters in order to make the Christian life pleasurable, then we may know for certain that something integral is missing, and again, the Lord calls on us to invite Him in for real.
Whatever might be the million and one reasons for turning back, it is not necessary, nor does it have to be this way, because God has promised to His children grace every day, and strength according to our varied needs. Let us then hold fast the profession of our faith, looking unto Jesus, The Author and Finisher of our faith.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to stay the course with Christ, through all of the ups and downs of the Christian life. Let’s read:
Romans 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!