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When Christians who love the Truth find themselves in a congregation in which the authority of God’s Truth is mocked by liberalism and apostasy, they sometimes find it hard to break free. One of the excuses given for migrating to or continuing membership in a digressive church is the following: “We don’t especially like many of the things being done in the church here, but there is such a large group of children and young people the ages of ours and there are so many classes and programs for them that we plan to stay here.”
As suggested in a previous installment in this series, if one has children, this should be a compelling reason for leaving such a church, rather than for staying. What one gains in more associates and “programs” for one’s children in this type of congregation is more than lost in the erroneous influence, emphasis, and teaching to which they are subjected. How can it help children to have teachers, elders, preachers, and “youth ministers” as role models in the church who see nothing wrong with “social” drinking, dancing, mixed swimming, divorce and remarriage on any ground, instrumental music in worship, and partaking of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday night? How can it help children to be under the influence of those in leadership roles who think the church of our Lord is only an insipid denomination and the best way to improve it is to adopt the unscriptural human traditions of sectarian churches?
How can it help children to have someone employed by the church leaving the impression upon them that the church is a recreational club, charged with entertaining and amusing them (“programs” for young people generally refer to a constant schedule of such activities, with a few incidental “devos” thrown in)? How does it help young people when high-priced, instrument-mimicking professional entertainers are promoted in “gospel rock” concerts (often in the church auditorium) and exalted as spiritual heroes? How does it help children to hear almost everything but the Gospel coming from the pulpit?
Far better for one’s children (teenagers or otherwise) to be reared in a congregation that provides wholesome doctrine and spiritual emphasis with only one or two others their ages than in a congregation with a multitude their ages where Scriptural teaching, example, and emphasis are practically nil. The Lord’s command to disciples who are sincere in wanting to be faithful to Him is clear: “Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).
[Note: I wrote this article for and it was published in The Edifier, weekly bulletin of Pearl Street Church of Christ, Denton, TX, July 12, 1990, of which I was editor.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
