Pastors are always excited to see new faces at church. The mission of every Christian is to make disciples, so a growing congregation is a good sign — right? On the surface, increasing church membership is positive, but we are taught to look beneath the surface.
Consider 1 Samuel 16:7: “the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
Or take a look at Proverbs 16:2, which says, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.” Jesus advised, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).
The Lord’s Word contains all of these messages for a good reason: we are apt to mistake church attendance for faith and are eager to believe what we see if it serves us.
And people are very good at doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Church attendance is good if the motivation is also good. Here are seven myths of joining a church that are not biblical.
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1. To Justify Yourself
You might have heard an acquaintance say, “I’m a good person. I go to church; I pay my tithe.” If you are going to convince others and yourself that you are a good person, using church as penance to ease your conscience, you have misunderstood the doctrine of justification.
Philip Eveson explains justification as concerning “God’s gracious judicial verdict in advance of the day of judgment, pronouncing guilty sinners, who turn in self-despairing trust to Jesus Christ, forgiven, acquitted of all charges and declared morally upright in God’s sight.”
In other words, going to church, paying tithes, doing good works, or volunteering to teach Sunday school do not justify any of us. Jesus alone did that.
Justification does not come from our behavior, but our behavior is affected by the understanding that “it is by faith alone in Christ alone that sinners are justified” (Ibid.).
Jesus at the cross gave himself as substitutionary atonement for all of our sins; we are saved when we believe this to be true and submit our lives to Christ. Jesus declared, “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18).
Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God won’t be hoodwinked by regular attendance at church.
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2. To Be Entertained
Chris Gordon argues that many people shop for a church as though hunting for a car or a pair of stylish shoes. They ask, “What kind of programs does the church offer? What is the facility like?”
Some churches are heavily focused on programs themed to attract sports people, musicians, and artists. They compete with other local attractions for consumers’ attention and even for their money.
If the local auditorium is putting on good music, the church has to provide even better music or bring in a celebrity to pack the sanctuary.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism declares, “Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The Lord is not against our enjoyment; our happiness, but He demands something more than this from us: worship.
Jesus taught that “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23).
Why did you choose the church you attend? Does the worship band play your sort of music? Do you admire the decor?
Does your church even preach the gospel, or do they preach secular humanism self-help, or prosperity through prayer and good works? At a church like this, you don’t have to consider the cross at all.
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3. To Meet a Spouse
Finding a partner is difficult if you aren’t involved in sports and other hobbies. Church could be your last resort, a place where you expect to find someone with integrity.
But if you are in church for the wrong reasons, imagine if the person you meet is there for the same reason. You’re both off to a pretty bad start, one where looks are certain to be deceiving.
But that’s not the worst thing: instead of focusing on finding a church that satisfies your spiritual hunger, you are more concerned with demographics. Are there singles here around your age? Is that cute guy looking at me?
She sat in my pew: is that some kind of move? The sermon could be superficial, false, or absolutely fantastic, but what does that matter since you didn’t hear a word of it? All you could concentrate on was that girl or guy who appears to be single and interested in you.
This sort of distraction can happen quite naturally in any church, we are only human beings after all. Each of us is apt to become sidetracked at times. But attending a church to meet people or choosing a church specifically as a place to find a spouse is not God-honoring.
1 John 3:1 talks about the sort of love that surpasses any ordinary human relationship: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God”. He calls us into a relationship with Himself — who could be better? No one else will love us as Jesus does.
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4. To Enjoy a Break from the Kids
Some of the most demanding jobs in the church are part of children’s ministry. That could be running Sunday school, being a helper in class, or looking after babies and toddlers. A lot of the time, this area of ministry is sorely lacking in volunteers.
While this might be the facet of a church that attracts you initially (in fact, a friend might get you through the doors of a church for this reason alone), it’s not a good reason in its own right for staying at a church, especially if you treat the church as a source of free childcare.
One can only hope that the kids hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ become excited about Jesus, and a seed is planted whether or not mom and dad are interested in Jesus.
Sunday School and childcare services provide a place for children to learn about our Savior, give parents a chance to hear the sermon without distractions and offer volunteers an opportunity to serve the Lord by loving both children and parents.
When seekers obtain this opportunity for undistracted attendance at church, their learning is often enriched by experiencing the awe and excitement of their children as they come to know Jesus.
But mothers and fathers are treating caregivers with tremendous disrespect if they attend church only for babysitting services and an opportunity to daydream in the back row.
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5. Because of Tradition
Do you still sit in the same seat in the same church you have attended since you can remember? Is this the same church where your parents got married, maybe even where they met?
Perhaps your grandparents attended here too. The building and its people are comfortable, and you are fond of routine and keen on tradition.
If you stopped doing what you always did, you would have to find another way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Besides, you would break Mom and Dad’s hearts if you ceased attending church. And you find change so disturbing: how could you just stop going, even if you’re a non-believer, a hypocrite calling yourself a Christian?
Tradition is a powerful force in the church, a bit like religion. We can find ourselves manipulated into maintaining conventions for the sake of others and to avoid telling the truth about what we really believe, and that’s especially easy in a church that skirts around the topic of “sin.”
But we cannot inherit our parents’ faith. Their faith might encourage you to seek the Lord for yourself, but their faith does not save you.
If you are sitting in church today saying, “Of course I’m a Christian,” but you do not really believe John 3:16, you are lying to yourself and to others. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” He declared, “woe” which one writer describes as “a primary exclamation of grief.”
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6. As a Matter of Superstition
There can be an almost superstitious practice of attending church because, if you don’t, a wrathful God will be angry. “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). In other words, what pleases God: going through the motions, or your heart towards Him?
It’s like wearing a cross or carrying a Bible: neither of these is a talisman. They can’t save you against the evil forces, which do exist. What goes through your mind if you consider not going to church?
Do you believe God will smite you? That your plans will fail? That you will lose your job, or get sick, or bad things will happen?
All of that might be true in your life, but not because you did or did not attend services. What do you think is the reward for going to church? Is it wealth, or health, or happiness?
The church isn’t a place to get stuff from God. God doesn’t give us good things or bad things based on our performance, and if you attend church but don’t love Him and love your neighbor, you don’t even know who God is.
You might be afraid, but where is your awe and your love for God? Micah 6:8 asks, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” That is humility — knowing your place — but also doing life with God. He wants us to see how close He is.
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7. For Our Comfort
Greg Morse reminds us that the Israelites who followed John didn’t get to sit in upholstered chairs under air conditioning. They got uncomfortable to hear the news they longed for, a message full of hope and conviction. “Would we go into the wilderness, sit in uncomfortable chairs, suffer through less than professional musicians (or children’s ministries) to worship with saints and hear the word of God declared? They went into the wilderness to hear John.”
A modern church in North America will certainly feature many comforts, such as supportive chairs, heating and cooling systems, coffee, and more. Yet, the message can still be uncomfortable at times, as it should be.
We are sinners after all, and Scripture challenges us to be open with the Lord and with our closest brothers and sisters in the faith. We need each other to call out sin in our lives.
Many underground churches exist around the world, in countries where believers are threatened with imprisonment, torture, and death. Believers suffer uncomfortable traveling conditions to crowd into small, dark spaces, sitting on the floor in extreme heat or cold.
Some disciples and their pastors are worshiping in isolation from prison cells. The fortunate ones are able to outsmart authorities in order to hold small-group services in private homes.
They come prepared to be convicted of sin and to worship the One who saved them and gives them hope for eternity. This is a reality for more Christians than we can possibly count because, by necessity, they are in hiding. This is the truth of the Christian faith.
John Piper wrote, “I didn’t just start going to church. Yuck. Who wants to call that Christianity?” On the other hand, mere attendance can slowly lead to a beautiful understanding and, ultimately, to yielding to Christ.
And for the believer who has been attending but not growing and maturing spiritually, ask yourself if you just go to church or if you have a relationship with your Savior.
Maybe your church doesn’t even preach the true gospel in which case it might be time to give up on this church, but not on church altogether.
For further reading:
5 Best Reasons to Join a Church
Does God Care What Church We Go To?
7 Pieces of Advice for New Christians Looking for a Church
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Originally published Friday, 12 January 2024.