I Will Not Leave Jesus — But I’m Done with the Church

Ask Pastor John
Episode: 751

[GarrettTruesdale]

Asking a pastor if it is ok to be done with church on Sunday is like asking the IRS if it is ok to not pay taxes.

[SonSolo]

Church is not a building, but a collective group of people who sincerely follow Christ and declare the true gospel. Just because you attend a building, does not mean you attend a church. If you are apart of smaller group, like in home churches, you are just as much "the church" as any building. We are the church.

[kubrick]

Such a dismissive and tone deaf response to a legitimate question. I stopped attending organized Christianity years ago. I hunger for fellowship and sharing life with other believers and was not getting that in “church”. The Lord has his eternal grip on my heart and life and has NEVER bailed on me. He is still very spiritually rich towards me. Christians in the religious bubble cannot seem to grasp that the Lord equally loves other believers that look nothing like them. This pastor talks about “adhering to the word” and insinuating that if you don’t agree to his version of church life you are not saved or disobedient. However, he prefers to be blind to the fact that the structure, format and practice of his church is nowhere to be found in scripture. The role of the pastor as is expressed in 95% of churches today is Christianized Catholicism with pagan greek philosophy mixed in. Nowhere in the NT do you see a pastor in singular form, CEO a church, marrying people, preaching the word every Sunday behind the pulpit, collecting offerings, and doing marriage counseling. I also find it very ironic that churches are split into a gazzilion little pieces over debates on theology but the one doctrine they all mostly agree on is the doctrine of the tithe.

[itiswhatitis]

I didn't leave the Church the Church left me. They've back stabbed me and treated me terribly.

[joeltunnah]

Jesus didn’t say go to a special building every weekend, and submit yourself and your money to a paid clergy.
This video is nonsense.

[stefaniemedina]

I know lots of people who no longer go to Church. They still have a strong relationship with Christ, attend small groups, and serve the least of these, just not in the Church. My husband is one of these people. After it was discovered our pastor was cheating on his wife and stealing church money, he was done with the church. I am trying to find a new church for myself and our children but my husband will not allow me to donate money to any church. I am a sahm so I don't have my own income to donate on my own and I want to respect the wishes of my husband. We donate money as a family to several missionaries we know personally.

[KJ-lbtj]

Jesus said when two or three gather in my name I am there.... That's the church.

[redpill]

John Piper is a great blessing to the church and myself, however, I believe this is not a question that a Pastor entrenched in the "Church" system can answer objectively.

[ladied]

Believers are the church, not the building

[johneli]

Shouldn't expect a religious leader to be totally honest regarding the issue of church attendance, since it is their source for power, money etc. Conflict of interest

[dgh]

I’ve been going to church since 1985 when I got saved and don’t feel any closer to God because it just feels like s social club where they want you to pay up 10% tithes (membership fee.)

[nomfundomasuku]

I have been so painfully persecuted in churches, nd supposed men of god wanting their way with me, it's like I subject myself to hurts when I visit churches. But may God lead on also this.

[williamfloyd]

This video is so full of cult mentality, error, and corruption...

[roblewis]

a church is not a group of perfect people but one that encourages each other in scripture prayer charity, team work and helping everyone through hard times . There will always be bad churches amoung good churches ( that is good as in to trust in Gods word when times are hard) But no church gets everything right because we are a fallen people .

[davevalens]

This is the reason why i left my church. For 1, the pastor is a woman and forgive me if i offend any women here but the woman does not belong in the pulpit. Even the apostle Paul said this that's one. 2, the chuch is more like a old testament church. They still believe in the tithe and "first fruit" giving which is already abolished in the new testament based in 2 Corinthians 9:7. 3, alot of the times when i went to the church, whenever they had a special guest speaker, they always used to speak about money and it got me sick to the pit of my stomach. And 4, my pastor would take advantage of me from time to time and i frankly i didn't take it kindly whenever the pastor did this(co pastor). I just pray for once to find a very faithful and honest church but nowadays you can't even trust the church with all that's going on with these corrupted pastors.

[christcentereddifferencema]

Well maybe leader and members of churches shouldn’t be cultish and arrogant and worse than average people? Think of that? Christians have hurt me more than anyone else I still love God but I don’t want to be around those who claim to be his people.

[esteban]

The content of the interview was so unbiblical. No where in the Bible specifically states that the “church” is an institution. In fact Matthew 18:20 clearly states that where there are two or three, God’s presence will be in the midst. The “church” are Jesus followers that do the will of God. Read the Bible and fully surrender your self to Jesus and he will give you the understanding of the scriptures. Look what’s happening to our churches, the most common theme is a washed down gospel. This is happening because some church leaders are focusing on the number of attendees instead of the number of souls they will be saving.
By the way, Jesus ministry only lasted three years. Going to church may definitely be necessary for a non believer at first, but once you get that foundation (hoping it was from a true Jesus preaching church) you’re expected to go into the world and put it to good use.

[palmerpalmer]

giving isn't only about to give to church.. donate it to help others or etc..
religion, church, pastors, bishops priest, can't save you but only Jesus, ,

[paulhope]

I respect Ptr. John Piper and I love his views especially about christian hedonism. The problem with the one who asked the question is that he asked a pastor who is running a traditional church and not a simple organic house church. We should realize that one can leave a traditional church setting (held in buildings or mega-churches) and still join a small church (house churches).
As a summary of the christian hedonism philosophy "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, " we can be confident that leaving a building because we want the real thing (community life and a more intimate dynamic of small group churches) is not deviating from God's will but in fact a step to a more closer understanding of what really church is all about.

[jvolstad]

I go to church every weekend and some weekdays. I spend time with our dying veterans at my local VA Hospital as a volunteer. That's church!