Joel Littlefield

There are several reasons why a professing believer won’t go to Church. You may have heard something like this before: “The Church is full of hypocrites!” This is true in one sense but false in another.

We need to address this.

The Hypocrite

The most common group of people addressed by Jesus as hypocritical are the Pharisees. They were the religious know-it-all’s of Jerusalem. The fact that these men took issue with Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, reveals the kind of people they really are.

Hypocrisy a superficial attitude of holiness. The hypocrite pretends to be someone he’s not and tells others, either with words or actions, “I am better than you and you are lower than me.”

One day the pharisees asked Jesus, “Why don’t the disciples wash their hands before the meal as it is customary to do?” To paraphrase. “If they do not wash their hands before they eat then they are not worthy to be called God’s people as we are.” Jesus responded with, “You white washed tombs!” Ouch!

What they believed made them holy was just a covering for the wickedness in their hearts. They lived a life of outward cleanliness that had no effect on their inward man.

Reverse The Roles

What if the disciples had seen the pharisees eating lunch together one day and reported back to Jesus, “Why do the pharisees still wash their hands? Don’t they know that the way to be holy is to not wash your hands, like us?” Not doing something can just as easily become the empty hypocritical religion that causes one to think they are better than others. If this were their attitude, who’s the hypocrite now?

Poor Excuses

Some none-church-goers say, “I can’t stand to be among those hypocrites.” But what if they are the actual hypocrite? What if the stay-at-home-Christian thinks that stay-at-home Christianity is more holy? In the mean time, and totally unaware, he has created his own religion where everyone on the outside is less than him. He has become the pharisee that he was trying to avoid.

Jesus hates hypocrisy, and He’s not afraid to address it. He knew that one day Church buildings all over the world would be filled with imperfect people. When imperfect people gather together in the name of Christ, the only One who is perfect, real change can take place.

The Heart of the Matter

If you’ve ever made these excuses, perhaps you hate the fact that being at Church, under the preaching of the Bible, and with people who believe the Bible, is going to point out something in you that you don’t want others to know. It’s better to be honest about this. Stop pretending like you can’t go to church because some hypocrite is waiting at the door to greet you on your way in. The real reason you have been staying away could be because you know God wants to expose the sin in your heart, and deal with it. That’s exactly what we all need. Avoiding the body of Christ and the accountability there is actually doing you more harm than good.

Conclusion

The next time you come in contact with a “pharisee” in church, even if it’s the very next time you go, then pray that Jesus exposes it. Don’t just be mindful of the evil heart in others, but in you as well. Find a believer or pastor that you can trust and ask them to help and counsel you in the Scriptures. Remember that the Church is beloved by Christ. We are His blood-bought, adopted brothers and sister, and we need each other.

Even when you avoid the Church for a reason you think is worthy, it’s not.

Comment – Share – SUBSCRIBE with your email below