Wrong Reasons To Go To Church

• You like the Building
• You like the people
• You like the programs
• You like the location
• You like the pastor
• You like the pastor’s wife
• You like that the service is short
• You like the worship
• You like the fellowship time
• You believe that the church needs you
• You like that the church is popular
• It is a big church
• They have a lot of young people
• You like their singles ministry
• It’s your culture church
• You like the children’s program
• You are looking for a spouse
• To show off your body or clothes
• You want something from the church 
• You are able to call yourself a Christian
• The church have a school that you want to get into

Following Jesus For Wrong Reasons

We live today in a society of me, myself and I. In this me, myself and I society, we see God’s word being fulfilled that stated that men will be lovers of self more than God.  The sad thing is that this behaviour have crept into our churches. In many of our churches today, the church services has been changed from heart-felt worship to entertainment. Churches that once focused on sound doctrine, prayer meeting and bible study, now compete against one-another like businesses for new members. In an attempt to increase numbers, they advertise things which have nothing to do with God’s words or God’s commands. 

Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” In other words, do it, but do it for the right reason. Notice Jesus said to “take heed,” that means, we have been warned/cautioned about why are we doing what we are doing. We may pretend before men but we cannot pretend to God. “Therefore the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (Isaiah 29:13). In others words, we must make certain that we are not doing the work of God for any other reason than to be obedient to God’s words and for God’s Glory. 

I Have Chosen Few Things From The List Outlined Above To Elaborate On

1. Trying to find someone.

There are people who go to church with the sole purpose of finding a someone. In some cases, these are people who go from church to church, until they find what they believe that they are looking to achieve or obtain. There is nothing wrong with looking for a mate in a church setting. In fact, there are many Christians who have found a wife / husband in churches. The problem is that there are some people who don’t go to church for God at all but rather for the specific purpose of finding someone.  Such person deep down does not want anything to do with worship and fellowship – all that is on their mind is to find someone.

 2. To Be Able Call Yourself a Christian

I believe everyone should ask the question the moment they set foot into a church  “Am I attending this church for the right reason?” Many people do what seems to be right. They attend church every week; they are faithful to support the ministry and are very helpful in meeting the needs of others. However, many attend church faithfully out of the need to appease a guilty conscience, or to mingle. “Such people going to church to appease their religious conscience not knowing they’re on their way to hell. They never repented. They are false converts. They say that they believe in Jesus but there is no fruit in their lives; neither is there any visible evidence of that transformation whatsoever.” It is very important for us to make Galatians 6:7 a scripture verse for our everyday life “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” in that way we will keep and be mindful of our intentions and motives. 

3. To Look Religious to Family and Friends.

God desires for us to walk in His word, so He can fulfill His purpose in and through our lives. God does not want us to pretend to serve Him. God wants us in truth.  Matthew 23:28 says, “Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness”  Mark 7:6 He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.” God wants us in truth, that is why – He repeatedly warns us throughout His words. As noted above, in Galatians 6:7  we are warned, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

4. Our Actions and Our Motives Must Be Ruled by God’s Word.

Scripture teaches that we are to follow the example given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 John 2:6 says, “He that saith he abideth in Him (Jesus) ought himself also walk, even as He walked.” 1 Peter 2:21 says, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.”We are to do all things for one purpose, that is to glorify God. And Jesus told us how to glorify God in John 15:8 “…Bear much fruit.” To glorify God, it much show in our lives.  Throughout His words, God shows us how much He love us – look at what God says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16).  Everything that we try to do, it will come to nothing; unless we are doing it through a conscious dependence upon Jesus and the enablement of His Divine Redeeming Grace.  

5. To Get Merits Of Our Own

We have no merit of our own. To be saved we must trust in the merit of Jesus Christ. God desires perfection and Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and willfully fell upon the wrath of God. The Bible tells us, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor.5:21). That is why in John 14:6 “Jesus said, …I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” What is the purpose of this page and what am I saying. I am saying that serving God is a tremendous privilege and not a place to assemble for game, name or fame but rather to walk in humility by His divine ability because to God one day we have accountability.