Be Planted

I wanted to share one of the hardest things I have found in the ministry so far. Hopefully it does not get harder than this but I am ready for whatever God wants me to do. I have a genuine love for our congregation and one of the most painful things I see on a continual ongoing basis is someone who leaves our church for the wrong reasons.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 92:13,

“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God”

Did you catch that? You will flourish in the house!! When we are planted in the local church we will flourish in life. Also notice that the psalmist did not say, “those who attend the house of the Lord.” You can’t attend a church and not be planted. Being planted means that is where you lay your life down to serve God. It is there you tithe, serve and obey the leadership. We are planted in the local church, just as the tree values the ground from which it receives life.

Way too many times I have seen people leave the church for the completely wrong reasons. Most of the times offended and with hurt feelings. There is nothing in scripture that says if you get your feelings hurt or someone in leadership offends you, to leave the church. If you are seeking God and hearing from him, he will never tell you to leave the church for these reasons.

I felt God sharing with me there are really only 3 reasons to leave a church.

• Number one if the pastor is not teaching biblical truths, for example the doctrine is off—against the trinity, etc.

• Number two if the pastor is living in open sin and not repenting, check out what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.

• Finally and number three is if you get planted or released from the church.

If you are planted in a church, you will value your church leader’s words. You will not take lightly what they ask of you. You will then fear God, and in fearing God you will honor His appointed leaders. In honoring His appointed leaders you will receive the full reward God has in store for you.