Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Early Church was known for its power and simplicity as it carried the Gospel far and wide. They were known as “the ones who have turned the world upside down.”

Few people would honestly dispute the fact that Christianity today bears little resemblance to the Christianity of the Early Church. In fact, “Churchianity” is a more accurate description of what we have seen in modern times. According to the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are more than 38,000 Christian denominations in existence. This is a testimony to the world, not of our unity, but our division.

Christian leaders and television personalities are constantly in the news for some moral or financial indiscretion. Scandal, controversy, and cover-up are commonplace. For the first time in history the number of Christian divorces has surpassed the number of non-Christian divorces. The message to the rest of the world is that Christians are no different than anyone else.

At the same time, there is a mass exodus of people who are leaving their churches. This number is greater than anyone realizes, and the number grows by the day. Some are leaving because of hurt or anger, but many are leaving simply because they cannot play the religious game anymore. They attended, and supported, and gave money, and got little or nothing in return. The social benefits of going to church could no longer compensate for the lack of spiritual life.

Church leaders are leaving, too. Every week a new group of pastors resigns and quits the ministry – disillusioned, burned-out, and beat up by the unrealistic and unscriptural expectations of their congregations.

The question being asked by the world, by those still attending church, and by those who no longer attend, is: “What’s wrong with the church?”

With clarity and simplicity we attempt to answer that question from the Scriptures – beginning with God’s original thought for the Church – and show how that original thought was compromised through the ages.

But our focus is not just on “what’s wrong.” In all fairness, we point out the good things. And in addition to sounding the alarm and giving a clear warning of what to expect, we use the Scriptures to show God’s way of recovery and restoration.

Finally, we respond to some of the more common accusations leveled against those who no longer attend church, including the number one objection: “You must forsake not the assembling of yourselves together!” By the time you finish listening to this message you will be able to answer that (and other objections) with confident assurance from the Word of God.

The end result is a balanced, thoughtful message that you can listen to and give to any pastor or church member who is concerned for your well-being and wonders why you don’t go to church anymore. Instead of avoiding the issue, tell them the truth! Give them this teaching and plant a seed in their heart. At the very least, there will be no doubt in their mind as to where you stand, and why.