10 Consequences of Leaving a Biblical Church

I know that there are many biblical reasons for leaving a church that are just and right, and some are called to other areas of ministry or the Lord may replant you to some other location in order to serve a particular need. That's not what I am attempting to address here, but I want to look at what are some (not all) of the unattended consequences of leaving a biblical church for unbiblical reasons?

1. It Grieves Your Pastor And Does Not Profit You.
Leaving a church for unbiblical reason's simply breaks your Pastor's heart, and if you're leaving has grieved your pastor then that's not good for you. Hebrews 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."

2. It Has A Negative Impact On Your Present Church Community.
Have you not considered the devastating impact that leaving may have on the ministry at your present church? God has placed you in a solid biblical church where you are needed for the work of Christ and your spiritual growth. This is not the time to cut and run but for devoted commitment to church fellowship and active ministry in your local church instead of hindering that work by leaving. Philippians 2:4 is the model of Christian community we are to follow by looking "on the things of others", not leaving others.

3. It's A Poor Example Of Commitment And Faithfulness.
What kind of commitment are you teaching your children, not just about church commitment, but commitment in general? Do you hold this same view of commitment in your marriage? Then why do you allow it into your thinking of the church (Ephesians 5:22-33 / Loving The Local Church).

4. It Does Not Model Biblical Perseverance.
If you can't hang in a biblical church now, what makes you think you will persevere in your faith when "great persecution against the church" comes? Why do Christians no longer see any value in remaining "steadfast under trials"? (James 1:12)

5. It Breaks Christian Fellowship.
No matter how hard you may try and communicate your love for your former church members, you will have spoken to them louder by your actions. Just imagine how difficult it would be after leaving your wife to live with another woman and then trying to communicate how much you still love her? It just doesn't work without reconciliation.

6. It Promotes Selfishness.
No other way around it, if it isn't a biblical reason then nothing is left but your personal preferences and if you leave based on your personal preferences then you have elevated your preferences over the church which Christ died for and that's selfish. Surely you don't think that the folks that stay faithful to their church don't have any personal preferences? Of course they do, but have you ever thought that maybe they have chosen to die to those preferences to the glory of Christ? Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

7. It Diminishes Your Christian Witness.
Just consider what kind of an impact leaving your church will have on your unsaved family and friends. What kind of message will they see about Christ and the church through your easy exit? You must realize that as a Christian whatever you do will be seen as positive or negative by the community. Is it any wonder that unsaved people have such a low opinion of church when so many Christians display this same low view by hopping from church to church? Pastor's who eagerly accept you into their fellowship knowing you are coming from a biblical church are not to be trusted, they do not have your best interest at heart.

8. It Does Not Edify The Church.
1 Corinthians 14:12 "seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." If you’re not looking to serve and edify your present church what makes you think you can serve and edify your next church? That is presumptuous! Leaving a church for unbiblical reasons does not "maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:16), it actually has a negative effect on the church.

9. It Reveals Your Discontented Heart.
1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain" even in an imperfect church! Learn to be content where God has placed you, troubles will come and go in the church, just trust Christ to lead the church and don't get all bent out of shape about every little thing that's wrong in your church. Learn to take the good with the bad, for "shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10).

10. It Hinders The Sanctification Process Or Worse.
There are no perfect church's, so running from one imperfect church to another imperfect church will at best stunt your spiritual growth and at worst may lead to apostasy. 1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

"The Lord esteems the communion of his Church so highly that he counts as traitor and apostate from Christianity anyone who arrogantly leaves any Christian society, provided it cherishes the true ministry of the Word and sacraments." —John Calvin (1509-1564)