I have been asked if I wanted to start my own church or even religion, because I have a way of making impressions on people with my so-called "knowledge." If you want to start a church, you must wonder if you are a control freak and refusing to submit to one another in the body of Christ. I have been known to leave a church or two out of disagreement that could've been settled, but I admit I wanted things my way. Sometimes you just have to ask yourself: "Who do you think you are?" By whose authority are you founding a church? Are all the gifts of the Spirit available? Consider 1 Cor. 14:26 as an example of a church meeting where all gifts contribute. Having a preacher doesn't make a fellowship a church--the church is a family and an organism with all parts of the body active and using its various spiritual gifts. Just what gift do you think you have? You never win by quitting because God isn't a quitter. I have heard it said that it doesn't matter who's right, but whose left! The goal is faithfulness: "He who endures to the end shall be saved." If you start the "perfect church" it isn't perfect because you are in it! "Loyalty is better than sacrifice" according to 1 Sam. 15:22.
Sectarian or cult leaders usually manifest a few given traits: They warp the truth with their own personal take on doctrine; they are sheep-stealers or proselytizers who don't begin with converting the unsaved; they are on a side-issue or invested in a novelty that distorts the truth to fit their fancy; they never are members of a larger fellowship, but think they have cornered the market on truth; they usually are led by charismatic figures or ones with a great personality and are devoted to them; and they don't see themselves as belonging to Christ alone, who purchased them. You must ask: Is this a sect, or a bona fide church?
The issue at hand is whether the average Christian has the authority to start his own church just because he is in disagreement and is not content for some reason--it is really the sin of rebellion against authority duly established by God. Cult leaders like the Rev. Jim Jones of the People's Temple were in rebellion long before their church slid into apostasy without the anchors of God's authority through the Word--they thought they were getting God's Word right from the horse's mouth! Church splits, which are really sectarianism, are always wrong and God has only allowed them for the same reason He permits divorce--due to the hardness of men's hearts. Paul always urged church leaders to get along and work things out, not to react and go overboard to start all over from square one by building a new church. New churches are not to be built on someone's else's territory but from where Christ in not preached--it is the cults who proselytize and steal sheep. Even members of your own family are not your sheep but the church's at large and to pull the rug from under them is to uproot what God has done and destroy His work and labor of love.
Just think if everyone who disagreed with church policy or the pastor's sermon decided to begin a new church. We don't need more churches, we need the truth--so take a stand!--and more Christians. The church is an institution in loco Dei (in place of God) and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft according to 1 Samuel 15:23. In determining morality the end or purpose has to be considered as well as the motive or methodology--both the means and the ends have to be justified. You should ask yourself: What if everyone did it and wanted his own way? What kind of precedent are you setting?
When we come to faith in Christ we are making a commitment and that is realized largely through interaction with the church community. There is a degree of loyalty to the church that we owe because we are fed and in their spiritual care. Lack of church loyalty is a sign (though not the absolute standard) that a person is disloyal to Christ and unwilling to accept authority. When you join a new church you are, in effect, starting all over and beginning afresh spiritually from the bottom of the ladder to success. When you start a new church you must wonder whether you have authority to start at the top and whether you have God's blessing on what you are doing and it isn't just a whim.
There are times when we must begin all over, but this is after apostasy or backsliding. The Bible doesn't admonish us to start in a new church but to face the music and do the responsible and adult thing like admit your failure and seek help. We are not to run away from our problems, or worse yet, run away from God Himself! Sometimes people have invested a lot in us and to write them off or to give them the shaft is not the loving thing to do and means we don't love our brother. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sectarian or cult leaders usually manifest a few given traits: They warp the truth with their own personal take on doctrine; they are sheep-stealers or proselytizers who don't begin with converting the unsaved; they are on a side-issue or invested in a novelty that distorts the truth to fit their fancy; they never are members of a larger fellowship, but think they have cornered the market on truth; they usually are led by charismatic figures or ones with a great personality and are devoted to them; and they don't see themselves as belonging to Christ alone, who purchased them. You must ask: Is this a sect, or a bona fide church?
The issue at hand is whether the average Christian has the authority to start his own church just because he is in disagreement and is not content for some reason--it is really the sin of rebellion against authority duly established by God. Cult leaders like the Rev. Jim Jones of the People's Temple were in rebellion long before their church slid into apostasy without the anchors of God's authority through the Word--they thought they were getting God's Word right from the horse's mouth! Church splits, which are really sectarianism, are always wrong and God has only allowed them for the same reason He permits divorce--due to the hardness of men's hearts. Paul always urged church leaders to get along and work things out, not to react and go overboard to start all over from square one by building a new church. New churches are not to be built on someone's else's territory but from where Christ in not preached--it is the cults who proselytize and steal sheep. Even members of your own family are not your sheep but the church's at large and to pull the rug from under them is to uproot what God has done and destroy His work and labor of love.
Just think if everyone who disagreed with church policy or the pastor's sermon decided to begin a new church. We don't need more churches, we need the truth--so take a stand!--and more Christians. The church is an institution in loco Dei (in place of God) and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft according to 1 Samuel 15:23. In determining morality the end or purpose has to be considered as well as the motive or methodology--both the means and the ends have to be justified. You should ask yourself: What if everyone did it and wanted his own way? What kind of precedent are you setting?
When we come to faith in Christ we are making a commitment and that is realized largely through interaction with the church community. There is a degree of loyalty to the church that we owe because we are fed and in their spiritual care. Lack of church loyalty is a sign (though not the absolute standard) that a person is disloyal to Christ and unwilling to accept authority. When you join a new church you are, in effect, starting all over and beginning afresh spiritually from the bottom of the ladder to success. When you start a new church you must wonder whether you have authority to start at the top and whether you have God's blessing on what you are doing and it isn't just a whim.
There are times when we must begin all over, but this is after apostasy or backsliding. The Bible doesn't admonish us to start in a new church but to face the music and do the responsible and adult thing like admit your failure and seek help. We are not to run away from our problems, or worse yet, run away from God Himself! Sometimes people have invested a lot in us and to write them off or to give them the shaft is not the loving thing to do and means we don't love our brother. Soli Deo Gloria!