Happy Sabbath, friends!

When I take time to reflect on the reasons some people I know have left the church or strayed away from God, one reason I hear often is that they were deeply hurt by people within the church.

Maybe you are reading this message and that resonates with you. Maybe a church you once attended — or even the church you currently attend — hurt you so deeply that you have questioned whether you should continue going at all.

I can promise you that you are not alone in that feeling.

I have been there too. I have experienced hurt within the church to the point that I contemplated leaving. There were moments when I wanted to separate myself from anything happening at church because I began to feel like an outcast — as though I did not belong.

Maybe that sounds familiar to you too.

I share this not to dwell on what happened, but to remind anyone who has experienced church hurt that these feelings are real and that you are certainly not the only person who has wrestled with them.

Imperfect People, Perfect Savior

Eventually, I surrendered those feelings to Christ, and He reminded me of an important truth: the church is not filled with perfect people — it is filled with broken and imperfect people who are all in need of a perfect Savior.

That includes me.

The greatest reason we attend church should never be because every person there treats us exactly the way we hope they will. We go because we desire to know, worship, and grow closer to Jesus.

We are all imperfect people in need of a perfect Savior. Shouldn’t that alone give us a reason to continue seeking Him within His place of worship?

The more we place our faith, happiness, identity, and worth entirely into other people, the more room there is for disappointment. People are human. They will make mistakes, misunderstand us, and sometimes hurt us.

But when our foundation is Christ, our faith is anchored in Someone who remains faithful even when people do not.

Psalm 118:8 (NIV)
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.”

Keep Your Eyes On Jesus

When we attend church, I believe it is important to separate Christ from the failures of the people who claim His name.

Unfortunately, there may be people within churches who poorly represent Christianity. Someone may speak or behave in a way that looks nothing like the character of Jesus.

But another person’s failure to represent Christ does not mean that Christ Himself has failed you.

People can disappoint us — Jesus remains faithful.

Instead of allowing another person’s actions to become our picture of Christianity, Scripture calls us to fix our eyes upon Jesus. He is our standard.

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

The Church Is A Hospital

It is unrealistic to expect a church to be filled with perfect people.

I like to think of the church as a hospital. Everyone who walks through its doors is in need of healing, correction, grace, and growth.

Some people may be more spiritually mature, while others may still be carrying wounds, unhealthy patterns, or areas of their lives that God is actively working to transform.

We are each on our own spiritual journey with Christ, and that journey will not look exactly the same for everyone. Some may have just begun walking with Him. Others may have followed Him faithfully for many years. Some may have lost their way and are trying to find their way back.

Regardless of where someone may be in that journey, we are all in need of Jesus.

That should also challenge us to reflect the patience and grace He continually extends toward His children.

Matthew 9:12 (NIV)
“On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”

Grace Does Not Remove Accountability

While we should not expect perfection from imperfect people, it is equally important to understand that grace does not mean excusing harmful behavior or tolerating abuse.

Accountability and boundaries still matter.

Forgiving someone does not mean we have to remain in an unsafe situation, and recognizing someone’s humanity does not require us to pretend that harmful behavior is acceptable.

Sometimes, remaining committed to church may even mean finding a healthier congregation where you can worship, grow, and serve safely.

At the same time, we cannot expect every church member to reflect Jesus perfectly at every moment. As human beings, we are going to fall short from time to time.

We are not perfect beings.

Jesus is.

Our response to another person’s shortcomings should therefore hold both truth and grace together — taking wrongdoing seriously while still remembering that restoration and spiritual growth are possible through Christ.

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Why Do We Go?

Maybe you have reached this point in the message and understand that we should not expect everyone at church to be perfect, but you are still wondering:

Why do we have to go to church at all?

You are certainly not the only person who has questioned the importance of attending church or wondered whether gathering with other believers is truly necessary within our Christian walk.

God does not call us to church because He promises that every person there will always treat us exactly as they should.

We go to worship God.

We go to hear and study His Word.

We go to serve.

We go to fellowship with other believers.

We go to encourage one another.

We go to grow in Christ.

Jesus Himself regularly gathered for worship during His time on earth. If He is our ultimate example, shouldn’t we desire to build lives that increasingly reflect the way He lived?

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV)
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Luke 4:14–16 (NIV)
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,”

Be Part Of The Healing

Instead of only asking ourselves, “Is this church loving me well?” perhaps we can also begin asking:

“How can I help make this church look more like Jesus?”

Our Heavenly Father calls us to serve others — not simply to enter His house wondering what everyone else can do for us.

We can be the person who welcomes someone who feels unseen.

We can sit beside the person who came alone.

We can encourage the person who is struggling.

We can extend grace.

We can apologize when we are wrong.

We can refuse to participate in gossip.

We can choose kindness when it would be easier to criticize.

We can become part of the healing that someone else desperately needs.

If we enter church expecting to encounter perfect people, we will eventually be disappointed.

But if we enter expecting to meet with a perfect Savior, we will always have a reason to come back.

Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV)
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, what your past looks like, or even what your present looks like — the grace of God is still available to you.

Church hurt may be part of your story, but it does not have to become the end of your relationship with the church — and it certainly does not have to become the end of your relationship with Jesus.

Keep your eyes on Him.

Amen.