Leaving an Organization                Audio     MP3     Download

Can a firstfruit leave a church organization?  If so, how, for what reasons?
 
Note:  I offer this only as a discussion.  You must provide the final answer.

From the Word of God, we see that among the highest and overriding spiritual elements is that of Godly Calling.  Nothing in the plan of God begins for the individual until he or she is called of God, first to repentance and baptism and later to specific duties in the church, which may or may not include ordination into the ministry.

God is in absolute control of everything.  Nothing happens but by His word and decree.  He created the earth.  He invented the ecosystems.  He made man.  He invented marriage.  He designed sex.  He is the author of the Body of Christ, the church and the Salvation Process.

His requirements are simple and straightforward.  Once called, we are soldiers in His army.  We are slaves to Jesus Christ.  We give up what the world calls "free choice" in exchange for total obedience to God and His Word.

He is the Creator of all true church organizations.  He calls the brethren to people them.  He places the ministers, teachers, helpers and others and bestows all gifts, knowledge, power and wisdom as those congregations carry out the spreading of the gospel and the feeding of the flock.

James 4:13-15 even states that God decides the city in which we dwell and what we do for a living by His own will.

With these facts in mind, for what legitimate reasons could a firstfruit leave a church that God put Him into?  The only two which come to mind are apostasy of said church or one's natural, physical death.  Can one leave because he does not like the minister?  Can he leave to seek his own following?  Is he able to leave to pursue differing doctrines?  Is hate, jealously or envy legitimate reasons for leaving the true church of God?

The Spirit of God that is in me tells me no, one cannot leave a Church of God for these other reasons.  These kind of behaviors are not tolerated my puny mankind.  Think about it.  Would you tolerate the quarterback of your favorite NFL team at halftime to leave the team and play for the opposing team?  Would your boss allow you to take a leave of absence to work for a competitive company?  What would be your feelings about the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division to suddenly desert and stand under a German flag?  Of course not.  Man demands absolute loyalty in all three of these examples.  Why would you not think that God would feel the same way and much more so?  Godly Calling trumps football teams, business institutions and national armies.

We all know that there are floaters out there in the Body of Christ.  Does this sound like something that God would call a firstfruit to do?  Is that an authentic Godly Calling?  I know one man who reportedly rotates his time between as many as seven churches.  Another told me that his plan was to spend a year with every one of the major-sized churches of God.  Does this sound like missions authored by God?  Hardly.

If the ICG is a true church of God, who made that church?  Does the ICG have members who attend only the ICG?  If so, how did they get there?  Was it their sole choice to do so?  Does the ICG have ministers?  Who ordained them?  Do the ministers give sermons?  Where do they come from?  Other than submitting oneself to God or choosing to disobey, what power do we have over the Calling of God?

Let us talk percentages for a moment.  Once God calls you to the Body of Christ, what percentage of your "human will" will prevail over the will of Almighty God?  Is this a 50-50 relationship where you call the shots a full 50% of the time or does God have just a little bit more?  I am here to tell you that it is a 100% to zero relationship with God's will prevailing in our spiritual and physical lives 100% of the time.  Consider the soldier or slave that we were called to be.  What power does the soldier have over his commanding officer.  What power does the slave have over the Master?

The Bible is full of examples of God's will prevailing over that of the called out human.  Did Abraham remain in Ur, or did he go where God told him to go?  Did Jonah succeed in his attempt to run away from his calling or did God's will prevail?  We even read of Paul and Timothy desiring to go Asia one time and Bithynia another but were denied by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 16).  Where is the righteous example that would justify other reasons for leaving a Church of God other than the two I have stated?

You make the call.

Further Reading:
Rare exception to concept of falling away vs. backsliding.
Menu-driven, Open-forum Bible Studies:  Menu Items 10 - 16
Minister's Notebook piece, "There is No Second Chance"
Minister's Notebook piece, "Condemnation - Questions and Answers"
Bible Study: "Backsliding vs. Falling Away"
Sermon:  Moment of Judgment - are we in the time of the ten virgins
 

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