Don’t Go to Church; Submit to One

*Note: This article assumes that your church teaches right doctrine and that your church’s leaders are biblically qualified.

I had several false starts in college. I started my freshman year at a state school about an hour from my hometown. I didn’t go to learn. Like many others, I was most interested in cultivating my social life. I survived one semester before needing to return home. I finished my freshman year at a small community college in my hometown. While home, however, I met a person named Jesus, and my life was forever changed. My second move away to college would be drastically different. That time, I went to learn, and as a result, I benefited greatly from the two years I spent there.

You can be physically present somewhere without actually being present with your will. We learn this in all kinds of contexts. Have you ever tried to talk to someone who was busy scrolling Instagram on her phone? Have you ever secretly watched the game on your phone during your niece’s ballet recital? I’ve coached youth sports for years, and I’ve learned to quickly identify when a young athlete wants to participate versus when a parent has forced him to come. In the classroom, now as a teacher, it’s apparent that those who want to learn generally do. In all these contexts, we see that physical presence doesn’t necessarily carry a lot of significance.

But if you read my title, you know I’m writing about the church. I don’t think we generally apply this obvious truth so readily in that context. For a lot of us, just getting there seems sufficient. The dominant way we talk about church participation reveals that just “going to” church is what we’re after.

I’ve led local church ministry now for around two decades, and I’ve noticed that attending church—even every week—does not necessarily lead to growth. Many times, I’ve seen people show up week after week for years without any discernable maturation. I’ve even seen people become members only to leave after years of faithful attendance without any change whatsoever in their beliefs, attitudes, or habits. Maybe it’s time we stop encouraging people to merely “go to” church.

I know what many will say: “It’s better to go than to stay home.” I agree somewhat with this sentiment in that at least by going, a person is exposed to the word of God. However, at what point does merely going become insufficient? Would you encourage your child to continue to go to school without needing to participate in what’s going on there? Do you expect your student to do what the school is asking him to do?

Here’s what I know. No one is going to grow spiritually in the context of a local church without submission. You can sit there in the pew, week after week, but if you aren’t willing to follow the course that the leaders of the church are charting, you will remain stagnant. If you intuitively question every decision the church makes, you won’t grow. If you consistently think you know better than the pastors, you won’t benefit from their ministry. You can be inside the church doors and remain an outsider in your heart. You can be the most faithful attendee in the congregation but not advance one degree toward greater Christlikeness because you aren’t humble enough to follow the leaders God has called to lead you.

We don’t need to go to church; we need to submit to one. If you think I’m going too far, consider Hebrews 13:17: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Earlier in the same chapter, we read, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Your “advantage” derives from submission.

What does this look like in practice? Let me give you three things you can start doing now.

First, get rid of your agenda. If you come to church expecting to have your own pet topics addressed each week, you will not benefit from the Spirit-led ministry of the pastors. Your agenda may be a good one, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the agenda of the church. Remember, God has called them, not you, to lead the church. He’s called you to follow them as they follow Christ. If you think you know better than they do, you aren’t honoring the God who placed them in the position to lead you.

Second, be open to new directions. I never thought I would adopt children until our pastors preached a sermon series on adoption and the gospel. Be malleable. Be humble. Be willing to be led into new areas of ministry. Believe that the Spirit leads individuals by leading the church they are members of. Let your guard down. Maybe God intends to take you somewhere you never imagined.

Third, work to make the church’s mission your personal passion. Is your church involved in ministry to local refugees? Ask yourself how you can get involved. Is your church planting a church in a hard-to-reach place? Sign up to go. Pray for the effort. Sacrifice resources to see it accomplished. Align your life with the mission of your church.

Don’t just go; submit.

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