6 Types of Church Members That Will Destroy Your Church

Last updated on: December 15, 2016 at 9:47 am by Josh Daffern

6 Types of Church Members That Will Destroy Your Church 2016-12-15T09:47:16-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

unsplash.com

Tucked away in the oft-forgotten New Testament book of Jude, we discover six different types of church people to be wary of. These six types of people have the potential to destroy any good work a church is trying to accomplish, destroying the church from within if left unchecked. It’s these six types of church members that we need to be on the guard from, to ensure that God’s work is not encumbered in our churches. To honor Jude’s warning, here is his list, with language updated for today’s modern church.

6 Types of Church Members That Will Destroy Your Church

1. The Perv (v. 4) – These church members are the creepy ones. They use and abuse God’s forgiveness as a license for immorality. Since God loves to forgive (their thinking goes), they have a blank check to indulge in every sinful behavior. Watch out for these members.

2. The Rebel (v. 8) – These church members reject the authorities placed over them. Pastors, elders, deacons, whomever, no one can tell them what to do or how to do it. These church members are the ones you dread taking the microphone at the business meetings because they have no respect for authority and it shows.

3. The Meathead (v.10) – These church members never let a little ignorance get in the way of a good argument. Without knowing all the facts or doing the work of seeing things from a different perspective, these church members loudly and defiantly decry anything new or anything that doesn’t fit into the very small frame through which they see the world.

4. The Taker (v. 12) – These church members think that the church is a cruise ship and you’re there as the pastor to meet their every wish. Don’t worry about bothering them about serving or contributing to the greater mission; that would be wasted breath. These church members are leeches, sucking the life and energy from a church without returning any of it. Keep a wooden stake handy for these vampires.

5. The Grumbler (v. 16) – These church members are usually miserable, and you know how the old saying goes: misery loves company. Nothing will ever go right for these members, and their one glimmer of satisfaction is to spread their non-cheer wherever they can. These are the ones that can find the cloud within every silver lining.

6. The Throne Hog (v. 16) – I’ve known a few of these along the way, and they are a handful. At the end of the day, these church members allow pride to rule them. They’re proud about how blessed and godly they are. Secretly, they think God should be thankful that they’re on His team. They think leadership within the church is a right (not privilege) for them. Don’t stand to close to them, because you don’t want to be knocked over when God finally brings them low.

4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. 12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Jude 1:4,8,10,12,16

New Wineskins

church

member

Previous Post

December 13, 2016

Church is Supposed to be Enjoyed, Not Endured

Next Post

December 19, 2016 Why Does God Need a Birthday? (The Surprising Significance of December 25th)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Paul say he does not do the good he wants to do, but instead does?

Select your answer to see how you score.

What displeases God The evil he does not want to do What is sinful What leads to death