I am not talking about imperfect people. I myself am imperfect. I am talking about the purpose of congregating being anything other than glorification of Jesus.

In Isaiah 1:13–17, God tells His people to stop congregating (verses 13 through 16) until they achieve this (NIV, verse 17):

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow.

But are people congregating in God’s name not supposed to be doing these things? What God is saying then is His people were congregating just to put on a show. Their lips were uttering His name yet their hearts and actions were far from Him (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus Himself said in Matthew 15:9, I quote because it is extremely important:

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

In vain means for no return, no reward, to acknowledgement from God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I will not worship in vain.

If Jesus Himself says people can congregate to worship Him in vain, wise believers in His name will do well to take notice. I have not stayed out just because I want to but because I am convinced in the Spirit that is the right course of action.

We can affect people in Church positively only to the extent the spirit at work in the leadership aligns with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Alas, I have found in many instances that people have their own ulterior motives for starting a church or leading in church, or attending church. Sometimes the leadership is messed up because that is what people attending that church are looking for. How then do you make a difference unless you are sent by God Himself? A Christian fights only those spiritual battles committed to Him by our Lord Jesus Christ. I have pastored or chaplained on and off over the years. When the Holy Spirit says to stop because people choose to obey a spirit not of God I obey. God told both Elijah and Samuel to stop trying to change His people once they rejected Him. I am saved by grace through faith just like anyone else but I will not play to the gallery to please other Christians. In so far as my spiritual life is concerned, I choose to please Jesus Christ only.

Are there good church organizations out there? There must be but then it takes a searching to find them out. Like I said in my earlier response, when I do I will participate in Church services. Note I never encouraged you to stay out of church services. Paul wrote most of his epistles while not able to attend church services because he was under house arrest. John wrote the Book of Revelation on Island of Patmos as a prisoner of the Caesar in power at that time. The grace of God is not domiciled in a church service or temple. If it were Jesus never could have saved us.