Maybe the best place to start is where God starts anyway, and that is right behind the pulpit of supposedly His house(s).
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Look, the reality is that every single one of us sin of course. Some of us, some of us struggle even while yet saved more than others. But if one who would call himself, or herself, saved ever stops or ever ceases using the bible, the Word of God, not only as a guide for his or her own life but a guidebook for things that happen and are happening in this world, then how can that same person be an example or witness to anyone? And without judging, how can that same person come Judgment Day, or at Christ's Second Advent stand before Him and say, "I know you gave us this book but I just didn't think it was that important to read or to apply in my life."
The fairy tales of men standing behind pulpits spouting nonsense about talking snakes and apple trees and that Christ will come at "any moment" and people will vanish out of airplanes and automobiles and on and on and on is one thing and it has been tremendously damaging. Damaging to one's soul or salvation? Perhaps at times yes and perhaps at other times hopefully not.
But if you're going to stand up there behind a pulpit and not believe, or not find what's in the Word to be that important, than you can stand up there all you want. You will probably be okay in your "church" and you'll have your job and your board will continue to employ you and pay you. Your congregation may or may not be there and the pews may or may not be very full. But you'll have your job.
But you also will stand before God one day, as we all will, and you will have to give account for what you did in leading and feeding a flock of sheep. What were your intentions? Because He knows. What did you feed them? Because He knows. Were they filled to their satisfaction or were they left wandering and starving spiritually speaking, running too and fro seeking the Word of God they should have gotten from your "church" but starved to famine as in Amos 8:11-12? How can you offer up the Body of Christ (spiritually speaking) and the bread (spiritually speaking) of His Word if you don't believe that it applies? Christ will still feed them if they're sincere and if He wills, because He's a true Shepherd. But what about you "shepherds" who are only there for a paycheck and to fill, or try to fill, some need in your life?
I was reminded of Isaiah 29 when I saw this.
8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
So you see, God has a way of setting things right even when men make it all wrong. And God will set right and heal the brokenness that man, and Satan, has caused. But will some of those leading churches even have the faith to believe it and the eyes and ears to see and hear it?
I don't say this as their judge as that indeed is God. But taking on the role of a pastor is not a light thing. If one is called, they had better do everything to feed and teach and they had better be willing to live in that Word and to always be a student of it themselves. And if one was never called to begin with, then I can't imagine how much worse it will be for those pretenders and play actors who never took it seriously to begin with.
I obviously don't know the names of the respondents of this survey let alone their individual stories and lies. Some of them may actually mean very well.
But I do know this. We're all accountable for ourselves. And if you're a Christian and you're not in a church or you don't have a pastor teaching chapter by chapter and verse by verse from the Word of God, then you had better find one and you had better learn how to do so for yourself as well. There's one coming sooner than most think and he's going to be a bigger bible "expert" than these pastors that don't even believe it applies. The only problem is he's a false messiah.
The time is growing short and if we're honest, there is pruning and sharpening that needs to happen for every single one of us. But at the very least, learn where to go to be fed, truly fed spiritually speaking. Being ashamed when the True Christ returns is not a good situation to be in.
A very good starting place and beyond is this ministry, imo.
Sadly the main pastor passed away some time ago as did one of his sons and the remaining pastor, Dennis Murray, has had some bouts with cancer. But they have teachings past and present on their website and on their satellite transponder that are always available. There are other churches and ministries that teach similarly and one just has to be willing to try to find them.
Armor up, and eat up, spiritually speaking for the days ahead.
The attached link and poll below is very sad indeed.