What Are You Building?
Periodically, I have to revisit my early days in ministry in order to hit the refresh button. I find great value in reflecting on my original convictions to ensure I’m leading for the right reasons. We must continually flesh out the genuine from the insincere. To examine our motives, we must regularly ask ourselves… What are we building?
Body or Brand
The church is intrinsically organic. It is comprised of people of every color, size, shape, and gender. Social, ethnic, and economic lines are blurred in the eyes of Jesus. We are the Kingdom of God, not the corporation of God. Red and yellow, black and white, we are all precious in His sight. Also, in the last-days church, all generations, young and old, work hand in hand and side by side to fulfill the purposes of God (Joel 2:28).
These days, many leadership models seem more concerned about their image vs. their identity. They strive to keep up with current trends in order to avoid the embarrassment of lagging behind the times. Their ultimate goal is to influence the culture, yet all the while, are actually being influenced, if not controlled, by the culture. Who is holding the reins, and who is wearing the bit? The answer is quite obvious, yet we remain silent.
In order to reach the world by the world’s standards, people inevitably will be left out of the mix because they don’t fit the description. They’re not young or hip enough. They’re considered irrelevant to the culture. Being irrelevant is a growing fear amongst modern-day evangelicals. Thus, they attempt to package a “gospel” that represents only a certain segment of society. In the end, it all appears superficial. God is not being fooled.
We cannot package the gospel so our culture will receive Him. Jesus will not be put into any box we make for Him. He’s bigger than our boxes. In all my findings of the early church, the power of God was being poured out in waves. It was uncontrollable and unmanageable. Miracles were the norm. Revival was exploding. We must toss out this notion of branding ourselves and allow God’s Spirit to brand our hearts with His holy fire.
People or Product
In many churches, a production is deemed unacceptable if it doesn’t meet or exceed the world’s standard of quality. We do everything in our power to prevent cringe-worthy experiences. In order to do this, we often exclude certain individuals for fear of embarrassment. We place more importance on developing a product than we do developing people. Yet, is what we’re producing worth losing the trust of those we lead?
The value we place on people should not be determined by what they bring to us. They are already inherently valuable and worthy to be used by God. Recruiting only the most gifted, handsome, and popular people in the world’s eyes may produce immediate results but potentially have harmful long-term effects. Placing importance on product over people is stifling and potentially detrimental to a collective of honest souls.
People know when they’re being sold as a commodity. It draws suspicion on our leadership. Most people desire to be involved in a common project but despise being used as props. When people are accepted or rejected based on embodying a certain image, then the body of Jesus Christ is misrepresented. The visage of the church should reflect people from all walks of life. Every person has great significance in the eyes of God.
People are the framework of the church. Every soul is important and has the potential to vitally contribute to the Great Commission and the vision of our leadership. Thus, they should be treated as such. When people are not genuinely inspired to use their gifts and adequately and sincerely affirmed and appreciated for their investment, they will be less likely to participate the next go-around. People will not be taken advantage of.
Community or Company
Although the church does business, it is not essentially a business. Church leaders seeking to build a company are seen as CEO’s vs. shepherds, superstars vs. servants, or personalities vs. pastors. A company focuses its creativity and resources on marketing products and services. However, if you’re marked by God, the word will get out. When souls are ablaze, people will come from miles around to watch them burn.
Jesus turned the tables of greedy merchants who used the synagogue as a commodity (Mark 11:15-18). The church must not place its confidence in the world’s system of corporate and business practice. Christ didn’t allow it then and He won’t allow it now (Matthew 12:13). Jesus alone will build His church (Matthew 16:18). He will not tolerate His people being used by leadership to promote a church name or a leader’s fame.
The church is not an organization; it is an organism: the living, breathing, body of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t suffer His brutal torture and humiliating crucifixion to simply start up a company. We, the church, were purchased by His blood and raised together with Him in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Jesus isn’t our founder; He is our foundation, and all we build must represent what He bled and died for: People. People. People.
When we work towards building community, people will be the priority, and the focus of the community will be Jesus and the message of His redeeming love and grace. So, let’s all be about the “Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). His business is building lives. Let’s transform our paradigm from “company men” to “Kingdom citizens.” Let’s bring all the attention back to Jesus and the souls He has ransomed for His honor and glory!
