When the Church Became About Us

When the Church Became About Us

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)

For several months now, I've felt a growing concern in my heart about the direction of the Church and what we have allowed Christianity to become.

Sometimes, as I share the Gospel, whether in a church, a hospital room, an assisted-living facility, or simply sitting across a kitchen table, I wonder whether the words I'm sharing are reaching hearts or simply bouncing off the walls.

I don't say that because I expect everyone to agree with me, or because I believe I have all the answers. I don't. I'm still learning, still growing, and still depending on the same grace of God that I share with others.

But there are things we need to talk about, even when those conversations make us uncomfortable.

And one of those things is how easily we have allowed Christianity to become more about ourselves than about Jesus Christ.

Somewhere along the way, something changed.

I'm not sure I can tell you exactly when it happened, but I can tell you what concerns me.

We began measuring Christianity by how it makes us feel rather than how faithfully we follow Jesus. We started asking what the Church could do for us instead of asking what Christ has called us to do.

And somewhere in that shift, we began placing ourselves at the center of something that has always belonged to Jesus Christ.

Now, before we go any further, let me make something clear.

Our needs matter to God. Our struggles matter. Our suffering matters.

The Bible was written for our instruction, encouragement, correction, and hope. Romans 15:4 reminds us that the Scriptures were written for our learning, so that through patience and the comfort of God's Word, we might have hope.

God loves us. He hears our prayers. He comes near to the brokenhearted and gives strength to the weary. He invites us into a personal relationship with Him.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to leave church encouraged, comforted, and strengthened. Scripture teaches us to encourage and build one another up.

But God's Word was written for our benefit, not to make us the center of its message.

That place belongs to Jesus Christ alone.

Colossians 1:18 tells us that Christ is the head of the Church and that in everything He is to have the preeminence.

The Church belongs to Him. He purchased it with His own blood. He is its head, its foundation, and the reason for everything we do.

The Church exists for the glory of God and the good of His people. But when our wants, preferences, and comfort take precedence over His Word and His will, we have lost sight of why the Church exists.

When Feeling Good Replaces Following Jesus
Years ago, researchers identified a belief system they called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

That's quite a mouthful, but the idea behind it is surprisingly simple.

It describes a way of thinking in which God exists, wants us to be nice people, wants us to be happy, generally stays out of our business unless we need His help, and ultimately welcomes good people into heaven.

Does any of that sound familiar?

It should concern us, because much of what passes for Christianity today has begun to resemble that description.

We have developed a version of Christianity where God is expected to bless our plans, fix our problems, improve our circumstances, and make us feel better about ourselves.

But what happens when His Word tells us something we don't want to hear?

What happens when following Jesus requires us to change our behavior, surrender our desires, forgive someone who has hurt us, or walk away from something we know is wrong?

What happens when Jesus calls us to deny ourselves rather than satisfy ourselves?

Jesus said in Luke 9:23:

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Those words don't fit comfortably into the version of Christianity we so often hear proclaimed today.

They speak of surrender, sacrifice, and obedience.

Jesus never called us to a life centered on our own wants. He called us to a life surrendered to Him, where true joy and purpose are found.

Somewhere along the way, we began confusing being a good person with being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Please don't misunderstand me. Kindness matters. Compassion matters. Loving our neighbors matters. These things are commanded throughout Scripture.

But being nice is not the Gospel.

Being happy is not the central purpose of our salvation.

And being a good person will never make us righteous before a holy God.

Ephesians 2:8–10 reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works, but that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the price we pay to obtain it.

The Gospel begins with the uncomfortable truth that we are sinners in need of a Savior. It takes us to the cross, where Jesus paid the price we could never pay, and to the empty tomb, where death was defeated.

It calls us to repentance, faith, and a new life in Christ.

And sometimes that message will make us uncomfortable.

It will comfort us, but it will also confront us.

It will encourage us, but it will also correct us.

The Gospel assures us of God's unfailing love, but it also reminds us that His love changes us. He does not simply affirm the lives we are living. He calls us to leave our old lives behind and follow Him.

Have We Forgotten Whose Church This Is?

I fear that in our efforts to make Christianity more attractive to the world, we have sometimes removed the very things that make the Gospel necessary.

We want forgiveness without repentance.

We want blessings without obedience.

We want the promises of Jesus without the demands of discipleship.

We want a Savior, but struggle with the idea of surrendering to a Lord.

And perhaps most troubling of all, we have become comfortable listening to sermons that make us feel good while resisting the Scriptures that call us to change.

Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would no longer endure sound doctrine but would gather teachers who would tell them what their itching ears wanted to hear (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

That warning should concern every preacher, every church leader, and every believer.

Myself included.

The problem begins when making people feel good becomes more important than helping them become more like Jesus.

I understand that not everyone will welcome that message.

Jesus Himself watched people walk away when His teaching became difficult (John 6:60–66).

But He did not change the truth to keep the crowd.

And neither should we.

There are days when I have to remind myself that my calling isn't about applause or popularity. It's not about filling a building or keeping everyone comfortable.

My responsibility is to love people enough to tell them what God's Word actually says, with patience, humility, and compassion.

Sometimes that means saying what is difficult, not simply what is popular.

And before I challenge anyone else with the Word, I must first allow it to examine my own heart.

Because I am not exempt from the very Scriptures I preach.

A Question Worth Asking

Have we become so concerned with what people want from the Church that we've forgotten what Jesus wants from His Church?

That's a question I believe each of us needs to bring before the Lord.

Are we coming to worship because we love Jesus, or primarily because of what we hope to receive?

Are we opening our Bibles to hear what God has said, or simply looking for something that will affirm what we already believe?

Are we willing to follow Christ when His Word challenges our opinions, our preferences, and the way we live?

Christianity was never intended to be a religious arrangement in which we occasionally acknowledge God while continuing to live as though everything revolves around us.

It is a life surrendered, day by day, to Jesus Christ.

And that surrender is not a burden designed to rob us of joy. It is the beginning of discovering the life that can only be found in Him.

I care deeply about the Church and the people God has entrusted to my care. That's why I cannot remain silent about the things that have been weighing on my heart.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from attending church, nor am I suggesting that the Church has no place for the hurting, the struggling, or those who desperately need encouragement.

Quite the opposite.

The Church should be a place where the broken find compassion, the weary find encouragement, sinners hear the Gospel, and believers are strengthened in their walk with Christ.

But above everything else, it must remain a place where Jesus Christ is honored, His Word is faithfully proclaimed, and His people are encouraged to follow Him.

I am not trying to drive people away from the Church.

I want to see the Church return to Jesus.

Because Jesus did not die on the cross simply to make us feel better about the lives we are living.

He died to save us from our sins, reconcile us to God, and give us new life in Him.

And perhaps that is what we need to remember most.

The Church was never meant to revolve around us. It has always been, and always will be, about the One who saved us.