Hey friend,

A little different this week...

Usually, I write about faith, life, leadership, grief, growth, or whatever I've been wrestling with lately.

This week, I'm wrestling with the Church.

And because I'm a pastor, I want to be really careful with that.

I'm not writing this as someone who has figured it all out.

I'm writing this as someone who loves the Church and has been asking some hard questions about whether we're always pursuing the things Jesus actually called us to pursue.

I've been studying the early church lately.

Specifically, the church in Antioch.

You can read about them in Acts 11 and Acts 13.

And the more I read...

the more I find myself asking a pretty uncomfortable question:

What if we might be missing the mark?

There's something about that verse that keeps sticking with me.
When I read about Antioch, I don't see a church obsessed with building a platform. I don't see a church centered around a personality. I don't see a church trying to become the most impressive church in the region. I see people who were deeply committed to Jesus... and deeply committed to helping other people know Jesus.

And that got me thinking.

Because what if, somewhere along the way, we've gotten really good at building churches... but not always as good at being the Church?

That's a hard question. Especially for me.

I'm a lead pastor.
I love the local church.
I believe in the local church.
So I'm not writing this as some angry guy standing outside the church throwing rocks at it.

Quite the opposite.

I believe the Church can be one of the most beautiful things on earth.

But I've been wondering if we need to take a step back and ask:
​Are we actually chasing the things Jesus told us to chase?

Because when I look at Antioch, I see something that feels incredibly important.

And it starts with this:
​The Church wasn't built around a personality.

It wasn't built around a pastor. It wasn't built around a particular preaching style. It wasn't built around a strategy. It wasn't built around a system. It wasn't built around a brand.

It was built around Jesus.

And I think that's important for all of us to remember.

Churches can become known for a lot of things.
Great preaching. Great music. Great kids' programs. Great buildings. Great leaders. Great social media. Great missions. Great outreach. Great events.

None of those things are bad.

But none of those things are Jesus.

And if we're not careful, we can become so focused on building something great that we forget to build something that actually points people to Christ.

Because the goal was never simply to get more people into a building.

The goal is to get more people to Jesus.

Look at Antioch.

Acts 11 tells us that when the gospel reached Antioch, people were hearing about Jesus and turning to Him.
The church grew because people were meeting Jesus.
​Not because they had the coolest church experience. Not because someone had built the perfect system. Not because they had figured out how to attract a crowd.

People were hearing about Jesus.

And they were saying yes.

That's the kind of growth that matters.
Because a bigger church isn't necessarily a healthier church.
A fuller room isn't necessarily a greater Kingdom impact.
More people in the building isn't the ultimate goal.

More people knowing Jesus is.

And then there's something else about Antioch that has really challenged me. When the church in Jerusalem heard about what was happening in Antioch, they sent Barnabas.

And when Barnabas got there, he didn't seem to think,
​"How can I make this church more comfortable?"

He didn't seem to think,
​"How can I make sure I'm in charge?"

He didn't seem to think,
​"How can we make Antioch the biggest and best church around?"

He saw what God was doing... and he went and got Saul.

Why?

Because there were more people who needed to hear about Jesus.

The mission was bigger than the church.

And I think we've got to remember that.

Because sometimes Christians can accidentally turn church into a competition.

Which church has more people? Which church has the better worship? Which pastor preaches better? Which church has the bigger building? Which ministry is growing faster? Which church is more relevant? Which one is doing it "right"?

And somewhere along the way... we start treating other churches like competitors.

They're not.
​They're teammates.

That church down the road? They're our teammates.
​That pastor in the next town? They're our teammate.
​That ministry that does things differently than we do? They're our teammates.

And honestly?

I'm convinced the Kingdom of God is too big for us to spend our time fighting over who gets credit for what God is doing.

We are better together.

Imagine what could happen if churches stopped trying to outdo each other and started praying for each other.

Imagine if we stopped asking,
​"How can we grow our church?"

and started asking,
​"How can we help more people encounter Jesus?"

That's a different question.
And I think it's a better one.

Because the Church doesn't belong to me.
It doesn't belong to you.
It doesn't belong to your pastor.
It doesn't belong to a denomination.
It doesn't belong to a worship style or a theological camp or a ministry model.

The Church belongs to Jesus.

And when we remember that...

We can celebrate one another.
We can collaborate.
We can serve our communities together.
We can cheer for each other.
We can send people where they're needed.
We can stop worrying about who gets the credit.

Because ultimately...
​it's not about us.

It's about Him.

And maybe that's the conviction I've been wrestling with most.

Maybe the question isn't:
​"How do we build a better church?"

Maybe it's:
​"How do we become more like the Church Jesus intended us to be?"

I don't have that completely figured out.
And I'm not pretending that I do.

I'm still learning. I'm still wrestling. I'm still asking hard questions.

But I think that's a good thing.

Because sometimes the most important spiritual questions aren't the ones that make us feel comfortable.

They're the ones that make us stop... look around... and ask,

"Jesus, are we actually doing what You called us to do?"

And if the answer is no in some areas?
That's okay. Because conviction isn't condemnation.

It's an invitation.

An invitation to realign.
To refocus.
To come back to Jesus.

And maybe that's what some of us need to do.
Maybe you've been around church for decades.
Maybe you walked away from church years ago.
Maybe you're curious.
Maybe you're skeptical.
Maybe you love Jesus but have been disappointed by the Church.

Wherever you find yourself...
I'd simply say this:

Don't let our imperfections keep you from Jesus.

Because Christians will get things wrong.
Churches will get things wrong.
Pastors will get things wrong.
I will get things wrong.

But Jesus?

Jesus is still worth following.

And that's the point. Not the personality. Not the system. Not the strategy. Not the building. Not the brand.

Jesus.

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Weekly Resources

Until Unity by Francis Chan It’s clear from Scripture that God desires unity for His Church. If unity is so important to the heart of God, why is the Church one of the most divided groups on earth? Chan argues that the problem is the shallowness of our love for each other—rooted in a shallowness in our understanding of the gospel. Available on Amazon

Entrusted Sent | Week 5 Throughout the book of Acts, we see ordinary people who encountered Jesus, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and then were sent into the world with the Gospel. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are set apart and sent out—not because they had everything figured out, but because God had a mission for them. Available on Youtube

Bryce Crawford Tells Howie Mandel Jesus Is the ‘Only Way’ to Heaven Church Leaders - churchleaders.com Read Here

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And maybe this week, that's the question worth asking:
​Are we pointing people to Jesus... or are we pointing people to ourselves?

Because if it's Jesus...
​then we're on the right track.

And if we've drifted?
Let's come back.

Together.

Let's cheer for the church down the road.
Let's encourage the pastor across town.
Let's serve our communities together.
Let's stop competing for people and start working together to reach people.
Let's stop building around personalities and start building around Jesus.
Let's stop asking how we can make our churches bigger... and start asking how we can make Jesus known.

Because at the end of the day, we're better together.

And the Kingdom is bigger than any one of us.
So let's point people to Jesus.

And let's see what happens when we stop trying to make it about us... and make it about Him again.

Jesus is worth it.

Always.

As always, if there's something you're wrestling with this week, I'd love to hear from you. And if you're someone who's curious about Jesus, but maybe not sure what you think about church... I'm glad you're here.

Seriously.

You don't have to have it all figured out. Keep asking questions. Keep seeking. Keep pursuing.

I think you'll find that Jesus is worth pursuing.

Praying,
Ryan