Outside Influences: Are We Building God's Church or Our Own?

 

Outside Influences: Are We Building God's Church or Our Own?

The way our local churches operate has a huge impact on how effectively they connect with their communities. It's hard to deny that most North American churches follow a centralized, institutional model. But as Francis Chan so pointedly states, "God gave us his 'order' for the church. He told us precisely what He wanted through His commandments in the Bible. In our arrogance, we created something we think works better." Ouch. That stings, but it also makes you think.

Are we truly following God's blueprint, or have we allowed outside influences to shape our churches into something He never intended? Think about it: businesses, government, social media, the whole media landscape, even other non-profits, income, status, family, and friends – they all play a role in how we "do church" today.

Could it be that the very things we think are essential for church – budgets, programs, location, worship style, fancy buildings, staff, entertainment, even our 501(c)(3) status – are actually products of these external pressures, not biblical principles? These things can make church feel complicated when it was meant to be simple.

Now, I'm not saying these things are inherently bad. But when they become the focus of church growth, they start to overshadow Jesus. The church structure becomes the draw, not Jesus and His message. He becomes an afterthought, a result of participation, not the reason for it. This flips the script entirely. Suddenly, we're relying on human effort, our own desires and abilities, instead of God's unlimited power. That's not how it's supposed to work. Too often, the church becomes a human-designed, run, led, and maintained organization, where God's Word is an afterthought, and Jesus takes a backseat to our own agendas.

This isn't about pointing fingers at church leaders or individuals. It's not about their intentions or passion. The problem is the structure itself. It's like a machine that's designed to produce a certain outcome, regardless of who's operating it. Even the most sincere, Jesus-loving pastor will struggle to break free from the constraints of a flawed system. The structure demands the outcome.

Think of it like grilling a steak. You have your meat, your grill, your fuel, your thermometer. If I aim for 145 degrees, I know I'll get a medium-rare steak. That's just how the process works. It doesn't matter how much I want a well-done steak, the structure dictates the result. Change the structure, change the outcome.

The influence of the world is so strong that we have entire organizations dedicated to helping churches manage these very structures. They become service providers, often detached from the actual church community. One company boasts about helping churches get 501(c)(3) status, implying that this is the key to a strong foundation. But is it? While there's nothing wrong with having 501(c)(3) status, it shouldn't be the source of our strength and protection. Our security lies in Christ, not in legal paperwork.

Jesus wasn't concerned with 501(c)(3)s. He was concerned with the rich young ruler's heart. He wants to know if we're willing to give up everything to follow Him. Are we clinging to these structures like the rich man clung to his wealth?

The Bible is clear about where our strength comes from: it's in the Lord. He's our rock, our fortress, our foundation. He's the one who strengthens us, protects us, and empowers us.

Another ministry offers guidelines for church structure, including assessments, fundraising, and management teams. Again, these things aren't necessarily bad, but how do they compare to the simple, powerful model we see in Acts 2:42-47? They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. They shared what they had, met together regularly, and the Lord added to their number daily. Simple, yet profound.

We've traded this deep Christian community for complex business structures. We've outsourced discipleship to programs and consultants. And how does this affect our relationships with our neighbors? Many Christians barely know the people who live next door. Yet, the Bible is crystal clear: we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

If this resonates with you, take it to God. Pray for wisdom, ask Him to reveal any areas where you've strayed from His path. Remember James 1:2-8: trials produce perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity. Don't doubt, but believe.

This journey of recognizing our weaknesses can be painful, but God's love and power are greater. He never asks us to do easy things. The heroes of faith were called to do difficult things. And as we examine the North American church, it's clear that its foundation rests on capitalism. This often leads to prioritizing structure over the leading of the Spirit. The church was never meant to be a capitalist endeavor. It's time to re-evaluate our priorities and ask ourselves: are we building God's church, or are we building our own?