Can we stop saying  “Jesus didn’t come to start a church?”

Jesus didn’t come to start a RELIGION. I get it. But, Jesus didn’t come to start a CHURCH? Stop it. That is exactly what He did.

Jesus did a lot of amazing and eternal things while he was here, most importantly his atoning work on the cross!  However, nothing received more time, energy and attention from God himself than building his church. Usually the people who say nonsense like “Jesus didn’t come start a church” only say that because:

• They think a successful church is a building full of Christians.
• They have never actually started a church.

Any church planter will tell you that you can’t start a church without a launch team. That is exactly what Jesus did. He recruited and coached a team of future pastors to build his church. And how did he train them? To focus on the lost.

“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Who says that? Sounds like someone coaching future church pastors to reach the lost. If he was preparing them for other Christians, he wouldn’t have called them wolves!

 “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals.”

Who says that? Sounds like someone preparing future church pastors to trust God when you don’t have resources!

“and do not greet anyone on the road.”

Who says that? Sounds like someone warning future pastors that the greatest distraction and hinderance to their mission might just be the Christians a long the way that want them to slow down!

Jesus came to start a church for lost people. He gave his life for that vision. I would argue that anything short of that vision for our churches strays from the heart of God. There is a momentum already at work in God’s plan and he is drawing people to his Son. He is drawing people to churches that focus on his priorities. It time to catch that wave!

Lets honor our Savior in his favorite way and go launch churches that reach the lost and give heaven something to party about!