Christ, Not Charisma: The Church's Urgent Return to Her First Love
The transcendent beauty of Christ must be seen and known and cherished.
With all the noise and numbers and meetings, how many churchgoers will be on fire for Christ and yearn for His face 20 years from now?
Sadly, very few.
We are living in a time when God is lovingly yet forcefully shaking His church (Hebrews 12:26–27). He is exposing shallow foundations and impure motives, calling His people back to Himself. One of the most sobering areas being revealed is selfish ambition masquerading as ministry (Philippians 1:17; James 3:14–16). Many sincere believers find themselves unknowingly swept into church cultures that orbit around a single charismatic leader rather than the crucified and risen Christ (1 Corinthians 3:4–7).
Behind the lights, the vision statements, and the weekly routines, there is often a quiet but deadly current: the serving of wounded egos. Churches are being built not as fellowships of the redeemed but as stages where insecure pastors perform to earn approval and money, mask pain, or prove their worth. And without realizing it, the people begin to serve a vision that looks spiritual on the outside—but at its core, is about protecting and promoting a man, not magnifying Jesus.
“But they preach repentance, dying to self, and biblical Christianity,” the young believers in their grasp cry out.
But Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matt. 7:16)—not their doctrine, mantras, or connections.
This is not a call to cynicism—it’s a call to reformation.
The answer is not simply to abandon the institutional church in favor of house churches, although many house churches offer healthy alternatives (Acts 2:46–47; Romans 16:5). The true solution runs deeper: we must recover biblical accountability, leadership plurality, and the centrality of Christ in the life of the church (Ephesians 4:11–13; Colossians 1:18).
The New Testament never envisioned the church being built around a single dominant figure. Rather, churches were led by a team of qualified, Spirit-filled elders (Titus 1:5–9; Acts 14:23)—men whose lives bore witness to Christ's character and whose authority was expressed through humility, not hype (1 Peter 5:1–4). This plurality of leadership provided balance, accountability, and protection against the very things now plaguing much of the modern church.
What we need are not more platforms, but more cross-shaped leaders (Luke 22:26–27). Not more influencers, but more shepherds who smell like sheep (John 10:11–14). Not more "vision casters” or “visionaries,” but more servants who wash feet and lead people into deeper union with Jesus (John 13:14–15; Philippians 2:3–8).
Christ is not coming back for a fan base. He is returning for a Bride—pure, undivided, and in love with Him (Ephesians 5:25–27; Revelation 19:7–8). The church must once again become a place where people encounter the majesty of God (Isaiah 6:1–5), where leaders tremble at His Word (Isaiah 66:2), and where egos bow low so that Jesus alone is exalted (John 3:30; 2 Corinthians 4:5).
Let the shaking continue. Let every false foundation crack. Not to destroy, but to purify. Not to shame, but to heal. Not to scatter, but to gather a people around the Lamb, not a man.
