The Church Is Not a Platform
He said, “Take up your cross.”
And yet, somehow, in the modern Church, we’ve reversed it.
We’ve made ministry about microphones, branding, and social media metrics. We’ve created churches where charisma often outranks character, where leaders are chosen for their stage presence rather than their spiritual maturity.
We’ve confused giftedness with godliness—and the results are devastating.
But Jesus gave us a very different picture of what the Church is and how it’s led.
In Matthew 16:18, He says:
“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Whose Church? His.
Who builds it? He does.
What’s the foundation? Christ alone.
This verse is not just a statement of power—it’s a declaration of authority. The Church doesn’t belong to pastors, denominations, or celebrity leaders. It belongs to Jesus. He is the architect, the cornerstone, and the head.
When we forget that, we start building something else entirely.
A Craving for Visible Kings
This isn’t a new problem. The desire to place human leaders in the role only God should hold goes all the way back to Israel demanding a king in 1 Samuel 8.
Israel had judges. They had prophets. They had the very presence of God in their midst. But still, they looked around at the other nations and said, “We want a king—someone we can see, someone to go before us in battle.”
Samuel warned them. God warned them.
But they insisted.
And God’s response was chilling:
“It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” (1 Samuel 8:7)
This wasn’t just a leadership preference. It was a spiritual rejection.
In choosing Saul—a man who looked the part—they traded God’s leadership for a human figurehead. And Saul, like many leaders who are elevated prematurely, led them into trouble. He had the stature, but not the Spirit. The appearance, but not the anointing.
How often do we do the same today?
We crown charismatic communicators and expect them to lead spiritual revolutions. We elevate dynamic personalities and forget to test character. We look for kings we can see because trusting the Spirit feels too risky.
The Temptation of the Platform
In our culture, platforms are currency. Influence is capital. Followers equal power. And many churches have adopted this model wholesale. We build brands. We polish stage design. We train pastors to preach like TED Talkers and measure success by attendance charts and Instagram engagement.
But Jesus never asked us to build platforms. He called us to die to ourselves.
To lay down our lives.
To serve, to suffer, to shepherd.
His way is the way of the cross—not the spotlight.
The New Testament model of leadership is one of shared servanthood. Elders, plural. Shepherds, not showmen. Men and women who are accountable to the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:2–4) and who lead not from a stage, but among the flock.
Paul never built a platform. In fact, he considered his own weakness the very stage upon which Christ’s power was displayed (2 Corinthians 12:9).
But we have exchanged the cross for charisma.
When Men Take Over What Christ Alone Can Lead
Every time the Church operates like a corporation, with a CEO pastor and brand-driven mission statements, we risk repeating the mistake of Saul. We are prone to trust in human systems over the Spirit. We want someone visible to take the reins, someone we can rally around—especially in uncertain times.
But when we replace the leadership of Jesus with the leadership of men, we also forfeit the divine power He promises.
“I will build my Church,” He said—not “you will build your empire.”
When Jesus is the builder, even the gates of hell cannot prevail. But when we take the reins, the cracks begin to show. Scandals. Burnout. Abusive authority. Disillusioned members. Deconstruction. The fruit of man-centered leadership is bitter.
Are We Discipling People—or Building Followings?
That’s the question that should haunt us.
Are we forming disciples or fans? Are we growing the body of Christ or expanding someone’s platform? Are we pointing people to the crucified King—or to a brand, a personality, or a church culture?
Because one day, all platforms will fall. All names will fade. All empires will crumble.
And the only thing that will remain is the Church that Christ built—through surrender, not strategy.
A Call Back to the Cross
If we want to see a Church the gates of hell cannot withstand, we need to stop acting like CEOs and start living like servants. We need to dethrone our kings and lift up the crucified Christ. We need to return to the wild, Spirit-led, cross-shaped movement that Jesus founded.
It won’t always look impressive.
It won’t always go viral.
But it will endure.
Because Jesus never asked us to build a platform.
He asked us to follow Him.
Rooted in Jesus Grace,
Mara Wellspring
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