Do you worship a “Designer Jesus” or the Jesus of the Bible? For far too long the American Church has built and worshipped a Designer Jesus that is of faint resemblance to the Jesus in the New Testament.
I believe God is raising up a new kind of church in America, that is fed up with spoon-feeding the people of America with the new Designer Jesus. The Lion of Judah is moving powerfully across our nation, to reimagine the Jesus of the Bible in the hearts of pastors and the Church! He is calling all of us to repent from our comfortable, Designer Jesus and embrace the Jesus of the Gospels.
As an American pastor for the past 26 years, I also have fallen prey to the designs of the idols of American Christendom, and have far too many times embraced the Designer Jesus. I am repenting of my attitude, and preaching. God is taking me back to the Gospels and the Man, Christ Jesus, as He is described in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As I restudy and reapply the Jesus of the Bible, compared to the Jesus of American Christianity, this is what I’m discovering afresh:
American Designer Jesus Biblical Jesus
A soft, loving, non-offensive Jesus. A Jesus of love, who offends the religious.
A kind of roaming, Hippy Jesus. A visionary leader of purpose.
A Jesus who accepts us just the way we are. A Jesus who changes everything in our life.
A Jesus that requires nothing. A Jesus who requires us to become disciples.
A Jesus that calls us to get converted. A Jesus that calls us to come to Him and die.
A Jesus of the American Way of Life. A Jesus of the Wholehearted Way of Life.
A Jesus who makes no waves. A Jesus who creates waves.
A Jesus of success. A Jesus of sanctification.
A Jesus that fits in with everyone. A Jesus that sets us apart from everyone.
Question: Could it be that if we, as the American Church, began presenting, preaching, and living the Real Jesus, we just might start having the results that we read about in the New Testament?
Let’s resurrect the Real Jesus and see what God might do?
Not interested in the Designer Jesus of America,
Pastor Steve
Steve Holt M.A., D.D.
