The true Church of Jesus Christ does not have the impact in this world that it used to have. Many reasons have been given for this, but there is one that I think influences the ineffectiveness of the Church more than the others. We focus more on the church (particularly our own local church) than we do on Christ. The center of our Christian life revolves around the local church rather than around Christ. Now don't get me wrong. I recognize the place of the local church in the Christian's life. The local church is ordained by God for the benefit of the believer and, by extension, for the benefit (especially spiritual but also for temporal needs) of the unbeliever. But the church tends to focus on herself.

Let me illustrate. When the brides gets ready to meet the groom at their wedding, she does everything to please the groom. She is not seeking the attention of others (except she is selfish). She washes, dresses, does her hair a certain way, puts on a certain perfume-all for her groom only, not for anyone else. In the book of Ephesians, the Church is said to be the bride of Christ. But what is the Church doing as she waits for her Groom? She is telling everyone that she has the right doctrine, she has the right Bible, she doesn't do this, she doesn't do that, she has this ministry or that ministry, she tells what she is doing for Christ and how others are wrong in what they do. The church may be right in all these things, but how can Christ get the glory when the church is focusing on herself? Who does get the glory?

The early church basically turned the world upside down using word of mouth. Today the church is using every available form of media and often can't reach their neighbor across the street. Why is this? The early church introduced people to the Person of Jesus Christ. Today's Church mostly tells people about Christ and what he has done for them. Do you see the difference? Today's Church encourages focusing on self (that is, what we can have rather than focusing on Who Christ is). Today's Church focuses on herself, not on Christ. That may be why evil men and seducers wax worse and worse. The influence of the true Church is waning because of its focus on herself. The true Church is giving away what the enemy cannot take away. That is, she is giving away the close, intimate relationship she could have in Christ and accepting a "veneer" relationship-a relationship even the world can understand. This "veneer" relationship puts much emphasis on appearance and opinion. Emphasis on appearance and opinion results in focusing on self.

Let us focus on Christ.