Kyle Idleman Warns: Christians Have Created a Jesus Shaped by Culture, Not Scripture

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The pastor of one of America’s largest churches says too many Christians have turned Jesus into an individualized image of their own making, shaped by culture rather than Scripture and, in turn, have not been transformed by the gospel the way that true discipleship demands.

Kyle Idleman is pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., and co-author of the new book, The Missing Messiah: The Jesus We Can No Longer Ignore, which asserts that countless people of faith have reduced Jesus to a life coach, a therapist or a political mascot – and have missed the core message of Scripture. Mike Moore of Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Ariz., is the book’s other author.

“If your belief in Jesus isn't challenging you in some ways, then that doesn't reflect the invitation to follow Jesus, which is to take up your cross daily and follow Him,” Idleman told Crosswalk Headlines.

It’s common, Idleman said, for people of faith to compartmentalize their lives in the same way an individual might organize clothes in a bedroom dresser by separate drawers and categories.

“Maybe one drawer is money, one drawer is romantic relationship, one drawer is politics, one drawer is faith,” Idleman said.

Scripture, though, calls believers to surrender every part of life to Christ’s authority.

“Following Jesus as Messiah means that He's the dresser that all the drawers of life fit into,” Idleman said. “That means that following Him invites you to open up the money drawer and look around and see if that aligns with Him as Messiah, to think through your marriage as a husband – ‘am I following Jesus as Messiah?’”

Using another illustration, Idleman compared the modern approach to faith to a streaming service, where movies and shows a person doesn’t like don’t make the cut. It’s the “Netflix-ification of our faith” – and it’s unbiblical, he said.

Too many Christians, he said, want faith to be “comfortable.” Idleman recalled receiving an email from a former attendee who said he would not be returning because “when I come to church, I feel like it interferes with my life.”

But “that's the way it's supposed to work,” Idleman told Crosswalk Headlines. When someone comes to Christ, their life is meant to be changed.

“The book, I hope, just challenges people to think outside that Jesus box that maybe they've built their faith around, and taking a fresh look at, ‘Okay, this is what it means to follow the Jesus of the Gospels.’

“Ask yourself some questions. ‘When's the last time following Jesus cost me something?’ Or, ‘Do I get more upset about political outcomes than I do about people not knowing Jesus?’ ‘Do my bank statements reflect my stated beliefs?’ It’s being able to look at that and align your life with His Messiahship. And I would just say that no matter where you're at on your faith journey, there's room for that. I personally feel very convicted around these things when I stop and reflect on my life and think through them and pray through them. My hope is that this book will help people open up every drawer of their life with this idea of ‘aligning my life with His Lordship.’”

The book comes during a year in the U.S. when Bible sales are up and – in many areas – church attendance is, too.

“If Bible sales are up, but our Christian worldview doesn't match Bible sales, or if our implementation of the gospel doesn't reflect Bible sales, we're going to miss a moment. With the spiritual awakening needs to come spiritual alignment,” Idleman said. “Now's our opportunity to say, just as Jesus did in the gospels, ‘Come follow me.’”

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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Worawith Ounpeng

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.