You are so loved by God, but God didn’t die just for you: “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), and God so loves the church, “which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28 NIV). But when we make the gospel primarily about us as individuals and the benefits it brings us, is it so surprising that the church comes across as an unnecessary add-on, as excess baggage, as an easy target? Is it surprising that a common sentiment today is “Jesus, yes; church, no,” as if you could have one and not the other?
