“I’m reading a lot about church clarity as if it is clarity that is Lord of the church. Yet, I’m not hearing a lot about Jesus.”
—A Mentor’s Candid Observation
I’ve been sitting with that comment for days.
It stung. Not because it was unfair, but because it surfaced a tension I feel deeply: in the work I do with churches to help them gain clarity, are we truly helping them hear from Jesus? Or are we subtly shifting the focus to something else: vision statements, diagrams, and strategic plans—worthy tools, yes, but powerless on their own?
Let me say this clearly:
Clarity is not the goal. Jesus is.
But clarity is essential if we are going to hear Him and follow where He leads.
Throughout Scripture, God is not vague with His people. He is specific. He speaks with purpose, calling His people not just to believe in Him, but to follow Him. (“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. ” James 2:19) In the life and teaching of Jesus, we see the imperative to actively follow over and over again:
Jesus doesn’t leave His Church guessing. He speaks. He leads. He sends.
And when we lack clarity, we drift.
The early Church understood this. In Acts, we read about a community actively discerning the Spirit’s direction. They weren’t making it up as they went; they were responding in real time to a real Savior who was still speaking, still leading, still Lord.
It’s easy to confuse busyness with obedience. Many churches do “good things” without asking if they are the things Jesus is calling them to do.
Clarity is not about narrowing the mission to make it manageable. It’s about tuning our ears and aligning our efforts so that we live out His mission, not ours.
It’s about listening for His voice and removing the static that keeps us from hearing clearly.
When a church stops listening to the voice of Jesus, something dangerous happens: we fill the silence.
We reach for inherited traditions, well-meaning strategies, popular models, century-plus-long training methodologies, and human logic. Over time, these begin to shape our identity and inform our decisions, rather than Christ. Slowly but surely, our methodologies become our mission, and our preferences become our priorities.
We trade revelation for replication.
We become loyal to forms Jesus never asked for, and deaf to the fresh word He is speaking now. As a result, we resist, and even condemn as “unfaithful & evil” new expressions and new strategies that ARE given to us by Jesus.
This is how entire denominations lose their prophetic edge and apostolic sending.
This is how congregations become stuck, divided, or exhausted by efforts that bear no fruit.
This is how leaders burn out while maintaining systems Jesus never commissioned.
This is how people lose confidence in the institutional church.
When we settle for inherited momentum rather than divine direction, we may be moving—but not necessarily with Him.
When we settle for institutional inertia rather than the voice of Jesus, we may believe we’re being faithful—but not necessarily to Him.
When we settle for measurable success rather than spiritual fruit, we may appear effective—but not necessarily for Him.
“We may be moving—but not with Him.
We may be faithful—but not to Him.
We may be effective—but not for Him.”
Let’s be honest: we read the words of Jesus in our devotions.
We recite them in our liturgies.
We study them in groups.
We debate them in theological circles.
We even quote them on banners and mission statements.
But are we doing them?
A friend of mine recently described a conversation with a denominational leader who was proudly affirming their clarity of mission:
“We are devoted to making disciples who make disciple-makers.”
My friend responded with a simple, sincere question:
“Disciples who do what?”
There was a long, awkward silence.
The gift of clarity is not simply that we can articulate our mission—it’s that clear language aligns us to live the way of Jesus.
It’s one thing to say we are discipling. It’s quite another to be reproducing followers who love their neighbor.
It’s one thing to say, “Love your neighbor.” It’s another to rearrange your schedule to show up for a lonely widow next door.
It’s one thing to affirm that “the last shall be first.” It’s another to rework a church budget to prioritize local outreach over institutional comfort.
It’s one thing to proclaim, “Go and make disciples.” It’s another to equip everyday believers to actually share their faith and walk with others in spiritual formation.
Clarity is not a communications tool, it’s a discipling lifestyle.
Clarity helps the people of God move in alignment with the heart of Jesus.
Individually, that might look like a young professional choosing to downsize their lifestyle so they can invest more time in mentoring at-risk youth.
Corporately, it might look like a congregation reorienting its calendar and culture to reflect its renewed calling to equip households for mission, even if that means letting go of long-standing programs that no longer serve.
Without clarity, we remain stuck in admiration rather than obedience. We remain anchored in theory rather than Gospel-shaped living. We stay muddled in what without how.
With clarity, we step into formation.
We do not pursue clarity to have a better website.
We do not pursue clarity to sound smart in leadership meetings.
We pursue clarity because the Church is on a mission that matters eternally.
And a fuzzy mission leads to fuzzy discipleship, if it happens at all.
So to my mentor, and perhaps to others who have quietly wondered the same, I hear you. I agree with you. Jesus is Lord! And He is Lord of the Church. He is not a footnote to our planning process. He is the Voice we long to hear and the Vision we long to chase down.
Clarity isn’t the prize.
But it is the path.
And when the Church is clear, it can be bold. It can be united. It can be faithful.
Over the next five weeks, we’ll explore how Jesus and His earliest followers modeled a way of clarity that was Spirit-led, mission-focused, and action-oriented. We’ll follow His voice through the Gospels, the book of Acts, and the letters to the Church, not to admire it from a distance, but to align our lives and ministries more faithfully with His voice.
If you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between spiritual depth and strategic clarity…
If you’ve longed for your church to move with greater conviction, unity, and direction…
If you believe Jesus is still speaking to His Church today…
Then don’t miss the rest of this series. Because the clarity we’re pursuing isn’t just about getting organized, it’s about getting obedient.
Next week: “Come, Follow Me” – Jesus’ Clear Call to Movement
