A church that does not abide in Christ is not a church. It might look like a church on the surface, and I guess it could certainly be called a copy of the church, but a copy is not an original. So-called churches where there is no daily commitment to walking and talking with Him, individually and together, are phoney. Above all human leadership, Christ is the supreme head of the Church, which is His body (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22). If the church is indeed the body of Christ, as the New Testament teaches, it can do nothing detached from its Head! Many who visit such churches sense this inauthenticity, though they may not be able to explain it, and are understandably repelled. The faithful, loving leadership of Christ is an ever-present reality, but it relies upon people attending to His loving direction. To the degree that churches listen, Jesus leads. Where leaders chose not to listen, but rather follow their own way, the inevitable outcome is an incalculable deficit of the good that would otherwise be done. A Christian community can only be said to be led by Christ if it daily looks to Christ, listens to Him, and follows His directions in this world.