This past Sunday, Pastor John made a comment. He said, “there are few things more uncomfortable than a comfortable church.” This was stated in the context of the great CO-mission. Matthew 28:19,20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Pastor John’s meaning of comfortable, I believe, was that we cease to be bold, press ahead or seek out the lost and find contentment with the status quo.
In our home group, this week, the question was asked, “are we a comfortable church?” To which I quickly responded, “yes.” I was asked to expound on my immediate, definitive assertion. I was talking about our “church” the congregation that I call my church home, yes, but it was more an indictment of the church in America as a whole. I believe that as American christians, our faith is superficial. For most it is a weekly ritual we undertake, so that we may check it off the list and feel good about that and ourselves. I believe that most of the people I know, who profess Jesus Christ Lord and Savior, honestly and faithfully believe in Him wholeheartedly. However, I believe that if we woke up on Sunday morning and every church building in America was gone, utterly vanished, christianity in America would be virtually gone as well.
Why do I believe that? The American church as a whole lacks the heart. The church in America, I believe, lacks the desire of full out pursuit of and connection to the heart of God. I was asked by the group, if we are “comfortable” what is the answer for change? That’s a tough one to answer and I admittedly professed to not presume to have a complete and thorough remedy. However, I did offer a starting point. If we, as members of the American church body, want to see revival, get uncomfortable and draw others into the life that Jesus offers, it has to start with our individual hearts. Action is not the answer, example is. If we are to shake up the spiritual awareness of this nation, we must first pursue God with every ounce of our being. We must long to know Him as intimately as we can. We must pursue Him and place Him in the foreground of everything we do. We must strive to read His word, pray to and converse Him daily . Psalm 42:1,2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? When have you felt that way about God? That if you didn’t get to the life sustaining water that is Him, you would wither away and die?
If we want to see a dynamic, infectious spiritual awakening in this country, we must first cast off self and realize that without Him, His power and the gift of life He offers, it will never happen. We can employ the latest enticement to draw people in, entertain them, but it’s all for not if our hearts are not fully captivated by a ceaseless desire to know and love Him. When the individuals who comprise the body of Christ get fully engaged, sold out to full pursuit of His heart, then it will spread like wild fire and disciples will be made. Have a blessed weekend!
II Corinthians 13:5,6 (NKJV) Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
In full pursuit of the greatest Trophy,
Scott Pace
