On Sunday at the Rock we were looking at becoming more uncomfortable. The church today seems to be content and comfortable and really does not want to change that. In fact the church seems to be promoting comfort. They ask what can we do to make your church stay more comfortable (sadly they think they are a franchise). So many people want to include church as one of the many things to do. If it does not work out to go, oh well. The commitment level is shallow; actually the commitment level to shallow living is high. So if you were to ask someone if they were committed they would probably say yes. Today’s church is a mile wide and inch deep (watered down gospel flow from the pulpits), not hard to be committed to that kind of living. The true church, one who seeks hard after God wants a deep relationship. Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Since this is biblical truth why does the church put so much effort into comfortable living? Jesus demands total commitment from us. Anything less is unacceptable. This passage in Mark makes it clear the kind of commitment Jesus is looking for.
Mark 10:28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This kind of commitment level is going to get uncomfortable. Your radical beliefs may just go against your family upbringing and ruffle feathers. How many are willing to put their faith before their job. The good news about this uncomfortable lifestyle is that God will bless you for putting Him first. As a pastor I have seen this played out. For example the choices a parent makes when it comes to church could affect their children for generations to come. So make sure what you believe about God is biblical and not tradition based. There may come a time in your life that you will have to step out of your familiar tradition as you seek God wholeheartedly. We see this happen all the time in other countries as missionaries present the gospel. Why not here in North America? Are you willing to leave everything to follow Jesus? Definitely something to contemplate, that’s for sure.
