Where are we?
I’m sitting in coach on a flight to Newark, nj as I write this. I’m heavy hearted, I’m blessed and happy, but heavy hearted.
Someone told me recently that ” the church doesn’t have the bench on offering people hope and help”. It was a dear friend and fellow follower of Christ who told me this. Man, where are we?
This is by no means meant to be a bunch of words about how we as the church have fallen short and how I’m a young, tattooed minister who has all the answers and formulas on how to get to the ultimate edge of cutting edge ministry.
I however know a few things. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. We are a people that have been called out of darkness and into Christ’s marvelous light ( 1 Peter 2:9 ).
We have ever reason on earth to be public about this. We have every reason to shout from the rooftops that our God is real, he has won, in Christ all can be free, and YES the church is good, and YES Christ ultimately loves us and is FOR us. (Romans 8:31)
I feel so guilty that we have almost in many ways run off hurting people from our gatherings, isolated them with a billion questions and ultimately left them try as hard as they can to be ” just like us”.
Christ came for a broken people (mark 2:17) a people that are hurting, lost and dying, not just in body, but in spirit, in soul.
I’ll never forget many years ago I was lost and searching, dealing with anxiety to the point of almost being locked in my home, I went to a Christian counselor, whose name I wish I could, but cannot recall, instead of reading me my rights and telling me I was nuts, she prayed for me, was gentle with me and offered me hope that only Christ can bring, but also offered me a real, tangible plan on moving forward in him ( 1 Peter 3:15)
We’ve gotten stuck on the argument. Whose church is doing it the “right” way, what church is really got it ” all dialed in, and figured out”. We’ve been hurt by church, felt left aside by church and ultimately just sorta given up in alot of ways, but here is the reality.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the best, absolute best thing that has ever happened to this world. It is everything, it is hope, freedom, ultimate love and ultimate truth all wrapped up into th perfect person of Christ. We however are called to give it out.
Jesus said we do even greater things than he did (John 14:12) so where is that! Why are we still arguing over feelings? Why are we still hurting each other? Why are we not going forward in being public with the gospel?
It is time. Here, now, with immediate attention to go forth and spread ultimate hope, ultimate help in the form of the gospel ( Matthew 28:19)
I want to look back on our children and their children and believe and know we made Jesus famous, we made his name known, and that we offered ultimate help, release from poverty, release from abuse, release from fear, and sickness all in His name.
We are gonna have to live for this, die for this, sweat and bleed for this. It is the Gospel, the only truth, everything. Are we ready?
