The Church. A force to be reckoned with, or a disjointed collection of warring factions? A unified body or a collection of dry bones, outdated and obsolete, destroyed by it’s own insolvency? The great commission, a command to be obeyed, the supreme mandate to reach the world, or a gentle suggestion from the Savior’s lips? Jesus - kind, friendly, Mr. nice guy, or passionate, fiery, forceful revolutionary who took on the system for the glory of His Father?
You. Tame, safe, standardized, complacent and liked? Or will you dare to go deeper, farther, higher. Will you love Him with everything, or will you hold back? Will you live for His glory or yours? Will it be His dreams or your own? Will you follow?
Brothers and sisters, ours lives MUST be all about Jesus.
“I beg you brothers! By the mercy of God - His undeserved fierce love to us, that you give your bodies an offering to God - a sacrifice to be consumed for His glory, holy, accepted by God. This is worship, and is the reasonable thing to do.” - Paul (Romans 12)
“I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront!” - Luke 12:49-52 (The Message)
One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.
"Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.'
"Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce?
"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.
"Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing.
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
(Luke 14:25-34 The Message)
