Shouldn't It Be Simple?

Have you ever taken the time to examine the qualities of the New Testament church and wonder if we have it all wrong? I know there are the arguments of making things "relative" to today's society, but perhaps we are doing more conforming than actual relating. Even during New Testament times, many of the exhortations and rebukes were given not to the unbelievers, but to those within the church. To me, it would be pretty naive of us to think the discipline provided then would not apply to us today or to think we have it all figured out.

If there is anything I have learned in my years of serving Jesus (or my feeble attempts to), it is that I don't know a darn thing about anything. The minute I begin to THINK I have a beginning of understanding, I realize I'm just as clueless as I was before I gave my life to Him. The one thing that never changes is His love for me and my knowing I'm forgiven. No matter how much I screw up or have people turn their backs on me, I know Jesus is always there. I've found the more I try to complicate Him, the less I feel connected to Him. It's only when I get down to the basics of this faith that I feel genuinely close to Jesus. It's not about anything else that can be offered under the title of "church", but about what is offered to me through the person of Jesus Christ.

I know I have been guilty of trying to "sell" a particular church throughout my Christian walk. I've talked about how cool or good the worship team is or promote our children's ministry as fun for the kids. Maybe it's the kind of coffee that is served or some other superficial facet of our service. Yet, most of the time I have overlooked the most important part of any church service. The fact that Jesus is there. The reality is that the ONLY important part of a church is whether or not it is a place for people to encounter the one and only living God. Aside from that, all the rest is just fluff and entertainment. We want so much to be comfortable. I say we, but please know I'm referring to myself and not anyone else or any one church. The reason we should invite someone to our church is simple. It should be so they can encounter Jesus. If the messages are not focused on Jesus, then we are doing something wrong. If the messages are not challenging to those who are already believers, then we are overlooking those He loves ("Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent" Revelation 3:19)"

Nobody ever told me this Christian walk could be so difficult. I thought it was just about becoming whole and healed, which it is, but it is so much more than that. It's about learning to love others. I find this hardest when applied to those who profess to have the same kind of beliefs and love as Jesus. Why is it those of us who are supposed to have the same Spirit living inside of us can often find it so hard to get along with each other? It's about learning to see the world through a different lens. If the way I view the world remains the same as before I knew Jesus, then have I really met Him at all? If my reactions when being persecuted for my beliefs are the same as someone apart from Christ, then do I really know Him? If I am unwilling to step outside of my comfort zone and form relationships with others who do not come from the same background, have the same income status, or look and think like myself, then can I truly say I'm Christ-like? Jesus was not relevant, He was and is the definition of radical. The greatest stories in scripture involve Jesus' affection and love for those who were the outcasts of society. And yet so many of us strive to be in the "cool" club, even within our churches.

My life has never been one of being cool, hip, or trendy. And I'm absolutely 100% okay with that! I simply want to be what Jesus has called me to be. Nothing more and nothing less. I also want to be able to accept others for who Jesus has created them to be and not simply how I think they should be or who I need them to be to further my own purposes. Each of us has a call on our lives from God. What that call looks like is different for each of us. The beauty of communication with God through the Holy Spirit is finding out what that call is for you. That call will likely require you to get outside of your comfort zone. I've found in my own experience that it ALWAYS requires this of me. Today, it required me to write this message knowing it probably will not be a popular one. However, I'm simply trying to be obedient and expressing the things that are currently in my heart. I pray you each examine where you are in your walk and evaluate if it's become too complicated. The ideologies, theories, and rules of man can be complex. The love of Jesus is very simple.