Comfort in the Church

I think it’s fairly evident that the society we live in is very self-centered, and this same characteristic can be present in a church. Whenever a local body of believers develops an inward focus, its fruitfulness in ministry begins to decrease, and each member’s Christian walk is hindered.

I attended my oldest daughter's piano recital this week at a local church. The church was nice, but dated. The stained glass windows in the sanctuary (some 20+ of them) each had a name at the bottom of the window. In memory of's lined the sanctuary walls. The names were actually in the stained glass. I must admit, I was saddened and totally caught off guard. I told my wife, "If you buy a stained glass window when I die, please put in loving memory of Jesus on it. That's what it should really be about."

It's not about you! And it's not about me. And it's not about personal preferences of decor, seating, music selection, or whatever makes one's church life enjoyable and easy. It's not about your memorial putting your name on some piece of God's church building.

Many believers want their church only to be cozy and comfortable. I can't stand that. They come to listen to a nice sermon, fellowship with friends, and have their needs met. But God never intended for the gathering of His people to be like a country club; He calls us to join an army that will bring the gospel into enemy territory.

An effective church—one that poses a real threat to the Enemy—is a body of discipled people who have been taught the truth of Scripture, trained for service, and helped to mature spiritually. But all this is accomplished for the purpose of going out into the world, not for becoming a self-contained sanctuary of Christian comfort.

The urgency of the Lord’s command and the desperate condition of humanity should motivate us to leave the safety of our Christian fellowships and deliver the message of salvation through Jesus. To avoid this responsibility is to miss the Father’s plan for your life and the opportunity to help build His kingdom.

None of us want to waste time or energy on trivial things and thereby miss the exciting fulfillment of God’s will. He has called us, not to a life of comfortable tradition, but to an adventure of obedience and holiness. We need to answer His call. We will be uncomfortable with the process, but the results will yield God's highest and best for our lives! And there may be many more in the Kingdom of God because someone allowed themselves to be a little uncomfortable...even in their "own" church.