As God has shown me more and more of the brokenness in this world, I've been increasingly bothered.
I'm bothered by the immense need of the hurting, the lost, the rejected, the marginalized. I'm bothered by the fact that there are so many people who don't know Sweet Jesus. I'm bothered by the Church and its comfort. I'm bothered by the apathy. I'm bothered by the mentality of, "Later on." "Not me, someone else." "I'm too busy." "I don't have the burden now, maybe when God gives it to me."
I don't think it's cynicism. It's not pessimism. Rather, it's seeing Christ's Bride in her strength, power, and her calling. And I cannot help but wonder over and over again, where is the Church?
Church is not Sunday services, mid-week small groups, once a month ministry, weekly prayer meetings, yearly retreats, summer mission trips.
Are we just doing Church? Or are we being the Church?
Church, where are you?
I believe you have mentioned the problem. The Church has forgotten the taste of Jesus, the sweetness of Him. We have settled the manna of the desert instead of entering the battlegrounds of Canaan where there is milk and honey. We have turned grace into cheap graphite when it should be precious diamonds. As Bonhoeffer always challenges me...
ReplyDelete“Cheap grace is the enemy of the church. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth… an intellectual assent to that idea is held to be itself sufficient to secure remission of sins. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance… grace without discipleship, grace without a cross… Costly grace is the gospel [of the church]… It is costly because it costs a man his life, and grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his son… it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God… When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. That is why the rich young man was so loath to follow Jesus, for the cost of his following was the death of his will. In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts.”
But I am also reminded that it took me more than 20 years to understand Philippians 1:21. And to this day, not even fully. I hope the ministry that you guys are doing will be patient to those who God is preparing and prophetic to those that need to taste God again.
Thank you so much Paul for sharing. So refreshing to read Bonhoeffer's words. And we couldn't agree more with you and him. "I hope the ministry that you guys are doing will be patient to those who God is preparing and prophetic to those that need to taste God again." YES!
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