Very late Saturday night as we made our way home from Orlando, I sat in the passenger's seat, gazing out the window. (I love being a passenger on a good drive; I have some of my very best thoughts in that seat!) I was observing things as we drove, though we've been down that road dozens of times. And, as we passed a church, this was my inner monologue:
"In just a few hours, someone will arrive early at that church. They will turn on the lights, the air, the sound system. They'll unlock the necessary doors. And then the building will begin to fill with people. Some there to seek God. Some to see friends. Some, simply out of duty. Songs will be sung. Words will be preached. Kids will enjoy themselves. Someone will say, "Amen." And then, everyone will hug and go to lunch. In six days, they'll repeat it."
My next thought: "What are we doing?"
Before I go any further, please hear me. I believe with all my heart that the local church is still the hope of the world (as Bill Hybels said). I believe it is God's channel to bring healing and health to the world. I believe that the Church, universally, can do anything God calls us to. In fact, I have sacrificed much of my life to see God's Kingdom advanced by way of the local church. And I wouldn't be content with living any other way.
And still..."What are we doing?" haunted me.
Sometimes, it seems that we interpreted our mission as, "Go into all the world, find a church that meets your needs and makes you comfortable, and settle in with all your best friends. Enjoy."
Thankfully, I'm part of a group of believers who really desire to be like Jesus. And, in the most sincere sense, we want to seek those who are lost and see them redeemed. We may not always get it right; but we want to. We don't want to miss it. We don't want to arrive in Heaven, fully intact, in perfectly coordinated and pressed clothes, with a kind smile, and not one other soul.
When Jesus looks at His Bride, this Church (specifically in America), does her passion reflect His? Does her heart beat like His? Break like His? Or is she living in a comfortable arrangement with Him? He provides all her needs, she looks pretty and lives well...
I don't want to be that Christian. A survey conducted a couple years ago in several Assembly of God churches stated that 80% of the church attenders believe the church exists to meet their needs and the needs of their families. I was heart-broken at that number.
Sometimes we really miss it...
But, last night, as I spoke with a friend on the phone she told me a piece of her story I'd never heard. She told me about a believer who didn't miss it. And how that led to her salvation.
My friend was a store-manager, a working wife and mom, by day. And by night, she was living in literal hell. Being beaten weekly by her husband. Broken. In fear. Hospitalized. But trying to carry on. Each morning, she'd come to work and have a meeting with her assistant (a Christian woman) and then, they'd go about their days. Her assistant began to mention in these meetings how incredible the revival at her church was. But, she never invited my friend to go with her. As she listened to stories of healing and hope, hunger and desperation built in my friend. And she waited for the invite. She thought, "Why isn't she inviting me? That's what these Christian people do! Whether they care about you or not, they recruit!" And when she couldn't stand it any more, she finally invited herself!
That night, at that revival, she met Jesus - for real. And she found freedom and purpose - for real. Which eventually led to her having the courage to have her abuser arrested. And raising her children to know Christ.
Weeks later, she asked her assistant (now a close friend), "Why didn't you just invite me to that revival?" She responded, "I wanted to so badly...you have no idea. But the Lord would not let me. I knew I needed to wait for you to ask." And because my friend invited herself, she was acutely aware of her own hunger for God. A hunger that would drive her to invite herself somewhere! Let alone CHURCH! She confronted the vacuous hole in her spirit by asking if she could come along. And now, she's a minister in her own right. All because one lady listened to the Holy Spirit, even when the instructions seemed strange.
That's when we hit the mark. That's when we, as the church, get it. When we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit in even the simplest things. That's where missional meets mission accomplished.
I want to be that kind of believer. That kind of church.
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