Make us ONE

This morning, while sitting in church and listening to the sermon my mind started to wander. There was a point in the message where it talked about how sometimes we choose a road that leads to danger, and of course the obvious things were mentioned like alcohol, pornography, anger, etc. The word "complacency" came to my mind and this is what it means:


1. a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc. me to mind.

How many of us, who go to church, have a feeling of quiet pleasure and security. We are comfortable. But we are unaware of the potential danger in that comfort. My mind wandered to, how many of us, sitting in this church, really take our faith seriously. Who would "keep the faith" under persecution? We support a ministry called Mission to Russia, and I remember them talking about people who would get out in sub-zero temps, with snow, and not only just get out in it but stand outside for a couple of hours, so they could go and hear and learn from Scripture. I also think of those in China, Muslim countries, and others around the world who have to go "underground" to fellowship and worship with other believers. Yet, those of us here in America, if the weather is just a little bad, we stay home where it is warm. If we are tired, what's one Sunday of sleeping in. If our kids have sports or we have company for the weekend, what's one weekend of missing worship?

Now I am not so legalistic that I believe you have to be in church every Sunday. But where is our fervour and fire to learn about and to worship our Lord? Would I remain faithful under persecution? Would I go to that extreme like the other Christians around the world? Would I remain faithful to the One who forgave me and saved me? Or am I only here because I have a "feeling of quiet pleasure and security"? I know my answer...What's your answer?...What would the answer of those be, who sit in church and want to be "filled" but don't want to "give"?

Then this afternoon I was checking out one of my favorite churches online, which is the one we were involved with when we lived in Wichita. I came across this message, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with complacency but with unity of the "church". This message opened my eyes on how self-absorbed individual churches can be and how we as individual Christians can lose focus on our real purpose. This message is given by Craig Groeschel who is the pastor of LifeChurch.tv. It is about 30 minutes and it is definitely a worthwhile listen. I hope it hits you, like it did me, and make you want to unite for Christ.