Uncomfortable Christian

Comfort

As people and I think especially as Americans, comfort is always our goal.

Why do you work that job? I just want a comfortable life......

Why did you get the luxury package on that car?

Oh it comes with leather, heated, ac’d seats. Has a 24 speaker sound system and the windshield doubles as a big screen tv!

The comforts it comes with.

We want our homes to be cozy and warm, right?

What do we do when we get a new job and get our office or cubicle or whatever?

We want to decorate and make it ours and make it comfortable for us.

We make sure we get a chair we can comfortably sit in all day.

Christian Comfort

As Christians we tend to have the same attitude.

We want to feel comfortable.

We want to come to our little church on Sunday........and really only when that is convenient.

If we have literally anything else to do then church gets tossed........It’ll be there next week.

We want to sing our songs, listen to announcements, maybe listen to the message or sleep.

Be encouraged and made to feel good about ourselves and then off we go.....… back to our comfortable lives.

Comfort Breeds Complacency

Here is the problem.........there is nothing wrong with finding comfort. Again, it’s kind of in our DNA.

The issue is when our pursuit of comfort results in complacency.

What is that word complacency?

Showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

Let’s dig even deeper - What is uncritical satisfaction?

contentment that lacks self-reflection, awareness of potential problems, or a desire for improvement. 

If your eyes are open and your ears are listening then that hits hard!

How many of us fall into this?

How many look at our Christian walk as “good enough” minimal effort. Just enough to squeak through those pearly gates.

Why push to be better. I’m good enough.........I’m comfortable.

2 Timothy 4:1–7 “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Let’s break this down........

First Paul says this I give you this charge.......entrusts YOU with a task as a duty or responsibility.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Again, let’s focus on a piece of this verse....

Be prepared in season and out of season. What does that mean?

It means be ready when you are given all of the tools and life is easy and you are in a good place to share the gospel.

But also be ready out of season -  when it is inconvenient, difficult, and unexpected.

Think of it like this. How easy is it to talk about Christ in the midst of a bunch of Christians?

Now how about when you go school or work and you are one of the only if not the only Christians there. How easy is it then to have the same conversation?

If you don’t know yet let me go ahead and burst your bubble......… a large part of your ministry will be out of season.

But that is where the reward lies.

I have hunted many years now in Colorado and if there is one thing I have learned it is this........… success typically comes from the one who is willing to endure the most discomfort.

And not discomfort for discomfort’s sake but for what it brings.

When I put more weight on my shoulders it hurts. But what it means is that I am carrying more gear that will allow me to go deeper into the mountains further than others will go.

When my feet hurt it’s because I climbed higher than the others.

When I sit in the rain, sleet, and snow.

All of that culminates in one thing....… more success.

But what if I don’t leave camp?

I don’t want to walk away from the warm fire. My toes are nice and toasty.

You may feel great about your current state, but you are doing NOTHING to accomplish what your purpose is.

I would wager a lot as a hunter if you refuse to leave the comfort of camp, you will not find success.

As Christians it is the exact same thing.

I can get myself comfortable as a Christian. Oh I live a good life. I don’t do wrong but I don’t want to leave my cozy chair either.

And I feel just great about myself but I am missing something.......

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

Get Uncomfortable

We have been CHARGED. If Paul isn’t good enough for you then maybe you’ll listen to Jesus.....

Matthew 28:18–20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

Go and make disciples!

It’s time to get uncomfortable......

Christianity isn’t a hobby.

Christianity isn’t only if I have nothing else going on.

Christianity isn’t only if it doesn’t hurt.

Christianity isn’t only if it doesn’t interrupt football.

Only if it doesn’t interrupt what I want.

Where would we be if God treated us like we treat Him?

What if the One who controls each of our breaths gave us the same priority as we do Him?

I fear a lot of us would be choking!

Are You Actually a Christian?

Where does the word Christian originate?

It actually came around A.D. 40 in Antioch

It was a name given to those identified as followers of Christ

Meaning “belonging to” Christ.

So now I have a very hard pill to swallow.

If we are sitting there in our comfortable world

Serving Christ when convenient

Showing up when it doesn’t interfere with ANYTHING

Refusing to get uncomfortable for His sake

Can we truly call ourselves Christian?

I have two fears that will keep me up at night..........

1.) Matthew 7:21 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

How many good church goers are going to fall into this?

2.) How many souls have I missed because I don’t want to be uncomfortable?

Christianity Is a Calling

Being a follower of Christ is not a hobby. It is a calling and it is a lifestyle.

If we accept that calling, it means that we have to be willing to get uncomfortable and be willing to step into a world that has turned from Him.

I know this week has been a trying week.

I was actually standing in one of our schools during a lockdown because a student allegedly had a gun inside of the building when we started getting calls about Evergreen HS

Moments later videos started circulating through our group of Charlie Kirk being shot.

I wrote a post about it with a very simple message......We Need Jesus.

And today I challenge you to change your thinking.......

And to quote Mr. Kirk this is the shift we need.....

I'm far more interested in what God wants from me than what I want from God.

The Challenge

This is my charge for us......

Shift our thinking from comfort and receiving to giving even when it calls for discomfort.

If we are going to claim that name given so long ago of Christian then let’s start acting like it!