"We have a choice. We can settle for casual devotion to Jesus, sitting comfortably in our nice church buildings, where we are insulated and isolated from the inner city and the spiritual lostness of the world. We can give a tip of our hats to the purpose of Christ in the world while we go on designing endless activities that revolve around us. We can retreat into our nice, cozy communities where we can live nice, decent lives while we pretend the starving millions do not exist. We can hide behind our catchy phrases and our easy prayers that dilute the awesome reality of who Jesus is and what it means to follow him. We can spend our Christian lives sitting comfortably in the nurseries of our churches while drinking spiritual milk.
Or we can decide that Jesus is worth more than this. We can decide that he has created us for a much greater purpose. We can decide to die to ourselves and our dreams and our plans, and we can decide to let our hearts be conquered by a superior ambition. Ultimately, we can decide to sacrifice our lives, our gifts, our skills, our time, our families, and our resources to make the great worth of Christ known amid urgent spiritual and physical needs in all the world. Here's what I want to say to my brothers and sisters in America: let's sacrifice it all! For the glory of Christ among a billion people who have not even heard the gospel...
For the sake of men, women, and children who are starving, suffering, and dying every single day...
For the millions in your city and my city who do not know Christ and are headed for a Christless eternity...
For ourselves, for our churches, for our families, for our children who will come behind us. For all of this and more, let's sacrifice it all!"
The Radical Question, What is Jesus Worth to You?
"If you let him, if you choose not to coast along the world's wide-open road but rather to blaze a narrow trail with Jesus as your guide, then you'll never settle for normal again. You'll want only one thing. The God kind of weird."
Weird
"People who are obsessed with Jesus:
- Aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else.
- Give freely and openly.
- Live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another.
- Are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo.
- Knows that the sin of pride is always a battle.
- Do not consider service a burden.
- Are known as givers, not takers.
- Thinks about heaven frequently.
- Is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.
- Are raw with God.
- Have an intimate relationship with Him.
- Is more concerned with his or her character than comfort.
- Knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying 'Thank You!'"
Crazy Love
As 2012 comes closer, I am given a heavy challenge on my heart from God. These statements all hit me at roughly the same time. God wants me to give Him everything: my time, money, energy, attention, love, body....everything! In Acts, that's how the Church functioned. We all have different gifts, and with each part of the church body working together, we can function the way God intended. I want to see our churches working together, collaborating our gifts together so the Church body goes somewhere. If we all sit still, nothing is going to happen. I want us to get out of our comfortable church building, financial security, ignorant lifestyle and take a chance! God calls us to take a chance! If He wants us to take a risk, we need to trust Him! Normal isn't working anymore. Normal has taken us to be safe, comfortable, and dependent on man. Our Church needs weird. In 2012, I want to see weird. I want to live crazy. I want to be a radical like Jesus told me to be. I want people to turn their heads and wonder what is wrong with me. I want them to see how my 'reckless' lifestyle is actually more peaceful then theirs. I want to live as if Heaven starts tomorrow. My life means nothing without Christ, and I want people to see what they are missing and what God really provides.
This is my passion for the coming year. Don't just read this and consider it. Join me. Take a risk. Let 2012 begin a new direction for our Church: a narrow path full of uncertainty and peace that surpasses all understanding.
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