Who's Not Here?

The church doesn't exist for us; it exists for those who aren't in it yet. One of the biggest frustrations I have with the modern church is that it has become too consumer driven. By that, I mean we take an inordinate number of steps to please and impress those who attend. From the coffee, to the lights, to the dress, to the music we go to great lengths to captivate the attendees.
Before you freak out let me explain.

We must present everything we do in life, especially church, with excellence. Mediocrity is not a spiritual gift and we should pursue relevance and modernity in all aspects of ministry. It is critical that we make efforts to meet the needs of those who attend. But is there a cost? Is it possible we spend so much effort, energy, and finances to keep those in the pew that we forget we are surrounded by a world that dies and will spend eternity apart from Christ? I am afraid that on a number of levels we are guilty-guilty of being too consumer driven and not Christ driven.

A church driven by the power of Christ is compelled to think, live, and believe beyond itself. It makes intentional efforts to penetrate a community with service and the gospel. It is not merely mission minded, it is mission active. True, this church doesn’t neglect the needs of her members but she realizes there is a greater mission that is unavoidable and undeniable. A church driven by the power of Christ and not by the power of the consumer eats and breathes Acts 1:8.

A church driven by the power of Christ abandons her innate selfish ways to the relentless and radical call of Christ to take the gospel of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world. What good does it do to have everything look great on the inside when a world around us screams for deliverance?

This Sunday, when you sit in your space at church, ask yourself, “who’s not here?”