What Really Scares Me

You want to know what really scares/bothers me, its not the worship wars (although I have some convictions there), its not the emerging church or seeker-sensitive churches (once again convictions there), its not even the state of the culture of our nation.

What really scares me is the state of the Christians in our nation. What is unique about us. We drive luxury cars like everybody else, we pay too much money to cover our nakedness, we pay too much money for gadgets and jewelry. We take our vacations like everybody else. We go to the country club like everybody else. What scares me is that there is so little real vital Christianity around us. I think the Apostle John would probably be tempted to call us liars when we claim the name of Christ.

What I long to see in every Christian in America is a passion for Jesus so consuming that we stopped worrying about what people will think, stop saying my money is mine, stop being satisfied with being slightly more moral than our peers. I long to see a passion for the glory of God arise in us to such an extent that we would truly offend or at least confuse the world. I long to see more real Christianity. I don't want decaf anymore, I don't want watered down faith. I want to be consumed. My fingers aren't pointed outward right now. My fingers are pointed at me. I'm looking in the mirror. I am far too shallow and I'm sick of it. I've been reading Piper today and just reading his books make me feel like my heart is numb and I have no idea what it really means to love Jesus. I preach about setting our eyes on a farther horizon and living for eternity and then I read C.S. Lewis and he makes me think that I don't even know what I'm talking about.

Please don't be offended at me, please be challenged the way these men have challenged me. Let's go deeper and farther in. Let's truly be the people of God, an alien people, foreigners, in the world but not of the world, lets shake loose from the cobwebs and rust that have worn over our hearts. Lets truly embrace the cross not just as a message, a ticket to heaven, but as an all-encompassing reality that demands our very lives, that has changed who we really are and demands that we lead a different cross-like lifestyle than those who do not love Jesus.

You want to know what really scares me, its the heart of this sinner. I long to be set free from this fallen mess and gaze with unfallen eyes and an unfallen heart into the beautiful face of my redeemer.