Preach to Challenge
Don't preach to make the Christians in your church comfortable. Preach to challenge them to proclaim the day of God's favor to those far from God.
And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
Luke 4:29-30
Have you seen this before?
The people in Jesus’ home town decided his sermon was so convicting, they wanted to throw him off a cliff!
Let this bring comfort to you on Monday morning when the emails roll in.
But really, why did they get this mad?
Jesus told them God will show up to those far from God.
He just claimed to be the long awaited Messiah. In their minds, the Messiah would show up to free God’s people. Politically. Governmentally.
No way the Messiah would come to bring those far from God to God!
Do you preach to challenge Christians to have the same ministry as Jesus?
God shows up to bring people to him. Not to make his people comfortable.
The next generation has a spiritual curiosity greater than the older generations. They’ll figure out how to fulfill their curiosity. After all, there is always Google.
Are you willing to let your church be comfortable and let the next generation fulfill their spiritual curiosity through Google?
Or if they do, will they find your church?
And when they find your church, will they find a people who will share with them the good news that there is freedom, sight and favor from God?