I love my church. Or, more accurately, I love my church family. Heartland Church is an amazing place. It is a comfortable place. It is a safe place. It is a caring place.
And, church should be a comfortable place. Indeed, it should be a comforting place. Church is a place to come and be refreshed. And, it is a place to come to renew our minds. It is a place where we should feel the love of God, and where we should feel the love of those who love God.
But, there is a paradox here. And, the paradox is this -- the more time we spend in our comfortable churches, the more uncomfortable we often feel in our spiritual lives.
I am not speaking here about feelings of guilt or condemnation. I am talking about conviction -- a burning desire that inevitably comes when we earnestly pursue God, when we continually ask the Holy Spirit to direct our steps, and when we are disciplined in our study and meditation on God's Word.
When we think of uncomfortable encounters with God we might think of Jonah. When Jonah was called to preach against Nineveh there was no lack of clarity -- no ambiguity -- in God's instruction. But Jonah ran away, plainly uncomfortable with God's charge for his life.
But Jonah is by no means alone. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find any significant character in the Bible who God did not bring to a place of great discomfort at one time or another -- or in many cases continually.
Moses heard the very voice of God, and he saw God do many amazing things. Moses heard God speak from a burning bush, bring plagues on Egypt, pour water out of a rock, part the Red Sea and feed the Israelites with manna from heaven -- to name a few. Despite all of this, Moses was rarely in a place of comfort.
In fact, despite all that Moses had seen the Lord do, the burden of serving God often overwhelmed him. One time in particular the people were grumbling about, of all things, having to eat manna instead of the meat, fish, cucumbers, melons and other things that had been available to them in Egypt. And, Moses had enough -- the burden had become too great and he asked God to put him to death!
11 He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” Numbers 11:11-15 (NIV).
Elijah, too, had seen God do many things. In First Kings, we read about Elijah's epic battle against the prophets of Baal. See, 1 Kings 18:20-39. You probably know the story. Elijah, the lone prophet of the Lord, challenges the four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a kind of duel -- a God duel!
In the end, Elijah saw his prayers answered, as the fire of the Lord fell on Elijah's sacrifice -- burning not only the bull, but the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in the trench in the process. The four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal lost their lives that day. Numbers 18:40.
Yet, shortly after this incredible encounter with God Elijah was running for his life. Like Moses, Elijah had enough, and asked God to take his life.
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. 1 Kings 19:3-5.
Fortunately, most of us will never experience the kind of burden tasted by Moses or Elijah, or for that matter by David, Peter, Paul, Stephen, Ruth, Abraham, Jonah, Noah, Job, Mary, ... well, you get the point. And, my purpose today is not to frighten you away from seeking a deeper relationship with God -- quite to the contrary.
All I am saying is that as you seek to know the Lord better, as you learn to love Him and to love one another more and more, don't be surprised if you begin to feel uncomfortable from time to time. That is perfectly normal. In fact, its often when you feel the most comfortable that you should be the most uncomfortable about your Christian walk.
We serve a great God -- a loving God. But, sometimes He is also an uncomfortable God.
By the way, God obviously does reward those who persevere. Both Moses and Elijah got to the point where the burden was so great they wanted God to end their time on earth. But both persevered. And, both got to be a part of one of the most awesome scenes in the entire Bible!
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:1-13
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