I listened to a well-known pastor say he doesn’t ask anybody to believe in anything when he’s preaching. He invites them to follow Jesus. As he explained his reasons it made sense to me, but it did not sit well with me. He said, “a practical sermon will help anybody.” He also said that once he’s done with the practical part of his sermon, he tells non-Christians they may want to check out. It sounded to me that he was saying he did not want to force people to wrestle with the hard parts of believing in God. Me, I believe that it is my job to force people to wrestle with the uncomfortable things of God.

I have never been one to avoid anything because it was hard or uncomfortable to talk about. I believe that the majority of growth in my life is due to being forced to wrestle with uncomfortable things. It’s funny that the same day I hear the well-known pastor say the above I heard a not-so-well-known pastor say, “the seeker-sensitive movement has made sensitive Christians.” Maybe, it’s my personality, but this sits with me far better than the first statement.

Being a believer (I’m purposefully saying believer instead of Christian here) has a cost. Jesus said we need to count the cost in Luke 14. The reality is this, believing in Jesus, that He is your Savior, and not just a tool to get a better life has a price. It means giving up your way for His way. He says you must lose your life to find it. He says you must pick up your cross and follow Him. If you’re going to pick up your cross to follow Him it is not going to be comfortable. The cross is not a symbol of comfort. It is a symbol of pain and suffering. It is implied here that pain and suffering might be what comes with following Jesus. In my opinion, inviting people to follow Jesus should not be making it more palatable for unbelievers. It should make them just as uncomfortable as “believing” in Jesus.

It can be a scary thing having to give up your life. But the reality is what you gain by following Jesus is far better and worth everything. In terms of what this world has to offer, it will cost you and it can be and is a big deterrent. That does not mean that I think the church should ever back off or make things more palatable. I think that’s how you get sensitive Christians. Jesus was saying things and “disciples” were walking away left and right. Jesus didn’t make it more palatable for the woman at the well, the rich young ruler, the 12, or the Pharisees. He told the truth and expected you to have to wrestle with it. He wasn’t trying to show you how to have a better life, but showing you how to find life, true life. It is an all-inclusive invitation to an exclusive way. That way is Jesus and only Jesus. He can’t be added to your life like another tool in your toolbox to make you more successful. He is not another self-help book to sit on your shelf. He is the all-consuming way. He does not neatly fit into your box for your will. You must allow Him to mold you and shape you to His will.

A few months ago, I heard another Pastor say that his job was to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I think the bible does this every time I read it. Know this, at Legacy City I have no intentions of staying away from certain topics because they may make people feel bad, uncomfortable, or polarizing (you’re not surprised if you know where I come from lol). I have no intention of building a hype church. The experience is Jesus and Jesus alone. We will be a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered group of believers who wrestle with the things of God ever-growing and taking the Gospel to the world around us.

I have chosen to be comfortably uncomfortable in my life. To wrestle with the things of God. I invite you to come with me. To go on a journey that will forever change our lives and the world around us.