From the safety and comfort of my climate controlled office I just watched a strong thunderstorm sweep through the parking lot. The rain was horizontal and so were the young trees, bending to 90 degrees but not breaking. It was fierce outside and I was glad that I wasn't caught out in it, to be out in the elements would have incurred a high degree of discomfort and perhaps even some degree of risk. The people that care about me would have been upset if I had chosen to venture out into the elements.
Those same people keep their air conditioners at 74 all summer long and heat their homes to 70 in the winter, only venturing out at times that are safe and convenient for them before returning to the safety of their climate controlled environment.
We live in a climate controlled culture, in a climate controlled church. Clinging to the safety of Christian cliques, small groups, Sunday School, youth ministry. We pay our dues and the bills are paid and some of the money is sent to missionaries so our consciences can be appeased. We even welcome "sinners" when they are like us.
But please don't go out into the elements, into the world, it is a dangerous place. We'll provide "safe" opportunities for you to go for a while before you retreat back into our climate controlled church. The world is to dangerous for you, look what it did to Jesus! It might do the same to you and that would not be good and could not be God's will. Could it?
"Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Jesus
