“We don’t need the church to be a cruise ship raising up tourists, we need the church to be a battleship, raising up warriors.” – Jason Roe, Evangelist
When the church is concerned more about its own member’s comfort than it is about reaching the community around them, they have lost sight of the mission.
Down deep people know the right direction for the church. However, it’s not difficult to slip into the mode of a tourist. As Paul discerns with one of the first churches – they had lost their first love.
The church is the bride of Christ. The hands and feet of Jesus. You and I, as Christians, are the ones who serve, minister, lead, grow, and reach. We are the church! The church is actively alive and has one singular focus – to reach the world with the hope of Jesus.
The word picture here says it all. The cruise ship is focused on the comfort of the passengers. The battleship, on the other hand, is designed to serve the nation it represents. It’s quite common for the activities and programs that began with a goal to reach out often to be the ones that eventually lead to the inward focus of some congregations. Once an inward focus sets in, programs and ministries all become centered around how comfortable the current congregation is – with no real outward look for those who may come along with us.
Churches need to keep the mission clear and outward-focused.
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