To the Church Players

Do You Not See?

1) Beautiful girl at a Bachelorette party. Drinking, laughing at crude jokes, flirting with whoever she wants, then wakes up the next morning to sing on the Worship team at her church. Jesus stands, watching her empty praises, and longs for His daughter to truly know Him.

2) Teens having fun in their youth group, playing, laughing, hearing a quick message about loving others. Then they go out for fast food. As they eat and laugh about the fun they had, they don't notice a lonely teenager in the corner, drinking a soda by himself to escape the disorder at home. He wishes he could laugh and be free like the kids he sees. Jesus stands in middle of the restaurant, longing for them to see the boy as He sees him: hurting, lonely, and looking for hope.

3) Two women at church. One sitting with her family, well-off, dressed nicely and is very popular among the congregation. She nods in agreement with the pastor's message of the Good Samaritan. The woman behind her is less known. Doesn't have nice clothing, and longs to be included by the women she sees. Both go to the same store after church. The wealthy woman is clearly shopping for a party. Her cart is bursting with snack foods, drinks, and football themed party plates. As she skims the gossip magazine in the check out line, she doesn't notice the poorly dressed women in front of her, being told her card is declined from buying some basic needs for her children. The poor woman leaves with only 1 item, quickly wiping tears from eyes. Jesus stands, invisible to those around Him, longing for the wealthy woman to see the hurting needs of those around her. He has blessed her, so that she can bless others, but she squanders it for her own desires.

4) Young adult sitting at a park, headphones in, listening to worship music and working on the social media for his church webpage. He doesn't notice the man with slick hair and a gold chain, approaching a couple of young girls sitting by the swings. They think the man is nice because he told them they look too pretty to be sitting by themselves. He gives them each a rose and says he hopes to see them both again soon. Jesus stands nearby and longs for His Church to see the world through His eyes. He longs for His believers to wake up, and see the moments He gives them everyday to meet a need, heal a wound, or protect a child.

5) A Pastor stands before his church, cracking jokes trying to be relevant so that the young families keep coming back. No one realizes how truly scared he is of losing members, tithes, and failing as a church planter. Jesus looks at this anxiety-ridden man, longing for him to know what it truly means to be a fisher of men.

It breaks His heart to see us doing church things, instead of being the church to those who need help.

Do you not see? Do you not hear? Are you so caught up in playing church that you don't even see the lost and hurting souls right in front of you?

You were meant for more than this. You were meant to BE the hands and feet of Jesus. You were meant to do more than sit in a church on Sundays, nodding and smiling, and then going out to apply NONE of it.

And Pastors, you were meant to serve God, and shepherd His people, not bow your knee to money, turning God's house into a business.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

Wake up Church. There's work to be done. Jesus is coming SOON to gather His Bride before the tribulation begins, will you be taken up with Him? Or will you get the biggest shock of your life to see that you were left behind?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

1 John 2:3-6 (NLT)