Urgency of Faith

What happened to having an urgency in our faith? A sense of "if I don't turn to God now, I may not get another chance." I have been thinking about this after noticing in different churches I've been to throughout my life, as well as people I know showing no urgency in their faith. Churches aren't preaching in a way that shows people that faith is not something that can wait until your deathbed as a "just in case" kind of action. People aren't thinking about what happens if they die tomorrow.

In life we are taught a little about what to think about in case we die tomorrow. We are told to have a good Will written up so that our children and family can be taken care of in the event of our untimely death. We are told to keep our finances in order so that our death doesn't leave a mess for our family and friends that might have to take care of our debt when we are gone. What we never really hear or talk about is what happens to US if we die tomorrow.

Now, I'm not a big fan of scare tactics in ministry. We've all seen that guy on the side of the street that has the big sign and is screaming at the top of his lungs, "Repent or burn in Hell!!" That's not what I intend to do here. I am not so much talking to unbelievers here as I am, "quasi-believers". Quasi-Believers being those that believe in God and Christ, but don't let it change their daily lives. They are those people that would say they are a Christian when asked, but don't show any obvious signs of it by the way they live their life.

A way that I have been thinking about this lately is the idea that we should be hoping and praying for the speedy return of Christ in this world. We should be praying daily that Christ do what needs to be done so that he can return and take his people as soon as possible because of what Paul said, "...to die is gain." This is a terrifying thought to me. I am a believer in Christ and I try to live for him daily, but I am not at all sure I am ready for him to come back and take me. As hard as I try to live for him, I fail every day. I'm not sure I value him above my life, and above my time on this earth with my wife and friends and family. It is terrifying to think about giving up all of that for Christ, but it is how we should be living and thinking.

This thought of what would happen to me if Christ came back today and took his people has got me thinking. I can't honestly say that I sit here every day and pray for Christ's return. I hope and pray that I get to that point where I can value an eternity with Christ over anything that I have in this life. I hope and pray that you get to that point as well. I would just challenge myself and all of you to think about that sometime. "What would happen if Christ came back today to take his people?" Would we ready and excited to go with him or would we be caught sleeping? Could we say that we had been doing everything we could to prepare God's people for Christ's return?

"But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works done on it will be exposed." 2 Peter 3:10

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matthew 24:42-44

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21