Uncomfortable Christianity I. Introduction A. Human beings enjoy comfort 1. We generally prefer comfort to its alternative 2. We like comfortable seats, comfortable environments, and the like 3. We also enjoy comfortable situations and relationships B. In America, comfort is quite exalted, almost to the position of a "right" 1. A modern Constitution would probably enshrine our right of comfort 2. We expect comfortable physical circumstances 3. Legislation is often written to provide mental and situational comfort to people 4. Those who would "rock the boat": often unappreciated C. People especially like their religion comfortable! 1. Religion is a source of comfort to many people 2. People take that and seek a "comfortable" religion 3. No less true for Christianity! 4. People aspire for a "comfortable" Christianity-- everything is peaceable and well, demands are not hard to meet, if exist at all, and everything is positive 5. Discomfort, difficulties, problems, and challenges are often unappreciated! D. Yet Jesus did not die to provide a "comfortable" religion! 1. Matthew 10:34 2. Jesus did not design Christianity to be comfortable 3. Far from it-- Christianity ought to be rather uncomfortable! E. What does this mean? How is it that Christianity is to be uncomfortable? F. Let us consider it today II. Comfort vs. Comfortable A. Yet there is protest: does not God seek to comfort us? B. God indeed seeks to comfort the disconsolate, the suffering, the dejected and discouraged 1. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 2. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 3. Many other passages C. Yet there is a difference between God providing comfort and believers being comfortable! 1. The same God who sought to comfort His people in Isaiah 40:1 also condemned "those at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1)! 2. When God's people are confronted with difficulties, they need the comfort of God to get through them 3. Yet this is no excuse or justification for Christians getting comfortable in their lives, as we shall see! D. How is it, then, that the God who often comforts us still wants us to be uncomfortable? III. Uncomfortable Christianity A. There are many reasons that Christians should be "uncomfortable" B. Discomfort with Sin 1. Throughout our lives, we battle with sin that easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1) 2. We keep sinning, falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8) 3. Yet we should never be "comfortable" with where we are at in terms of our striving against sin as long as sin exists in our lives! 4. We are to grow to "not sin" (1 John 2:1) 5. We must recognize that sin caused great suffering for Jesus (Romans 5:6-11, 1 Peter 2:24) 6. We must always be uncomfortable regarding our sin! C. Discomfort with Fate of Others 1. We recognize that we are given the charge to preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 1:16) 2. We are to do so in order to show Christ's and our love for all men (Romans 13:8-10) 3. Are we comfortable with the reality that hundreds of people whom we know might be destined for hellfire (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)? 4. That should cause us mighty discomfort! D. Discomfort with Knowledge 1. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 3:18) 2. It is easy to get comfortable with one's level of understanding 3. It is harder to challenge oneself to continue to grow, or to test by the Scriptures what you always have heard 4. Yet we always can learn more (Matthew 11:29, 2 Timothy 2:15) 5. We should always feel a little discomfort with where we are with our knowledge! E. Discomfort with Righteousness 1. Yes, we are to be righteous (1 Peter 2:24) 2. But we must constantly hunger and thirst for it (Matthew 5:6) 3. We are to show love, mercy, and compassion; we must seek ways to show more love, mercy, and compassion (1 Thessalonians 4:1, 4:9-10) 4. We must never get comfortable at all with where we are! F. Discomfort with the World 1. This world is not our home (Philippians 3:20-21) 2. Yet it is easy to get quite settled and comfortable here! 3. Consider the praise given to our spiritual forefathers in Hebrews 11:9-10, 14-16 4. Can we really say the same? 5. Are we uncomfortable with the sin that is around us? With the death, violence, and mayhem that marks the world? 6. Does sexual sin and its consequences bother us? 7. Are we at all disturbed by the idolatry and world-based attitudes that we see all around us, even in America? 8. If we get too comfortable here, we will be as the world (1 John 2:15-17)! IV. Discomfort Leading to Holiness A. Yet why discomfort? How can being uncomfortable help us? B. Does discomfort not lead to discouragement? C. That is not the intent! D. Discomfort is to lead us to holiness-- to remind us that our job is not yet done! 1. Hebrews 4:1-11: our spiritual Sabbath awaits us in Heaven; it is not here yet 2. We work while we have time (John 9:4)! 3. Spiritually, we do not have the leisure of getting comfortable! E. Discomfort is to lead us to reconsider ourselves, refocus, and keep going 1. Discomfort regarding sin is not to lead us into sin, but to encourage us to keep striving against sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10) 2. Discomfort with the fate of others is not to cause us to despair, but to provide fresh motivation to teach others the Gospel 3. Discomfort with our knowledge is not designed to squelch study, but instead to lead us to investigate more and study more 4. Discomfort with our righteousness is not to bring us down, but to lead us to greater righteousness 5. Discomfort with the world is not designed to isolate us, but to keep us yearning for that better place F. Instead, it is comfort that often leads us into sin and error! 1. If we get comfortable regarding our sin, it is easier to slacken on our striving against it, and thus to sin again 2. If the fate of unbelievers does not bother us, we will not have the motivation to tell them the Gospel 3. If we think we know enough, and fail to study and learn more, we may even forget what we know (Matthew 13:12) 4. If we think our righteousness is sufficient, it may not be to God (Revelation 3:2) 5. It is when we get comfortable with the world that we loosen our standards and conform to it (Romans 12:1) G. Discomfort is not a bad thing! V. Conclusion A. Discomfort is rarely enjoyable, but it is necessary if we truly will be saved B. Consider Laodicea and its comfort (Revelation 3:14-19) 1. They were quite comfortable with themselves-- they were rich, in need of nothing! 2. Yet to Jesus they were pitiable, blind, naked, and in need of everything C. A sober warning for us! D. Let us not fall into the trap of being comfortable-- let us strive for continued growth! E. 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