What's the point in being Christian?

Hey friends…
 
Why do anything that’s pointless? Life has enough pressures and responsibilities as it is, so why spend the energy keeping up with something that has no value? Now, if you’re taking the time to read these first few sentences, you obviously value Jesus enough to at least open an email from a church. But look out!! Even among those who deeply cherish their faith, there’s a trap we can easily fall into where we end up missing the point altogether. I’ll tell you more in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first… a BUNCH of cool stuff is happening:
 
·      Do you pray? Click here to watch today’s “Daily Six” about praying like Jesus prayed. Let’s spend just six minutes together to look at the whole point of following Jesus. More on this in Deeper Thoughts below.
 
·      Want to see some drawings of Mt. Hope’s potential future? Hang around after church THIS Sunday to see the current draft of our building expansion concept, give us your feedback, and talk about next steps. 11:45 a.m. until…?
 
·      Let’s PRAY!! Plan 30 minutes on Saturday January 18 sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to come pray with us at our next prayer vigil to seek God for our future, with a worship night at 6:00 p.m. that evening. Click here to let us know what time to expect you!
 
·      Join our Mt. Hope History Team for a half-day brainstorming session, Saturday, January 25, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., lunch included. Click here to email Sherri for details and to RSVP!
 
·      Teens: Join us for youth group after church this Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.!
 
·      Ladies: We are collecting items to take Uruguayan missionaries: brand-new or “like new” women’s clothing items of ALL sizes; accessories (jewelry, scarves, etc…); and unopened toiletries. Bring these to the BLUE room at church by January 26. Also… mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1 for our next get together. Click here for more info!
 
·      This Sunday is going to be AWESOME!! We’re baptizing our 17-year-old buddy, Coby, who has been on a wildly transformative journey with us. You’ve got to hear his story in detail! And any skeptic you know… invite them. they’ll get a lot out of it.
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who enjoy pointless activity. BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
Why are you even interested in being a Christian?
 
I told you last Sunday that dry, life-less, boring religion has exhausted me since I was a kid. And there is plenty of lifelessness running around religion. Just ask the average churchgoer across the nation: “What did you get out of last Sunday?” Depending on the type of church, the answers might be muddled.
 
For some, faith is really about a social life. Church and religion fill a void by being surrounded with decent people. The morals are quite respectable. The conversations are polite. The generosity of others is encouraging.
 
For others, accepting Jesus is all about fear. With the death rate running right at 100% these days, we all carry a subtle fear of the afterlife, and the message that our sins can be forgiven and heaven assured--and of course hell avoided—is a fairly motivating reason to become a Christian.
 
But is that all you want out of Jesus? Nice people and a comfortable eternity?
 
Or are you hungry for something more?
 
I am. I am ravenous for an authentic spiritual life that is truly substantive, truly transformative, truly supernatural. I am desperate for an experience with Jesus, not just an intellectual affinity with him. And I am so hungry for this that I will rip up any lifeless religious activity that keeps me from him.
 
This next week, we’re going to read in Mark 2:1-12 about a group of friends who were so intent on getting in front of Jesus that they literally ripped the roof off Jesus’ home to climb inside the packed-out house. The crowds were so thick and so hungry for Jesus’ words that not a single person would give up their little square footage to let another needy person get near him. We’ll read about this together on this coming Monday’s “Daily Six.”
 
When was the last time you saw a church so full, and people so hungry to get inside, that people were breaking down walls or tearing off the shingles to get in? Oh, you’ve never seen that? Huh. I wonder why not?
 
When was the last time you were so desperate to get with Jesus that you knocked down your entire schedule and ripped your ceiling open with the intensity of your prayers? Hmmm.
 
Friends, forgive me if I’m being a little too punchy. Consider it my own version of roof-remodeling in search of a personal encounter with Jesus. And I want you to join me.
 
Here’s the deal: There’s only one way to get this kind of experience with Jesus. It’s to go where he is. To do what he did. To inquire and listen to God the way Jesus connected with the Father. It’s to receive the things he received, and to reject the things he rejected. It’s to… hang on… here’s the punch line: it’s to be with Jesus.
 
When we get with Jesus, we will experience what he experienced. And from that, we can do what Jesus did. And from that, we can have a relationship that is not lifeless, dull, boring, and ordinary.
 
Check it out in the scriptures before Sunday morning, and then let’s talk: Mark 1:10-11. Jesus submitted himself to God and then he heard God’s voice. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
 
That’s what I’m talking about. That’s an experience with God: His voice; His revelation; His confidence in our relationship. That’s what I am starving for.
 
You?
 
Do you want to hear this--like, really hear it—from God? Not hear it from the preacher, but hear it directly from the Father?
 
If we want this kind of interactive experience with God, we must do what Jesus did. “Follow me,” Jesus said to two guys while they were at work (Mark 1:17). Follow me. Do what I do. Then you will have the relationship.
 
What did Jesus do to get this? Let’s talk Sunday.
 
But until then: Have you been giving God a daily “12 minutes to abundance?” It’s not too late to start. We are challenging everyone to lock 12 minutes with Jesus on top of a specific thing you already do every single day—getting ready in the morning; or eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner; or coffee break at work; or commuting to or from work, school, the gym, the store, etc. (sit in the parking lot for 12 minutes with Jesus). Every. Single. Day.
 
Let me personally help you. I will do it with you. Click here for our “Daily Six” video series and come along with me, Monday through Friday, as I read the Gospel of Mark and pray for God’s revelation in it. Just six minutes together, then you talk with God alone for six minutes more. And if you’d like to receive daily email reminders, click here to receive a link to The Daily Six each morning—or you can just find the videos on our YouTube channel every day.
 
Let’s follow Jesus together… it’s the entire point.
 
See you Sunday!!
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend