Wake up
I’ve been studying the letters to the seven churches in Revelation and I noticed that the churches receiving the strongest rebukes were the ones that were comfortable, compromised, wealthy, spiritually sleepy, and externally religious.
Meanwhile, the church facing persecution and the small, weak church with little worldly influence were the ones Jesus had no rebuke for.
I think sometimes we automatically associate our comfort with God’s blessing. But Revelation seems to paint a more sobering picture. Persecution often purified the church, and comfort slowly sedated it.
I’m not saying that comfort is inherently wrong or that God never blesses His people, just that comfort can quietly put us to sleep spiritually and make us lazy if we aren’t careful.
A church can look alive externally but be slowly drifting from God internally. Someone can claim the name of Jesus but be indistinguishable from the culture around them.
It makes me wonder how many things the modern church has slowly normalized that the early church would have wept over.
Jesus said “I stand at the door and knock.”
Ironically, we often use this verse when talking to unbelievers but in context Jesus is speaking to a church that has functionally shut Him outside. That should wake up every Christian.
I’m starting to see that maybe one of the greatest dangers to the American church isn’t persecution… but comfort.
💜🤟✝️