Sometimes we see the church as an entertainment center where the stage is set, the cast is rehearsed and ready. We take a program, find our seats and the show begins. The only thing we’re missing is the popcorn, but the communion bread and little cups of juice will suffice for now. And if the director or actors fail to give us our tithe’s worth then we vote them out at the next business meeting and find some others who can perform to our standards.

After church one Sunday morning, someone commented, “The music was awful this morning.” Another said, “The sermon was too long.” And someone else added, “But you’ve got to admit it was a pretty good show for 10 cents.”

The church isn’t a cruise liner, complete with song and dance; it’s a battleship in the midst of the greatest war in the history of humankind – the fight for our souls. We need to replace the comfortable, self-retracting deck chairs with equipment that will train us for war. We need to exchange our quest for comfort for God’s world mission, our passion for entertainment for Jesus’ heart for the lost, our self-absorption for the Holy Spirit’s power-gifts, our pursuit of pleasure for the advancement of the gospel.

God is training his church to be a mighty army that accomplishes his purposes on the earth. It’s time that every Christian finds their place in his company of believers, suits up for battle and presents himself to the commander in chief. “Private – your name – reporting for duty, Sir!”