We are the church.......Part 3

So, I am preparing this sermon for Sunday April 29th. The subject I will be preaching on will be of coming to Christ as you are. The title of the sermon will be "Come as you are". The title was inspired by the Nirvana song "Come as you are". I know how orginal right? Well, I think it was a fitting title for a fitting sermon as well as a good song.

In Nirvana's song "Come as you are" it talks about coming as you are and not being someone you are not.

Come, as you are. As you were.
As I want you to be. As a friend.
As a friend. As an old enemy. Take your time.
Hurry up. The choice is yours. Don't be late.
Take a rest. As a friend. As a old memory, memory, memory, memory.


Everytime I hear that song if reminds of another we sing in churches all across America every Week. That hymn "just as I am". It is a great song. I remember growing up in my church in backwoods Alabama and although I had heard it many upon many times I never stopped to hear the lyrics.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come

...........The text above has been sitting in my edit box since 2007. I will finally finish this post now over a year later.

Now, these two very different songs have something in common that speak to me. They are different because one was written by a man who was drugged up, hung over, and a victim of suicide. The other song was written by a woman who had found Christ. She was lost and was found. The commonality between these two songs from two very different worlds are they both beg us to be who we are.

Who are we? We are business men and woman, we are mothers and father, we are pastors and christians, we are punk, goths, and emo. we are thieves, we are homosexuals, we are sinner, we are people with regret, we are people with problems. That is who we all are. We are these people. We are who we are because that is who we have become.

None of us like fake people. You probably have ran across these people in your life they act a certain way because that is what is expected or it is how they think they need to be to fit in. If we hate fake people so much why is do Christians put so much pressure on people when they even think about entering a church building or come into a group of us Christians to dress or act a certain way. They are who they are and that is the way we should want them. Broken, torn, and yes just as they are.

Christ is like Kurt here in the song "Come as You are" Christ is saying come as you are as a friend. We accept our friends for who they are. So why can't we extend that love to others as Christ does. No matter who or what people are they have the right to come to us(Christians, the church) and expect to be accepted and loved and cared for. No skin color, sexual orientation, deformity, nationality, social status, nor dress style should keep them from knowing they can come to us the church and find comfort and rest. We are the body of Christ. We are the church and as the church of the Christ our risen savour for all we should be more open to all.

God is the creator of all. He is the great humanitarian. He wishes none to suffer. None to be unloved. None to be left out. None to be judged. None to be fake to fit in. None to be hurt. None to be left outside the doors of the church because they wore all black and had a metal stud in their lip.

We are who we are. That is who we are.

He died for us ALL

He is risen! to which I reply He is risen indeed!
This morning I went to a Sonrise service. Something I had not done in many years. The Sonrise service I attended this year was different than any other I had ever been to. This one was hosted by the youth of my current church and let me say it was awesome. The youth while spoke on Jesus Christ rising focused more on why He died and rose. He died and rose for US.

Jesus died for everyone not just us Christians. He died for the lost ones that have never heard of him before. He died for those who have hardened their heart toward him. He died for the ones that are reluctant to come to church because they don't do religion. He died for those who has known him and have strayed away. He died for everyone in every place. He died for us all.

Happy Easter