The Good Christian?

Recently there have been times when I get tired of the whole "Church" thing. I want to give it all up, sell everything and become a wandering street evangelist going wherever I feel called to go. Then I think of the people who look to me on a regular basis for spiritual guidance, not to mention my wife and kids. It's then that I realize that God's given me a huge responsibility to guide these people into a meaningful relationship with Him.

I have to say though, I’m getting a little tired of being a “Good Pastor”. Do you know what I'm talking about? I mean, there are times when I dream of being that crazy guy that is radical about his faith. You know what I'm talking about, right? You know that guy that stands on the street corner holding his "Jesus" sign singing praise songs at the top of his lungs.

I mean if Jesus really did what the New Testament says He did; if He really gave His very life so that I might have a place in His kingdom, then shouldn’t our response to that be a little more than a well-rehearsed Sunday morning performance? I know that it's more than that, but that's what it feels like sometimes. I mean shouldn’t we be more concerned about pleasing Him than pleasing them? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about spreading this incredible news than hitting that high C? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about living for Him than we are about putting on a good show for all of the looky-lus that may, or may not show up each Sunday morning?

I keep coming back to a message that I heard in Alabama a few months ago. The whole point of Pastor Chris’s Hodges message was this…

Jesus never called anyone to mediocre faith. In fact, every time He called someone out it was an extreme calling. “leave everything and come follow me!” The times we’re living in call for no less. God’s looking for extreme commitments from His followers’… extreme purpose, extreme purity, extreme passion, extreme prayer.

What a powerful statement! I’m tired of being a “Good Christian”! I'm tired of the pats on the back and the "at-a-boys". They make me want to puke! Where are the "that's a little over the top" and "I don't know if I'd go that far Eric" statements. I want to be the “Extreme Christian”. I want to be that guy that people look at funny…

Most of the time I feel like I’m living anything but an extreme life for Him.

What about you???

Here are some old videos of a fictional character named "Extreme Boy" that our old Youth Pastor put together. They have nothing to do with what I'm talking about... ;)