Passionately Loving God in a Luke-Warm World

I recently heard an incredible message by renowned Christian author, Francis Chan entitled "Passionately Loving God in a Luke-Warm Church." As I listened to his message something struck a chord inside of me, something I hadn't felt in a while: Conviction.

I've been in church my entire life. I love God with all my heart and I live to serve Him. I try my best to do all the right things, but not often do I hear a message that really hits me hard, something I've never thought of before or something that truly convicts me. I know that is really sad. I'm disgusted by it. But Francis Chan said something in his message that hit me hard, sent me to my knees in prayer.

In the very beginning of his message, his opening story, he tells about a time he was at a lakers game and they won and the crowd went wild. He said he believed that stadium was the loudest place on earth at that moment, but instead of that making him happy, it made him sad.

Imagine God looking down on that basketball arena and thinking, "yep, that's the loudest place on earth right now, but oh its OK, I mean he just sent that orange ball through that hoop and yeah, that's exciting."

WHAT!?!?!

It sounds so ridiculous doesn't it!?!?! Why on earth would that be the loudest place on earth? Why couldn't God's praise be so much louder? This thought, though I have heard it a thousand times, convicted me.

I guess lately I have felt very alone. But here's the important thought, and I just want to make it quick and simple:

Does it really even matter what anyone else is doing? Does it matter who comes and goes? Would it matter if every single person was complacent and did not care about the will of God if you did? No, it wouldn't.

And this is the anthem that is going to sing true throughout my life from here on out: No matter what anyone else does, no matter who comes and goes out of my life, no matter how complacent or Luke warm every single person I know is, I will serve the Lord. Not just averagely, but passionately, with everything that is within me, my life will glorify him, because guess what? Though people come and go, God told us He would NEVER leave us or forsake us. NEVER. and I believe Him.

I am reminded of Noah. Noah lived in a time when the earth was full of evil and sin. God looked down on the world and saw darkness, He was completely ready to destroy it, but He saw one man. ONE MAN. And because of this one man, he spared the earth, God put Noah and his family on an ark and destroyed everything else. I want to be like Noah. If no one else around me is willing to love God with everything they have, I will. When God looks down on his children and sees wickedness and darkness in this world, He will see at least one light, because I will passionately love God in this Luke-Warm world.