The Harvest Can't Wait
Moving Forward: When Faith Demands More Than Comfort
There's something profound that happens when an ambulance speeds through traffic. Sirens blaring, lights flashing—and without hesitation, every car moves. No one debates. No one asks for a sign. No one waits for someone else to act first. When life is on the line, we all respond with urgency.
But here's the uncomfortable question: Why do we move with such urgency for physical emergencies, yet live with such complacency when it comes to spiritual ones?
The Ambulance Church
Imagine a church that operates like an ambulance rather than like traffic. Traffic goes back to business as usual once the emergency passes. It returns to cruise control, comfortable speeds, and predictable patterns. But an ambulance? It never stops for opinions. It doesn't slow down to make sure everyone approves. It moves forward because someone's life depends on it.
The truth is, lives are still on the line. Families are fighting silent battles. Students are drowning in anxiety. Children need to hear they are loved, valued, and purposed by God. People are tired of running from pain while hoping someone will run toward them.
The harvest cannot wait.
Forgetting What Lies Behind
The apostle Paul wrote these powerful words in Philippians 3:13-14: "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Notice Paul doesn't say "five things I do" or "ten priorities I juggle." He says "one thing." There's a singular focus, a laser-like commitment to moving forward.
But here's the paradox: you can't forget what you can't remember.
To move forward in faith requires a flashback—a moment where you recall what God has already done. Those flashback moments set up our praise. When we remember how God rescued us, healed us, made a way when there was no way, we can't help but worship. Those memories become the fuel for our faith.
Yet we cannot live in our trophy rooms. We can't get stuck reminiscing about "how it used to be" or "what we used to do." Churches decline when they become museums instead of movements. The flashback is important, but it's only meant to propel us forward, not anchor us in the past.
Accepting the Current Reality
Moving forward requires radical honesty about where we are right now. It's easy to celebrate spiritual victories while ignoring practical challenges. It's comfortable to focus only on the good news while avoiding the hard conversations.
But authentic faith demands we face reality head-on.
Many churches are thriving spiritually but straining financially. Baptisms are happening, lives are being transformed, discipleship is flourishing—and yet the resources needed to sustain and expand the mission are falling short. This isn't a failure; it's a call to action.
The uncomfortable truth is that in many growing churches, a small percentage of people carry the financial weight. Perhaps 150 families are faithfully giving while hundreds more receive the benefits without contributing. Those faithful givers got the church to where it is, but they can't get it to where it needs to go—not alone.
The Strain That Leads to Stretch
Paul uses the word "straining" in Philippians 3. It's an athletic term, describing a runner pushing toward the finish line with every ounce of energy. There's nothing comfortable about straining. It requires sacrifice, discomfort, and stretching beyond what feels natural.
Where there is strain, there must be stretch.
Stretching looks different for everyone:
For some, it's a first-time gift. You've been attending for months, receiving ministry, experiencing community, but never contributing financially. Your next step is simple: give for the first time. Plant seed in good soil.
For others, it's consistent giving. You give here and there, when you feel like it, when it's convenient. But inconsistent giving reveals inconsistent trust. When you put your giving on autopilot, you're telling God, "I trust you no matter what comes my way—drought, job loss, unexpected expenses. I trust my Father."
For the faithful tithers, it's sacrificial giving. You've been consistently giving 10%, and now God is calling you to something that will actually hurt a little. It means fewer trips to Chick-fil-A, cutting back on Chipotle, adjusting your lifestyle. That's what makes it a sacrifice.
And if you're bent out of shape about having to sacrifice, remember Someone who sacrificed everything for you. They hung Him high, stretched Him wide. He hung His head, and there He died. His name is Jesus.
The Heart Problem
Ultimately, this isn't about money. It's about the heart.
Scripture tells us, "For the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Notice it doesn't say money itself is evil. Money is morally neutral. It's a tool. But the **love** of money—that's where the problem lies.
Your heart determines your habits.
If your heart is broken for the souls of people who need transformation, who need to know God loves them, who need a church that will reach them—then your habits will reflect that burden. You'll prioritize generosity because you can't help but invest in what you love.
God actually invites us to test Him in giving. It's the only area where He says, "Try me and see if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing" (Malachi 3:10). When we test God in our giving, we often discover He's faithful in ways we never imagined—promotions, bonuses, unexpected provision, and most importantly, the joy of participating in His kingdom work.
Forward Is the Only Direction
There comes a moment in every movement when momentum must be chosen. When comfort must be rejected. When faith must become action.
Forward is where faith lives. Forward is where families are healed. Forward is where transformation happens.
The question isn't whether God is able. The question is whether we're willing.
Willing to remember what God has done. Willing to face where we are. Willing to strain toward where God is calling us. Willing to stretch beyond our comfort zones. Willing to let our hearts be broken for what breaks God's heart.
The harvest is ready. The sirens are sounding. Lives are waiting.
Will we be the ambulance, or will we be the traffic?
The choice is ours. Forward is calling.
But here's the uncomfortable question: Why do we move with such urgency for physical emergencies, yet live with such complacency when it comes to spiritual ones?
The Ambulance Church
Imagine a church that operates like an ambulance rather than like traffic. Traffic goes back to business as usual once the emergency passes. It returns to cruise control, comfortable speeds, and predictable patterns. But an ambulance? It never stops for opinions. It doesn't slow down to make sure everyone approves. It moves forward because someone's life depends on it.
The truth is, lives are still on the line. Families are fighting silent battles. Students are drowning in anxiety. Children need to hear they are loved, valued, and purposed by God. People are tired of running from pain while hoping someone will run toward them.
The harvest cannot wait.
Forgetting What Lies Behind
The apostle Paul wrote these powerful words in Philippians 3:13-14: "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Notice Paul doesn't say "five things I do" or "ten priorities I juggle." He says "one thing." There's a singular focus, a laser-like commitment to moving forward.
But here's the paradox: you can't forget what you can't remember.
To move forward in faith requires a flashback—a moment where you recall what God has already done. Those flashback moments set up our praise. When we remember how God rescued us, healed us, made a way when there was no way, we can't help but worship. Those memories become the fuel for our faith.
Yet we cannot live in our trophy rooms. We can't get stuck reminiscing about "how it used to be" or "what we used to do." Churches decline when they become museums instead of movements. The flashback is important, but it's only meant to propel us forward, not anchor us in the past.
Accepting the Current Reality
Moving forward requires radical honesty about where we are right now. It's easy to celebrate spiritual victories while ignoring practical challenges. It's comfortable to focus only on the good news while avoiding the hard conversations.
But authentic faith demands we face reality head-on.
Many churches are thriving spiritually but straining financially. Baptisms are happening, lives are being transformed, discipleship is flourishing—and yet the resources needed to sustain and expand the mission are falling short. This isn't a failure; it's a call to action.
The uncomfortable truth is that in many growing churches, a small percentage of people carry the financial weight. Perhaps 150 families are faithfully giving while hundreds more receive the benefits without contributing. Those faithful givers got the church to where it is, but they can't get it to where it needs to go—not alone.
The Strain That Leads to Stretch
Paul uses the word "straining" in Philippians 3. It's an athletic term, describing a runner pushing toward the finish line with every ounce of energy. There's nothing comfortable about straining. It requires sacrifice, discomfort, and stretching beyond what feels natural.
Where there is strain, there must be stretch.
Stretching looks different for everyone:
For some, it's a first-time gift. You've been attending for months, receiving ministry, experiencing community, but never contributing financially. Your next step is simple: give for the first time. Plant seed in good soil.
For others, it's consistent giving. You give here and there, when you feel like it, when it's convenient. But inconsistent giving reveals inconsistent trust. When you put your giving on autopilot, you're telling God, "I trust you no matter what comes my way—drought, job loss, unexpected expenses. I trust my Father."
For the faithful tithers, it's sacrificial giving. You've been consistently giving 10%, and now God is calling you to something that will actually hurt a little. It means fewer trips to Chick-fil-A, cutting back on Chipotle, adjusting your lifestyle. That's what makes it a sacrifice.
And if you're bent out of shape about having to sacrifice, remember Someone who sacrificed everything for you. They hung Him high, stretched Him wide. He hung His head, and there He died. His name is Jesus.
The Heart Problem
Ultimately, this isn't about money. It's about the heart.
Scripture tells us, "For the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Notice it doesn't say money itself is evil. Money is morally neutral. It's a tool. But the **love** of money—that's where the problem lies.
Your heart determines your habits.
If your heart is broken for the souls of people who need transformation, who need to know God loves them, who need a church that will reach them—then your habits will reflect that burden. You'll prioritize generosity because you can't help but invest in what you love.
God actually invites us to test Him in giving. It's the only area where He says, "Try me and see if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing" (Malachi 3:10). When we test God in our giving, we often discover He's faithful in ways we never imagined—promotions, bonuses, unexpected provision, and most importantly, the joy of participating in His kingdom work.
Forward Is the Only Direction
There comes a moment in every movement when momentum must be chosen. When comfort must be rejected. When faith must become action.
Forward is where faith lives. Forward is where families are healed. Forward is where transformation happens.
The question isn't whether God is able. The question is whether we're willing.
Willing to remember what God has done. Willing to face where we are. Willing to strain toward where God is calling us. Willing to stretch beyond our comfort zones. Willing to let our hearts be broken for what breaks God's heart.
The harvest is ready. The sirens are sounding. Lives are waiting.
Will we be the ambulance, or will we be the traffic?
The choice is ours. Forward is calling.
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