Breaking the Huddle

In football, the time comes when the team must break the huddle and run the play.  Likewise, the church must do the same.  One of the problems with many churches is that its leaders never (or very seldom) break the huddle.  They remain in holy huddles when it’s time to pull the trigger and run the play.

Here’s how you know if you’re living in a holy huddle.  You’re a Christian and all your friends are Christians.  Your social activities involve other Christians only.  You don’t know your neighbors.  You’re active in your church but not in the community.  Your church is ingrown.  There is a lack of zeal and outreach.  The church has an “insider’s club” mentality.  The church lives in its comfort zone, providing a safe, comfortable, non-challenging atmosphere as opposed to walking in lock-step with Jesus’ command to go into the highways and hedges.

Acts 8 is an example of God’s assault on the holy huddle.  The early church had grown and was doing a lot of good ministry in Jerusalem – yet God was not happy with them.  They hunkered down in Jerusalem rather than fulfilling the Great Commission by “going into the world.”  God wanted them to move out, but they preferred the holy huddle.

So God nudged them out, right?  No.  God DROVE them out on the sharp the end of a spear.  He allowed (brought?) persecution to the church that scattered them to the four winds, thus breaking the holy huddle.  If you don’t believe me, compare Acts 8:1 to Acts 1:8.  The persecution worked – Phillip got the message and the gospel finally came to Samaria.

God is like that.  He will drive you out of your mediocrity, your comfortable group of friends, and your spiritual plateau by sending hardships, pain, and persecution.  Could the opposition that you are facing in your ministry not be a spiritual attack from Satan, but rather a divine cattle prod to get you onto His mission?