We live in a time when people long for “safe spaces.” The language of safety has become central in our culture, and in many ways, that is understandable. We have lived through a global pandemic, experienced cultural unrest, and carried personal anxieties. Safety feels good. Safety feels needed. And safety isn’t all together bad.
But the church was never meant to be a “safe place” in the way the world defines it.
The church does not exist to make you comfortable. It exists to make you holy and obedient. Yes, the church can meet your needs. But more than that, it calls us into a shared sacrificial life, poured out for the lost and the least of these.
Fear in the Church
I spent nearly two decades shepherding, serving, and leading inside the life of a large church, and I can tell you: fear is very real in the church. Why? Because the church is made up of humans!
In our earliest years, I would have described us as fearless, even to a fault. We were committed to obeying God’s word, and yes, there was plenty of youthful hubris mixed in. It was a youthful fearlessness that preceded suffering and pain. God, in His kindness, chastened us and what came next was a season of holy fear, an awe of what He was doing. That season was still marked by youthful zeal, but there was a much greater sense of the holiness of the time.
Slowly, however, that fear began to shift from the Lord to other things. It became fear of messing good things up. Fear of how much ministry actually cost, not just me, but my family and friends. Sometimes success is the source of fear.
And finally, for me, there was the fear of leaving my post. Successful ministry brought comfort, familiarity, and a life we had built. It also made the unknown very challenging to consider. Honestly, the thought of God calling me away from it was terrifying.
And while that was my pastoral journey in a nutshell, the truth is this: these same fears grip every believer.
- Fear of speaking up about Jesus
- Fear of rejection by friends or family
- Fear of sacrificing time, money, or comfort
- Fear of change
The Bible does not shy away from this reality:
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
A Better Fear
Not all fear is wrong. Some fear is destructive: fear of man, fear of loss, fear of suffering. But some fear is holy: fear of God, reverence for His majesty, awe before His power.
Jesus said it plainly:
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
The church is not safe, but it is secure. Safe? No. Secure? Absolutely, in Christ.
John Piper puts it this way:
“If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.” (Don’t Waste Your Life)
The Cost of Church
When we talk about church, too often we reduce it to comfort: sermons that inspire, programs that serve our kids, activities that create good family memories. None of those are evil, but they are not the center.
- The church could cost you your reputation.
- The church could cost you family relationships.
- The church could cost you financial security.
- The church could cost you your life.
Jesus said:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
And He promised:
“There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time…with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29–30)
The cost is real. But so is the reward.
The Cosmic Significance
Here is what most of us miss: discipleship is not about adding religious activity to our lives. It is about being caught up into something cosmic.
John Piper once said:
“Most of us live our lives with far too little awareness of the stupendous realities around us…And consequently our lives often lack the flavor of eternity and the aroma of something ultimate.”
Scripture calls us to lift our eyes:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is…Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2)
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18)
The church is not about safety. It is about eternity.
A Prophetic Call
Here is the danger of our moment: the mood of the day is shaping the church more than the Word of God. I have seen it again and again: someone has a good idea, or a deep pain, or a cultural concern, and the church responds by building programs around it. That is not all bad. Compassion matters. Justice matters. Memory matters.
But when these things become central, when safety, family experience, or politics begin to define the church, the church loses her prophetic voice.
The core is already given to us:
- Make disciples (Matthew 28:18–20)
- Love one another (John 13:34–35)
- Devote yourselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42)
Everything else must flow from these foundations.
The church is not here to make you comfortable. It is here to make you holy. The church is not here to insulate you from risk. It is here to send you into the world with courage. The church is not here to echo the shifting moods of culture. It is here to proclaim the unchanging truth of Christ.
Paul warned Timothy:
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” (2 Timothy 4:3)
That time is now.
So let us abandon the idea of the church as a “safe place.” Let us embrace the truth: the church is a holy place, a costly place, a risky place, a joy-filled place.
Not safe, but secure.
Not comfortable, but eternal.
Not about us, but about Him.
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
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