What's church for?

I was listening to a sermon from Cornerstone Church, and the pastor said something along these lines...


"Back in the day, church was used for replenishing and restoring people because they were so broken down from being used so much by God."

I wish that's why I went to church. Nowadays, I go to church to be redirected not replenished. I don't go about my week trying to pour out God's love to people. It seems like it's a sprinkle here, a sprinkle there, and maybe even a constant stream every once in awhile. I get a picture people crawling, limping, and struggling to push open the doors to the church. People beaten, broken, dirty, bloody, hungry, thirsty, pale, and sick. They enter questioning why they keep doing this, why they are being martyred, beaten, abused, and persecuted. I think I would be constantly questioning what is going on. But maybe they just come in silent. They come in humbled, broken (emotionally), understanding a portion of what Christ went through, wiser, stronger, and lesser so He will become greater.

Are we being persecuted, stretched, broken, challenged, educated, faithful, righteous? If we're not, then church doesn't seem like anything other than a quick "check" of where we're at. I want church to be a necessity, not a "maybe." "Are you going to church?" I want to be so used by God that I have to go to church in order to survive. I want church to be a survival essential; fresh water, food for my soul, and a roof over my head.

It's a bold statement. But I'd rather be thrown into it than sit on the sidelines. If God throws me into it, I want to be so unready that I can only rely on Him to live through it.

Lord, rock my world. Use me. Throw me out of my comfort zone. Break me so that I can only rely on your for everything. Here am I. Send me.