We talk alot about church growth, about motivation of the frozen chosen, and living as faithful discipleship in the post-modern world. All good questions to be sure, but I have come to believe that the questions behind all other questions is "why are we here?" It seems simple enough really. Surely everyone knows why they are here, right? Well maybe not. Let me give you an example. Let's say you were living in occupied France during WWII and you're connected to the French Resistance movement. You're purpose for living and for which you risk your life every day is the defeat of the enemy and the restoration of the true "kingdom". If someone were to stop you on the street and ask who you are, you would certainly repond "french" not german, if people listened to you talk they would know your language is that of "France" not the Third Reich, and when you gather with others you sing french nationalistic songs and remember the great heros from french history. But mostly you would celebrate your heritage as members of the True Kingdom! Would it make sense, under these conditions, to worry about whether or not you would get that next job promotion, whether your favorite sports team won or lost, what color to paint the church walls, and of course whether we should have a projector in church? Assuming these were your top priorities, would visitor to your village not conclude that the Nazis have nothing to fear from a resistance of a group like this? In fact, wouldn't they also conclude that you might have stronger alligances to the Nazis than to your native homeland? I would conclude that a group like this was created BY the Nazis to infiltrate and destroy the true resistance movement! So, Why are we here? We are the resistance movement for the True King who one day soon is going to return in force and set things right. We were created for another Kingdom and feel within ourselves a longing to return to our true home. When we worship we remind ourself of what our homeland is really like and are strengthened to risk our life in the week to come, when we pray we are speaking to the King about His plans, our opportunities, needs, and hope, and we discover the endless amount of resources available to us as members of the underground, and when we serve others in His Name, we are spreading the message that keeps hope alive and works to defeat the tyranny of Evil One on the innocent. We live in gratitude for the coming Kingdom of which we are a part. We have a vital message to share for the children of God which we sometimes forget and sometimes ignor. But we must never forget, that when we sit idle, complain about our own wants and needs, or ignor our call to do something, the Enemy wins and our friends and neighbors will die without Christ. Why are you here? Jesus said, "The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor.  The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers,  and to say, `This is the year  the Lord has chosen.' " Luke 4:18-19