Yesterday a pastor friend posted one of those cool graphics
with appealing artwork on Facebook. It
asked two very interesting questions.
The first question was “Who would never come to your church?”
My first thought was “it’s not my church, it’s Christ church
that I attend”, but I very quickly moved to wondering … why wouldn’t someone come
to the church that I attend? That forced
me to wrestle with the thought … what if it is because it is the church that I
attend? What if it has been my attitude
or lack of love that has caused someone not to come to church? After spending a few moments on my own pity
party blaming myself for the world not knowing Christ, I began to focus on the people. Those people that need to know the wonderful
love of Jesus.
I am reminded of Paul’s teaching first to the church of
Ephesus when he told them ? Be very
careful, then how you live – not as unwise but as wise, “making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Later he taught the church at Colossae in a very similar way
but gave some additional direction. “Be
wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you
may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6) It seems that God through the teaching of His
apostle Paul was very concerned that people not yet in the church would be
drawn to the church by the actions of believers, not pushed away from the church.
But then came the second question, that is one we really have to wrestle with, “What’s
keeping you from going to them?”
What would happen if the church … you know that one that you attend …really
started going to them? Not going to them
to increase the attendance at that church, but that those people … you know the
ones that would never come to your church … could someday go to heaven. We are surrounded by broken people who have a laundry list of reasons that they believe eliminates them from the church. Their entire list has to do with their past. Their past mistakes, mistakes of churches in their past, etc. But their past doesn't have to define their future. Our community is facing a heroin epidemic. People don't know what to do about it. For the addict what they need more than anything is people that truly care! They don't need simple platitudes like "Just give it all to Jesus!" Many of them have tried that. What they have to have are some people that will care about them and be willing to go through the pain of withdraw with them. The wife whose husband has just walked out needs a friend who will just hold them and cry with them. The parents whose children are out of control don't need Facebook post about bad parents from people who have never been the parent of an out of control teenager. What they need are friends who will come to them and sit with them and cry with them and love their troubled teenager.
In John 1 Philip went and found his friend Nathanael and
told him he had to “come and see” Jesus.
In John 4 Jesus went to a well to talk to a Samaritan woman with such a
bad reputation that she had to go to the well alone each and every day. But Jesus went to her and confronted her with
both truth and grace. Once she had
experienced that level of concern … she went back to town and invited everyone
to come and meet Jesus.
So who do you know that would never come to the church you
attend? Why won’t they come? The better question is, Why won’t you go to
where they are?
Keep on Reaching!!!
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