Good morning, everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
One of the things that we are told to do as Christians is to be strong in the Word so that we can thwart off the attacks of the enemy. The enemy knows the Word very well. Well enough to use it against us. Especially if we do not know it. I mean, really know it.
A couple of days I was hit with a simple question. And if I am being honest, I thought the person was messing with me. However, after a bit of back and forth, I realized it was a true challenge. A challenge I was not prepared for. At least, not on the spot like that. I posted that question yesterday.
Are we supposed to invite sinners to church?
My initial response, when I thought it was a trick question, was “Well, duh.”
This brought a series of their questions and comments back and forth. Primarily … ‘Where in the Bible does it specifically say to bring people TO church?’
After I posted this challenge yesterday, some intriguing arguments came up. With scripture reference. The first statement in comments was that the person was a sinner, and they go every Sunday. To be honest, I should have seen that one coming. So I clarified a little; that is when the scriptures came out. Good ones at that.
Luke 5:32. Luke 15:1-10. Mark 2:15.
Luke 5:32 is “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 15:1-10 is the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin.
Mark 2:15-17 is the calling of Levi (Matthew) the tax collector and the dinner that Jesus had in the presence of Pharisees and sinners.
All good arguments. I knew you would not disappoint. However, none of these are inviting sinners/unbelievers to church. Jesus did not invite Gentiles to the synagogue; he met them where they were. The Samaritan woman at the well. The prostitute that the Pharisees wanted stoned. Peter at his boat. Levi at his tax booth. Saul on the road to Damascus. The blind men on the road. He met them where they were.
I think over time we have lost our true direction. Some in our attempts to honor God, but in this process we have forgotten … we have forgotten that WE are the church. WE need to be the church. WE are disciples for Christ and WE need to meet people where they are.
Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, told them what to take and what not to take. He told them how long to be gone and to return. What if we looked at the building church like our refueling point? Each day of the week, we meet people where they are…share the Good News with them … not necessarily the bible right off, but the message of the Bible … mercy, grace, forgiveness, truth, love. Then, when the Spirit leads us, invite them to our gas station. Our refueling point.
I think in many ways, we have become like the Pharisees in that we a lot of what He wanted from us twisted and bogged down my man-made thoughts and protocols. The Pharisees would not be seen in the sinner part of town for fear of what others would think. Are we not leaning towards this side of things? Are we not deciding, based on our viewpoints, who needs mercy and grace? What if Jesus started looking at us through our eyes of justice?
Yesterday’s challenge question was to remind us that we are the church. The church is not a building. The church is the Christians inside that go out and share the message through actions in love, mercy, grace, and truth. If we are not doing that, then we are not doing what he commanded us to do. Go out and make disciples.
Something to think about today.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:16-20
One of the things that we are told to do as Christians is to be strong in the Word so that we can thwart off the attacks of the enemy. The enemy knows the Word very well. Well enough to use it against us. Especially if we do not know it. I mean, really know it.
A couple of days I was hit with a simple question. And if I am being honest, I thought the person was messing with me. However, after a bit of back and forth, I realized it was a true challenge. A challenge I was not prepared for. At least, not on the spot like that. I posted that question yesterday.
Are we supposed to invite sinners to church?
My initial response, when I thought it was a trick question, was “Well, duh.”
This brought a series of their questions and comments back and forth. Primarily … ‘Where in the Bible does it specifically say to bring people TO church?’
After I posted this challenge yesterday, some intriguing arguments came up. With scripture reference. The first statement in comments was that the person was a sinner, and they go every Sunday. To be honest, I should have seen that one coming. So I clarified a little; that is when the scriptures came out. Good ones at that.
Luke 5:32. Luke 15:1-10. Mark 2:15.
Luke 5:32 is “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 15:1-10 is the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin.
Mark 2:15-17 is the calling of Levi (Matthew) the tax collector and the dinner that Jesus had in the presence of Pharisees and sinners.
All good arguments. I knew you would not disappoint. However, none of these are inviting sinners/unbelievers to church. Jesus did not invite Gentiles to the synagogue; he met them where they were. The Samaritan woman at the well. The prostitute that the Pharisees wanted stoned. Peter at his boat. Levi at his tax booth. Saul on the road to Damascus. The blind men on the road. He met them where they were.
I think over time we have lost our true direction. Some in our attempts to honor God, but in this process we have forgotten … we have forgotten that WE are the church. WE need to be the church. WE are disciples for Christ and WE need to meet people where they are.
Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, told them what to take and what not to take. He told them how long to be gone and to return. What if we looked at the building church like our refueling point? Each day of the week, we meet people where they are…share the Good News with them … not necessarily the bible right off, but the message of the Bible … mercy, grace, forgiveness, truth, love. Then, when the Spirit leads us, invite them to our gas station. Our refueling point.
I think in many ways, we have become like the Pharisees in that we a lot of what He wanted from us twisted and bogged down my man-made thoughts and protocols. The Pharisees would not be seen in the sinner part of town for fear of what others would think. Are we not leaning towards this side of things? Are we not deciding, based on our viewpoints, who needs mercy and grace? What if Jesus started looking at us through our eyes of justice?
Yesterday’s challenge question was to remind us that we are the church. The church is not a building. The church is the Christians inside that go out and share the message through actions in love, mercy, grace, and truth. If we are not doing that, then we are not doing what he commanded us to do. Go out and make disciples.
Something to think about today.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:16-20
Good morning, everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
One of the things that we are told to do as Christians is to be strong in the Word so that we can thwart off the attacks of the enemy. The enemy knows the Word very well. Well enough to use it against us. Especially if we do not know it. I mean, really know it.
A couple of days I was hit with a simple question. And if I am being honest, I thought the person was messing with me. However, after a bit of back and forth, I realized it was a true challenge. A challenge I was not prepared for. At least, not on the spot like that. I posted that question yesterday.
Are we supposed to invite sinners to church?
My initial response, when I thought it was a trick question, was “Well, duh.”
This brought a series of their questions and comments back and forth. Primarily … ‘Where in the Bible does it specifically say to bring people TO church?’
After I posted this challenge yesterday, some intriguing arguments came up. With scripture reference. The first statement in comments was that the person was a sinner, and they go every Sunday. To be honest, I should have seen that one coming. So I clarified a little; that is when the scriptures came out. Good ones at that.
Luke 5:32. Luke 15:1-10. Mark 2:15.
Luke 5:32 is “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 15:1-10 is the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin.
Mark 2:15-17 is the calling of Levi (Matthew) the tax collector and the dinner that Jesus had in the presence of Pharisees and sinners.
All good arguments. I knew you would not disappoint. However, none of these are inviting sinners/unbelievers to church. Jesus did not invite Gentiles to the synagogue; he met them where they were. The Samaritan woman at the well. The prostitute that the Pharisees wanted stoned. Peter at his boat. Levi at his tax booth. Saul on the road to Damascus. The blind men on the road. He met them where they were.
I think over time we have lost our true direction. Some in our attempts to honor God, but in this process we have forgotten … we have forgotten that WE are the church. WE need to be the church. WE are disciples for Christ and WE need to meet people where they are.
Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, told them what to take and what not to take. He told them how long to be gone and to return. What if we looked at the building church like our refueling point? Each day of the week, we meet people where they are…share the Good News with them … not necessarily the bible right off, but the message of the Bible … mercy, grace, forgiveness, truth, love. Then, when the Spirit leads us, invite them to our gas station. Our refueling point.
I think in many ways, we have become like the Pharisees in that we a lot of what He wanted from us twisted and bogged down my man-made thoughts and protocols. The Pharisees would not be seen in the sinner part of town for fear of what others would think. Are we not leaning towards this side of things? Are we not deciding, based on our viewpoints, who needs mercy and grace? What if Jesus started looking at us through our eyes of justice?
Yesterday’s challenge question was to remind us that we are the church. The church is not a building. The church is the Christians inside that go out and share the message through actions in love, mercy, grace, and truth. If we are not doing that, then we are not doing what he commanded us to do. Go out and make disciples.
Something to think about today.
Be blessed today my friends.
***Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:16-20
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