As I was driving to get coffee yesterday morning, I heard a song
on our Christian radio station – it talks about Jesus being a friend to
sinners.
Listening to the words, I had to stop and think about how
our world is today. I honestly don’t like to go on social media anymore. People
are slinging hate speech and nasty words at each other. Everyone is so sure
they are fighting for the right cause, on the right side, I wonder if they even
know what they are fighting for. I truly wonder if people have clearly
researched what they are standing up for. I know I haven’t researched all the
current political firestorms to see where I want to stand. I wonder if they are
fighting for a cause or a side because certain Christian leaders are fighting
for that side. I think some stand up for what they were raised to believe – but
is it truth?
Either way – I have to think the love of Christ is missing
in these arguments.
Listening to the song brought me back to one of the reasons
Joe and I moved to New York. We wanted to be in a world that needed a light, a
savior. We wanted to bring hope to people who were living day in and day out
trying to survive.
I learned a lot there about what I didn’t know. We went to
an incredible church that cried out to God and miracles happened. We were
friends with a former homeless man, who went from $3000 a day in a very successful career, to living in the
subway. I saw a friend of his never giving up on him and having an entire
church cry out to God to bring him to himself… And he did. Did you hear me? He
did. That man not only came to Christ by calling on the name of the Lord, he
became a living testimony of the GRACE of God.
I saw him used in a light that I had not seen before.
Because this man fell to the very bottom of the pit and lived there a few
years, he loved differently.
He would take in homeless, drug using, male prostitutes and
get them into rehab. He gave everyone the opportunity to see Christ. The stinky,
the unusual, the thrown away.
And that makes me wonder… what are we doing?
Is there anyone that does not deserve the love of Christ?
Anyone? The bible says that ‘God so loved
the world he gave his only begotten son (Jesus) that whosoever believeth on him
shall not perish but have everlasting life’. (John 3:16 Emphasis mine)
So, I ask you; Who does God so love? The world. Does that
exclude anyone? No.
Next question, who can believe in Jesus? Answer – Whosoever.
I looked up whosoever online. The first definition said ‘pronoun
– a formal term for the word ‘whoever’... So, the definition for whoever is: [1]the
person or people who; any person who.
Then I went even further and looked up the Greek word used
for ‘’whosoever in the bible
[2]πᾶς
- The English version is pas – which means all, every. It goes on to say, ‘it
is also used to say - of every kind.’
So, to make my point, I believe God is saying: all, every
and of every kind. Does that exclude anyone? No.
Sorry to belabor but I want us all (including me,) to
understand that God sent Jesus for every single person. They have to choose to
believe in him as savior, but don’t let us miss any opportunity to offer him.
We are called to be lights – a city on a hill. That light is for those who need
a light. Let me be clear. This includes
your neighbor, barista, co-worker, nurses and cna’s at the nursing home, friend
or family member. It includes all those around us. Even those who watch us on
social media.
Let’s look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5 in his famous
sermon on the mount. (verses 13-15)
[3]‘13You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can
it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown
out and trampled by men. 14You
are
the
light
of
the world.
A
city on
a
hill cannot
be
hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a
basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in
the house 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’
Upon watching my friend, Danny, I realized how much we get
it wrong. We are put here to bring others to the throne of grace. Everyone
needs grace. We need grace. I need grace. Don’t we all screw up on a regular
basis?
When did we stop reaching out and just start reaching in to
only the members of the church? When did we decide who can come to church? When
did we stop inviting people to our church because we were afraid of how they
would be treated? I remember the first time I was afraid to bring someone to church.
It was someone who lived contrary to what the bible says. I approached a leader
and explained the situation. I was not encouraged to bring them to church. Now,
my momma did not raise me that way, so I was taken back when they told me to
bring that person to an ‘event’ instead. This was one of the pivotal moments in
my life that I realized something was drastically wrong. How are we supposed to
win people to Christ if we can’t even bring them to church?
Who cares if they are different? Why do we expect people who
are not ‘Christians’ to act like Christians? Is it not our job to bring them
in, love on them, show them Christ and then teach them?
I’m still mad about this and I’m done with it. Everyone, and
I mean EVERYONE deserves the right to come to church -no matter color, gender,
religion, beliefs
I know I’m preaching, but who did Jesus go to? And who
rejected him?People, we need to look to Jesus’ example of who is worthy of him.
Here’s a list:
Those hated by modern society of the time.
Tax collectors: Zacchaeus
(tax collectors lied, stole money, bullied, frightened and wrongly collected
money.)
Prostitutes: Mary Magdalen
People living in sin: The woman at the well – who was
also a minority
Who did Jesus use as his disciples and to do his ministry work?
Fishermen
Women
Prostitutes
Tax Collector
Tradesmen
Murderer of Christians – (Paul)Jesus himself was a carpenter.
Ok – Last Question…
Who does he use now? The same people.
We are called to love. That means setting so many
of our traditions and beliefs aside and seeing others in a different light.
I think it’s time to get on our knees and ask God
to help us love in a new way. Ask him to
help us not see people through our traditional hang-ups or judgements but see
them as a person God loves. We need eyes to see. Ears to hear. A heart that
loves.
Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?”37 Jesus
replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is
the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is
like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
[1] https://www.bing.com/search?q=define+whoever
[2] https://biblehub.com/greek/3956.htm
[3] https://biblehub.com/matthew/5-14.htm
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