I'd like to begin with a quick review of where we have been in recent weeks. We began this series simply asking, Why go? We learned that is our calling as Christians is to go and make disciples of all the nations. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) says, "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." God invites us to go to the very ends of the earth proclaiming his salvation.
But how are we to make an impact for Christ in our world? We begin with prayer. Why pray? Because we cannot save anyone. Only God can save a person fromhis sins. God invites us as partners. In the last part of Matthew 28:20 (NIV) Jesus reminds us, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In answering our call, we would do well to rely upon Christ's presence and power.
But once we have begun praying, God will inevitably put a specific person or group of people on our hearts. We must do more than merely pray for a person. God wants us to love that person. Why love? Because Christ’s love in us is the final apologetic and proof of our faith. In John 13:34-35 (NIV) Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Scripture revealsbasic convictions about the church.
This morning we will discuss a third component of our evangelistic mission-- inviting! Once prayed over and loved deeply with the love of Christ, the unbeliever must encounter the body of Christ. This encounter with the body of Christ is critical to the unbeliever's growth and development as a Christian. Without the church a believer doesn't truly know Christ. Consider some basic convictions about the Church from scripture.
First, the Church is the body of Christ on earth. We are his hands and his feet. Without being part of the body of Christ, spiritual growth and vitality is an impossibility. Apart from the body, the hand, the foot, the ear, or the eyeshrivels up and dies. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV) says, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." We are the living, dynamic presence of Christ on earth. Apart from us, there is a sense in which a person will never come to know the living resurrected Christ.
Colossians 2:19 (NIV) says of those who do not belong to the body, "He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow."
Second, the Church possesses a storehouse of knowledge about God, about the Holy Bible, about about God's working in history. Where else can you go in the world, if not the Church, to learn about Jesus Christ? The Church is the best possible place to reinforce your knowledge of God. Ephesians 3:10-11 (NIV) says, "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Third, the Church has been entrusted with the very words of eternal life— the gospel of Jesus Christ. In John 6:68 (NIV) Simon Peter says to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Fourth, the Church provides redemptive relationships. Theserelationshipsoffer grace, truth, accountability, encouragement, love, and ministry that turns the unbeliever away from sin and toward a life of righteousness. Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV) says, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Fifth, the Church is a testimony, a kind of work in progress, a show-central for God’s handiwork which isdemonstrating the kind of life that is possible in Christ Jesus. The Church is not full of perfect people. However, the Church is full of people being made perfect in Christ. Hebrews 10:14 (NIV) says, "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
Sixth, the Church is the household of living God. The Church consists of people who are being built together by God himself. 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV) says, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Last, the Church is a place of conviction. In 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (NIV) Paul describes what happens as people come into our fellowship. "But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all,and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is reallyamong you!' "
Is our church friendly to the unbeliever?
When we consider the treasure that the Church is to people, why would we ever want to deprive unbelievers of becoming part of it? However, the pilgrimage to the Church is difficult for the unbeliever. In many ways, the Church can be its own worst enemy. There is a myth that the Church is friendly. That an unbeliever can easily find connection and fellowship among us. It's not that way from the perspective of the unbeliever.
Let me just ask. How many of you believe that Lakeside is a friendly church? Every hand in the room has been raised! Of course we think we're friendly! Every church thinks it is friendly! But the issue is not whether the Church is friendly, but friendly toward whom? The reality is that if visitors don’t perceive us as friendly, then we are not! Friendliness is in the eye of the beholder. Perception is reality.
A few weeks back a lady called the church and told me that she and her daughter are never coming back to our church. They told me that they had heard good things about our church from others, but when she visited, her experience was just the opposite. As she entered the lobby, she ran into a wall of people blocking the entryway. There were clusters of people talking enthusiastically within their groups, but not paying attention to those outside of the groups. What she is describing is a very natural phenomenon. We tend to gather in circles as we talk to one another. We get so caught up in being friendly toward one another that we don't notice others outside of our conversation circle.
This poor mother and her daughter were forced to squeeze along the wall of the lobby to get into the sanctuary. Some people made eye contact with her, but no onewent out ofhis way to welcome her. Instead of coming to church to talk about her deepest needs and to find Christ perhaps, she felt hurt by our inattentiveness. This is just an example, hopefully not a normal occurence! From an "insiders" perspective, of course we see ourselves as friendly. But what about outsiders? How do they feel about our friendliness?
Our welcoming God.
A central feature and theme of scripture is that our God is a welcoming God. In Leviticus 19:33-34 (NIV) we read, “When alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
In Exodus 23:9 (NIV) we read, "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt."
In Luke 15:1-2 (NIV) we readabout Jesus. "Now the tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' "
We see clearly that God wants us to be a welcoming people who extend friendship and invitation to all people. The basis for this is that we should treat others exactly how we would want to be treated were we to become strangers in a new church. You can think of God as being like a grandparent, always welcoming new members into the family. He never says, "No, I don't want any more grandchildren. I have enough already." No, God continually welcomes the enlargement of his family. It is to his glory that we welcome others into his Church.
From visitor to guest.
In Luke 14:1-14 (NIV), we find a helpful teaching of Jesus. This parable causes us to ask, "Who is the most important person here, besides Christ of course?In the first part of this story the Pharisees were most interested in observing the Sabbath and in keeping their religious rules. They were so preoccupied that they failed to notice a person right in their midst who needed healing. Jesus not only noticed this man, but took action to heal the man. This story make me think of all the people who are in our midst every Sunday that because of our duty to religious observance, may go unnoticed. How does God feel about that?
"One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.Then he asked them, 'If one of you has a son a or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?'And they had nothing to say."
The story continues with the Pharisees preoccupied over where they would sit in their fellowship. The point in these next verses is that we should give the best seats in the house to others, thus being good hosts. This honors Christ.
"When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.' "
Last, Jesus challenges us to welcome those who have nothing to offer us in return. This is the manner in which Christ loved us and welcomed us into our eternal dwelling with him.
"Then Jesus said to his host, 'When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.' "
What are some ways you can welcome others? This week our Bible Fellowships and Life Groups will be taking up this question.