This is how we operate, for better or for worse. We choose what is most impressive, if we can afford it. They go hand in hand. So I have a little bit of a stab to take at the church, which includes me. Why do people turn down Christ when he is REAL, when he gives ETERNAL LIFE, when he CHANGES HEARTS, when he LOVES, when he is absolutely FREE.
Think about that for a moment. Picture the best thing you could ask for and then imagine someone just handing it to you. Shoot, if I rush off the road to get a free Krispy Kreme donut when the light is on then why don't people come by the thousands to receive Christ?
Last week I, along with 21 other students, went down to Panama City Beach Florida where we ministered to the spring breakers there by giving them free rides and free pancakes. The saddest thing wasn't even seeing the brokenness in many of the people but rather the amount of radically unimpressed kids. Many of these students who were boozing it up all week had been to church their whole lives and flat out rejected it. Why is that? And don't you dare blame it on adolescence, thats how we lose entire generations. If someone encounters Jesus they won't go away the same, the ball is in their court at that point.
The saddest thing I heard was when students spoke of how other Christians treated them, how they didn't even care about them as a person but instead had a conversion agenda. Reality check, Jesus didn't have a conversion agenda, he had a love agenda, people CAME TO HIM. Whats worse is their are actually people telling these kids they are going to burn in hell. I dont care if you are sure they will or not it is up to God. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE SOMEONE'S ETERNITY. You are called to love, to "preach and sometimes use words" as St. Francis of Assisi once said.
I am here to boldly say that the problem with the church is that we have failed to impress for thousands of reasons that we are ok with ignoring. While we are spending our strength condemning those who abort their babies, fighting gay marriage, and hating Obama, their are people looking for a church that cares. They are looking for a church that doesn't sit on its butt and scream when someone takes away it's toys. They are looking for a church that comes down into the darkness of the valley and shines their light, a church of real people who really care, a church OVERFLOWING with LOVE in ACTION.
A friend of mine had a conversation with a spring breaker one night. Really long story short, that man said he SAW JESUS in her eyes. Well how is that possible? Its possible because she had Jesus behind those eyes. Its possible because she loved that man and didn't have an agenda to "save" him. Its possible because she loved Jesus and by pursuing him with her whole heart he was inside of her. What does "saved" even mean anyways? This man left the conversation saying his "mind had been opened". What is it that someone recites a prayer? We should be opening hearts and minds not mouths. The Holy Spirit does this, we are just called to consume the spirit and let it shine through our eyes (literally or figuratively) so that others can encounter that spirit of love in us.
So I want to challenge the church, myself include to stop preaching to the choir, to stop recoiling from the sinner, to stop enjoying its little church tea parties and go to a bar where there is someone who is broken that just needs to know they are loved.
Loving is holding a bag for a drunk kid as he pukes, love is telling a "slut" she is a beautiful creation when her boyfriend just ditched her, love is going to the man rolling up joints and asking him how he is doing, love is getting to know your atheist coworker better, love is making a meal for the widow down the street, love is inviting the loud and often times drunk neighbors for a BBQ, love is dying to yourself for the needs of someone else whether they accept Christ or reject him. Can we start impressing people with what we do? Love also must exist within the church, that is crucial, but we aren't even doing that. Phillipians 2 says to be one in SPIRIT and in PURPOSE. That is the extent of our unity. We are to have the Holy Spirit, and have the purpose of administering love. Conversion is up to God.
I am convinced that if these spring breakers saw Christ in their church or even just ONE person, then most of them wouldn't be looking for fulfillment elsewhere. There is something wrong with that fact that many would rather buy a snow cone than accept the gift of Jesus Christ. Let the burden sit on your heart, and let it move you to act. Dive into this world and you will be amazed to know how many people just need to know that SOMEONE cares.
Couldn't say more. Its about the person and not as a project. A lost person does not see life as one who is in Christ does. i think a big part of why people in the church have been unwilling to go and chill with those people is because of what others in the church might say. Not saying its right and personally I think it is wrong. Lastly, I just think this verse just applies well to your posting. 1 John 3:18 Its been exciting to see how much you have been growing over the past few months or so.
ReplyDeleteWell Said!
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