This is the very question all members of all churches need to have an amazing answer to if we are going to be committed disciples of Jesus and expand His family. Imagine inviting someone to come to church with you and they ask, "WHY?" What are you going to say? Because we have some great singers? Because we are a great bunch of people? Because you will learn about Jesus?
People who are not in church are probably not interested in church. Wow, now that's profound!
Maybe we should start by asking ourselves this question. For those of you that have made church a priority in your life, why do you go to church? Be really really honest.
Now, do you think the reasons you go to church are going to be the selling points to someone who never goes to church and is not interested in church? It's a conundrum isn't it?
We are called by Jesus to make disciples of others, to reach out and tell others the wonderful gospel message. But people are too busy, and by many studies, are just not interested in church and what church stands for in "their minds!"
There was a junior high school that wanted boys to take home economics class and girls to take shop classes. They wanted to implement the program on a voluntary basis. So they sent out forms to all the boys and girls to see what type of participation rates they would have so as to plan for class size and teachers needed. When the forms came back they found that not one boy signed up for home economics but they did have several girls interested in the shop classes. This posed a dilemma to the new curriculum so the teachers came together to decide if their were going to have to make home economics mandatory. But one of the teachers came up with an idea. So the next Monday the forms were redistributed to all the students and this time when they came back nearly every boy in the school had signed up for the home economics class. So what had changed? The name of the class was changed from "home economics" to "bachelor living".
In reality the real change was the perception of the class. Church has a bad perception with many people today. Churches are judgmental, intolerant, irrelevant, and on and on according to studies done by Barna.
If a person has had a bad experience with church, which always means they had a bad experience with people, inviting them to church is probably going to be a fail UNLESS……They can see in you something extraordinarily different! What might that be? Love in action. Love is going to change the world. Love is going to change the church. Love is going to change your life. And as I said last night in my sermon, "Love is going to cost you!" You cannot love without doing something. Love always seeks to bless the object of its affection!
Who is the object of our affection? According to Jesus it is your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Whoever God places in your path. People do not have time for church, neither do I but I can guarantee you this, most people will find time for love! Real love, non judgmental love. The kind of love that says, "I'm here what do you need?" "How can I help you?" "What are you struggling with?" Lets love people into God's church! You can start loving someone today. Step out of your comfort zone and do something wonderful for someone today. And when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will let you know when, then ask them to come to church with you. And hopefully we will be able to say with confidence, "If you think my love is special, wait until I introduce you to the rest of the family!" Wouldn't that be a group of people you would want to hang out with?" Praise Community Fellowship, we are not a church, we are a group of people putting love into action!
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Hope to see you there. God has a plan for your life and it revolves around love! Love, pastor Kent
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