Something out of the ordinary happened tonight at Youth Group. Typically, we meet in the basement since another Bible Study meets upstairs, but this time we were in the parlor. We had just started to read our next chapter, Matthew 11, when a man and his 4 kids walk into the church. I ask if I can help him, and he responds, “Well, this is a Bible Study, isn’t it?” I was slightly taken aback, of course this was a Bible Study, but. . .
Although I was still a little confused, I invited them in to join us, found chairs, brought up snacks for the little ones, and wondered if we should do a different study. But not knowing what that would be, we started in like we usually do. This man had great insights to share and by the end of the night I wondered if maybe God had sent this man and his 4 kids to wake us up.
As the Body of Christ, we are to welcome the lost, the seeking, the needy, the hungry. So why should a man and his kids showing up to join in Bible Study shock me? Shouldn’t this be what we strive for, that people would see our light on and walk into the Church. That we might reach out to people outside of our congregation.
Why isn’t this more of a focus in our Churches? Why are we so concerned about the details of what song to sing, or who’s making the coffee, or how much is in our offering, and yet we forget about the purpose of the church. Jesus commanded us to “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you” Matthew 28:19-20.
We are commanded to “GO”, not to stay. Not to stay in our little box, where its comfortable, where we can just go to church every Sunday and think we’ve done our duty for the week. No wonder we are so stuck, no wonder we are pushing away people from the Church, from Christ. We are so selfish about what we want to see or feel at Church, that we have forgotten what it truly means to walk in faith, we have forgotten our purpose. . . How can YOU step out of your comfort zone this week? Who can YOU invite to church or to Bible Study? How are YOU going to obey Jesus’ command?
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