Got a call yesterday from a guy who felt he needed to call a few people that he thinks were instrumental in his life. I felt very honored that he called me. He felt that I and a couple other guys were the reason he started going to church again. It felt good to get that call, but, what really got me was the the story he told me about a guy he works with.He's been building a friendship with this guy at work who isn't a follower of Jesus, but, his wife is. It's not that he doesn't believe in God, it's that he doesn't know if he believes Jesus is the son of God. "Maybe he's a prophet or something like that", which is a common belief in this day and age. Anyway this couple had been going to one of the large churches in town and one of the pastors was moving into a new home and needed help. So, this guy, probably at the prompting of his wife, helped with the move. The house they were moving into was so elaborate that it totally turned this guy off. I guess he just didn't get why a pastor needed to live in a million dollar house. It made him feel like the pastor was only about money. So, he stopped going with his wife to the church.
Well after working with my friend for a while, he thought maybe he had judged a little to quick and decided to join his wife one Sunday and returned to the church. When he got there the pastor he helped move came over and started hammering him about not attending church anymore and about living the way he was. At one point, he said to the pastor, "You know, I work with this guy who is a Christian and he's never critical about what's going on in my life." The pastor replied, "that's because he's not walking right."
Here this guys wife is probably praying all the time that he'll become a believer and God sends a guy to work with him to show him what a follower of Jesus looks like and probably between the two of them and God, his curiosity about Jesus is peaked again. So, he goes to church to try and figure it all out and a pastor beats him and his friend over the head with "the cold hard truth". Like Vince Antonucci was saying in his blog I reposted here a couple days ago, "Christians offended will just go to another church, but non-christians that are offended will just never attend church again." I hope this guy gets over his church experience and finds a place where he can explore the life of Jesus without condemnation.
When we move to Miami, to start a church for people that don't like church, we're going to speak the truth in love, but, most of all, we're going to love, because that's what Jesus does.
Jeff, I've read all your posts now since the beginning. I sort of know Neo, and he recommended you to me. I was especially moved by "What if We Were Firemen?" This is most certainly what you'll be doing- true rescue. It reminded me of "In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon. I recommend that book, a classic, in case you haven't read it, because it applies to your ministry. God bless you as you learn and prepare. Summer will go by very quickly! -Marty in Rolla
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback Marty! I have read "In His Steps" and was shocked to find out that the whole WWJD movement originated from a book that's over 100 years old. Goes to show you that not only is truth timeless, but, so is love!
ReplyDelete