1 Corinthians 5:12-13 I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.
As I sat in church yesterday I was reminded of this verse. It is actually quite shocking to some believers and a verse that so many of us forget about. We are so busy judging and condemning those who are not believers, that we have actually scared them away. We point fingers at them, we tell them that they are wrong, we look them in the eye and tell them how bad they are. We avoid them, we cross the street when we see them coming, some of us even go so far as to pick up our cell phone and pretend we're talking on it when we see them coming. The "outsiders", those non believing fools that we put down and talk about, the ones who are not welcome in our church because they are not properly dressed. Those prostitutes and thieves, the homeless and the prisoners, the tattooed and pink haired youth, the mohawk, spiked haired kid, and the executive that just lost his job, all these people and so many others should be welcome in our churches, yet are they? How many stares do these outsiders have to deal with? How much whispering and finger pointing do they have to endure? It saddens me to think that some may never get to know Jesus because of our judgemental glances and smart remarks.
Jesus came to this Earth for the non believers, the non religious, the outsiders! He came to set the captives free. He sat and ate dinner with tax collectors and sinners. Prostitutes fell at His feet and were loved and forgiven. The healthy do not need a doctor, it's the sick who need a doctor. We tend to forget that. The unlovable, the castaways, the hopeless, the homeless, the lost and the broken need to feel accepted and loved by us, the church, before they can ever come to truly know Jesus. We are so busy sometimes seeing outsiders sins and how they look and how they dress, that we forget that they are people too. We sometimes wear our "religious" pride and our "good works" as a badge of honor. We are saved and redeemed by the blood of Christ. We want to convert others and get another notch on our evangelistic belt. One step closer to heaven. So, we feel the right to judge outsiders and condemn them for what they are doing wrong. We tell them God loves them and that Jesus died for them in the say breath we tell them what's wrong with them. We point out their sins and mistakes like they don't already know. Really?
Churches should be a safe haven for the lost and broken, along with the found and saved. If outsiders are not welcomed with true love and compassion, then we are no better than the Pharisees who sent Jesus to His death. Does it really matter how people dress to come to church? Does it really matter if these outsiders smell strange or look like they just woke up from a hangover? It shouldn't! One of the pastors I know from a church I went to before we moved, actually came to his first church service high. He was young and searching for an answer. He actually had to run to the bathroom to throw up during the service. Instead of someone pointing their finger at him, someone ran to see if he was okay. He was not judged, he was not told he was a sinner, he was loved and accepted. Because of that simple act of welcoming an outsider, no matter what he looked like or smelled like, this man became a pastor and has led many outsiders to Christ. Just think what would have happened if he had stepped into any other church. Think what would have happened if he had stepped into your church. Think what would have happened if you had saw him run from a service to throw up. What would you have done? Ouch!
Trust me this is for my benefit also. You see as I sat there yesterday listening to a talk about welcoming outsiders, I became very convicted. Not condemned, convicted! Way too often I make a judgement based on what I know about God and what I believe in. I can't do that anymore and neither can you. Jesus loved everyone! He came to heal the sick and forgive the sinners. The only harsh words He ever said were to the "religious" leaders who felt they were better than everyone else. Don't be like that! Churches need to have their doors open to everyone, not just the inside believers. Our hearts need to be open to the outsiders that we normally tend to avoid. We need to show the love of Jesus Christ not just preach it. Do you realize the difference you could make in an outsiders elses life if we just loved them and accepted them without judgement? Open up those church doors and open up your heart. The lost, the sick and the broken to see and feel the love of Jesus Christ before they need to hear about it.
Lord, give me a heart like yours. One that reaches out to those outsiders I normally avoid. Help me to keep my mouth shut and my heart open. Help me to be your hands and feet upon this Earth. Help me to be a true example of you on this Earth, in Jesus name I pray, amen!
That what you just prayed is what he came for to do. But before he could do it he had to fulfill the Law and Prophets, and die for us all, cleansing us by his death for us alone unto Father.
ReplyDeleteCol 1:22 says this that by his death we are presented to Father as Holy, even if one is a wreck. What do you think happens between Father and the one that sees this as truth and accepts this as done, John 19:30 says it is finished what Crist came to do.
So now one approaches the throne of Christ's given grace presented to Father as perfect before Father. What does one do?
Asks for the new life Christ came to give that is given in his resurrected Life, in Spirit and truth, that is what one ask for.
And they begin to see and know it is all God and none of self, Doing more works that ever before with no judgment in the way, just doing as led, bringing in the sheep as Father's vessel the same as was Christ when walking here on the earth
In the Spirit there is no concern for sin, tooooooooo busy praising and worshipping as in Psalms 100:4. We today are looking back at the cross, where as King David was looking forward to it.
For us today by Christ it is done for us to walk daily in the new life Father gives us
That simple, so go now out and love, keep self humble to all