“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
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www.freedomfiles.weebly.com
ISSUE #13
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The more I read the Gospels, the more I see a distance between how and who Jesus reached out to and how and who the church of today is reaching. A reading of the book of John will reveal that Jesus did not have a specific “demographic” that he targeted.
In John 3 we see Jesus meeting with Nicodemus. This was a man who was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1). The first thing that I notice in this encounter is that Jesus is not the initiator. Nicodemus approaches Jesus. He approaches Jesus because of the things that Jesus had done. “He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him’” (John 3:2). How many of us today, as followers of Christ, are being approached because of the things that we have done? How many of us have demonstrated the two greatest commands (loving God and loving others) to the extent that we are noticed and approached by non-believers who want to learn about the God we love and serve by loving and serving others.
In John 4 we see Jesus meeting with the “woman at the well”. In this situation Jesus is resting at the well outside the city of Sychar in Samaria when the woman approaches to get some water from the well. Jesus engages her in conversation simply by asking for some water. Jesus quickly steers the conversation toward the spiritual and captures the woman’s attention.
These two examples are here for a reason. These two individuals could not have been demographically further apart. He was on the Jewish ruling council. She was a single woman in a culture that did not value women. He was a Pharisee (the “in” crowd). She was a Samaritan outcast. “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)” (John 4:9). Not only was it socially unacceptable for Jesus to talk to her (because she was a woman), it was also socially (racially) unacceptable to speak to her because she was a Samaritan.
I believe the message of the Apostle John in his Gospel is clear. These events in the life of Jesus are recorded as an example for us to follow. We are not to have a “target audience” that is smaller than the one that Jesus had. We are to live our lives in such a way that people will see our actions and know that we belong to Jesus. We are to have conversations with non-believers where the topic of conversation naturally flows from the physical to the spiritual. Jesus’ target audience was everyone. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Peter reminds us in his second letter that Jesus loves everyone. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
So, as the title of this article suggests, is it time to start over? The answer depends on what one wants to start over. We cannot start the church over. Jesus started his church and died for it. We should never be arrogant enough to think that we can improve on that. However, I believe that we have “broken” his church. It is no longer a reflection of the founder. If we are going to be the church that Jesus founded we need to start having the servant mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). It is time for us, as individuals, to start over and start living as a reflection of Jesus. We must stop focusing on the church and started focusing on those that need to see and experience the love of Christ. We must stop arguing among ourselves and start sharing among our neighbors. And we must stop meeting in our hideouts we call church buildings and expect the non-believers to drop in on us. The apostle Paul said it this way: “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Notice that Paul did not change the message of the gospel. In fact, he did “all this for the sake of the gospel”. What he changed was the method that he used. Each time he presented the unchangeable gospel, he started over. With each group that he taught the saving message of Jesus he spoke it on their level, in their terminology, with illustrations that they could relate to, and with the love of Christ. Jesus and Paul both demonstrate to us that we need to meet people where they are so that we can bring them to where God wants them to be. Wherever we meet them, God wants them to be in a relationship with him through his son Jesus Christ. It is for that reason that Christ has set us free.
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Responses from Readers
From a Reader in California:
Don, I am honored and very humbled by this. It is not often that we hear how something that we did or said or simply the way we lived and our examples may have helped or encouraged someone. Thank you my friend. We go way back and I hope one day we get to meet for a cup of coffee. I’ll buy!
From a Reader in Japan:
I LOVE this!!! You and Kay were always amazing role models for me!!! I am so blessed to have been able to see a healthy marriage and positive influence by y'all! Now my children are looking up to your children. People have no idea the impact, whether good or bad, they have on people. Everyone should be aware and diligent to make the impact and impression a good one. Thank you for being such a good one to me when I needed one the most!!! Love and Miss you TONS!!! :)
From a Reader in California:
Don ... I did not know you have MS. I will pray for you as you struggle with this disease, and pray it progresses slowly, and even goes into remission.
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If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me and I will immediately comply with your request. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.
[email protected]
www.freedomfiles.weebly.com
ISSUE #13
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The more I read the Gospels, the more I see a distance between how and who Jesus reached out to and how and who the church of today is reaching. A reading of the book of John will reveal that Jesus did not have a specific “demographic” that he targeted.
In John 3 we see Jesus meeting with Nicodemus. This was a man who was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1). The first thing that I notice in this encounter is that Jesus is not the initiator. Nicodemus approaches Jesus. He approaches Jesus because of the things that Jesus had done. “He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him’” (John 3:2). How many of us today, as followers of Christ, are being approached because of the things that we have done? How many of us have demonstrated the two greatest commands (loving God and loving others) to the extent that we are noticed and approached by non-believers who want to learn about the God we love and serve by loving and serving others.
In John 4 we see Jesus meeting with the “woman at the well”. In this situation Jesus is resting at the well outside the city of Sychar in Samaria when the woman approaches to get some water from the well. Jesus engages her in conversation simply by asking for some water. Jesus quickly steers the conversation toward the spiritual and captures the woman’s attention.
These two examples are here for a reason. These two individuals could not have been demographically further apart. He was on the Jewish ruling council. She was a single woman in a culture that did not value women. He was a Pharisee (the “in” crowd). She was a Samaritan outcast. “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)” (John 4:9). Not only was it socially unacceptable for Jesus to talk to her (because she was a woman), it was also socially (racially) unacceptable to speak to her because she was a Samaritan.
I believe the message of the Apostle John in his Gospel is clear. These events in the life of Jesus are recorded as an example for us to follow. We are not to have a “target audience” that is smaller than the one that Jesus had. We are to live our lives in such a way that people will see our actions and know that we belong to Jesus. We are to have conversations with non-believers where the topic of conversation naturally flows from the physical to the spiritual. Jesus’ target audience was everyone. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Peter reminds us in his second letter that Jesus loves everyone. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
So, as the title of this article suggests, is it time to start over? The answer depends on what one wants to start over. We cannot start the church over. Jesus started his church and died for it. We should never be arrogant enough to think that we can improve on that. However, I believe that we have “broken” his church. It is no longer a reflection of the founder. If we are going to be the church that Jesus founded we need to start having the servant mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). It is time for us, as individuals, to start over and start living as a reflection of Jesus. We must stop focusing on the church and started focusing on those that need to see and experience the love of Christ. We must stop arguing among ourselves and start sharing among our neighbors. And we must stop meeting in our hideouts we call church buildings and expect the non-believers to drop in on us. The apostle Paul said it this way: “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Notice that Paul did not change the message of the gospel. In fact, he did “all this for the sake of the gospel”. What he changed was the method that he used. Each time he presented the unchangeable gospel, he started over. With each group that he taught the saving message of Jesus he spoke it on their level, in their terminology, with illustrations that they could relate to, and with the love of Christ. Jesus and Paul both demonstrate to us that we need to meet people where they are so that we can bring them to where God wants them to be. Wherever we meet them, God wants them to be in a relationship with him through his son Jesus Christ. It is for that reason that Christ has set us free.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Responses from Readers
From a Reader in California:
Don, I am honored and very humbled by this. It is not often that we hear how something that we did or said or simply the way we lived and our examples may have helped or encouraged someone. Thank you my friend. We go way back and I hope one day we get to meet for a cup of coffee. I’ll buy!
From a Reader in Japan:
I LOVE this!!! You and Kay were always amazing role models for me!!! I am so blessed to have been able to see a healthy marriage and positive influence by y'all! Now my children are looking up to your children. People have no idea the impact, whether good or bad, they have on people. Everyone should be aware and diligent to make the impact and impression a good one. Thank you for being such a good one to me when I needed one the most!!! Love and Miss you TONS!!! :)
From a Reader in California:
Don ... I did not know you have MS. I will pray for you as you struggle with this disease, and pray it progresses slowly, and even goes into remission.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me and I will immediately comply with your request. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.