28 Jun “Leaving Country Club Christianity” (Learning to do anything to reach the lost…except compromise) PART 6
Over the last few weeks we began sharing three “Three Leaving Lessons”:
- We have to be able to leave our preferences.
Then we began to understand this better with our “6 Preference Principles”:
- Never compromise on principle. Frequently compromise on preference.
- Never compromise on conviction. Always extend compassion.
- Never change the message. Frequently change the methods.
Last week we began sharing….
4. Resist the system with courage. Reach the souls with compassion.
The Bible gives us two verses that at face value they almost appear to contradict one another. When in reality, they very much complement one another:
James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Luke 7:34 “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”
In James 4:4, the word translated “world” is the Greek word “kosmos” and it means “world system” or culture. In Luke 7:34, it was clear that Jesus befriended sinners. Both these verses complement one another so beautifully! These verses are where I get my aforementioned biblical balance…Resist the system with courage, but reach the souls with compassion.
Remember that we must balance resisting the system with courage…with reaching souls within that system with compassion!
Let me illustrate as we jump into today’s teaching…
We have the privilege of ministering to thousands of people in person and online every single week. Over the last year or so I have been challenging atheists in a loving way to come to church and ask questions. Well a couple of months ago, I had an atheist take me up on this. He was a young intelligent atheist who had just graduated from college. Like most college graduates, he had been filled with all kinds of intellectualism from academia. He came back to the visitor’s reception room and began to ask me questions. He was not being antagonistic but really seemed to be seeking answers!
I took some time with him and was able to answer his questions that cleared his mind of intellectual arguments against God. After that, God got to his heart and he became brutally honest. “I just feel lost” he confided in me. Now, I had an open door to share the Gospel with him! At that time he was not quite ready to give his life to our Jesus but significant seeds had now been planted.
Three weeks later I was recounting his story and telling the church in one of my messages. I had no idea but this atheist had come back and heard me talking about him! After service he once again came back to the visitor’s reception room and with a big smile on his face he boldly said, “I’m ready!” My wife and I had the beautiful opportunity to lead him to Christ!
It didn’t stop there as a week later he brought a friend of his that was suicidal and actually burning himself on a regular basis. He too gave his life to Jesus and both have been regularly attending church ever since!
Remember this: It is easy to get so angry at issues that you forfeit your right to minister to the individual! We must resist the system with courage …but reach the souls with compassion! The only way we will do this is if we leave Country Club Christianity!
Next month we’ll continue!