19 Jul “Leaving Country Club Christianity” (Learning to do anything to reach the lost…except compromise) PART 8

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Over the last couple of months we discussed:  “Three Leaving Lessons”:

  1. We have to be able to leave our preferences.

Now in order to understand this better, please allow me to share “6 Preference Principles”:

  1. Never compromise on principle.  Frequently compromise on preference.
  2. Never compromise on conviction.  Always extend compassion.
  3. Never change the message.  Frequently change the methods.
  4. Resist the system with courage.  Reach the souls with compassion.
  5. We must do everything we can to reach the lost…except compromise.

This week let’s continue our series with…

     6. Build bridges and burn barriers

In this volatile culture, most Christians burn bridges or build barriers!  We tend to sit in our social media echo chamber and lob our political hand grenades to the other side just to watch the explosion.  I have found that problems are rarely solved from the extreme left or the extreme right, but in the messy middle.

Jesus met the Samaritan woman in John chapter four at Jacob’s well.  You see, the Jews believed in the entire Old Testament (the Law and the prophets) but the Samaritans believed only in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible).  The Jews and Samaritans had nothing to do with one another, let alone a Jewish man and a Samaritan woman.  

So Jesus built a bridge by purposely going through Samaria and connecting at Jacob’s well.  You see, Jacob was a key figure that both the Jews and Samaritans related to.  Jesus was building a bridge.  He then led her to receiving Him and she then started a revival in Samaria!

I was talking to someone who did not know Jesus a few months back and when he found out I was a pastor, something immediately changed in his demeanor and he abruptly said, “I hate organized religion.”  Clearly this young man had been hurt by a church or a pastor or somebody along the way.  

Now I could’ve been very defensive but instead I shocked him and said, “Yea, me too.”  I went further, “You know who else hated organized religion?” I asked.  He answered, “Who?”  To which I responded, “Jesus!”  I now had his full attention.  I was able to explain the difference between religion and relationship, and lead this young man to Jesus!  I met him at his point of pain and built a bridge towards him (without compromise).  I took him by the hand and led him across the bridge and into the kingdom of God!

Join us next week as we continue your our series…