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 Bulletin29 January 2012
Transforming People in Merseyside into Fully Functioning Followers of Christ Pastor's wordDear Brothers and Sisters,
Seek Out the Lost In The Message, 2 Corinthians 5:20b is put like this: “Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.” That’s the message we’re to take to the world, but all too often once we become Christians we limit our influence by seeking and maintaining friendships almost exclusively among other believers.
Jesus, on the other hand, actually went out of his way to seek those who were not enjoying friendship with God. He deliberately became friends with those who needed a friend in God. So much so that when the Pharisees saw Jesus keeping company with people they regarded as crooks and commoners and sinners, they complained to Jesus’ disciples. Jesus overheard them and asked them, ‘Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: “I’m after mercy, not religion.” I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders’” (Matthew 9:10-13 MSG). Jesus knew his purpose for being here on Earth and so he was able to be relaxed and ignore what others thought or said about him. When others accused him of being a friend of sinners (Luke 19:7), it did not worry him because he was doing exactly what the Father sent him to do: persuade men and women to make peace with God (2 Corinthians 5:20).
As followers of Christ, we too have a God-given purpose, which includes speaking on Jesus’ behalf to those still on the “outside.” The problem is that some of us are so isolated and disconnected from unbelievers that we rarely have any meaningful conversations with them. The tendency is that the longer we’re believers, the more insulated we become from unbelievers and perhaps the more uncomfortable we become with them. Consequently we no longer have friends who are non-believers.
Jesus’ actions suggest that our witness to a non-believer starts with friendship: We earn the right to share the Gospel through relationship. You have probably heard the saying: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Those who have yet to become friends with God are just like you and me, looking for deep, true, supportive friendships.
Paul encourages us to find common ground with non-believers, in the Living Bible it is put this way in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23: “I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ” Finding common ground is an act of friendship; it guides us to look for the positive instead of the negative in those outside the faith.
We recently were looking at John 4, when Jesus met the woman at the well, he pointed to what they had in common rather than the things he could denounce. As a result, she not only became friends with God; she also brought her friends and family into the presence of Jesus.
So we too need to know who we are? This is important so that like Jesus we will not get over-worried about what others believers think of you, and it will help prevent you drifting into sinful behaviours because you become concerned about what non-believers think about you. Jesus knew who he was and whose he was, and Jesus knew God’s purpose for his life. This allowed him to relax and ignore what others thought or said about him.
So we too need to love people, not their values. God loves people (John 3:16), but that doesn’t mean he loves the values of the world. John warns us not to “love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father” (1 John 2:15 MSG). Let’s get out there and build friendships, why not do it as a cell group together, pray about people you could bring into the cell group and really be a friend too. And this requires that we: Be friendly with everyone: “Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.” (Romans 12:16 CEV)
Pastor David
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