Andrew
did it really well. The Samaritan woman
at the well was phenomenal at it. I know of many people in our church family
who excel at it.
What
is it? Inviting people to come to
Jesus. Inviting friends and family to
come to church.
Do
you know someone who doesn’t come to church?
I would suggest that we all do.
William
Temple has written, “The church is the only cooperative society in the world
that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers.”
Someone once
wrote, “Evangelism is witness. It is one beggar
telling another beggar where to get food. The Christian does not offer out of
his bounty. He has no bounty. He is simply a guest at his Master's table and,
as evangelist, he calls others too.”
Our theme at Stone Church for 2014 is, "The Year Of Outward Connection."
We desire that people, non-churched people connect to Jesus Christ!
I
was recently reading an article by R. Thom Rainer entitled, “Ten surprises
about the unchurched.” These “ten
surprises” will inform you as well as challenge you. They are taken from a survey that was done
amongst a segment of the unchurched across America.
Surprise
number one:
Most
of the unchurched prefer to attend church on Sunday morning if they attend.
Rainer
writes, “Perhaps the unchurched responded in this way because that is the time
they have always heard church should be.”
Surprise
number two:
Most
of the unchurched feel guilty about not attending church for different
reasons.
For some it’s because they have
children they feel need to be in church.
For others, it’s because it’s tough to start a habit of doing something
they’ve never done before.
The
question was asked, “Why do the unchurched continue to avoid church?” Rainer writes, “As strange as it may seem to
the churchgoing Christian, the church intimidates the unchurched person. They do not think they can fit in a place
they have never attended. And they are uncertain
about church protocol. They just fear
that they will feel out of place.”
So
the question arises, “is there anything that could get the unchurched to attend
church?
Here’s
what I want you to catch. It leads us to
surprise number three:
Ninety-six
percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if they
are invited!
Let
me write this in another way. MORE THAN
NINE OUT OF TEN OF THE UNCHURCHED SAID THEY WOULD COME TO CHURCH IF THEY WERE
INIVITED.
If
you take 160 million people in the United States that are unchurched,
and if we define unchurched as attending church two or less times in a year,
the implications are enormous. Over 153 million
people would start attending church if they were invited!
You
might ask, “What constitutes an invitation?”
For
many of the unchurched, it is a simple invitation to come to your church.
For
others, it is an invitation that includes an offer to meet them at church to
show them around or walk them through in our building.
In
either case, it’s pretty basic.
IF
WE INVITE THEM, THEY WILL COME.
Let’s
go on and ask another question. Are Christians
inviting non-Christians to church?
Rainer writes, “The heartbreaking answer is “no”.
Only
21% of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year. Only 2% of the church members invited an unchurched
person to church.
Rainer
writes, “We who are leaders in the church must challenge the church
members. When is the last time they invited
an unchurched person to church? When is
the last time they offered to meet someone and show him or her around the
church? The answers they give could make
the difference in the eternal destiny of a person. Perhaps it is time we sounded the clarion
call to invite the church. It may be that
simple, and it may be that profound.”
Don’t
ever say “no” before you give an invitation to someone.
John Ortberg
writes, “When it comes to inviting people [to hear
the gospel], never say no for anyone. Never say no on anyone's behalf. Jesus didn't
give up on the people everyone else gave up on. You just never know."
Ortberg writes, "I
remember a banquet in a secular setting. A group of us were sitting at a table,
and there was one empty seat. This guy sat down in it. He was a smooth
character. I sat on one side of him, and a very attractive woman sat on the
other side of him. When he sat down, his first comment was to the woman:
"Well, what have you been doing here except turning the heads of everybody
in the room?"
I
said, "Well, just eating lunch."
That
launched us into an interesting conversation. The discussion turned toward
spiritual things, and at one point I talked about being at a church for people
who don't like church. He said, "That's interesting," and told me
about his background. He grew up Jewish and had no involvement in that faith
beyond age 12. He had been to a Unitarian church a couple of times and had been
divorced three times.
If I
had to assess someone on the basis of one conversation who was as far away from
faith in Christ as could be, it would have been this guy. His name was Steve. I
invited him to come to our church, and I never thought I'd see him again.
The
next Sunday he came to our worship service and sat in the front row. He talked
with me afterwards and asked where we got our material. I told him about the
Bible, and he got a New Testament. He had never read a New Testament in his
life. He started getting up early, and he read 20 or 30 pages of the Bible
every day. He came back to church the next week and the next. We kept talking,
and he started thinking about making a decision to believe in Christ. It would
be a costly thing for him because of his heritage—his family told him if he
became a Christian he would be dead to them. But he finally said yes to God.
The
last time I saw him he was with a friend. He threw his arms around me and said
to his friend, "I want you to meet the person who helped bring me to
Jesus."
I
almost missed that because I almost said no for him.”
Surprise
number 4:
Very
few of the unchurched had someone share with them how to become a
Christian. And Christians have not been particularly
influential in their lives.
Follow
the logic: if Christians don’t invite
non-Christians to church, we can’t be surprised if they don’t share the gospel
or influence the unchurched.
Rainer
writes, “You might be surprised that, when some Christians may think “the time
is just not right,” the unchurched are wondering why we are so reticent.”
Surprise
number 5:
Most
of the unchurched have a positive view of the pastors, minister and the church.
Only
a few said the ministers are hypocritical, only after money, always drive nice
cars, and have a condescending view of others.
Rainer
writes, “The scandal of the televangelist and other Christian leaders is a
faded memory for most of the unchurched.
And for those who still have vivid recollections of the tainted past,
most do not believe that all pastors and ministers are like their fallen
brethren. Perhaps even more surprising
was the generally positive attitude the unchurched had toward the church. For the vast majority of the unchurched, the
church IS STILL RELEVANT, today. Indeed
many of them perceive the church to be the most relevant institution in society
today.”
This
brings up the question, “if the unchurched see the church in a positive light,
and if they perceive the church to be relevant, why are they still unchurched?”
For
some the answer lies in experiences that have been negative as they have
visited a church. Unfriendliness, unkempt
facilities, poor signage, and general confusion have been some of the descriptions
about the church from the unchurched.
But
what is amazing is that most of these men and women still view the church
positively after a negative experience.
But
the other reason lies in the fact that we have mentioned before. Most of the unchurched have NEVER been
invited to church. AND MOST OF THEM WOULD
COME IF INVITED.
If
you get nothing else from this blog, hear this main point.
THE
UNCHURCHED MUST BE INVITED TO CHURCH.
Surprise
number six:
Many
of the unchurched have a church background.
Some
had previously been members of church and left for various reasons. Others visited one or more churches for a
season. Still others were taken to
church as children.
Here’s
the point, and I quote Rainer, “do not assume that all unchurched persons are
clueless about the church. A majority
can recall many years of church in their past.”
Why
did they leave the church?
Some
had negative experiences. Others who
went as children dropped out when their parents dropped out. And a number of unchurched tried church but
left unimpressed and inspired.
Rainer
writes, “Conventional wisdom about the unchurched suggests that these men and
women are total strangers to the church.
Such is not the case with the majority of the unchurched.”
Surprise
number seven:
The
unchurched do not mind being asked to church, but don’t show up at their home
without an invitation. As one person
said, “it reminds me of a telephone solicitation, only worse!”
However,
being asked to church in the midst of a casual conversation is welcomed. Peter W. of San Diego said about a Christian friend of
his who works with him, “Eric is a trip.
We will be talking about the Chargers or the Padres and, before I know
it, he’s telling me something about his church or God. I really respect him, you know. He doesn’t beat me over the head with his
beliefs, but he sure isn’t shy to talk to me about it. Most of the church people I know act like
they are ashamed of what they believe.”
Rainer
writes, “The bottom line of cold-call evangelism seems to be to make the most
of every opportunity that God gives you.
Pray for such opportunities.”
Surprise
number eight:
The
unchurched would like to develop a real and sincere relationship with a
Christian.
But
be sincere. Twyla Fagan writes, “Most of
the unchurched can easily tell the difference between ‘drive by’ evangelism and
a person who really cares.”
Most
unchurched people respond positively to a genuine Christian who spends time with
them in a non-judgmental relationship.
People don’t care how much you know or what you know until they know how
much you care.
Rainer
writes, “If we who call ourselves Christian really believe that a person is
lost outside of salvation through Christ, we would make the lost and the
unchurched one of our highest priorities.
And if we really had broken hearts for the unchurched person, we would
take whatever time is necessary to get to know them and to share the love of
Christ in word and deed.”
It’s
not a big mystery. There are thousands
of men and women in Battle Creek
who are waiting for one of us as Christians to spend time with them and to show
them we really care. Jesus desired that
none would perish. In the midst of his
packed schedule, he took time to show his love to sinners. Are we willing to do likewise?
Surprise
attitude number nine:
The
attitudes of the unchurched are not correlated to where they live, their ethnic
or racial background, or their gender.
Surprise
attitude number ten:
Many
of the unchurched are far more concerned about the spiritual well-being of
their children than themselves.
You
might be saying, “George, that’s interesting stuff, now what do I do with it?”
Let’s
look at Andrew.
Andrew
is just a great example of someone who brings people, invites people to
Jesus. Almost every time you see him in
the New Testament he is bringing someone to Jesus.
Andrew
couldn’t preach like Peter and he couldn’t lead like Peter. Yet Andrew had an important place in the
kingdom. He brought people to Jesus.
In
John 1:40-42 we read, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who
heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first
thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the
Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.”
How
can you invite people to Jesus?
1. Go
You
must go.
You
must tell.
“The
first thing that Andrew did after coming in contact with Jesus was to find his
brother Simon.”
Andrew
didn’t know everything there was to know about Jesus. But that didn’t stop him from bringing his
brother to Jesus. That didn’t stop him
from immediately and urgently bringing Simon to the Lord.
What
gave Andrew that sense of urgency? The
joy of the Lord!
Andrew
grew up in a time when Jewish people in Israel were expecting a
Messiah. And In Jesus they found
Him! Andrew is full of joy and the wants
to share that joy with the one person in the world whom he loved more than any
other –his brother.
Andrew
was also grateful for what Jesus had done for him. He wanted to share with
Simon out of a heart of gratitude.
2. Tell
John
1:41 states, “the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell
him, “we have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
Notice
Andrew's approach.
It
was personal. He says to Simon, “we have
found the Messiah”! Andrew wasn’t giving
Peter something second hand. It wasn’t
something he read in the “Jerusalem Times.”
Andrew
shared with Peter something he knew not only in his head but also in his heart.
Let
me stop right here and challenge all of us to examine our philosophy of
bringing people to Christ.
In
most Assemblies of God churches we HOPE that someone will walk through the
church doors, and we HOPE that the pastor will preach an evangelistic message,
and we HOPE that he will give an altar call and we HOPE that someone will come
forward and we HOPE that they will make a confession of Christ and we HOPE that
someone will follow up on them and we HOPE that they will come back.
Someone
once said that “the definition of insanity is doing what you’ve always done
expecting different results.”
I
am convinced that one of the most powerful ways of bringing people to Jesus is
on an individual, one on one personal basis.
Andrew
brings Peter to the Lord. And then Peter
brings thousands of others who bring hundreds of thousands more – well you get
the idea.
Andrew
was also humble.
Notice
that Andrew didn’t say, “I found the Messiah, but “we have found the
Messiah.” He didn’t make it sound as
though he was the only one who knew of Jesus.
Nothing
will turn off someone who is unchurched more than a feeling that some
Christians give of elitism. That they
have the truth and others don’t.
I
know you are in agreement with me that the only reason that you have a
relationship with Jesus is by the cross and grace of Christ Himself.
The
first season of the TV show The Apprentice tracked the lives of 16
up-and-coming business people as they vied for a highly coveted job with Donald
Trump. It was the top-ranked-show among new TV series in the first half of
2004, with over 20 million viewers.
In
this scene, Donald Trump faces two of his apprentices at the opulent boardroom
table. On the left is Kwame, the polished Harvard MBA, and on the right is Troy, a business-savvy
risk-taker without a college education. They have earned their place among the
final few contestants, but now, one of them must leave.
Trump
turns on Troy and in his gruff manner says,
"Troy in
reality we're dealing with multibillion dollar companies here. The consequences
of hiring a live wire like you could be costly and devastating. So I have to
say, you're fired!" The camera fades to Troy, head bowed in disgrace.
How
different from the scene Jesus promises his people. In the opulent boardroom of
heaven, Jesus turns to us and says, "In reality, we're dealing with
something far greater than multibillion dollar businesses here—we're talking
about the salvation of the world. The consequences of hiring someone like you
could be costly and devastating. So I have to say, you're hired!"
In a
world full of “un-grace”, Jesus gives grace.
By
His grace He forgives us for our mistakes and failures.
Andrew
is saying, “John and I have found the Messiah.”
THE
UNCHURCHED CAN SPOT A PHONY A MILE AWAY.
The
unchurched are turned off by spiritual elitism and pride.
John Orberg
writes, “Our fallenness makes us want to be a part of
not just any group, but an exclusive group. By definition, every society
includes people who connect, who belong to one another. Yet every society
includes people who feel left out, who don't get chosen at recess, whose
invitations to dance get turned down, who get blackballed and cold-shouldered
and voted off the island. We exclude others because of pride or fear or
ignorance or the desire to feel superior.
I
thought of this tendency we have to divide people the last time I was aboard an
airplane. The first-class passengers were served gourmet food on china and
crystal by their own flight attendants; those of us in coach ate snacks served
in paper bags with plastic wrappers. The first-class passengers had room to
stretch and sleep; those of us in coach were sitting with a proximity usually
reserved for engaged couples in the back row of a movie. The first-class
passengers had flight attendants bring them moist Towelettes for comfort and
personal hygiene; those of us in coach had to sit and stew in our facial sweat.
On
almost every flight, once the plane is under way, a curtain gets drawn to
separate the two compartments. It is not to be violated; it is like the Berlin
Wall or the veil that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Holy of
Holies in the temple at Jerusalem.
The curtain is a reminder throughout the flight that some people are first
class and some aren't. Those who aren't first class are not to violate the
boundary. They can't even see what's going on behind the other side of the
curtain.
On a
recent flight, a voice came on the intercom system, telling us that because of
new security measures, the attendants were not allowed to fasten the curtain.
But the airline wanted all of us in the Court of the Gentiles to know that we
were not allowed to use the facilities in the Holy of Holies, even though there
was one restroom for eight people up there and two restrooms for several
hundred of us (mostly children under six who had been drinking Jolt Cola the
whole flight) on the other side.
Let
the curtain stand for a tendency deep inside the fallen human spirit—the
tendency to exclude. In the act of exclusion, we divide the world up
into "us" and "them."
Good
stuff.
Andrew
was positive. Humility doesn’t mean that
you can’t speak openly and with boldness.
Andrew
is saying, “There may be things about Jesus I don’t know, but I do know what he
as done for me and that he is the Messiah”!
3. Bring
John
1:42 states, “And he brought him to Jesus.”
John
doesn’t write that Andrew converted or “saved” Simon..
It
says that Andrew persuaded Peter to understand how he needed to investigate
this opportunity for himself. Andrew knew
that only Jesus can change our lives.
In a
TV commercial by one credit card company, the scene opens with a couple
standing at the check-out counter. The woman says, "'Tis the season,"
and takes out her credit card to hand to the cashier. Her husband looks alarmed
and says, "Wait, what credit card are you using?"
Suddenly hordes of
barbarians begin surging into the store. They run down the store aisles yelling,
with weapons drawn, toward the couple making the credit card purchase. The
point of the ad is that making yourself liable to the finance charges on credit
cards is like bringing on the barbarians.
One quick scene in the ad gives us a
spiritual metaphor. As the barbarians charge past one store clerk at the
perfume counter, she sprays perfume on them.
Trying
to civilize a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians, to get rid of their foul aroma,
with a few squirts of perfume, is what we are doing if we hope to transform
sinners by squirting them with religion. Religion cannot change the barbarian
at the heart of every child, teenager, or adult. Only a relationship with
Christ brings the soul conversion that changes a sinner into a saint.
But
there’s the key: In order for Jesus to
do what He could do, Andrew had to first do what he could do – inviting people
to Jesus.
