Normally I do a post about the day at NewSpring on Sunday evenings…but right now I can’t! I just received an e-mail from a friend that fired me up.
My buddy took his 10 year old son to the Final Four games last night at the GA dome. Now that HAD to be an awesome father/son trip!
BUT…there was some moron outside the GA dome screaming at my friend and his son, telling them they were going to hell…and the person with her actually had a sign that said, “God hates your basketball.”
Like it or not…I believe these people actually drive more people away from God than they do reach for Him! You can say what you will…but I have NEVER seen someone yell at a crowd and someone in that crowd fall on their knees and repent of their sin.
Can people who have been yelled at still come to Christ? Absolutely, but they will have to go AROUND those yelling to make it to Jesus!
Why do people yell? Why do Christians stand on street corners and condemn people who are “going to hell in a hand basket?” Why do Christians say STUPID things like…
- “Get saved or microwaved.”
- “Get right or get left.”
- “Eternity, smoking or non-smoking, the choice is yours!”
I think they do this for one main reason…
It’s Easy! No, seriously, it is easy to yell, scream and condemn people that you do not know…it is much harder to actually develop a relationship with someone who is a heartbeat from hell, be their friend, LISTEN to their story, ANSWER their difficult questions…and wait patiently for years as God draws them to Him.
THAT’S HARD! And so Christians have taken the
easy way out and just yell at people—and it does not work! Please spare me your e-mails on this! I have never asked someone, “How did you come to Christ,” and they replied, “Some really nice man with a megaphone yelled at me and said that my skin was going to fry like bacon unless I received Jesus.”
One more thing before I leave this point…did Jesus do this? NO…this is NOT CHRIST LIKE BEHAVIOR! Jesus did yell, condemn and put down the Pharisees, while He hung out with the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors. (For those who don’t think Jesus did this—please read about Him clearing the temple—Jesus was passionate…but about the right things!)
We are called to reach people who are without Christ—NOT drive them away!!!
I am MAD right now—very mad! What my friend witnessed is the very reason that people all over America are turning away from church…it’s not because God is no longer powerful—it’s because Christians no longer care.
People—we have GOT to care enough about those far from Christ to go where they are (Jesus did that) find out their story (once again, Jesus did that) and show them who Jesus is!
I am by no means advocating that we need to be tolerant of everyone and everything. Sin must still be called sin. A distinction must be made between light and darkness. BUT that can be done without yelling at someone about a basketball game.
People are WAY more likely to listen to you if they think you care.
OK…that’s it for my rant this evening…time for bed…but before I go I want you to remember that our Easter services are going to be off the hook—we have 5 identical services….they are
- Saturday at 4:00 & 6:00
- Sunday at 9:15, 11:15 & 1:15
That is for Easter Sunday only—the next Sunday we will resume our normal schedule!
I love you guys…it was GREAT to be back today!