Friendship Evangelism

Someone said that our problem in evangelism is not a lack of training, but that we don’t love enough.

As I shared thoughts on friendship Evangelism last Sabbath in short-long (depends on perspective) 60 minutes workshop I wished for more time to emphasize certain aspects. Two radical allegories were memorable as I spoke with people after:  doing what I love to do with people who have common interests and being a guide for my friends on their spiritual journey when they begin to ask questions; ‚ conversion is like a marriage, begins with friendship, courtship, and continues after commitment.

And, I feel I must emphasize the second one a bit more. The idea of having permission to skip some of church activities to go and make friends, to do what we are passionate about with people who enjoy same thing, making friends with this worldly mammon was so powerful, that the second aspect of bringing friends back into the family was not sinking in.

It is great if in your personal life you are making friendships, and letting people know about your relationships with God and salvation in Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life! BUT! Are you ready to ask the question about their situation? And when you introduce them to Jesus, will you bring them into the Family of God? The “family” concept, where all believers in relationship with Christ are connected together as a “body” for a purpose should not be missed.

So, when I say “it’s not the lack of training, but the lack of loving,” I wonder if we love and care for our friends, and for the church family. “Either/or” does not work. It has to be “both/and.” We love our friends to tell them about salvation available to them, and we love them enough to care to introduce them into a community where they will grow in Christ. We also love our church family to entrust our friends into getting to know each other.

A Baptist preacher Dr. Joe McKeever asks a question: Is it possible to do a drive-by of a church and within a few seconds determine that it's a healthy church? As he asked this of his friends many responded that it's easier to tell an UNHEALTHY church in a few seconds than a healthy one. Facebook comments suggested also a few indications: if people are excited to be there, if the people are generous, if there is strong pastoral leadership, if everyone is in the right place in serving, if people love their leaders and follow them, if church has children, if people are carrying their Bibles, if there are different age groups.

The reason I am pondering on this, because if visitors could tell about our church conditions in 30 seconds, people going on a date could decide in the first minute if they are interested in a person or not, then our acquaintances also have a very short opportunity to evaluate our friendship, or personality, the faith family we belong to and decide if they want to continue developing the relationship. And no effort to impress will do. It has to be genuinely from within, the real you, Christ within you, hope of Glory, that would move friendships to commitments. The only appeal I have – let Christ transform you, then loving, relating, caring will be natural.

How's your relationships with your Father?

I’ve heard the history of mother’s day many a times and never bother to check on the history of the Father’s Day. My generation grew up with it just being there, in the middle of June, a month after Mother’s Day. So, when I checked the Wikipedia, I was surprised that it took some 40 years for the day to be recognized. In 1957, a female went “to bat” for men! Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honouring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents." But it took another decade, when in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six more years and the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. So, it’s the 39^th anniversary of the official Father’s Day.

As we pose to think and honour our fathers, let me ask: what do you remember your father say to you?

• what part of NO don’t you understand?
• I am not just talking to hear my own voice!
• I’ll tell you WHY!
• Because I said so, that’s WHY!
• Don’t make me stop this car!!!
• You call that music? Turn that down!
• This is gonna hurt me a lot more than it’s going to hurt you
• No, we are not lost.
• In my day, when I was your age, I......

The list will go on to infinity! I reflect on this as we read the “Wild at heart” book at men’s ministry breakfasts (by John Elderedge). Did your father initiate you into life so you’d know where you’ve come from, what are you here for and where you are going? Some have missed that from their fathers. Other’s had been spoiled by enabling fathers who did everything for them. Some had been blessed by supportive fathers.

Hopefully you have a different list:

• That’s my boy!
• You’ll get it next time!
• Real proud of you!
• You’re THE MAN!
• Try it again, and let me help you!
• Let’s do it together!

And there is One Father whose Voice still sounds today, who knows your situation and wants to initiate you with His Grace. Do you know Him, the Heavenly Father? For it is only He who could give you the real name, the true identity, purpose, meaning and strength to carry on in life. How’s your relationships with Him?

Are you “Living for the Weekend”?

I heard this myth recently that a very unique month of July is coming – next month we would have 5 full weekends: 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays & 5 Sundays! The claim goes around that it happens once every 823 years. Someone is not paying attention to their schedules. 2005 July had it, and it will be again in 2016. Other months have this quite frequently. October had 5 full weekends in 1982, 1993, 1999, 2010. Last year had also month of May with 5 weekends. People who do long term planning won’t buy this hoax. You may think “So what? Lol!”

What baffled me is that so many people live for the weekend. Literally. In 2005 a British band had a single hit with such title. It is a sad state of affair when people are unfulfilled by their everyday existence, and have only one hope – fun on the weekend. If you know people who claim to be 'living' for the weekend note how they spend their time - they are usually engaged in mindless activity, and they won’t remember what they did Monday at 6 pm: routine of whatever. I understand that weekends matter, to “recharge your batteries.” We preach the importance of weekly rest and re-creation on Sabbath. BUT! The life goes on not only on the weekend. Every moment is full of life!

Have you wondered about your life? Are you living from weekend to weekend? Showing up at a church just in case something happens? Just to make sure folks have not been “raptured” yet, and you are not left behind? Getting your weekly doze of spirituality? Is there a long term project and schedule of mileposts in your life, are you “seizing the day” and making a progress from day to day, or are you just counting “weekends”?

A song from my younger days by Carolyn Arends comes to mind with this chorus

Seize the day, seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way....Seize the day

The last stanza poses this challenge:

Well one thing I've noticed, wherever I wander
Everyone's got a dream he can follow or squander
You can do what you will with the days you are given

What are you doing everyday to impact the world? As a disciple of Jesus Christ are you doing something intentionally everyday to accomplish His Great Commission? Are you telling someone near you about Jesus?

Christ’s plan for this world is YOU! There is no “plan B.” He invested everything into band of disciples who would think and work like He did. And they did the same – made disciples. And their disciples continued the trend. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 was for all who would follow His teaching (verse 20). To be a disciple is to make disciples. Who are you discipling today? Who are you investing your life into tomorrow? Whom will you tell about wonderful experience they could have with Jesus after tomorrow?

There is so much fun in life when you are on a mission! When your life’s motto is “if not now then when?” then the number of weekends in a month matters less, every moment is filled with adventure, and every weekly Sabbath is the high time of celebrating with friends what God has done through the week.

Live your fullest today, every day. Have an adventure with God all the time!

Normal is not enough!

Talking with teens recently I heard a comment how it’s tough not to be normal. “Normal” was being referred to secular norm, to an average teen living life without any connection with God. Last Sabbath Abner Lopez, the youth speaker from Windsor, commented in his sermon that “normal” may have different meanings. Secular person living in sin is not normal according to the standard to which God has created us originally. According to our origins – “normal” is being in the presence of God. Yet, in this sinful nature “normal” means being carnal, living selfish life, taking care of “number one” – me!

How “normal” are you? Have you ever considered this question? I invite you to look at people we admire as heroes of faith. Joseph and his Special Robe – not normal! His brothers were normal – he was special, different, with his dreams and trouble. His life was anything but normal. David – normal shepherd teen boy until anointed by prophet Samuel, and then his life was far from normal – from killing a blasphemous giant, to becoming the King. Daniel – how normal could it feel in the lion’s den? Elijah – is it normal to run for 40 days without food? What about Peter walking on water? How “normal” is that? What Jesus did on the cross was not “normal” by any means.

So, how “normal” are you? Do you want to be normal? Is that your aspiration? In a letter to Romans 12:2 apostle Paul tells us not to become so well-adjusted to this world, not to be conformed to the worldly standards, but turn our attention to God. In essence, Paul is saying “don’t try to look ‘normal’”

Today I invite you to study Matthew 10 – Jesus’ call to discipleship and consider how unusual, uncommon, unordinary, anything but normal it is. To be truly Christian, a disciple and a follower of Jesus one has to be peculiar, special, rare and exceptional to this world.

Today I invite you to embrace the difference to which you are empowered by the Holy Spirit as he desires to change each one of us into likeness of Christ. “Normal” is not enough to enter the Kingdom of God. It is not enough to make a difference in this world. Discover God’s norm, and be “normal” with God.