Saturday, February 19, 2011

Show Hospitality

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which mans Teacher), "where are you staying?"

"Come," he replied, "and you will see."

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him....

-- John 1:38-39

Are you an evangelist? Do you tell people about Jesus? Are you open about your faith or do you only share with those in your church? Do you invite others to hear the Good News or do you prefer to share activities with people you already know?

Evangelism gets a bad rap because we don't know how to do it. That's what Pastor Bob said and I think he was right. We think of evangelism as preaching, soliciting, just getting out there in that uncomfortable zone. But it is so much more than that.

Evangelism is all about planting seeds. We don't need to worry about making them grow. God takes care of that. We just have to show up and that means inviting people to events. Upward Bound is evangelism. It's bringing kids and their families into a church and letting them hear about Jesus. Mom's Day Out is evangelism. Any church social event is evangelism, whether it's a concert, supper or senior program. Those activities are where seeds of faith are planted.

So often we want someone else to do it. We're comfortable sitting with the same people at church social events. We don't want to risk committing any time to bringing or dropping off a child. We certainly don't want to pay anyone's way anywhere. Besides, that's the preacher's job to seek out new people for church. Or so we tell ourselves. But you know what? Invitations are far more effective when they come from neighbors and friends, co-workers and other parents.

In one of his last sermons, Bob Penton talked about evangelism. The congregation read from John and Pastor Bob challenged everyone to go forth, to offer hospitality in the name of Christ. To open our hearts and our activities to include everyone. You never know whose life you might touch.