Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What Does Jesus Require?

Jesus replied, “’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

-- Matthew 22:37-39

If someone expressed an interest in joining your church and wanted to know what was expected of church members, what would you tell them? Pastor Rob asked this question recently. It’s one of those questions that really makes you focus on what’s important.

Many churches get caught up in the qualifications for membership. They don’t really think about what comes after that. They care that someone was dunked instead of sprinkled. They want to make sure the person is without obvious sin. And they want to make sure the person understands John 3:16. That’s understandable.

Then what? Well, most churches want their members to tithe the 10 percent God requires each of us to give back to Him. It helps if the new member is a willing volunteer. Churches always need workers. Most just want new members to do everything the way it has always been done.

What else? Well, churches want its members to be good people. We are all sinners but we want to know that the people filling the pews or folding chairs each Sunday are at least trying to do the right thing. That’s an important indication of true salvation.

What about love? Jesus talked about it. He demonstrated agape love repeatedly. We’re to love God and we do. How could we be a Christian without loving God? We couldn’t.

But what about loving each other? What about loving people we’d rather not be around? What about loving people in a sacrificial way that requires time and effort? Well, that’s when it gets a little dicey. We want to. We do. And surely we want all our church members to give of themselves to each other. But everybody? Even the people who stumble and fall repeatedly?

Nobody ever said following Jesus was easy. He calls us to do things that are sometimes uncomfortable. Things we’d really rather not do. Like loving all people. That’s what being a member of Christ’s church is all about. Love.

So the answer to that first question is simple. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor just as you love yourself. Applying it? Now that’s the hard part. But it’s what Jesus requires of those who are members of His church.