Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me

We are one day from Good Friday and three days from Easter. If you are a Christian then more likely your church has some kind of Easter cantata or presentation. This is the time when about a month before Easter your pastor start to pressure you to bring a friend to see the “show”. They might not word it like that, but that’s the point.

Don’t just shoot me now, just let me finish what I started. Don’t take me wrong, I been part of many Easter presentations and cantatas. Since I was a child I grew up in church. I know the customs. I invited my school classmates, friends, co-workers and the list goes on. Well I would say I had some kind of success with these invitations. Maybe 100:1 ratio. You had been there too. You know the feeling. One of my neighbors said: Piri keep inviting us, one day we might show up. At least she was honest.

This year too, I planned ahead. Ordered the lamb and called our friends. I would invite them for lunch or dinner after they would attend church with us. I planned this year after year. I always go the extra mile and try hard not only to invite them to the church and let them just leave, but make it more personal, more friendly, have some food together. Well – still doesn’t work. They are always having other plans Good Friday and Easter Sunday as well as at Christmas time.

I was praying about this and telling God what to do? I love my friends, and I really care about their spiritual life. I can’t even imagine that they would perish while I know God and going to heaven. I sincerely believe that God put us in their paths with the purpose of being the signpost to show them the way to God. But what do I do wrong? I pray for them, not only at Easter and Christmas time, but on a regular basis.  I pray that God would open their hearts, open opportunities and draw them close to him.

As I was praying and asking God what should I do to somehow be able to get a yes to the invitation to the church – God’s answer really got me unexpected. “Piri, you don’t have to bring people to church, you just have to bring God to them”. And I was like “WHAT?” God said: “Jesus never invited the tax collectors, the sick, the hungry, the blind, to the temple … Jesus went out brought God to them by reached them where they were”.

Now that was a big revelation for me. You have to understand … I grew up with the theology that if we care about our friends we must bring them to church. Like, the church is the only place where God can save them. Especially at Easter and Christmas time.

And then God gave me a picture. He talks with me in pictures, life pictures. Let’s see: I have muslim neighbors, nice people, we have a good relationship with them. Did some business together, I would say we know them well enough. Well if they would invite me for their Ramadan – guess what – I would be terrified and I would not attend their church service.

Now that’s exactly how most people feel about your church’s Easter cantata presentation. Those people who didn’t grow up in church, for them church is a really cold, controlled, organized, serious, place where the pastor, priest will tell them that if they don’t follow a bunch of rules and regulations they will go to hell. And besides that, they will ask for their money, what they must give otherwise they will definitely end up in hell. This is how most people see church.

Now you want to invite them there??? Would you be comfortable to go in a place like that? Well most of them have their own religion, and thank you very much they are not interested to switch religions. And why do you think even for a moment that inviting them to your church makes them feel good? Well do you suggest that your church and religion is better than theirs? That’s the reason we are not successful with our invitations.

We have to bring God to them! Jesus modeled this to us; we just somewhere missed the point. Don’t be nice with your friends so they will kind of feel pressured to say yes to your church invitations. And after you invited them few times you give up your relationship with them because they are sinners and you are the righteous one. People know when you do something with wrong motives. Don’t judge their lifestyle – just simply model a better one. Live a life they would be attracted to. Love them just the way they are. Pray for them like crazy that God will open up doors and opportunities when you can share your testimony (Do you even have one?).

People will not be interested until they are not hungry for God. That’s why you have to pray for them, that the Holy Spirit will move and do what only he can do … prepare their hearts soil to be ready to receive God’s love. Always be ready for sharing the good news, but don’t shovel it down on their throat. You have to understand you CAN NO save your family members and friends. Until God’s Holy Spirit is not moving all your efforts are worthless. Instead of focusing on begging them to come to church, pray more for them.

Live your life in front of them that they can see Jesus more and more and less and less of you. Don’t do that by these “righteous” sentences. Well: I don’t do that … I’m a Christian … self righteousness does more damage than anything.  I like Paul’s example when he chooses to be everything for everyone just to save a soul.

Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.  When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. ~ 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23

Don’t give up your principles, don’t try to be like them, don’t transform yourself to the world, but don’t shout your righteousness - just live it out. Walk the talk and they will notice.

If we who call ourselves Christians live a life that is different, but not in a “I’m better then you” and if in our interactions with our friends bring God to them, trust me the time will come when they will ask, and then you better be ready to share your testimony. Sometimes that will take months, years, decades … sometimes you might be the one praying and someone else will bring them to God, but who cares.

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:7

Of course we would like to share the glory, we would like to be part of their testimony … but trust me it doesn’t matter. If we commit them to God and pray for them, God will answer our prayers. I often think that God puts us in our friend’s circles to pray for them, because maybe nobody else prays for their salvation. It all starts with prayers.

God loves those friends and family members of yours more than you do, and cares for them more then you care, he wants to save them more then you do, he paid a huge price for their salvation … so he put you in their circle of friends so that you will start to pray for them. I sincerely believe everything on this earth is down by prayer. Someone has to ask God for something and then he answers. It might not be on our timing, but he does. It might not be the ways we think should be, but God knows our friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers more than we do, so he know what and when will work.

We have to trust God and live our everyday lives, not only at Easter, not only at Christmas, but in every conversation we have with them, every time we spend together we have to let Jesus shine through us. And then God in his own timing will do the life changing miracle which might or might not happen in a church setting.

And never judge those people who are not ready for Christ, if not for God’s grace – you could be there. You are where you are, not because you are better, but because God saved you. You are who you are only because of Jesus Christ, so don’t blame, don’t judge and never be self righteous. Be thankful, always merciful, extend forgiveness and serve just as Jesus portrayed with his own life example. And still keep inviting them, but work with their schedule too.

This year when I called to invite them, they said that they can’t come. Then I told them is not Sunday, it’s Saturday. It was a surprise for them, no church mentioning, and no Easter presentation mentioning … I told them, well if I invite you Sunday you won’t come, so I moved it to Saturday. So they will come and you know what … God will be here! All we have to do we have to bring God to them. It’s not about bringing people to church, but introducing God to them. And God is not located in the church. He is in our hearts, our lives. We can bring God to people everywhere.

Jesus didn’t said go and build big churches and bring people to churches. It’s not about church membership, it’s all about discipleship. We ought to go and make disciples, who more likely will become part of a church, but his should be the pattern, not vice versa.

Question: Do you invite people to church for Easter? Is your church pressuring to invite people to church at Easter more than any other times? Does this approach gives you some relive? Share your thoughts.