Every Friday evening my Church does an outreach on the streets of a city in Westchester County, N.Y. It is a worthwhile exercise reaching the lost with the message of salvation. Just recently three men gave their hearts to Jesus Christ. While the Angels rejoiced, what of the lost and burning within our own Church? Let me give an example from a recent encounter I had before a Bible Study.
Anderson* sits quietly in the back of all church activities, including Bible Study. He is the sort of person who could practically blend into the background if you let him, and my church lets him. When I first began attending this Church and I introduced myself around, Anderson kept himself at a distance. The emotional wall was unmistakable and I crashed right into it!
Anderson was born and raised in Westchester County, New York, the son of a lawyer. His tall, good Dutch looks mixed with his profession of racing car driver combined to open the door to many sexual encounters with adoring women. He was married and divorced some years ago and has some adult children from that union.
Those of you who regularly read my blog know that my Church recently had its' Annual Barbeque and Picnic. It was at this event that I came to meet Anderson's girlfriend, Lisa *. Lisa was a short, well-dressed no-nonsense woman. Between entrees on the receiving line, I introduced myself. I had the barbeque chicken and Lisa had the ribs, just in case you were wondering. I continued with some acorn squash rings and salad, while Lisa went for potato salad. It was all very delicious.
When I got done with some preliminary introductions to Lisa, I ate and got back to the children's craft table I was manning outside our Church. It was a windy day and I had left my husband to watch my outside table lest anything should fly away. Relieving him now, it was my husband's turn to go sit down and eat his lunch. I directed him to go sit next to Anderson and meet his girlfriend Lisa, hoping they would enjoy some pleasant conversation over their shared interest in business.
About two weeks later, just before Bible Study, I happened to mention to Anderson that I enjoyed meeting his girlfriend and that I hoped she enjoyed our Annual Picnic. I went on to relate that I hoped she might come out to Church some time. This is when Anderson started a tirade. Anderson answered that "she had been to the picnic before and she was not about to come out to Church."
According to Anderson, Lisa stubbornly clung to her Albanian "Catholic tradition and was not about to come out to our church." In a clear case of too much information, Anderson went on to describe a close relationship between Lisa and her Albanian father. " Lisa took care of him. They had a great relationship and so luckily for me (Anderson) that means that she enjoys men and so naturally we have great sex! She's an alpha female and I'm an alpha male so we get along great!"
I was stunned by all that he had said, and the way that he had said it. Never one to shrink from the challenge, or maybe I am just an alpha female myself, I hazarded a reply. I asked Anderson if "he and Lisa were married?" It is then, that Anderson went ballistic. Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, when we draw the sword of truth in the war-zone of sin, there is going to be a battle. When we point out the way of God to an unrepentant sinner, be prepared for all manner of hell to break loose.
Anderson threw up every justification and excuse in the book. He had been living this ungodly lifestyle for so long that he had become an expert apologist for fornication. He pulled the old, " you don't understand, but I've been through a nasty divorce leaving me unable to trust!" I countered with, "yes, I do understand because many people in my life including my own parents had nasty divorces."
I asked him, why doesn't he "consider marrying Lisa?" To this came the shocking reply that he "wouldn't marry Lisa and if I (Anderson) did want to get married it wouldn't be to Lisa, it would be to
somebody better!" I was so deeply hurt for Lisa. This man whom she had given herself to, whom
she had cared for, and with whom she had spent many years has no respect or love for her.
Anderson and I were interrupted by the announcement that the Bible study was about to begin. As I pulled my Bible out, Anderson whispered, "Excuse me, just one more thing, can you butt out of my business." To this I answered that he "is the one who chose to put his business in my face" and because he did that "it is my right and responsibility to stand up for the Lord and His principles. I reminded him that he "was in God's house."
There are so many lessons contained in an everyday story such as this. It is imperative that we as Christians begin to reflect upon some of these today. First, how is it that people in any godly church could sit there for years and still arrogantly brag about unmarried sexual exploits? How important is it for churches to teach biblical principles of marriage and sexuality?
Is it easier to street preach or witness to complete strangers than it is to share the gospel with our family, or people sitting next to us in Church? What are we afraid of? If you had to state Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, could you? Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior confronted all of these questions within his earthly Ministry.
Are we like the Pharisees, well acquainted with the Bible, but failing in the practical applications of these principles in our life? The Pharisees got lost in the scriptures as an intellectual pursuit but could not really understand the salvation message. So when someone like Anderson, or the Samaritans in the following biblical example, failed to receive the message there is condemnation and no hope.
"Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down and consume them?" But Jesus answered, "you do not know what kind of Spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke 9:54-56. Here we see Jesus clarifying the situation for those inclined toward
the Pharisidic spirit. In the following example, Jesus had preached to the Samaritans. So, lesson number one, we must speak God's message to Anderson. Lesson number two, just like the followers of Jesus we will be frustrated when people do not receive that message. Lesson number three, don't
condemn those people or lose sight of the fact that Jesus has come to save lives. Have faith in what God can do in someone's life.
Or, are we like the Sadducees? The Sadducees view of life could be prevalent in your Church if it seems more like a social club than a place where Jesus is lifted high. Coffee house or house of God? The Sadducees were afraid "to rock the boat," this seems a lot like attitudes in my Church about Anderson. "Oh Anderson, don't you look nice today?" "Anderson comes to Church every week, isn't that wonderful!" "Oh my, I can't believe what Anderson just said but I don't want to get involved." "Oh, this is a bit of a sticky wicket isn't it?"
Jesus Christ preached to both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, correcting them and pointing out true godliness. He would be the first to sit down with sinners, reaching out to all the lost people on the fringes of society, and we should too. That means, Deacon *** or Pastor ***, sharing a meal with the Anderson's of this world and doing as Jesus did to point that person in the right direction. In Matthew 9:9-13, we see one instance of Jesus doing that. "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow me." So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples,"Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."
Are we more concerned with keeping up appearances rather than keeping the faith? Are we superficial believers or does it go deeper? Yes, Jesus calls us to a deeper and more mature life. A life where we make sure no one in our church falls between the cracks : not Anderson or anyone else on the fringes of church life. After my encounter with Anderson, I was more resolved then ever to reach those in my Church for Christ. I went home and printed out four pages of biblical teachings on why we should not be living together without being married. A brother in Christ, who literally sat between Anderson and myself at church when we had our encounter, was the person who delivered those biblical teachings to Anderson this past Sunday. He too cares for Anderson and wants to help him understand the meaning of biblical truths. I will pray everyday this week that we reach Anderson for Christ.
* names and some details are changed.
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