I really hate it when people make me rethink what I think I know? One of my struggles in planting a church is what do we do with messy people. What do we do when someone comes to church who is having an affair? What do we do with the guy who comes to church hung over every time? What do we do with the gay guy. What about the women who beleives God is a woman? How do these people fit into the church when they are so messy?
Here’s the problem, these people go to all kinds of places everyday and they fit in just fine. So why don’t they fit into the church? Here’s my question, is the problem with us or the church? I think our problem is with the church!
We have countless numbers of churches who are dead or dying because people don’t fit in in those churches. We just expect people to come into church and change and be like us. I don’t think this is biblical. I think the bible teaches us as the church to go into the messy community, live, eat, play with messy people, be like them, and at the same time tell them the wonderful story of Jesus Christ.
I think I am starting to understand what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19 For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law —to win those under the law. 21 To those who are outside the law, like one outside the law—not being outside God’s law, but under the law of Christ—to win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, that I may become a partner in its benefits.
I think about all the gentiles that Paul ministered to. They were not Jews, they weren’t even circumcised! Yet Paul ministered to them by being like them. That meant he went to them, lived with them, ate with them. Paul got it! What will it take for us to stop thinking that we are better than people because we know Jesus Christ. The gift of salvation is great and it does change us, but we are still messy people. The problem is we just sweep our mess under the rug, so people don’t see it. We must stop avoiding messy people, and get out of our buildings and build relationships with messy people. They are just like us, they just don’t know Jesus yet. Who’s going to tell them the story!
