We Are Called to
Welcoming Ministry
Acts 9:26-31 (May
19, 2019)
Since 2001, the United
Methodist Church has actively involved in promoting who we are as a church to
the public through various communication channels such as televisions, radios,
newspapers, and highway billboards. (PPTs
on TV, radio, newspaper, highway billboard Ads) (3 slides)
We have organized a special
department, called "The Igniting Ministry," to specialize in
production and promotion of this new advertising campaign.
Thus the Igniting Ministry
witnesses the Gospel to the world by utilizing modern design skills and media
channels. Our PRs are on air three times each year: during the Lent, during the
Back-to-school and during the Advent including Christmas.
The United Methodist PRs take
the focus specifically on the baby boomers, ages 25-60. It is a strategy to
bring young folks to God’s love. Personally, I highly regard the effort of the United
Methodist Church to target young generations.
In fact, most local churches
of the UMC are maintained by those who have been so loyal to their churches for
a long time. Most of those dedicated people are older than 65.
As a result, in the UMC there
are not many young lives who would follow the footsteps of such loyal servants
of God. (Of course, this is the sad story of the most established denominations
including the United Methodist Church.)
I have no intention to look
down the commitments of the old-timers to their beloved faith communities. But my
worry is that, if they are going to their eternal home, who will take care for
God’s Church in the days to come?
To respond to this urgent problems,
therefore, the United Methodist Church is trying hard to bring young people into
the church through the Igniting Ministry Campaign.
Fortunately, our PRs are getting
a good response from young generations. Many young lives are taking their steps
back to the United Methodist Church. It means the Igniting Ministry's PR
strategy is a success.
But there’s a problem the
United Methodist Church has never been aware of. It is that the local churches don’t
know how to welcome the young visitors coming to their churches after watching our
advertisements.
The United Methodist PRs are
an invitation for anyone to visit any United Methodist congregations nearby if
he/she is looking for a new meaning of life, if he/she is lonely and looking
for companionship, and if he/she is searching for life purpose.
So attracted to the
invitation, the young people walked into local UM churches. However, the local United
Methodist congregations where they stopped by are not the same people as seen on
TVs. Unlike the advertising, most UM local churches are not ready to open their
doors to young visitors. It is not a place for them to open their hearts and minds
and talk with.
In their point of view, the
local UM congregations are tied up with a long-standing tradition. They don’t have
a worship service for new generations. Their fellowship is only for the
existing members to greet each other.
Of course, they don’t mind
to have a new face, but don’t welcome the new person genuinely, either. So many
young folks coming to the United Methodist Church felt disappointed and stepped
out silently.
Brothers and sisters, how
do the young people see our gathering after watching the Igniting Ministry Ads and
coming to us? Are we an ideal congregation to them as seen on the TVs?
Of course, I wish, when
visitors come to us, they will notice, “This church is interested in me and
welcomes me genuinely!”
I believe this is not only my
personal wish as a pastor but also a strong desire of God who wants to save the
lost souls in the world through us. Do not you think so?
So how can we transform us into
a welcoming congregation for all people?
The answers to this
question can be found in Acts 9: 26-31.
* When [Saul] came to
Jerusalem (vs. 26a)
A young man, named Saul, walked
into God’s Church in Jerusalem. Caught up by Jesus the Risen Lord on the way to
Damascus and experienced a great spiritual ecstasy in Antioch, now Saul
returned to Jerusalem and walked into a faith community there.
Just as Saul visited a
church in Jerusalem, millions of people today are looking for a spiritual shelter.
Having watched the Igniting Ministry Ads, they stop by the UM local churches.
Of course, some come to us due to their work transfers or new residences.
* [Saul] tried to join the
disciples (vs. 26b)
The reason for Saul to visit
the Jerusalem Church was due to his strong wanting to associate with the Lord’s
disciples there.
Then who are the “disciples
of the Lord”? They are all believers confessing Jesus as their Lord and being
determined to live according to his laws.
Saul wanted to have
fellowship with the disciples in Jerusalem and to grow up in faith among them. It
means he wanted to learn what it would look like to enjoy spiritual companionship
among the senior-believers who’d come to the Lord before and to go through life
transformation as a true disciple of the Lord.
Even today, as stopping by a
local church, most visitors do not walk in without any reason. When showing up,
they are looking for something from us. It means they come in to find their wants
from us.
And it means they want to
find their needs from that particular congregation.
Just like Saul who walked
into a church in Jerusalem to build a spiritual companionship with the Lord’s
disciples, some people come to us to dive into a deep spiritual realm. On the
brink of life, some come to find answers. Some are seeking for a solution to
their skepticism of life and regaining a new vision. In faith some want to be
cured.
When Jesus was still in his
public service, many people came to him with their problems. But he welcomed
them all. Moreover, he said like this:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light.”(MT 11:28-31)
In this regard, we should
welcome all our guests and help them find what they want.
In this vein, when greeting
newcomers, not only the receptionists, but all of us, should come and say to
them, "How can I help you? Do you need anything? If you do, please feel
free to tell me. I'll be glad to be a help for you."
* But they were all afraid
of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. (vs. 26c)
Saul, a new convert,
visited God’s people, but the disciples were rather afraid of him. They ignored
him on purpose. Of course, it would never be easy for them to accept Saul in
the beginning.
Who was Saul? He was the
very oppressor destroying so many churches in Jerusalem. “On that day a great persecution broke out
against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered
throughout Judea and Samaria” (Act 8:1). Saul was the main force to initiate the
great persecutions against God’s Church behind the scene.
As a result, it was not
easy for the disciples of the Lord to trust in Saul’s conversion in the
beginning. We can fully understand their hard feelings against Saul. However,
it is never recommended for God’s people to stay away from anyone on purpose.
God’s Church should never
be exclusive to anyone for any reason. We must be inclusive to all regardless
who they were and who they are.
"He was such a jerk before
therefore he cannot be one of us. He is still ruthless, thus we cannot tolerate
him." These words or thoughts are never acceptable among God’s people.
The reason is this: In the
past we were also one of those like Saul. Therefore, it is never right for us to
push anyone away for any reason.
The Church of God must
embrace everyone in God’s unconditional love. That is the heart of the Gospel
of Christ we’ve learned.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew,
then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a
righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The
righteous will live by faith’” (Rom 1:16-17).
Righteousness is not
achieved by our good works in the past or in the present, but only by our faith
in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, no matter how we
think of any person, we should be convinced that he can be righteous by the
blood of Jesus after his genuine belief in Jesus Christ.
* But Barnabas took him and
brought him to the apostles. (vs. 27a)
When the disciples in Jerusalem
were still in doubt of Saul's conversion, there was one person who acted differently.
He was Barnabas.
Barnabas initiated to approach
Saul, who was in sorrow because of being rejected by the Lord’s disciples. Barnabas
stretched his hand out to Saul first. He spoke to him. He listened to his
conversation story. And he was convinced that Saul’s conversion was genuine.
And then Barnabas did not
stop there. He took an extra step. Grabbing Saul's hand, Barnabas brought him before
the apostles of the Lord.
This is what we should take
an extra look and need to learn. Often, when a visitor walks among us, we don’t
mind to share with him a brief moment of greetings, albeit awkwardly. A few
words are exchanged. But our fellowship with him doesn’t go further. We think
that we have done enough to greet him.
But we should never forget
is this: Our mission doesn’t stop with exchanging a few welcoming words with
the visitors and then breaking up. If anyone comes to us, we should consider
that he is God's precious soul and he is sent to our care on that day.
Thus when having a new person,
we should think, "God must entrust his precious soul to my care today!"
And at our best we must stay close with him so that he will not feel awkward among
us.
It is never easy for any visitor
to get along with the existing members in the beginning. If he initiates to get
to know, the existing members may have a bad feeling toward him and give him a
warning: "If you are here new, you better know how to behave now."
But what would happen if
the existing members are actively interceding to converse with him? New people
will be able to interact with many more existing members and they can easily become
one of us afterwards.
Both in the past and in the
present God’s Church is in need of more greeters like Barnabas smiling to the
new comers and serving them in love. We are in need of more loving hearts associating
with the visitors and helping them settle in our fellowship. We are in need of
more people like Barnabas to serve as a bridge between new people and existing members.
Brothers and sisters, aren’t
you trying to become like Barnabas for your beloved church from now on? Aren’t
you?
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