What does your church look like? Does it represent the Kingdom of God or is it filled with beautiful people? If it's only filled with beautiful people it might be time to for you to rethink church. If it's programmed and decked out for the beautiful people you might want to be careful.
Jesus told this story in response to a situation at a dinner party he was attending: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE BECAME ANGRY AND ORDERED HIS SERVANT, 'GO OUT QUICKLY INTO THE STREETS AND ALLEYS OF THE TOWN AND BRING IN THE POOR, THE CRIPPLED, THE BLIND AND THE LAME!" " 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and MAKE THEM COME IN, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' " (Find it in Luke 14)
The Kingdom of God is about the redemption, healing and restoration of broken people.
A follower of Jesus once wrote: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - St. James
Has your church been polluted by the world by becoming an exclusive club? The world creates country clubs and memberships. The church creates great banquets for the least, the last and the lost. It goes out and makes them come in.
By the way, what are the membership fees over there? |
