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Every once in a while, someone in my church will have a need that I feel I can do something about. This past week provided one such opportunity. Within the Christian circles that I run, a great deal of emphasis is spent on being outward focused. A church with an outward focus is supposed to be (I think) primarily concerned with the needs of individuals outside of the church. I might have that wrong.
The way I think that looks would be like this – an outward minded believer’s primary ministry would focus on helping the poor outside of the church, finding the lost (obviously) outside of the church, or helping people with addictions outside of the church. If I’ve got this all wrong, please chastise me gently.
So when I recognize a need of a fellow believer and when I am compelled to do something about that need, I question whether or not ‘it counts’. When we’re led in our hearts to act compassionately towards those within our own body of believers, is it possibly an outpouring of the Holy Spirit through our lives, or is it just another mode of self service?
What are the distinguishing characteristics of a Holy Spirit filled Christian? (Not that there are any other kinds of Christians.) Is it a life of street ministry? Is it the individual who focuses on meeting the needs of single moms? Is mission work in the developing world the hallmark of a genuine Christian? Maybe I’m misinterpreting the words of Jesus, but it isn’t our work around the globe or our involvement in the community that identifies us as the people of Christ.
John 13:35 (New International Version, ©2010)
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The way that we love each other, as fellow believers is that very quality which identifies us as having been made right with The Father through Christ The Son. Much of the ministry that I see in the life of the early church could be considered to be what many people might think of as having an inward focus. Many Christians in the early church were extremely generous financially; even selling property and giving it to the Apostles. As far as I can tell, much of it went to help individuals within the community of faith. With what little I have before me, the early church was a community of individuals who cared for each other’s welfare as if they were a big family. Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35 Most of the work outside of the church had to do with the Apostles publicly testifying to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and performing miracles in His name.
Perhaps the clearest example of compassionate/provisional ministry is shown to us in Paul’s letter to Timothy. 1Timothy 5:3-16 Caring for the true widows of the church was one of the primary concerns of the early church and we not only see this through Paul’s direction to Timothy, but we see it in action from the pages of Acts 6. In what we might refer to as the early church’s first ministry program, 7 men were chosen to oversee the daily distribution of food to the widows of the church.
I don’t even pretend to know what a church should look like. If I had a church, you could guarantee that it wouldn’t get the bulk of its ministerial direction from me. I’m not advocating the kind of faith that willfully and blindly allows non-believers to rot in hell. Neither am I advocating that a church should base its ‘music program’ on playing only the style of music that its tried and true members want to hear. What I am trying to say is this;
It’s ok to love each other.
In fact, I’d personally go a little farther than that. If your brother is suffering from a bout of December depression and he messages you asking to get together soon, it’s ok to opt out of the Friday night street evangelism. In my opinion (and yes, it is only an opinion), part of the attraction to the early Church was the way the believers cared for each other, not for their involvement en masse into the community.
You aren’t allowed to use this as a manual for planning your church’s outreach program, but if we aren’t a people who love each other, if we aren’t a people who help each other, if we aren’t there for each other when we’re needed, why would anyone want to be a believer anyway?
That’ll be five cents please. That’s about what it’s worth.
I was actually thinking about that this week. I've realized I have people right around me who I can minister to. Except they're already Christians. Does it count?
ReplyDeleteI think Yes. We as a body must care for one another as well as unbelievers. The love must start in the Church.
It's not about one or the other - it's about both. For some churches "external focus" means "we've been too internally focused and we need balance" - which is accurate for more churches; for other churches it means "we've been too internally focused so now we're going to stop that be externally focused" - which is erroneous thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe full work discipleship involves invitation, care, and retrieval. While new community is formed with the making of new disciples, deeper community is found only as continue to invite, but also pursue the other two aspects of disciple-making.
Until we see these three as interdependent and essential elements of a greater whole, the depth of fellowship in our communities of faith will remain shallow.
The rhythm of life as a family of faith must be both inward and outward, unseen and visible, internal towards fellowship and external towards evangelism. If we are weak, neglectful, or intentionally avoid one dimension, it weakens the whole.
I'd give you at LEAST 5 bucks Kevin. That's better than a nickel anywhere you go. You are absolutely right - without love I am nothing.
ReplyDeleteA word that keeps popping up for me this week is "embodiment". The old adage that "actions speak louder than words" is true and when our actions are motivated by the love of Christ, people take note. I recall a person relating how touched he was to have someone come and visit him while he was recovering from surgery. They came at the right time carrying a certain presence, saying the right words and leaving him in a better place than when they first arrived. I think they even brought something they had prepared for him to eat. Others came to visit but it was as though they did it because they felt obligated - the result was not the same. The whole visit was too contrived. There is a big need for the church to be the embodiment of Christ to the world around us. I think that this is "where the rubber meets the road".
Thanks for your thought. All of you. Margaret for your consistant partnership, Michael for clarification and Darryl for seeing the love. Without love (within OR outside of the church) we're just annoying.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about this. On the one hand, it is a nice gesture to help the needy. But how does one do that?
ReplyDeleteSome people don't want to be helped. Often I am afraid that I may be "judging" someone if they don't share my lifestyle.
Heather and I had this debate about our Sunday School's annual donation to World Vision.
My comment was - how long do we keep sending the same amount of funds to the same child? He is 16 now. Forever? Is there a magical age where he no longer neeeds it? Why are we sending this amount?
For example, if $100 is good, is $1,000 great? What if we gave $1,000,000? Could all the problems be solved? But wait - I thought money does not buy happiness...
Is there a better solution? Or are we doing it to make ourselves feel better?
At the end of the day, we each need to be at peace with our decisions, whether outward or inward.