Gigi's Blog

Friend Day

visioncgbc | October 09, 2007 05:37

Roger preached Sunday on the healing of the crippled man who had to be lowered through the roof by 4 friends so that he could reach Jesus.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%202:%201-12;&version=65;  You may be like me.  In the past I've thought "Aw.  How sweet.  What a nice story." But Roger taught it for what it really was.  Four friends who were determined to get this man to Jesus.  Men who were willing to take extreme measures.  Without those men, maybe that man wouldn't have received forgiveness and healing.  Roger taught on this to inspire our church for our upcoming friend day.  He specifically said that the ultimate goal is to bring lost people to church.  He knows the tendancy of many is to just get a saved friend to come with that person to church so the attendance will be high. I read something this morning in Proverbs that really spoke to me about how we are to "win" a person to the Lord.

 Proverbs 9:7-12

If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face;
   confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don't waste your time on a scoffer;
   all you'll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
   that's different—they'll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they'll be wiser for it;
   tell good people what you know—they'll profit from it.
Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
   insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
   and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
   mock life and life will mock you.

The problem with many Christ followers is they are trying to reason with cynics and confronting the bad behavior, and wasting their time on a scoffer before they care about life.  This scripture says don't waste your time.  Roger's "reach 'em, teach 'em, grow 'em, send 'em" catch phrase is correct.  The first thing is reach 'em.  It's not our job to clean a person up, it's God's and their's.  But, if we criticize these people before they even are "reached" and before they care about life, then we're doing more harm than good.

So I hope that the people who (God willing) are brought in on friend day, the people that may look dirty, or smell bad, or maybe they don't know yet that you can't talk during church, or other un-churchy behaviors that they might display, will be looked beyond until they care about life.  That's the first goal, is they understand the gift of God and receive it.

Yesterday had ups and downs.  But mostly ups.  Somewhere in the afternoon I started feeling bad, and I prayed that God would help me to feel better, and within no time I did.  I was able to take Chloe to ballet last night.  (Even though I didn't have on any make-up!)  It felt really good to be able to even to take that 1 thing off of Mark.  This morning Mark had to call and wake me up, and that truly was a miracle.  I've been waking up usually when he does, and sleeping pretty light.  But, I felt like I was really in a deep sleep last night, and it was great!  I know this because when I woke up to go to the bathroom I ran into the door.  But hey, that's good!  I thought I could get a dirt cheap plane ticket for the songwriting seminar, but that has fallen through.  I'm not totally giving up that God wants me to go next week, but I am at total peace if it truns out He doesn't.  Only He could give me this kind of peace.

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