A Servant Heart

 

Would Jesus be welcomed at your church? I would hope that most churches would, at the very least, think that He would be welcomed into their church. Perhaps a better question would be: would a smelly, dirty, homeless person wearing torn-up rags of clothes be welcomed at your church?

That is not really an easy question with a simple answer. Many families with small children would stop coming if their church had a large group of sex offenders attending. Most people would avoid sitting near someone who smells bad. A Muslim woman wearing a hijab would probably not feel very welcomed at most churches. Neither would a prostitute wearing revealing clothing.

I guess to really answer these questions, your church would need to decide why your local church exists. Are you there as a meeting place for believers only? If so, then you would not have to figure out how to handle a Muslim attending your church because they would not be welcomed until they converted to Christianity. Does your church exist primarily as a place that provides safe and secure surroundings for families? Then you would probably not be all that welcoming to known sex offenders, homeless people, or prostitutes.

If your church exists to love God, reach your community with the gospel, make disciple-making disciples, and serve the needs of those in your community then these issues become something that you must be prepared for and you must make plans to train your church members how to be open and accepting of all people.

I remember the days of the bus ministries in churches. Many churches saw this as a great way to suddenly grow their attendance. Parents were more than willing to let churches take their children off of their hands for 2-3 hours each Sunday. The parents rarely attended the church as well, but sometimes the bus ministry opened the door to get the parents and even grandparents to start attending the church. Bus ministries were great evangelism tools for children, especially among lower income neighborhoods, but they also created some major obstacles for churches.

Our church in Norfolk, Virginia, had a large bus ministry back in the 70s. One day we had a child come to church without shoes. An elderly lady in the church got onto him for coming to church in his bare feet. Immediately the bus director came to his defense and let this woman know that "Johnny" did not own any shoes, but that the church was going to get him some so he would have shoes for next Sunday.

I also recall a church member complaining about those "dirty bus kids" putting their hands all over the clean walls at the church. The pastor quickly put an end to that conversation by reminding this man that a can of paint did not cost that much and was certainly worth the cost to help save a soul. This church was serious about reaching people for Jesus and the members were often taught and reminded about their goal and the cost of that goal.

I don't have all of the answers, but I know that churches must be growing people who have servant hearts. Our buildings need to look less like country clubs for the elites and more like a family gathering place that is full of transformed, growing, loving, accepting people that have plans for how to deal with lost, hurting, suffering, broken, and recovering people. We must set aside our own desires and realize that we are called to serve the least of these.

Would your church members accept the least of these? Would they be willing to invite the least of these into their daily lives: sit down at a coffee shop or over lunch at their favorite restaurant or in their own home with someone who fits that description? Would Jesus be welcomed at your church?

“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 

“Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 

Matthew 25:44-45