A World Apart

I usually don't blog much about messages that I hear on Sunday morning. I try to stick with revelations and ah ha moments I get as my day goes forward. But today, Pastor D talked about operating with a sense of urgency. More so sharing our faith in Christ with others with a sense of urgency.

I guess this kinda hit home for me today after hanging out with some friends last night. My girl, Gre' had a fundraiser at her house to raise money for Peru and she invited a lot of people. Her church friends as well as friends she has met over the years and coworkers. I already knew how the night was going to play out because I have seen it happen before. People will gather in groups with people they know and pretty much stay that way, with very little mingling. Yeah we said the usual "Hi, nice to meet you" but other than that, there was not much mixing of the two worlds. It got a little more weird when one of Gre's non church friends broke out the bottle of Grey Goose and orange juice, sat in a circle in the floor and and proceeded to drink. It didnt bother me because even though I don't drink often, I am not going to knock anyone that does (within reason of course.)

When just about everyone was gone and all that were left were me and a couple of our church friends, Gre mentioned that one of her friends said that we were anti social. I could believe it. The church people were deeply in grossed in various cards games around the house, myself included, and none of us really stopped and invited the other people to join us. And that's how it happens. It happened at my friend Sheena's BBQ/housewarming a few weeks ago. Saved and unsaved people in a house together. When we gathered to pray blessings over her home and family, all of her unsaved friends and family walked out. Actually they spent most of the time outside while we stayed inside and fellowshipped like we always do.

I have found myself having to choose between two worlds, the world I left behind and the new world that I have embraced since coming to Christ. But why? Why do I have to feel like I have to be one way with my unsaved friends and another way, the real me, with my saved friends? I am not the super spiritual, fire and brimstone, radical Christian at all, but I do have my values and standards. I find myself being pulled more towards my Christian family and the things of Christ than I do my older friends. I love talking about God and all that He does, I love hearing praise reports and even hearing about trials that people are going through while still holding firmly to their faith. I love just being able to laugh, worship and feel free to not be like the rest of the world. With my old friends, the conversations are usually on the latest reality show, the last time someone has had sex, relationships that are totally outside God's will for us, oppression, anger, unforgiveness, selfishness, partying, material things and everything else that the world says is good. I hate seeing people be "holy" when the mood fits but full of sin the other 90% of the time. People that I once thought were pretty good spiritually but by my own observations, are only that way on Sunday or when they decide to put on that Christian hat.

Pastor D pointed out that when most people become Christians, they tend to stay in their Christian circles and forget about the people still in the world. The most we do is pray from afar but not really take the effort to reach out to them and share the love of Christ. For me, I usually stay within the confines of my Christian circle though for a while, I have seriously been feeling the nudge to bring other people in or at least step outside my circle and mingle with those that are not saved. I think my interactions with my co-worker sparked that feeling. Though she is not saved, she totally understands and respects my faith and even asks questions and advice. She does that because I don't judge and I always remind her of the pit of Hell that was my life before Christ.

I believe my problem is the fact that I always tell people that accepting salvation is a choice. Your own personal choice. And it is. I made the decision to follow Christ and no one forced me. But for many, they choose not to follow Christ because someone came to them in the name of Christ and offended them. Someone close to them died, was hurt, was sick, left them, hurt them, and they feel like God didn't care about them. Maybe they feel like they are too far from saving. They have done so much crap in their lives that they feel like they are beyond repair. It can be host of reasons why they don't attend church or follow Christ, no excuse is worth them going to Hell over. That is my sense of urgency.

My inability or lack of desire to carry out the Great Commission is sending people to Hell. No I can't take responsibility for people and their sins and mistakes. But I can take responsibility for my own calling from God. The ministry of reconciliation. Every Christian has the call to bring people to Christ. I can serve in every area of my church, lead a million small groups and pray until the cows come home, but if I am not sharing my faith and bringing the unsaved to Christ, then what was it all for?