There’s a danger we have in the established church when it comes to outreach. The danger is that we like the “out” in outreach too much – we want it to stay out there and not sully our pristine buildings and highly-controlled worship services.
That’s not the way Paul saw it. This is typical of him, from 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
Do you see it? Paul was just as happy to share his life with these people as he was to share the Gospel. Paul didn’t care if they were pagans, former idolaters, former sinners or Jews. He was pleased to live right among them, share meals with them, talk and laugh in the cool evenings, sitting on the rooftops or in the square or in a lamp-lit room as the sun went down.
It’s so easy for us to send money to missionaries, or to mentor a new church plant. We like our occasional visits to the soup kitchen or the prison ministry. But isn’t it often different when people come into our church and don’t know how to dress, or behave, or keep control of their kids? And even if we’re willing to welcome them to church, are we willing to include them in our lives? Will we invite them to game night or to walk with us in the morning? Do we want to have dinner with them?
I suspect that the reason Paul shared the gospel and his life simultaneously is because the gospel doesn’t mean much otherwise. How can we bring a message of forgiveness, acceptance and inclusion if we won’t then demonstrate those precious gifts by our own behavior?
People need both things, the gospel and to be part of community. Doesn’t our mission, then, involve bringing both?
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