Can God Trust Us?

​Can God Trust Us?

"My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality (toward people--show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery." James 2:1

In this passage, James continues on and compares the rich man and poor man and ends in v. 13 with, "For judgement will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but to the one who has shown mercy, mercy triumphs over judgment."

As I have been reading through the book of James in my time with Jesus, I have also been reading through the book, The Gospel Comes with a HouseKey and a simple question was asked of me:

"Can I trust you?"

In describing radically ordinary hospitality, the author says this kind of hospitality "characterizes those who don't fuss over different worldviews represented at the dinner table. The truly hospitable aren't embarrassed to keep friendships with people who are different. They know that there is a difference between acceptance and approval, and they courageously accept and respect people who think differently from them. They don't worry that others will interpret their friendship.

JESUS DINED WITH SINNERS, BUT HE DIDN'T SIN WITH SINNERS.  JESUS LIVED IN THE WORLD, BUT HE DIDN'T LIVE LIKE THE WORLD. 

Jesus dined with sinners not because sin is no big deal. Jesus dined with sinners so that He could get close enough to touch us so that He could participate as a healer and helper and more than anything for their salvation.

This is the Jesus paradox.  And it defines those who are willing to suffer with others for the sake of gospel sharing and gospel living, those who care more for integrity than appearances."

It got me to thinking. Can God trust me with those He sends to me? Can God trust Church Inside Out with those He sends us?

Living in a post-Christian society even here in Oklahoma, God is going to send people that don't look like us, sound like us or believe like us.

Am I/Are we willing to walk with people before they are saved and after they are saved? Discipleship nowadays happens even before salvation. Am I/Are we willing to take a person's present condition and love them towards Jesus?

Am I/Are we willing to walk with people AFTER they get saved? 

Church Inside Out is the gathering place for those we reach in our communities on the streets. They come with baggage and worldviews different from us.

Why is this so important?
Because God wants to use Church Inside Out to reach the broken, and through house church, He is affording us the opportunity to be on the front lines of the battle.

Can God trust me? Can God trust us? Will God be able to trust us to minister to the homosexual couple? Will God be able to trust us to minister to the addicted person? Will God be able to trust us to love the person who has been broken by abuse and neglect? Will God be able to trust us with the person hurt by church? Will God be able to trust us with the person who thinks they have it all together?

House Church is, I believe, one way God is orchestrating for broken people to come back to God. God is going to use the radical, ordinary hospitality of those who are passionate about Jesus. Our homes become hospitals and incubators for the Gospel to grow.

Radical ordinary hospitality is a threshold. It meets people where they are and asks us to die so that others can live.

Am I ready for the calling God has to reach broken people with the Gospel? Are you ready? Many are not entering a brick and mortar church because they are seen as lepers. May they enter our homes and house churches because they are seen as one who God created.

Broken to Be a Blessing,
Mike

Would you pray for our House Church Shepherds and Hosts? COVID has stirred again and we are taking it week by week in determining next steps. Above all, pray for encouragement for them as they help shepherd our body!