The Gospel According To Matthew 25
I’m sure MOST Christians have read Matthew 25 where Jesus speaks about feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty something to drink, inviting the stranger in, clothing people, visiting the sick, and visiting those in prison. Even though we have “read” it – have we really taken it to heart. Everything you read there is simply the heart of Jesus in action – LOVE. Jesus came to “seek and save that which was lost” but while He was here He made it a point to touch lives by helping with basic needs and ministering to those who were hungry, thirsty, sick and hurting. It’s one thing to say you care – it’s totally another to SHOW you care. We are to be a people of ACTION – LOVE is an action word!!
I’m so thankful that Life House has taken on the challenge from day one to try to show love in action t all people. Our church will never be about “bank accounts”, ”CD’s” and the like. It won’t be about a building or about the ”looks” of things…this ministry will be a hands on ministry that uses whatever means God provides for us to meet needs, touch people and reach them for Jesus. Let me give you a quick example of what I mean.
This past weekend some of our friends, who have opened up a new ministry downtown called “I Love Evelyn”, cooked up some hamburgers, opened their hearts, fed some homeless, hungry people and just spent the afternoon loving on them with God’s love. No cost involved. No high pressure. This couple has become a part of the Life House Church Family and they invited any and all who showed up Saturday to eat to to go with them to church on Sunday morning. Those who wanted to go to church Sunday were to meet in a particular location and they would have the church van pick them up. Well, when they went to pick up those who wanted to go to church – the very people who said hat they wanted to go church didn’t show but four others did. This group came to Life House Sunday morning, shared in our Life House Coffee Shop Fellowship time before the morning service then stayed for worship with us. The LORD showed up in a mighty way and two of those four men as well as one other young man – GOT SAVED in the altar! The tears were flowing and Jesus was all over the building and the glory came down!! A simple hamburger, a show of unconditional love and willingness to open your heart resulted in some people having their lives changed for eternity. HMMM….now how much is ONE soul worth? At least the cost of a homemade hamburger? At least a couple of hours of your time? YES, YES, YES – a THOUSAND TIMES YES!
I’m convinced that this is REAL ministry.Ministry that goes beyond the “religiosity” of the day (and that’s a Ross”ism” -but it simply means – full of religious look and feel but empty). How close is the average church today to looking like the church in the book of Acts? Sadly, I’m afraid in many cases there is no comparision. The average church today is so far removed from their purpose, design and calling all because we’ve “dressed it up” and made it more of a “religious country club” rather than allowing the church to be what it was created to be — the hands, heart and feet of Jesus.
The gospel according to Matthew 25….give it a try…I CHALLENGE you and your church family to get down on your knees, on your feet, out in the street and love somebody to Jesus today. You will NEVER be the same when you do it in JESUS NAME! Pastor James