A Culture of Invitation
There’s a tension that I’ve noticed as I have continued to mature in my relationship with Jesus. I’ve noticed this tension with many others I run with as well. The tension usually comes in the form of a question we discuss a lot. “What’s the best way to make the Gospel relevant and inviting to those we love most without being weird, over-assertive, or passive?”
Just over 13 years ago I experienced a revival of heart that transformed my life. It was my moment of returning from being the prodigal son. I was miserable and depressed from failing to be free from my choices to live a lifestyle of sin and lust. Through a series of fortunate events, I began to see God for who He really is, my good Father. I will never forget that season with the Lord. I was so deeply transformed that I became relentless at sharing my testimony of experiencing the Father to almost anyone who would listen, from friends, family, and strangers. I can remember working in an electronics retail store at the time and using it as my sowing ground for the gospel. I would pray for physically impaired customers to be healed, ask my apprehended shoplifters to repent and be saved as we waited for the cops to arrive, UNASHAMED-ly (if you know, you know) blast my CHH music for my co-workers to hear and spark conversations. During this season I would tell all of my family how I really knew the Lord now and they had to know Him as I did, I was so passionate that I had no problem arguing for hours on end about lower priority theological differences. Such zeal, such passion. I also can’t help but be sober and a bit saddened as well because there’s a huge difference in my fervor to share so effortlessly. I had something special to give then. But what do I have that’s special now? I’ve matured in my relationship with Jesus much, my season of life has also matured and changed. I’m 10 years married to God’s greatest earthly gift to me and have four beautiful children with one more cookin’. While I had such zeal then I had no place or depth to disciple someone.
I’m sharing this because we can often think the Gospel message is mostly about passionately communicating to someone our testimony of love for Jesus and their desperate need to follow Him in a few sentences or even multiple conversations. While this is true, it can often be incomplete. The Gospel message is as passionately and powerfully communicated through our lifestyle that we should vulnerably invite a person to see after sharing the simple Gospel. Paul, Timothy, and Silas said it like this to the church of Thessalonica,
7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. (1 Thess 2:7-9)
These men were committed to sharing their very own lives with those they were committed to proclaiming the Gospel of God to.
As I look at my life and you look at yours let’s take some time to ask a few questions to the Lord.
What does it look like for me to share the Gospel in this season?
How have I possibly limited my scope to sharing the gospel as a message without inviting someone to see my life?
Am I resting on the passion and zeal from a previous season of life, subconsciously excusing my responsibility to live in that same passion and zeal today?
Today’s blog is written by one of our pastors at GateCity Church, Ashlond Bolden, and is a part of our new series, NEIGHBORHOODS TO NATIONS. To watch our latest teaching in this series please visit our Youtube channel.
