Jesus is The Subject

   
    The other day I was speaking to a young lady when our conversation turned to church. She knew I was a pastor, and she quickly informed me she hadn't been to church for a long time. In fact, she was very adamant that she would never walk into another church again. When I asked her why, she told me of an incident that took place with another person in a service whose words offended her. Immediately, my conversation went to why she should reconsider coming back to church. And this is where the conversation stayed until it was over. 

    On the way home, I remarked to my wife how frustrated I was for having made that mistake. You see, my error was making the subject about her coming into a building; joining with strangers as they meet, sing, and pray to God. Of course, this isn't a bad thing. I do it every week (not the strangers part, of course). I enjoy it and highly recommend it. But it's not the primary issue we should be discussing with the world.

   Nowhere in the Bible does it tell Christians to invite people to a building. On the contrary, we're commanded by God to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-19). This means we introduce them to Jesus; encourage them to start a personal relationship with Him; and help them learn and follow His teachings found in His Word. In fact, we're the ones being told by God to "go". We're not to stay in a building and ask the world to come to us! But too often, we tell people to come follow our rules, traditions, and man-made rituals, and this is what makes you part of God's Church. And this is where we Christians error.

   What are we to do then? We are to make Jesus the subject of our conversations. No building or service or list of rules will ever save someone from their sins (Ephesians 2:8-9). Only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can do that!  

   I'm not excusing this person's choice not to come to church...that's not my point. I'm saying I shouldn't have kept our conversation on her offense or why she needs to come back to church. Rather, I should have told her that people in churches have hurt and let me down and that I have hurt and let down others as well.

   And then I should've said, "Jesus is the reason I sit in a building each week with the church and share my life with them. He's the reason I have hope and joy. He's the One that forgave me and gives me the power to forgive myself and others. It's all about Him and what He has done for me and others, and what He can do for you if you'll let Him!" In other words, I should have made Jesus the subject of our conversation.  

   Today, I sat across the table from a homeless man who is in town for a couple of days before he heads out East. I didn't ask him if he attended a church or whether or not he would make it to our service this Sunday. I didn't ask him if he was a member of another church or denomination. As he ate, I started our conversation out by asking him this, "Who do you think Jesus is?"

   

A Rose by Any Other Name...

    Another popular couple is calling it quits after several years of marriage and two children later. I know this isn't shocking given that Hollywood couples rarely stay together. However, the reason I bring this particular on up is the fact that this couple (with the help of their “coach” mind you) decided to define this action in a very unique way. They’ve called their decision to end their marriage a “conscious uncoupling”. Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably scratching your head right now and saying to yourself, huh?

   In essence, this “uncoupling” describes their desire to separate on amicable terms with one another. Okay, I get that, but you are still separating, right?

   It surprises me how often we rename things and think it will bring a different result. Call divorce whatever you want, but children of “conscious uncoupling” are still going to go through the same guilt, fears, questions, and struggles that every child goes through when their parents divorce. Changing the name of something doesn’t change what it is. Today your boss could fire you and you could choose to call it an “involuntary career change” but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not paying you anymore! 

  My sadness is thinking how many couples will use this faulty logic when it comes to their own relationships and “uncouple” from each other because it sounds better rather than work out their differences because that’s what’s best for the whole family. 

    In William Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo & Juliet, there's a famous line that Juliet recites. While speaking of her love of Romeo who happens to be a Montague, a family that is hated by her family, she questions--what’s in a name? In other words, it matters more what something is rather than what it’s called, therefore, “a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.”
   And a divorce by any other name still ends in two people, severing a relationship that was supposed to last until death parted them. And let me add, a divorce by any other name still smells the same!