How and Where Jesus Met and Taught People

[Sam Shewmaker]

I just saw the following comment James Nored made somewhere and I thought it was significant: "Out of 132 contacts that Jesus had w/people, 6 were in temple, 4 were in synagogue, & 122 were in the mainstream of life." Yes!

Also Jesus never invited anyone to the synagogue or the temple - where did he meet them? On the road ... along the lake ... in their homes.  Why not invite them to the temple or synagogue... especially when he was going to be speaking? Because the people he usually hung out with wouldn't have been welcome there anyway.

He was almost never 'one-on-one' with anyone ... possible exceptions: Nicodemus and the woman at the well of Sychar. There were almost always multiple witnesses to what he did and taught.

So? So why have we gotten into this thing of inviting people to 'church?' How long has it been since you were invited to a mosque? Did you go? Probably not. Why not? Because it's a scary thing to do. You don't know anyone there. You don't know what's expected of you or how to act. Its not the place for you.

We invite people to church because we enjoy it and we want the visitor to enjoy what we enjoy. We are comfortable and we think they should be comfortable. Jesus modeled doing the hard thing: going to the 'turf' of the people he was sent to reach ... going where they are comfortable (at the cost of being uncomfortable ... yes, even persecuted).

So, NEVER invite people to your church!! 

(One Caveat: If they ask you if they can come, its okay. That's a sign you are doing something right and have something they are searching for.

[Joe Palmer]

Sam,

I agree that it is a good idea to meet people in the community but inviting people to church is a good thing.

You didn't invite a non believer to a jewish temple. They were not allowed in by the very nature of who they were.

However in the church this is not the case. Inviting to people to church is a good thing. I hope everyone will do so and also work to teach them outside church.

[James Nored]

Sam, you have many good points here, including:
- Jesus pattern of sharing the gospel with others being primarily out in the marketplace
- The idea that we invite people to church because we are comfortable with this
- The idea that we should go to where lost people are comfortable.

You are probably using hyperbole when you say, "NEVER invite people to your church!!" But I would ask these questions on this point:
- Do you see any value of direct mail or other forms of mass advertising that invite people to "church"? Studies have shown that these direct mail pieces can often reach the "dechurched." Is this a good thing? What a direct mail piece inviting people to Bible study or service be better?
- When should a seeker start worshipping God? Should we not invite them to do this until they are baptized believers? Does worship have any role in the conversion process?
- Is there not something in our culture that points towards worship as an entry point for Christian life discovery?

[Sam Shewmaker]

Well, James let me rephrase that statement as "Don't make a habit of inviting UNBELIEVERS to your church!" We have got to start thinking like unbelievers in order to win unbelievers to Jesus. And we have got to obey Jesus command to go! He didn't command us to invite.

Forgive me but I think in the African context, we can't afford nor do we have the systems for direct mail. In Africa we are face to face, relationship-oriented. Mail used for this purpose is 'cold.' Others would have to decide what is effective in America. But generally I would say, the dechurched, the unchurched or whatever don't need information or an announcement about a Bible study. To start with, they need to be shown the gospel in a grace-filled Christ-like life. Jesus said, 'let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.' There's where worship begins.

Cornelius started worshipping God with his household in his home long before the evangelist showed up. As far as we know they never did 'go to church.' They just became church. Think about it, unbelievers who have no background in 'churchy stuff' could be totally turned off by your worship service. Imagine coming into a room with strange people doing strange rituals and mumbling things about drinking blood and eating someone's body. Hey, even in America we can be grossed out by cannibalism.

Just one man's thoughts ... I appreciate the discussion.

[James Nored]

Sam, I am much in agreement with your thoughts here. I was just wondering if you saw any role at all for these other elements.

Even in the US, direct mail is decreasing in effectiveness. I'm not opposed to it, but the lived out life is what is most powerful.

Sam Shewmaker said:

Well, James let me rephrase that statement as "Don't make a habit of inviting UNBELIEVERS to your church!" We have got to start thinking like unbelievers in order to win unbelievers to Jesus. And we have got to obey Jesus command to go! He didn't command us to invite. Forgive me but I think in the African context, we can't afford nor do we have the systems for direct mail. In Africa we are face to face, relationship-oriented. Mail used for this purpose is 'cold.' Others would have to decide what is effective in America. But generally I would say, the dechurched, the unchurched or whatever don't need information or an announcement about a Bible study. To start with, they need to be shown the gospel in a grace-filled Christ-like life. Jesus said, 'let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.' There's where worship begins.

Cornelius started worshipping God with his household in his home long before the evangelist showed up. As far as we know they never did 'go to church.' They just became church. Think about it, unbelievers who have no background in 'churchy stuff' could be totally turned off by your worship service. Imagine coming into a room with strange people doing strange rituals and mumbling things about drinking blood and eating someone's body. Hey, even in America we can be grossed out by cannibalism.

Just one man's thoughts ... I appreciate the discussion.

[Chris Walker]

I wonder about not inviting unbelievers to church.

I think it's a provocative statement that would be overly misinterpreted outside the context of the conversation.

To base an evangelism strategy SOLELY on personal or mass market invitations to church indeed would be weak. It lacks the relationship foundation that allows visitors to feel somewhat safe in a strange environment.

However, to neglect personal invitations would be to cut the church loose from it's partnership with those who do evangelism best through "Come and See" type invitations.

There are other factors at work in terms of a congregations health, the experience of worship and preaching, and of course, the work of the Holy Spirit, that support the role of the local church and the evangelists -- those go beyond the scope of the discussion here.

In my work, most people are more comfortable inviting people to church and talking about their church, than they are about their faith. I can encourage them to talk more about their faith, but to tell them to stop inviting people to church would backfire.

Just my thoughts:
Chris