Jesus Followers

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Scythes, Harvest, and the Bare Arms of Laborers

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Scythes, Harvest, and the Bare Arms of Laborers

Let me tell you what a tragedy is.  Every day, millions of Christians spend all of their waking ours giving no thought to spiritual death their neighbors live.  Every week, those same Christians show up to a building where they have an experience and do nothing of significance to advance the Kingdom.  Every year, millions of dollars are spent on making that experience as comfortable and as entertaining as possible for those very same Christians who are doing nothing to fulfill the Great Commission.

God's People

Bad Experiences

Most of us have bad experience with church people.  It's almost universal.  We all have stories of the old deacon who scolded us for not dressing "right" on Sunday or the mean church lady who just hated kids.  I've known others that were abused in church, often by leaders.  The deepest cuts in their lives happened in a church building.  Church people can be wicked.  

Blessings

However, church is also where I've experienced the greatest blessings.  My parents love each other and love Jesus.  They didn't ever put on a show for Sunday.  They loved Jesus all week, and we got to see it lived out in our home.  The same goes for my grandparents and a whole lot of godly people we went to church with.  People prayed for me, supported me, went out of their way to help me, and were generally awesome.  Heck!  One time a guy in my church gave me a car.  He just gave me a car to help my family.  Another time, some dude wrote me a check and lovingly told me he would kick my ass if I didn't take it.  He had heard from God.  My car broke down the next day, and that was the exact amount I needed to fix it.  

I've had more good experiences than bad in church.  God's people are good, because He is good.

Here's the problem: not all church people are God's people.  Plenty of people go to church for all the wrong reasons.  Some people think it is a place where they can build power and prestige.  Others are looking to earn something they can never earn.  Some people just go because they thing they have to, though they hate it and everyone else there.  

This creates a pretty big problem since these people who don't necessarily love Jesus are still claiming to represent Him.  It's a real problem. 

So, how do we distinguish between "Church People" and "Christ Followers" while we are trying to figure out whether or not we are going to follow Jesus?  

Characteristics of jesus Followers:

  • Love.  Jesus said His disciples would be known by the fact that they love one another (John 13:35).  When a church is full of people who treat each other like crap, it means Jesus isn't being honored.  Don't waste your time trying to find Jesus there.  The Apostle Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a: "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."  Look for this kind of love in a church and jump in the middle of it.  Jesus is there.  
  • Fruit.  When a person Trusts Jesus, God (Holy Spirit) indwells them.  God's people, the people who follow Jesus aren't just on God's team, He dwells in them.  Over time, like a tree rooted in good soil bears good fruit, so God's people bear fruit because God is in them.  In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."  God's people aren't perfect, but they should be growing in things like love, joy peace, patience, etc.  Don't look for perfect people.  Look for people who are increasing this fruit. Jesus is in them.  
  • Gifts.  In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul talks about how as the Holy Spirit dwells in God's people, He does things through them that they couldn't do on their own.  There are times when this is genuinely miraculous.  It isn't like the bullshit on Christian television.  The focus is never on the person; it's always on God.  However, God still does miracles through His people.  Sometimes they pray, and people are healed.  Others follow God's leading and show up at just the right time with the right word of encouragement.  God's people do things that are from God.  Even simple things can be done in the power of God, and you notice.  

Experiencing Jesus is the first step in following Him.  If you are going to Experience Jesus, it helps to make sure that you are getting around HIs people.  I hope this helps.  My desire is for you to meet Jesus.