A frustrated Pastor tried something new one Sunday morning. He dared his congregation to live like Jesus 100%. He challenged them to love like Jesus in every way, not holding back at all. He was surprised that the response was so enthusiastic. He left church feeling like something special had happened.
One week later, he reconsidered the whole idea. He heard that his church members were hanging out in bars and on the streets. One family had invited a prostitute to live with them. The youth group threw a party for patients of a drug rehabilitation clinic. Some of the church members quit their jobs and had been sleeping in the local shelters. The men’s Bible study group volunteered to hand out water at the local gay pride parade. The women’s prayer group cleaned the toilets of a local strip club. The senior ministry hosted a party for poorest block in the neighborhood. The Pastor even bailed a few of the church members out of jail on Wednesday evening. It seems they had been arrested for turning over tables in the book store of the largest church in town.
The Pastor received so many calls from religious groups and city officials in the area that he feared he could lose the respect of the local power brokers. At first he considered retracting the dare this coming Sunday. It would be the smart thing to do. He could keep his job, the town could go back to normal and maybe this would all go away.
But after more thought, he got up to the pulpit on Sunday and said “Finally, I see the body of Christ, Let His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. Everyone was silent as he walked off the stage and headed to the back of the room. He turned to the congregation with tears in his eyes and said “what are you waiting for; we have more parties to plan.”
Questions To Consider
1. Would things mentioned in the parable happen in our lives if we acted more like Jesus?
2. What is one thing that would change in your life if you decided to live like Jesus did?
3. Is it realistic to even consider living like that?
Written by Tom Wise. © Finding Wonder 2013