Where Are All The Sinners At?
I love people. I love people of all different ages, races, backgrounds, statuses, and locations. I love to talk to people, to get to know where they are from, how they grew up, what interests them, and what they are good at. Living in such a huge metroplex such as DFW I cross paths with thousands of people everyday whom each have a story, interests, and have something unique that they are good at – now it just so happens in our society these people are hidden in the shelter of a car and I never have opportunity to talk to them or to get to know them because we are crossing each others paths so rapidly on the road. But just think about it, how many interesting people I could have passed on the highway and never known about it because I was traveling in such a hurry, I could have passed famous pastors, pro athletes, political figures, or famous singers, I will never know.
Now think about how many people one passes in a typical trip to all of our favorite supercenter, Wal-mart. The lines are so long that more times than not you spend more time in line than you do in actually gathering the items that you purchase. I know this never happens to any of you, but for me this usually leads to impatience and grumpiness of there are not more lines open so Wal-mart can take my money quicker.
This past Sunday my pastor used a phrase that he often does describing our church as place that is not a hotel for Saints but rather a hospital for sinners – I’m not sure if I heard much of the service past that point because I begin to really ponder and become convicted on how as a follower and imitator of Christ I don’t know any sinner’s that are not Saints. If I truly desire to be a follower and imitator of Christ then I would want to be describes as He was as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Mt. 11:19; Mk. 2:15-17). I honestly in the past three years have lost all contact and friendship with anyone who is not a Saint. It was easy because I go to school at a seminary with fellow ministers, I live in an apartment complex at the seminary with fellow ministers, and I work at a church where all of the members are proclaiming followers of Christ. So where are all the sinners?
I often wonder why our churches do not experience much growth through conversions but yet only through the transfer of membership. If everyone has fallen in the same trap that I have fallen in then there is my answer. We must know sinners in order for them to be exposed to the gospel.
So here is my new commitment: While at the grocery store or in wal-mart instead of grumbling about the long line or the lack of lines open, I will take the opportunity to get to know the person in front of me and behind me. I will find out their interests, where they work, what they enjoy, and whether or not they know the Savior. I may not get to find all of that out nine out of ten times, but my commitment is I will get to know sinners and befriend them.
Maybe you have fallen in the same trap that I have where all of you friends and people that you spend time with are all fellow saints? It is not bad to be around fellow Christians – in fact we should be – but we should also as imitators of Christ be associated and friends with sinners. We don’t become friends with sinners just for the purpose of sharing the gospel with them but because God has commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves regardless of whether they accept the gospel or not.
So...Let's befriend some sinner's who aren't saints.
And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:15-17
Jonathan
