COMPASSION IS BORN OF CONTACT
In my ever-increasing hunger for our community to experience the grace of Christ, I am drawn constantly to Isaiah 58. A few years back I preached a series of sermons from this chapter, spiritually sensing the need to sound an alarm regarding religiosity. I can assure you it was not received well by the church. These passages challenge our perception of church, true worship and our spirituality. The words speak to false religion. Like Judah and Jerusalem, “religion” has infected the Church of Jesus Christ and the body of Christ. Religion breeds separation. This separation is greater than denominational divide; at the core, religion separates us from the lost in our community. For a moment, consider how we “do church.”
When we “do church”, we are always at the church. On occasion we may venture into the community, beachfronts, parades, etc but for the most part we expect the lost to come and “do church” at the church. We even provide transportation to church. If we are honest with ourselves, the Church of Jesus Christ today is more about a location than people are. Our locations are major complexes in our community. From the largest to smallest churches, we strive to increase our capacities to facilitate program development for people “doing church” at our location. We are vexed with the “Field of Dreams” syndrome, “If you build it, they will come.” With an ever-increasing complex of buildings, our programs are more complex. More technology, satellite broadcast, great worship technology, innovative programs, and endless activity that is more often a financial and operational burden than ministry. Somehow, the Church of Jesus Christ has become location-centered and no longer person-centered. When the Church of Jesus Christ is location-centered, we lose contact with the lost, the afflicted souls of our community. There is little or no contact with people in their own environments. In Crescent City, I am deeply concern we are losing contact with the people who need us the most.
Meditate on these verses from Isaiah 58:6-10: 6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
How do we do these things without touching people? I mean really touching, direct physical contact. How do I loosen, undo, let go, break yokes, share bread, bring to my house, and cover the naked without touching. How do I extend my soul to the hungry without compassion?
God touches humanity through the birth, death, resurrection of Jesus. Consider the emotion of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus, lived with, healed, wept, encouraged, scolded, prodded, rebuked, prayed for, and died for the lost. As Jesus travelled to be with the lost, the lost sought Him, followed, and experienced salvation. I wonder how Jesus would “do church” in Crescent City. I can see Jesus gathering his disciples and meeting people in the parking lots of the various apartment complexes. I can imagine Jesus taking a “worship team” behind Safeway on Sunday mornings, teaching in the vacant lots or city parks, conversing with people at the bus stops and on the buses. I can see Him walking South Beach talking with the surfers, boaters, and travelers. How do you see Jesus “doing” church? What can you imagine? Jesus did church everyday! During the Holy Days of Advent, we remember we are celebrating God, Immanuel; God touching his most precious creation, people. Community transformation requires compassion and there is no compassion without contact.
You can experience this message in song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4wojcSO9Ww
by Grace Alone!
Pastor Steven V. Perez
Hiouchi Community Fellowship
Transformation Forum
When we “do church”, we are always at the church. On occasion we may venture into the community, beachfronts, parades, etc but for the most part we expect the lost to come and “do church” at the church. We even provide transportation to church. If we are honest with ourselves, the Church of Jesus Christ today is more about a location than people are. Our locations are major complexes in our community. From the largest to smallest churches, we strive to increase our capacities to facilitate program development for people “doing church” at our location. We are vexed with the “Field of Dreams” syndrome, “If you build it, they will come.” With an ever-increasing complex of buildings, our programs are more complex. More technology, satellite broadcast, great worship technology, innovative programs, and endless activity that is more often a financial and operational burden than ministry. Somehow, the Church of Jesus Christ has become location-centered and no longer person-centered. When the Church of Jesus Christ is location-centered, we lose contact with the lost, the afflicted souls of our community. There is little or no contact with people in their own environments. In Crescent City, I am deeply concern we are losing contact with the people who need us the most.
Meditate on these verses from Isaiah 58:6-10: 6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
How do we do these things without touching people? I mean really touching, direct physical contact. How do I loosen, undo, let go, break yokes, share bread, bring to my house, and cover the naked without touching. How do I extend my soul to the hungry without compassion?
God touches humanity through the birth, death, resurrection of Jesus. Consider the emotion of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus, lived with, healed, wept, encouraged, scolded, prodded, rebuked, prayed for, and died for the lost. As Jesus travelled to be with the lost, the lost sought Him, followed, and experienced salvation. I wonder how Jesus would “do church” in Crescent City. I can see Jesus gathering his disciples and meeting people in the parking lots of the various apartment complexes. I can imagine Jesus taking a “worship team” behind Safeway on Sunday mornings, teaching in the vacant lots or city parks, conversing with people at the bus stops and on the buses. I can see Him walking South Beach talking with the surfers, boaters, and travelers. How do you see Jesus “doing” church? What can you imagine? Jesus did church everyday! During the Holy Days of Advent, we remember we are celebrating God, Immanuel; God touching his most precious creation, people. Community transformation requires compassion and there is no compassion without contact.
You can experience this message in song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4wojcSO9Ww
by Grace Alone!
Pastor Steven V. Perez
Hiouchi Community Fellowship
Transformation Forum
Often we of the reformed faith are called the "frozen chosen". I think this refers to our subdued worship style, but often I think we are seen as being unmoved to evangelize. The truth is that we should be on the frontlines of every mission field-foreign and domestic. We claim God's sovereignty over all and if we believe that it is God's work that brings his people to himself, then it is not up to us to change the hearts of the people. Furthermore it is not left up to the unbeliever to will their way into salvation. It is our responsibility to bring the Gospel with God's zealous love. He will quicken those whom he calls. If a member in the community does not come to repentance at the first hearing of the Gospel or even the 1000th, we can carry on. We can be encouraged in knowing that God is working out his plan according to his time and his Word will not return void. (Is. 55 paraphrased)
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