40. Reach Outside Your Comfort Zone.

On a winters Sunday afternoon we went to a Tekapo Cafe for lunch. with our Grandson There were no spare tables at the”Hungry Cow” Cafe, so we sat at one outside. Soon a window opened above us and a couple of ladies called out inviting us to come and share their table inside the cafe, It was so cold, and although the scenery was beautiful, we gratefully accepted and joined them, as we chatted away we found one of them came from the same town as we did, she had come to spend the weekend with her sister here in Tekapo. Admitting we were late for lunch because we didn’t leave Waimate till after church our conversation turned to spiritual things and while our meal was being prepared we talked about Jesus and the difference He had made in our lives. They appeared quite interested and were not attending any church at this stage so we we invited them to our church and offered to pick them up the next Sunday, and to take them home for lunch afterwards. These two ladies have become good friends and regular members of our church. You may think by doing this you are taking a bit of a chance, or it may feel a little awkward but what can they say? One of two things “ I don’t discus Religion” or “Tell me more.” Your answer to the first statement, should be. Why? There may be a soul to save here. and that ought to be our first priority, so put them at ease, tell them you don’t want an argument, you just want to talk to them about Jesus and what He’s done for you in your life. In my experience, one rarely gets this kind of reaction, I think most Christians spend virtually all their time with other Christians, and that’s not what Jesus asked us to do. He said “Go and teach all nations… Feed the hungry and thirsty (With His word)... Heal the sick… and Mend the broken hearted. I believe when it comes to important issues people listen to people they can trust. Especially about Spiritual matters. Paul says in Romans 10;14 “How can they have faith In The Lord if they have never heard about Him?.”.. If people are going to be reached for Christ, for the most part, it will happen through friends, not strangers. So cultivate a friendship or relationship with somebody who... works at a Restaurant or Hairdresser that you frequent, or perhaps the gym you attend, invite the neighbours over for dinner. Follow Christ’s example and befriend people who don’t know God. John Ortberg says (1) Never rule anybody out. Jesus reached out to Tax Collectors, Lepers, Sinners, and Gentiles and they shocked the religious establishment by saying yes...maybe there’s someone in your world who’s so far from God, that you’ve written them off, A relative who ridicules you and makes fun of your faith, an acquaintance who has resisted for years, Somebody whose so steeped in sin that you think there’s no hope for them. Never say No! for another person...You never know when their heart will soften or how God’s Spirit will work.” (2) Put yourself in the other person”s shoes Ortberg continues: “A few blocks from my parents’ home is the largest Buddhist temple in America I checked it out and received some amazing insights of how intimidating it is to go into a place of worship as a stranger not knowing their customs and procedures.” When you invite someone to church they are much more likely to go if you go with them, and later to have a coffee together and talk about what took place.” (3) Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jewish law prohibited Lepers from having contact with Non-Lepers. But when a Leper approached Jesus, He reached out and touched a man who hadn’t been touched in years (mark 1;40-45) Was Jesus infected by his Leprosy? No, He infected the Leper with the Gospel, because Jesus was more contagious than the leper with his disease. Be a contagious Christian who infects others with God’s love. Look at your hands, When is the last time you extended them to someone who you thought was too far away for God to love. His Kingdom has been spread the same way for over two thousand years by believers who reach out and bring people to Christ. This is not always easy or convenient, in fact it can be downright difficult and the last the thing you want to do, but say a short prayer, and dive right in. The Lord wont let you down, even if you don’t see it straight away, something you say will stick and the result will be added to your account in the book of life and you will have a surprise waiting for you when it’s opened. So praise God, and try again when the opportunity arises. And each time you do this it gets a little easier until it becomes second nature to you. And you will find everywhere you go the conversation turns to Jesus, that has been my experience and that’s when you and everyone else knows where your priorities lie. Because it’s through your speech, your demeanor, your actions and faith, that The Holy Spirit works to bring people to God through Jesus. This is a tremendous privilege God has given us to show us how much He trusts us with His gifts. We have a job to do to bring this country of New Zealand to Christ and with God’s help we can do it. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “Reaching Outside Your Comfort Zone” God will certainly do His part if we do ours. So lets do it together“All things are possible for those who love God” So ask yourself, Do I love God enough to do as He asks?….Do You? Phaline