Who will you fellowship with?

[nahkoe]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Now, I don't ask this question in the political sense. Such as a pastor officially "fellowshipping" with people he or she does not agree with, but rather I ask in a much more personal way.

Do you have friends who are sinners to the core?

Yes. Many as a matter of fact.

As a pastor would you invite a prostitute over for dinner?

Yes.

Would you invite a gay co-worker? (Such as my immediate supervisor)

Yes.

Would you GO to either of their homes?

Yes.

How about spending an evening with a man who did you great harm in the past?

I tend to avoid him. But I did spend a few hours at a park with him, his new wife, and their kids (and our kids too), immediately after traveling a whole lot of miles, hiring a lawyer, obtaining a court order, driving around a mountain for a few hours hoping it was the one he actually lived on, and picking up our children unannounced after he essentially kidnapped them and it'd been 3 months since I'd seen them.

....Or left your denomination?

What does that actually matter?

I am really curious.

Now I'll go see what others have said...

[Revelationist]

I've got several hard core alcoholics that I've had over several times.... one would finally come to church everyonce in a while before he got sent to prison for the second time.

I'm still good friends with a convicted child molester.

[RevDWW]

Who would Jesus fellowship?

Publicans, sinners, harlots, the sick..........

Prepared soil produces more fruit then just a random scattering. Sowing seeds of love will reap a bountiful harvest.

[tamor]

It's ironic that you started this thread last night because yesterday I was thinking along along these lines - about how many of us alienate ourselves from the people that we want to bring to the Lord. Alot of folks talk about wanting to reach people but are waiting for them to walk into the church to do that, and don't want to get in the trenches and find them.

As has already been mentioned, Jesus was called a friend of publicans and sinners. He was called a wine bibber. They didn't call him that because he was talking to folks in church on Sunday. He had to have been in their world for folks to have thought he was one of them.

[rgcraig]

My light can't shine in the light.

[tamor]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

My light can't shine in the light.

Awesome. Take that to the quote thread!

[Antipas]

I think when the Bible tells us not to "fellowship" sinners it's talking about partaking in their sin with them and spending an inordinate amount of time with them. Visitation and a day here and there isn't an issue.

[bishoph]

The whole teaching of not "fellowshipping" with those that are lost is an unscriptural ideology. IMHO those churches that practice this type of exclusionary and elitist type of dogma are borderline cults, and present a very weak God to their people and to the world at large. I do understand that there are weak Christians who are unable to be around certain influences until they have reached a place of maturity, however if the God who was strong enough to save us is not strong enough to keep us, he is not a God I want to serve.

Again IMO this kind of teaching creates weak and feeble saints who believe that the enemy is so strong that he can snatch them out of the church/body of Christ if they do anything with unsaved folks. But the scriptures declare that nothing/no one can pluck me out of his hand. (except for my self) I can have a blast around someone who is not saved and never partake nor be tempted to partake in their sin.

[Withdrawn]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Now, I don't ask this question in the political sense. Such as a pastor officially "fellowshipping" with people he or she does not agree with, but rather I ask in a much more personal way.

Do you have friends who are sinners to the core?

As a pastor would you invite a prostitute over for dinner?

Would you invite a gay co-worker? (Such as my immediate supervisor)

Would you GO to either of their homes?

How about spending an evening with a man who did you great harm in the past?

....Or left your denomination?

I am really curious.

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

hope that answers your questions. =)

I think if we only allow ourselves to fellowship those like us then we are not doing as Jesus taught us to do. We are not following His example. We can be in the world but not like the world. INSULATION not ISOLATION.

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Who would Jesus fellowship?

Publicans, sinners, harlots, the sick..........

Prepared soil produces more fruit then just a random scattering. Sowing seeds of love will reap a bountiful harvest.

I think jaxfam6 and RevDWW have hit the nail on the head as to how I would answer these questions. If we are always surrounded by light, how is anyone going to see our individual light? And what if one is going dim? Would it even be noticed? Light, by definition, is for the sake of illuminating darkness. We need to get out there and light our world!

We are salt! Jesus is the Living Water! The world may not know how thirsty they are until we "salt them" with ourselves and give them a craving thirst for the rivers of living water that will flow out of their bellies. If the salt has lost its savor (if we hide it or keep it to ourselves), how or with what will the earth be salted? We need to get out there and salt our world!

This is an awesome topic and one that has been on my heart for quite awhile. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse sometimes when I teach our congregation nearly every week on this same thing - just a different spin.

There are some of the older saints who would so proudly proclaim that they would "never walk into a bar." But where are we going to find the drunk who is in bondage to the bottle? Do we honestly expect them to just come to us? Do we really believe that is what the "great commission" is all about? We have to go to where they are first... then show them what freedom is and invite them to come to where we are. We'll only make them thirsty for the living water once we have displayed to them the benefits of living under grace, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And, let's face it, that will sometimes take us to places where we are uncomfortable, or places we don't want to go.

RandyWayne, thank you for this thread. It's a breath of fresh air away from the gossip and standards dramas. We need to be more concerned with winning souls!

[ChTatum]

I was listening to a CD by Carouthers, and remember a line from a song.........


How can we reach a world we never touch?