The Church That Doesn’t Pursue

Do you like to feel wanted?  Needed?  The idea that someone wants you to be a part of something?  That you are being sought out because of your value as a person, no mater the mess that your life is/was?

Do you feel like you are being pursued/valued/wanted/accepted?

It’s that last question that makes me stop and think.  In His ministry, Jesus went out of His way to pursue….well us, let’s face it.  He sought out some fishermen, and prideful ones at that.  I mean, a couple of those guys tried to garner special favor in the Kingdom!  He reached out to a mercenary fighter, and in those days that was a pretty politically charged thing to do. He went after a tax collector, who was basically the most despised member of society.  Jesus showed them what Kingdom living was all about in a very intimate way!

But He didn’t teach them about the abundant blessings that come from having a personal relationship with God so they could start a little house church and hope people stopped by to see it.  No, He sent them OUT (Matt. 10, Luke 9:1-6, Mark 6:7-13).  After His Ascension, these same men began to go out into Jerusalem and talk to people about the love God had for them through His Son Jesus.  But after a little while, God sent the people OUT again (Acts 8:1-3), and the Good News about the Kingdom was preached throughout the world.

So what happened?  Why don’t we do that any more?  At what point did the church cease being one that went OUT and told people about Jesus to one that puts together a nice little program for the already saved and just hope that people outside wander in and decide to stay?  When did we become a church that must be PURSUED?  Personally, I find it SO very, very exhausting to have to chase the church just to try and volunteer and help out, only to be met with apathy unless I can get louder or more insistent that I may have something to contribute.  Why do we do church like that?

Just before He left, Jesus left some very specific instructions for us: He said GO (Matt. 28:19).  At what point did we, as the church, decide that “Go” wasn’t good enough and “Come” would work better?  But more than that, how do we go from a “Come to us” church to a “Go out” church? 
Jesus made people feel valuable because He was willing to pursue them.  Why should we do any differently?

Encounter: Can you make someone feel valued?  Will you?