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"A Proper Invitation" 5/8/24

Dear Brothers & Sisters,


I think the worst advertising slogan I ever heard of was "Come to our church... we won't lick you". Yes, someone apparently thought that was a good idea. I don't know what possessed the people in charge of that mail-out flyer, but stories like this bring up a subject worth considering. 


Namely, what invitation would you give to someone? If someone asked you "What is your church about?" or "What do you believe?" What answer would you give? 


Would you sputter a little, unsure of what to say? Would you say something generic like "we're just Christians," or "we believe the Bible?"


Giving a reason for the hope we have isn't easy. We often fall short of answering well. But it is important. One thing that contributes to poor answers is lack of preparation. So the Apostle Peter wrote, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense (or give an answer) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you..." (1 Peter 3:15 ESV). 


A couple of thoughts on preparation.


1 - You can only give what you have recieved. Hence the Apostle writes "in your hearts honor Christ as holy". When your soul is fed by the Word of God and you are daily relying upon our Father in prayer, you will be able to give freely for so you have recieved. But if you yourself do not feed upon the Word, nor honor and delight in Christ, you will have little to give to those that hunger for righteousness and seek after the Bread of life.


2 - Search out answers to common objections to the faith, but don't  get tied up in the many philosophies of of man. Consider what God has to say on various subjects and don't be afraid to stick with the plain teaching of God's word.


Another contributor to giving a poor answer is to to speak without grace, so we are reminded "yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15) and  "Let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6).


A couple thoughts on what this looks like.


1 - Respecting a person involves listening not just speaking and addressing what they say not attacking a straw man. 


2 - Just as we would season our food in a tasteful manner, we must take great care in how we season our speech. To use another metaphor, we must apply the truth like medicine - in doses people can handle. This calls for wisdom and much prayer as we seek to honor Christ in our speech.


Learning to speak boldly, clearly, and graciously is something to grow up into. I am definitely still learning. But I am persuaded that there is no better answer than to warmly and lovingly speak of Christ crucified and risen the only hope for sinners. We may have few words and lack eloquence, but there is no higher calling than to speak of his excellencies (See 1 Peter 2:9). So then, let us strive to be ready to speak of Christ with love and compassion. 


Grace & Peace be with you as you testify of Christ,


Matt


P.S. I'm not interested in marketing Christ Community Fellowship. But if I had to come up with a slogan, I would borrow the title of John Bunyan's book Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ.** Christ is the one we want others to encounter. It's not about us. He is the reason for our gathering together and for all our hope and joy. We live to know Christ and make Him known.


**By the way, as a side note, if you're interested you can actually read Bunyan's great little book online by clicking the link below. It is an exposition of John 6:37.


Matthew Deneault

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