Hospitality Sunday

Before I get started explaining how and why we should be joining Jesus, let me get the main message out first: be sure to attend Hospitality Sunday at both services on Sunday, September 13th. And please consider inviting someone, or several “someones,” to attend with you. Hospitality Sunday is our opportunity to invite our family, friends and neighbors to church – though you don’t need a special opportunity to invite to church those who may not know Jesus, or may have disengaged from Him of late, but Hospitality Sunday is set up to provide that extra reason.

I’ll come back to this in a bit, but let me share my observations of a book with you. I just finished reading Joining Jesus On His Mission: How to be an everyday missionary by Greg Finke (2014, TenthPower Publishing). I met Pastor Finke at a Lutheran Hour Ministries convention a few years back, heard him speak, and bought his book (my copy is even autographed). He and his wife Susan started a ministry called Dwelling 1:14 (www.dwelling114.org) which focuses on helping Jesus-followers become missional in their neighborhoods, workplaces and schools.

What does it mean to “become missional?” It’s not about going to a Concordia and becoming a missionary. It’s not about learning all the “tricks” of evangelizing. It’s not even about going on a mission for Jesus. As Pastor Finke puts it, it is about joining Jesus on His mission: we are being asked to go on a mission with Jesus.

Saving the world is not your responsibility, it’s Jesus’ responsibility. Jesus wants to bring everybody to salvation through faith in him, and he is already out there working on it. Jesus is working on the hearts of everyday people right now. Some of these people you know. It could be your cousin who grew up in the church but left: it could be your co-worker who never went to church: it could be your next-door neighbor who watches you leave for church every Sunday. And though Jesus is doing the heavy lifting, he does invite you to help.

How can you help? You can ask people to church, specifically to Hospitality Sunday. There are many people around you, people who need Jesus, and people he has been working on all their lives. Some of these people you have relationships with. It could be that they are ready to hear the Gospel message, and all they need is for someone to invite them to church.

You are “allowed” to ask them to church because you know them and, like Jesus, you care about them. Sure, some will not respond, or say no to your invitation, but so what? They probably know you go to church already, so you don’t have to worry about being perceived as one of those “churchy” people. Even if they say no, what does it matter? Are you afraid the relationship will suffer because you asked them to church? You have no idea how far along they may be in their walk with Jesus – remember Jesus has been working on them – and they may just say yes. It should be your love for them that compels you to invite them.

Pastor Finke doesn’t say we should be pushy about our invitation. Unless they ask you, don’t give them a history of your faith relationship with Jesus. Just say you were thinking about them and wanted to offer them the invitation. Even if they turn you down now, if you keep developing your relationship with them, they may say yes next time. As both Pastor Finke and Pastor Davenport says, it’s all about relationships. Your relationship with them, your relationship with Jesus. So, keep on talking to people: keep on developing those relationships. Keep on helping the people around you. Be a good family member: be a good friend: continue to help and support: and be a good missionary by asking people to church.

So again, I say go out on a limb and ask people you know to join you in church on Sunday, September 13th. There will be information about COS, and gifts, and a special message.