The approach that many believers take to Christianity might imply to the objective observer that they believed that Christ's most urgent directive pertained to righteous living, consistent tithing or church attendance, not swearing or drinking or smoking, performing "good works", or just making it out of the parking lot on Sunday afternoons in time to beat the crowd to Red Robin. However, Scripture is clear, Jesus taught that loving God and loving others is the most important thing his followers could do.
If you spent time with your Rock Church Family this Sunday morning, you heard Derrick Schumacher share the following story:
A lonely woman was overheard talking with her friend in a bar, saddened that she had no plans for her birthday the following day. The man that overheard them asked the bartender if the ladies were in that bar often and found out that they were there everyday at the same time. The man returned the next day at the same time with a birthday cake and easily persuaded all of the bar patrons to sing Happy Birthday to the woman. The bartender was overcome by his curiosity as to why this man (who didn't seem to want anything in return) would do this for his regular customer. The man replied that he was a pastor at a local church, and just wanted to share God's love with someone. The bartender, jaded by negative past experiences, couldn't believe the man. He expressed his disbelief that Christians behaved like that, and said that if they really did, he'd go to church himself.
The intent of this story isn't to beat Christ followers down with reminders of how we often misrepresent God's love for the people around us. The intent is to remind us, that one unselfish expression of love on our part can go a long way to opening up another person's heart to God. Are the people around you overcome with wonder at the loving way in which you interact with people? Should they be? What do you think?
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John 13:34-35House of Love | Listen Here