If you have been a follower of Jesus for long and are actively involved in a local church then it’s likely that it’s time for you to make some new friends. I know that is an odd statement to make, but think about it, I would bet that 90% of your friends are active followers of Jesus just like you. The reason is simple, it’s comfortable and easy to build community within the church. Most Christians start with building community within the church, which is a good thing, but they never get beyond the church, which is a bad thing.

We live in a culture where it is increasingly less permissible to speak into a person’s life without having a relationship with them. What that means for you and I is that the strategy of barely knowing someone and then asking them if they know Jesus is becoming less and less effective, meaning that we now need to get into the trenches, spend time with sinners and pour into their lives.

Think about the example of Jesus, He spent so much time with prostitutes, sinners and drunkards that He was called a wine bibbler by the religious right. He spent so much time with sinners that they mistook Him as one.

So, while I recognize that we have to be careful of the company that we keep in terms of how we are influenced by those around us, I firmly believe that Christians need to get out into the world and make friends. Go to non-Christian concerts, go to bars, go to the mall, go to the park. Meet people there, get to know them because you actually care about them and then share Jesus with them for that same reason.

Its time we got out of our comfort zones. Its time to go from 90% of our friends being Christian to 60%. It’s time to move out into the world and make an impact.

You can’t keep sinners and arms length and wrap them in the love of Jesus at the same time.

1. Marc Says:
   September 25th, 2009 at 9:53 am

   Nice.