Be Like Andrew

Andrew was a quiet guy. We don’t read much about him in the Bible. He was at all of the gatherings of the 12 but rarely spoke. The few times Andrew is mentioned in the Bible it's because he brought people to Jesus.

Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist. When he heard John declare that Jesus was “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” he brought his brother, Peter, to meet Jesus. Later, Peter would preach a sermon that led 3000 to faith in Jesus.

Andrew brought a boy to Jesus who was willing to share his lunch. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, prayed, and fed 5000. (John 6:5-13) He, also, brought some Greeks to Jesus. (John 12:20-23)

Like Andrew, you can have a powerful impact just by inviting people. A 2019 Lifeway study in showed that a little over half of church attenders had not shared their faith in the last six months but the same number had invited someone to church in the same time frame. The fact that most people will go to a church for the first time because they were invited by someone they know, makes this very encouraging.

There are several factors that will improve the receptiveness of your invitation:

Relationships

Andrew went to his brother first. People close to you respect your opinion. They are your friends because you have things in common. You will know when to invite and to what events. Folks are more likely to come to a special event than to an average Sunday service.

On the other hand, a person may be going through a tough time and have a heart ready for God. People are more ready for Jesus than we think.

Volunteering

Andrew found a boy who was willing to serve. There are people who are not yet ready for worship or traditional Bible study might enjoy serving in a food pantry or work day. A woman went to serve in New Orleans with a group from her company, following Hurricane Katrina. She enjoyed the experience so much that she went back with a friend's church group the following year. She was amazed by the contrast between the two experiences. She witnessed Christian faith in action.

Cultural Curiosity

Andrew learned of some Greeks who wanted to learn more about Jesus. International students and immigrants are curious about all things American. They will be curious about American forms of Christianity. Christmas and Easter are holidays that are both Christian and American and a great opportunity to invite folks to a church service that explains their origins.

Bible discussion or discovery classes may be attractive to Americans who grew up in non Christian homes.

Food, Fun and Fellowship

People who have objections about church still like to eat. Invite them to a non-churchy event involving food. Invite other Christians, as well, to build a comfortable familiarity. Discomfort with the unknown is a barrier to the gospel that can be overcome with genuine friendship.

View a video of “Spiritually Successful Christians Share Their Faith”

This is part of the sermon series “How To Be Spiritually Successful.” It is based on the Masterlife study “The Disciple's Cross.”

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Christ-optional, cultural Christianity is becoming a popular option in America.

Missionary Charles Studd once wrote, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell;

I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell.”

But in America, as the total number of churches and Christians shrink, the remaining churches become larger and more remote from the areas of need.

I recently came across an article that listed five important factors in choosing a church. The list contained two I statements and three my statements. In other words, find a church that caters to your needs.

At the same time there is a growing number of folks that wonder if church membership is a necessary part of the Christian life. Some folks have decided that they are through with church. They have been labeled as “Dones” (done with church) by folks who track such things.

A growing problem in the American church is the idea that God exists for our sake. Perhaps it started with the easy believerism of “God has a wonderful plan for your life.”

This is a far cry from the words of Jesus, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

The first five books of the Bible go to great lengths to describe the holiness of God and what it means to be His people. Peter summarizes it this way, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

To be a follower of Jesus is to a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) the church, which is expressed in local gatherings, large and small. The best expression of this is seen in Acts 2:42-47, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

When looking for a church the best questions to ask are:

1. Did you feel the presence of God?
2. If this church were to disappear today would the community notice?
3. Can you fulfill your God-given calling here?

The church in America is shrinking in numbers and influence. Is it because many of our churches no longer reflect the ethics of Jesus?

The number one way to grow your church

Most people report that they came to faith because of the influence of a friend or relative. Rarely do people report that they became Christians because of a direct mailing or an advertisement. Moreover, several surveys have indicated that many unchurched individuals might go to church if they were invited by someone they know and respect.

Clearly the way to grow your church is to get regulular atendees to invite people they know. This happens frequently but not often enough. One way to increase the number of people who are inviting others to church is a campaign that motivates your members and coaches them through the steps of effectively reaching out to others.

One excellent program that is simple and can be done at no cost is called The 4XFour Challenge. Imagine if everyone of your regular attendees invited four unchurched people in the course of a year. Check out the link for details.

“Then the master told his servant,
'Go out to the roads and country lanes
and make them come in,
so that my house will be full.'”
Luke 14:23

Let us not give up meeting together

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 NIV

A recent op-ed in USA Today noted the fact that many of the rich and powerful who profess to be Christians do not attend church. A five year study of 100 politicians, wealthy businessmen, entertainers and athletes all known for their great faith found that 60% are not active in their church. They all have good excuses that are not too different from your friends and neighbors who rarely show up at church but are full of religious opinions.

These athletes and superstars will come to your church for between $10,000 and $40,000 plus expenses. They will give their testimonies and inspire you with their larger than life faith. I wonder if Jesus would have been impressed by such celebrity?

I find it curious that Reagan and G.W. Bush would profess deep faith yet not be part of a worshipping community. Clinton and Carter made time for church. Putting politics aside for a moment, wouldn’t we expect a person who professes faith to go to church somewhere?

I have known several people who profess deep faith but refuse to become part of a church family. They drift along some of the megachurches or just stay home and criticize the church. For many of them the issue is pride. They want to be Christians on their own terms and will not be held accountable.

If some of these lone ranger believers were to commit to a local church family both the celebrity and the local congregation would be blessed. The biblical model for Christianity is the local congregation as idealized in Acts 2 and in the less exemplary Corinthian church. The church is not perfect but it is blessed by God.

Ministries who chase after celebrities and CEOs for membership on boards and as speakers at fundraising events ought to heed the warning in James 2 about paying undue attention to the wealthy.