Our Product, Christianity: Is Your Circle Facing Inward or Outward? AreWe Fishers of Men?

Matthew 4:19

What is more comfortable, staying within your own church circle or turning your circle outward?

Try this. Form a circle facing inward and hold hands with the person on your right and on your left. How comfortable does that feel? Next, from that same circle, turn around and face outward. Everyone in the circle should be facing outward. Do not hold hands with the person on your right or left. How does that feel? Try this with a group of youth and then a group of adults. You probably felt very comfortable facing inward and very uncomfortable facing outward.

Are Christians trying to sell Christianity to others by staying within there own little groups or church buildings. Are we facing inward thinking people will come to church or our small groups of their own free will? Have you ever made this statement before, “I don’t think you have to attend church to be a Christian.” If we are saying that, then it isn’t surprising to hear others say, “Why do I need to go to church?”

Sometimes we are like a business facing inward, just hoping people will come and buy our product without trying to market our product. We have to market our product like the big corporations do. We have to put our product out there for others to see, for others to want.

The following happened about 15 years ago:
The minister from Living Light came to our church and made a statement to us during a sermon that he gave to us and a large group from his own church, “We can’t learn to live together with us out there and you guys in here.” His church was all Black or African American (if these are not the proper terms used today, then I apologize) and our church was all Caucasion. Our circle needed to face out to them. We thought we had done enough by just saying they were welcome and by shaking their hands. Were we holding our heads up high in the air because the people from Living Light chose our church to visit? They had chosen our church to attend. We must have been OK. The people that said that we were a stuffy old church were wrong. Look who came to visit us.

Well, they didn’t visit us because we were here in our own little circle. Our minister had turned his circle outward and reached out to them and they came.

Build it and they will come. It is not that simple.

What can we do?

Remember Jesus said to serve not be served. Don’t ask what others can do for you. John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Why don’t we take this statement and use it in our church. Ask not what your church can do for you, ask what you can do for your church. Ask not what God can do for you, ask what you can do for God. Ask not what others can do for you, ask what you can do for others.

Think of what your church can do to turn your circle outward. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19 to follow Him and he will make us fishers of men.