Somebody insisted that he did not appreciate being told the right way to go; it was rather snobby, distasteful and presumptious to tell someone they were “lost”. If we were at a worship service where a talk, a sermon, or a sharing was given, where there is something I wished you would know, it can come across as condescending.
It brings the question, though, whether a worship service, within which encouraging messages are used, even in elaborate fasion such as in a sermon, whether such messages should avoid to be “teaching”. Certainly, casting our mind back to an imaginery period where few people had the chance to go to school let alone having the lived experience being their immediate surrounding, this was a period when “instruction” would be more welcome. It could be the only occasion when “how you can do better with your life” kinds of messages are delivered, and are expected.
To be found, or not to be found
Did Jesus restrict himself to saying words apart from “sermon”?
Did Jesus restrict himself to relating to others familiar with him?
Some will debate how much we can model 1st century ways of operation to 21st century. One point about the message of Jesus is that it is “gospel” and that persistently it was meant for all. There is some much to correct that the gospel is in a “instruction” mode.
The gospel is for everyone. To believe it means that Jesus is our Saviour, however, that is a definitive step one needs to take. It is not a by-product of something else, however well meant.
The gospel being for everyone goes further in that the gospel is more than any one of us, or all of us. The gospel is Jesus himself. The gospel is Jesus taking the steps of obedient to shed his blood, to die and go through hell, to be saved by God the father, so that we can be saved.
Denying others the gospel does not make sense.
We want others to be found by Jesus; each person is special in his eyes, that’s the lesson of the lost sheep. But first we ourselves need to be found by Jesus. That is an on-going relationship thing. To be found by Jesus is our acknowledgement that our ways fail and bear little positive consequence if at all. It takes many turns of recognition, and realisation that we need to learn and change. The message might come from a human, it might also be loud clanging or soft noise of whisper from God. Either way, there is a persistent wish to stay with God. That pleasure to stay with God opens us to share the gospel, with us, in constant change by God, as a living witness.
