Let’s start being “found” people
In the process of doing our research and diving into the lives of young adults, we found there is a desire to know about spiritual matters. There’s even a desire to know about Christianity, but most non-Christians are only willing to talk about it with a friend. They don’t want a knock on their door or a tract shoved in their direction from a stranger. They want someone they know and trust to sit down and talk about it with them. They want to see it in someone’s life before being told about it. And you know what? There’s a lot of wisdom in that.
This week’s lesson brought our research back to mind. After studying for this lesson, it seems to me that many believers still live lives that closely resemble a “searching life.” That’s why the world around us scratches its head when we talk about Christ, salvation, hope, and heaven. If Christ’s way of living is so wonderful and different, why do our lives look the way they do? Why do our churches look and act the way they do? Why do we put so much hope and trust in things other than Christ?
This is something God has been revealing to me lately, and it’s been very tough to hear. As I survey the state of the church, I see that many churches have become ineffective at reaching their communities. Why? Is the gospel less attractive? Are people less willing to listen? I think the answer is no. The gospel is still calling the lost children home, and people still want hope. The problem is we (in the church) are not moving from a “searching” life to a “found” life. Our churches have turned into places we gather together and sometimes invite people to rather than beacons of light and hope to our communities. If we have truly found the answer, why are we holed up behind our walls, keeping it to ourselves?
Ask yourself these questions: What do I do on a daily basis that helps my community? What do I do to help my neighbors? How am I being a beacon of light and hope where I live? Work? What does my church do to help our community? If my church were to shut the doors tomorrow, would the community notice? In the past year, what has my church done to change the lives of people where we live?
If we are living “found” lives, these questions should be fun to answer. But if you’re like me, they hurt. I don’t have the answers yet, but I know I can’t keep living the same way. I can’t let my church become a Christian social club. In Luke 4, Jesus read a passage from Isaiah. Luke 4:18-19 says: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
This is what Jesus was doing; this is how He was living. Does that look much like your life or your church? I’m not sure what it’s going to take for you start living a “found” life, but I hope the thought messes you up a bit. I know it has me. My pastor is currently going through a series entitled, “Re-Elect Jesus.” It hits this area pretty hard and it’s worth listening to. It’s not a political series, but it is about how we (the church) need to start being the church again rather than depending on the government to handle issues God has given to us. You can check it out by clicking here. You will see two Re-Elect Jesus sermons and the one I am referring to is the one for Sunday the 18th, but feel free to watch them both, they are well worth the time.
What do you think? Are you living a found life? Have you moved from “searching” yet? Our lives tell the answer and it’s time for us all to show the world around us what living for Jesus looks like.
There have been 4 replies so far
As an adult Sunday School teacher, it saddens me to see that so many adult Christians are still searching for what makes them feel good and are not being that beacon of light and hope that non-Christian family members and friends need so desperately. This is a great lesson and I pray that I can start to move my class members from a searching life to a found live. Thank you and God bless.
1 | Mary Garcia-Todd
Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 5:23pm
We are searchers by our very nature. That’s the way God created us. We are always looking for the next mountain to climb or the next ocean to sail. If we are not moving we become stagnant. We must remember though, Christianity is not a mountain we have scaled just to move on to the next one. We must remember that finding the answer we have been searching for to quench our spiritual longing, Jesus, is not the end. It is just opening the door to a lifetime of spiritual questions and growth. If we stop as soon as we enter the door we become stagnant and we miss out on the wonders that lie along the rugged trail of following Jesus.
I was at a friend’s 40th birthday party a couple of years back and someone asked him how it felt to turn 40. He said it felt like he was running out of time, but he didn’t know why. Since we were the same age it started me thinking. I had similar feelings but hadn’t put it into words. For what were we running out of time? Then I realized it was to make our mark on the world, to do something that would be remembered after we were gone. The difficult question was how. I am on my second career after a successful first career, and have already found myself contemplating how I could get out of it and on to a third. My job feeds my family and puts a roof over our heads, but nothing I do will be remembered past my last day there. Maybe lasting accomplishments rarely have anything to do with work. I teach a young adult Sunday school class and on the door there is a plaque that says, “Vivian Skelton Sunday School Class”. I had no idea who Vivian Skelton was so I ask an older lady in our church who’s last name is Skelton. She said it was her mother who had taught Sunday school there for 30 years. Now Vivian Skelton’s service is an inspiration for a new generation of Christians coming through my class.
We are searchers. We will always be searchers, but as Christians we know what we are searching for. 99% of us will never get our names in the history books. Lasting accomplishments very rarely happen overnight. Maybe it takes 30 years of teaching about Jesus. Maybe it takes enough time to build a relationship so you can lead someone to Christ. Maybe it takes enough time to serve a meal to someone who was hungry. The only truly lasting things we create are the treasures we store in Heaven. The poor we will always have with us, so the work is never done.
2 | Ike
Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 10:36pm
In my prep for last week’s lesson I contacted the local Crisis Counseling Center and asked for info regarding statistics in our area and asked if there was anything our class could do to to help people who are victims of family violence. The Assoc. Dir. contacted me this week and asked to meet me for lunch. As I was getting ready to leave, tears welled up in her eyes and she stood, came around the table and hugged me. Her words stunned me, saddened me, and challenged me all at the same time. She said, “Thank you for reaching out to help this community. I have an adult family member who is attending your youth ministry because she saw how you ministered to another family when they lost a loved one. She is devoted to the Catholic church, but I think she is searching for a relationship with Jesus Christ. Your church has not had a history of community involvement. I’m glad to see that things are changing.”
I was stunned that someone was that honest. I was sad that our church has a history to overcome. But I was challenged to encourage our group to be salt and light in our community…to share with the searchers what we’ve found!
3 | Sandy Duke
Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 11:02pm
Great thoughts guys.
Mary- You are right it is sad that so many of us live seraching lives even though we may have already found it.
Ike- Great point that finding Christ is only the beginning. Once we know HIm our lives should be different. We should spend the rest of our lives exploring the richness that relationship offers.
Sandy- Good to hear from you again, I hope everything is going well on your side of the country. You are doing what I prayed classes would do… start reaching out to their community. It is amazing the response you received. We don’t hink about it often but our communities know us. That can be good or bad. Unfortunately the majority of churches probably have a similar notoriety in their communities. Good job and keep doing what you’re doing.
4 | Chad Jordan
Sunday, January 25, 2009, at 9:38am
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