Day 3: The Worship Center

Jesus uncharacteristically made disciples by engaging sinners and strangers, turning them into friends, and eventually converting many of them into disciples. These were people who were not like him at all. He was the carpenter and they were fishermen, tax collectors and more. But they were his neighbors; he drew them from his daily life, no matter how different they were. If your daily life is the neighborhood you draw from, the worship center is the city center.

The City Center

If we are all drawing people in from our neighborhoods, then our worship center will be a wonderful diverse and cosmopolitan place. We absolutely need to be welcoming and open to anyone and anything we come across. When a neighbor comes into our city center, they should encounter three things:

1. They must experience unconditional love.
2. They must experience unconditional acceptance.
3. They must be able to envision themselves as belonging.

The Priest, the Levite, the Good Samaritan

This short quiz will help you identify which character in the story of the Good Samaritan you are. Be brutally honest with yourself in these answers, you don’t have to share your thoughts with anyone:

1. When you imagine a church service, you see a worship center full of traditional Apostolic people worshipping God. (T/F)
2. When you imagine a church service, you see a worship center full of people who don’t conform to the Apostolic image? (T/F)
3. It bothers you deeply when a guest, or the child of a guest interrupts the service by coming in late or being noisy. (T/F)
4. You shy away from introducing yourself, or praying with someone who smells of smoke, or you don’t like the way they look? (T/F)
5. Unless pastor or a minister introduces himself or prays for someone, you probably won’t either.  (T/F)
6. If pastor or a minister introduces himself or prays for a guest, then you don’t need to because they’re already covered. (T/F)
7. You introduce yourself to anyone that comes in, regardless of who else has. (T/F)
8. You find the cry of a guest’s baby, or their late entrance to be a sign of life in the church. (T/F)
9. It doesn’t matter if the smell of smoke is on them, they want to connect to people and God too, so you’re going to introduce yourself and offer to pray. (T/F)

If you answered 1, 3, and 4 as True, then you are more like the priest. Pray that God softens your heart to those who are in need when they come to church. Pray that God gives you perspective that the most important thing is souls.

If you answered 5 and 6 as True, then you are more like the Levite. Pray that God gives you the spiritual integrity to do what is right and make guest feel welcome in our worship center regardless of the leading of others.

If you answered 2, 7, 8 and 9 as True, then you are more like the Good Samaritan. Pray that God brings people to church so you can connect with them, also pray that God helps your brothers and sisters in church to have a spirit of acceptance.

Biblical Devotion

Matthew 9:9-13  As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.  (11) And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (12) But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (13) Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Luke 15:1-32  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.  (2) And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  (3) So he told them this parable: (4) “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? (5)  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ (7)  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (8) “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? (9)  And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ (10) Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (11) And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. (12) And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. (13)  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. (14) And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. (15) So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. (16) And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. (17)  “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! (18) I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. (19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ (20) And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (21)  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ (22) But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. (23) And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. (24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. (25) “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. (26)  And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. (27) And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ (28) But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, (29) but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. (30) But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ (31)  And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. (32) It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”