Irresistible Environments…do you have any of them in your life? You know…those places that you love to go. It could be some close friends in whom you love to spend time; the kind that you would drop about anything to hang out at each others’ home. It could be a restaurant that you ALWAYS want to go to. Whenever your spouse asks, “Where do you want to go eat?” it is the first thing you want to say (even if you hold off for fear of everyone getting sick of it). For others it could be a particular coffee shop, sports bar, park, or retail store. We each have places that for whatever reason, are simply irresistibleto us. It could be the mood it creates for us, the feel, the experience, the sights, the sounds, the relaxed setting, etc. But they are places that are absolutely irresistible. I have several of them. I love Tippecanoe Restaurant. If I ever get a chance, I’m there. I love Logan’sSteakhouse (I know you are starting to see a pattern…all food). I love Lindenwood Retreat Center. I love Caribbean Cruise ships. I love Disney World. I love going to the zoo. There are lots of places that provide lots of different environments that I find irresistible. It would have to be something very serious for me to ever say, “I’m just not in the mood for Tippecanoe.” or “I just don’t feel like going to Disney World.” or “A cruise…I don’t know, I’d rather mow the yard.”
I’m curious how irresistible people find the environment of church. Is it one of those places that people just HAVE to be at, or is it one of those place I go because I feel like I have to…you know the obligation thing? My guess is that often times, church feels very resistible. So resistible that when the first better offer comes along (e.g., more sleep, the golf course, the shopping mall, the T.V., etc.) people jump at the chance to resist the environment of church. And for all you churchy people who want to start preaching about how people are supposed to go to church…blah, blah, blah. That’s the point. Supposed to go to church and finding church irresistible are two totally different things. Guilt only lasts so long.
What is ironic about that is that when Jesus walked the face of the earth, he was absolutely irresistible! Everyone wanted to be around him! People crammed houses when he entered them, they filled mountainsides to hear him speak, they would crush the available beach space so much so that Jesus would literally be forced to speak from a boat further into water. People cut through roofs to get to him; they climbed sycamore trees to get a peek at him. Even people who hated him were drawn to him. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY IRRESISTIBLE!! What happened!?!?! It took the church 2000 years to make Jesus resistible! Good job church!!! Come on…we are supposed to be following after the dude that everyone flocked too. The guy who every sick, lame, twisted, and demonized dude tried to get to; the guy who every marginalized and discouraged person tried to be around; the guy who could simply say, ‘follow me’ and people would literally put in their two week notices at work! How did so many people find Jesus irresistible, but now the church of Jesus very resistible? How is he so relevant, but we tend to be so irrelevant? How did he draw thousands, and we get all giggly if we draw an extra family or two! Hello…anyone out there?!
It is time we rethink this whole church thing. Really…from beginning to end! What made him so irresistible, and what makes us so resistible? Don’t you want the Living Stones Church (or any other church if you go to another church) to be one of those places that people find absolutely irresistible. I mean, even if they don’t buy this Jesus thing yet, I want their experience in this place to make them think, “I can’t help but go back…it is irresistible!” I want what happens here to be the most life-giving, dynamic, exciting, relevant, irresistible moment of their week. That little piece of time that we carve out to meet in Jesus’ name and it is so powerful; so awesome that who would ever think of sleeping in, or going golfing, or skip out to head to the beach…or…miss it for Disney World…come on (oohh coming close to my heart…o.k…I’ll back off).
The Living Stones Church…providing the irresistible experience of Jesus Christ. I like that!
From another blog: 10 Ways to Not Be Irresistible.
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