Are we attractive?
“It will come about after this
(Joel 2: 28-29 NASB)
That I will pour out My
Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your
daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will have dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
And even on the male and
female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Have we ever considered if we look attractive to other people?
Have we ever wondered if we draw others to want to join us?
Have we ever really pondered why we desire to fill the pews of the church we attend?
Are we an “attractive” group of people?
In reading about the 1st Church of Antioch (found in Acts 2), we may find ourselves wondering if our church family looks attractive to the community surrounding us. We may find ourselves asking: If I were “unchurched,” would I be drawn to attend the church down the street (and this church down the street is the one we attend weekly)?
Are we attractive?
Now to some, this may mean: Are we fun?
To others, this may mean: Do we have ‘programs’?
Yet to others, this may mean: Are we active?
However, we need to ask this question: What does this mean to our Heavenly Father—to be attractive to the world?
We could speculate all day about what programs we need to begin at our churches. OR
We could discuss all the necessary qualities our pastor should possess, but at the end of every day, the only real truth is found in what God’s Word speaks.
So, let us read the Scriptures—together. &
Let us be enlightened—together.
“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
(Acts 2: 41-47 NASB)
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
And all the believers were together and had all things in common;
and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Go into your mind for a moment and place your thoughts on the remembrance of a summertime night. We are there—together—sitting on the front porch. The light of the day begins to fade as our eyes adjust to the nighttime sky, so we stay there on the porch, even as the dark of the night surrounds us. However, inside the house, there is a light shining, one that has never been extinguished, and one that continually burns.
That is exactly where we find His image, the one that reveals—IF—we are attractive to the world surrounding us.
See us (the believers) sitting on the porch in the dark of the night, and we can see with clarity because we have His Light within us, even though we have remained there as the day changed to night.
So, we have sight & our eyes have adjusted, & we can see with clarity.
Then, let us see them (the unbelievers) surrounding us (like moths flying around from this to that, flying in the dark of the night sky), and we see how they strain to get close to the light found inside the house. Yet, there is a barrier (the door) that separates them from the light, and for now, they remain in the dark, even as they are fluttering and drawn toward the light.
Are we attractive—to the world of unbelievers surrounding us?
May we gather together as we look into the Scriptures to see the types of activities & to see the many ways believers fellowshipped together in the 1st Church of Antioch during the 1st Century. We would probably agree; they were doing something right because the Bible tells us they were a “growing” church & many were attracted to join them.
“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. . . .
(Acts 2: 41 & 47B NASB)
And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
The believers at the church were doing these types of things—
- “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching”
- “and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread”
- “and to prayer.”
- “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe;”
- “and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”
- “And all the believers were together”
- “and had all things in common;”
- “and they would sell their property and possessions”
- “and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.”
- “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple,”
- “and breaking bread from house to house,”
- “they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,”
- “praising God and having favor with all the people.”
the church—TOGETHER!
If we have ever considered if we look attractive to other people, &
If we have ever wondered if we draw others to want to join us, &
If we have ever really pondered why we desire to fill the pews of the church we attend,
Then, we must ask ourselves an all-important question: Are we “attractive” to the lost, to those unbelievers who surround us?
- They will join us when they are invited. We must testify.
- They will come sit beside us when we stop and say, “Come go with me.”
- They will want to attend and listen about our Jesus when they see the way we treat one-another.
- They will desire to learn about our Jesus when they see the way we care for each other.
- They will become interested in our Jesus when they see the way we love our brothers and sisters—in Christ—just as Jesus did!
Are we connected to fellow Christians?
Are we connected to our Christian community?
This applies to those we attend church with and to those who attend another church building each week because together, we are children of God—the bride of Christ Jesus.
The church of Jesus Christ can be described in one statement: BELIEVERS SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
- Are we sharing meals with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
- Are we spending time with them?
- Are we devoted to Bible study with the family of God?
- Are we praying with them & for them?
- Are we in awe of what God is doing through His many wonders & His power?
- Are we sharing things in common with them?
- Are we helping whenever they have a need?
- Are we continuing with them, connected together “with one mind.”
- Are we attending church, sitting next to them, sharing time with them?
- Are we visiting inside their homes and in ours & are we visiting the lost—together?
- Are we filled “with gladness and with sincerity of heart?”
- Are we praising God—together?
- Are we loving them—in Jesus’ name?
Are we “attractive” to the lost, to those unbelievers who surround us?
As a moth is attracted to the light on a warm summer’s night, the lost community surrounding us will be attracted to the Light of the world (JESUS) when they see how we behave, how we act, how we LOVE LIKE JESUS!
“For this is the will of God,
(1 Thessalonians 4: 3-9 NASB)
Your sanctification;”
[This means we look more & more like Jesus as we grow up into spiritual maturity.]
“that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”
[Our bodies, as the children of God, are vessels of God, filled with His Holy Spirit.]
“and that no one violate the rights and take advantage of his brother or sister in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you previously and solemnly warned you.”
[This is said to remind us how one day—We will all stand before God!
Yes, we will face the justice of a Most-Holy God!
We will each give an account of our actions, &
of our lack of actions, & of our words spoken, &
of our words not spoken—in Jesus’ name.!]
“For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification.
Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
Now as to the love of the brothers and sisters, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;”