In Acts chapter 3, Peter and John were walking into the temple at the hour of prayer. They saw a man who had been lame from birth sitting at the gate, begging from the worshippers who entered the temple. When this man saw Peter and John, he asked them for money. The apostles stopped and looked at him. Peter said, "Look at us," which the beggar did, expecting to receive something from them. Peter then said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). The beggar was expecting Peter and John to give him money. What they had to give was not what he was expecting, but it turned out to be the greatest thing he could ever hope to receive.
The churches of men are involved in numerous activities and works for which there is no Bible authority. Sometimes these works are justified as a means of leading the "unchurched" (the lost) to Christ. For example, people who would never attend a worship service or agree to a Bible study might be interested in coming to a holiday pageant, a fashion show, a comedy concert, a marriage enrichment seminar, or a financial workshop that is held at the church building. Families with small children might not think about attending a church, but they might bring their children to a day care, preschool, cub scout meeting, or basketball league that meets on the church property. Once they are at these events, there is a hope that they will become comfortable at their church and will be interested in coming back to meet their spiritual needs.
This approach is not only unscriptural, but it also displays a lack of faith in the power of God to draw sinners to salvation. Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32). It is not the offer of social, physical, or educational benefits that draws sinners to their Savior. It is the message of God's own Son dying a cruel death upon a cross that cuts hearts and draws sinners back to their merciful Creator.
Saving faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The Lord's church is not authorized to use "any means necessary" to get people to hear this word. We are not to use gimmicks to get people on our property or in our building in hopes that we can sneak in some Bible teaching while they are here. The only thing the Lord's church is authorized to offer the community is the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. This message is to be seen in the lives of the members and it is to be heard sounding forth from the congregation. While the churches of men are taking the market-driven approach to community outreach (competing with one another over programs offered to the community), we are content to do the Lord's work in the Lord's way and allow God to give the increase.
In the year ahead, we have set aside four Sundays in which we are placing an increased emphasis upon inviting people to come and visit our worship services. These dates are January 5th, April 5th, July 5th, and October 4th. On these Sundays, during the morning worship service, we will present a sermon that we hope to be of special interest to those who are not members of the church. We will advertise the topic at least two weeks ahead of time, and every member will be encouraged to invite friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, relatives, strangers, etc., to come and hear that sermon. We continue to accept suggestions for these sermons, as you may know of a topic that people are interested in hearing.
Let's pray for this effort. Let's be involved in this effort. Let's do the Lord's work in the Lord's way.