Ever wonder why Jesus always had a crowd surrounding him? People wanted to be near him. People wanted to listen to him. He called people to their best – but didn’t belittle them at their worst. His personal standard of living was holy, but not holier than thou. He was religious, but not part of the “system.”
We see Jesus approached by the wealthy upper-class and the poorest of outcasts. He had friendships with sinners and saints alike. His teaching was filled with depth-of-insight that could only come from knowing what he was talking about. And he shared it in such a way that made folks laugh, cry, and never forget the lesson.
In other words, Jesus was contagious…his grace changed people, his joy in life, his caring…everything about him attracted others…and changed them for the better.
We Christians should be the same way. Our Christian beliefs must not only be a list of doctrines we accept as true (though these are important). Ours should be a belief-structure that defines our actions and reactions in life so that we, too, might attract others to the Lord we serve.
This Sunday I’m beginning a sermon series: “I Will: Becoming a Contagious Christian in a Vaccinated World.” We will discuss the character traits of attractive/contagious Christians and how these can change your life – and the lives of those you love.
I hope you’ll join us Sunday!
