NOT A GATHERING OF HOLY PEOPLE

Read: LUKE 5:27-32

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Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 8-12

A man walked into the church sanctuary. It was his first time there. He took a seat in the front row. A church member noticed him and hurried to see the Pastor. "That man is a drunkard and a gambler. I know because he's my neighbor," he reported. The Pastor smiled. "It's okay, my friend," he said, "the church is not a gathering of holy people."

The Pharisees and teachers of the law grumbled. They complained why Jesus ate at Levi's house, a tax collector. Moreover, a large number of other tax collectors were also invited there. Why did Jesus gather with sinners? Jesus explained that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (verse 32). Like a doctor who is not called for the healthy, but the sick (verse 31). Just as the role of Jesus, so should be the role of the church. The church is not a gathering of holy people. The church is not a place only for the spiritual people. The church stands primarily to reach out to sinners so that they may repent.

Let us not hesitate to come to church when we are aware of our sins. The church is not a gathering of holy people, so we don't have to be holy to be in the church. When we realize we have sinned, we should come to the church to repent and be restored. Do not reject the presence of a sinner in the church. When we know someone has sinned, we should invite them to come to the church so that they can repent and be restored. --LIN/www.renunganharian.net

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THE CHURCH IS A GATHERING OF SINNERS TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO HOLY PEOPLE.

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