In our last post, we talked about how Sunday mornings are essential for living faithfully as disciples of Christ. Gathering on the Lord’s Day was cornerstone of Christian fellowship and discipleship in the New Testament (Acts 20:7). And we rightly continue to emphasize that importance today. We talked about how praying for a servant-hearted mindset that would better help us prepare to give as much as we receive on Sunday mornings.
As we continue thinking about making disciples on Sunday, we should think about welcoming others at church. Of course, it’s very easy to welcome those who know and love well. Those we are closest to are the easiest to connect with and talk to. But what if those weren’t the most important people we should look for on Sundays?
Almost every week, Providence is blessed to have someone visiting with us. Many times these guests are Christians in search of a new church home. They could be struggling in their faith having been under weak teaching. Or, they could be coming to our church looking for a more loving environment. Perhaps they are responding to God who is calling them out of a period of wandering? Regardless of the circumstances, we should welcome them as brothers and sisters in the Lord (Rom 15:7).
Still others may be visiting who have not yet trusted Christ. Someone might have invited them or perhaps they felt conviction from a gospel conversation. Though the weekly gathering is primarily for believers, Paul expected that unbelievers would attend at times (1 Cor 14:24). What an opportunity to love our neighbor (Matt 22:39)! Fulfilling Christ’s command, we have a chance to show the grace-filled kindness of God by having a hospitable spirit toward the outsider. We can introduce them to others, ask about their lives, direct them to the nursery, get them a coffee, discuss the sermon, and more. Our love and generosity can lower barriers to make them more receptive to the gospel.
But all of this requires a servant mindset that sets asides my good desire to focus my time with my friends only on Sundays. In the big picture, this not only helps keep the church body from segmenting into special groups and cliques, it also helps us work harder at pushing down those natural self-interested tendencies. Pursuing a hospitable and welcoming attitude gives us a chance to imitate Jesus—to be humble and “look to the interest of others” (Phil 2:3–5).
One could even go a step further here. One of the easiest ways to serve at PBF is with the greeter ministry. It’s the chance to be the smiling face of Providence when the guest and outsider shows up for the first. It’s the chance to hold a door, offer a handshake, or hold an umbrella on a rainy morning in Jesus’ name. Those small acts of kindness strike me a twenty-first century equivalent of offering a cup of cold water to those in need. And Jesus delights in it (Matt 10:42).
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