Fill it.
God's "invite list"... it includes everyone, you know. And I mean EVERYONE. There is not one person on earth, no matter how poor, no matter how dirty, no matter how foul or wicked or sinful, who is not welcome to receive the salvation offered through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
Sometimes you forget that... Sometimes you work really hard to try to target those who you think may be on God's "invite list"... You look for people that will fit in nicely at your church. You spend hours and days and weeks and even years trying to save a certain family, a certain loved one, that stubborn co-worker that you just know needs Jesus and you are soooo the one that can save him... Do you know how many other unsaved people pass you by? Yet you're so caught up in saving your dad or Mr. Harris at the grocery store that you let thousands of people walk through your life untouched by God's love.
The first speaker we had at conference was Paul Scanlon. That guy is good. I was really impressed with the sheer annointing of all the speakers. Their messages were pure and powerful. But I digress... One of the things Paul spoke about was broadening your sphere of influence, and not limiting yourself (or God) to the people you know.
He gave an illustration to help drive the point home. He talked about a get-together he was having at his house. He'd had them before and parking was always a problem, so he pre-arranged a parking area for his guests. He sent a young man down to the end of the lane to direct traffic and wave people into the lot they were to use. So as evening came and cars started arriving, this young man waved car after car into the lot. Things were running very smoothly, all was well, and everyone was parked in a nice orderly fashion, and he continued to wave in car after car. But then something a little unexpected happened. See, he just kept waving people in, but there was a woman driving on the road alone that night, and she happened to be driving by where this young man was directing traffic. And just as he did all the others, he waved her into the lot, not knowing that she wasn't invited to the party.
The woman was a little distraught at a strange man in the night waving her into a parking lot, but after some disarming reassurance that she was free to go, she went on her way and everyone in the party got a good laugh when the young man relayed the story.
Paul used that story to illustrate the kind of mentality that we, as Christians, should have... You see, the young man just expected that everyone coming through was headed for the party. And that's what we should expect... that everyone is invited to the party. Everyone is invited to heaven.
Remember the parable Jesus told of the man who prepared the wedding feast (Luke 14:16-19)? Notice how the man sent for those who had been invited, but they wouldn't come... And then sent for many who had not been invited... And then, when there was still room for more, he told his servants: "go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in so that my house will be full." (emphasis added by Jack)
He didn't say "invite them" or "tell them they can come if they want"... He said make them come in. He took the choice out of it--just go get people. Did you notice also, how God wants His house full? Not just open so that whomever wants to come can... He wants it full.
The biggest harvest is in the people we don't know. Stop holding on and wasting years trying to saved one known loved one when you're walking by thousands of unknowns who need God. Here's a little thing you may not have thought of: My "knowns" are your "unknowns". And your "knowns" are my "unknowns".
Get out of God's way. He does use other people besides you, y'know. :-)
Even the disciples fell into an exclusive mindset (Mark 9:38). But Jesus went on to say that whoever is not against us is for us. Most people are not "opposed" to God or the church. They just don't consider it relevant, or understand it. But who wouldn't want the joy, the love, the peace, the passion and excitement, the grace, the forgiveness that we have? Don't discount anyone. Don't build a church that tries to bring in the type of people that might be on God's invite list. "Everybody is coming to the party"... build that assumption into your life, church, etc.
God says that His house must be full. So fill it.
-Jack-
Addendum: when I say "you", "your" etc., I'm referring to myself as well. Don't worry, I've no room to judge. :-)
