This morning, my wife and I were having breakfast at a local restaurant and our server was a young lady that we knew pretty well. She knows I am a pastor at a local church, so I asked her if there was a message that I could share at church that she felt Christians need to hear. She thought a short moment and returned with the statement, “They need to learn that they should not be so rude when they come in and eat after church.” When I dug a little deeper into why she responded with this comment she stated the consensus of the server staff feels the church crowd that comes in on Sunday are some of the pickiest and demanding people they see all week, almost rude. Ouch, what a reflection of Christ that some are leaving on others!
I worked for years in the restaurant industry running restaurants, and as a whole the church crowds are great, but there are enough self-centered and rude ones out there that call themselves believers and go to church to leave a bad taste in the server staff of Christians when they dine after church.
Note to Pastors: Share with your congregations that the teaching and commands of our Lord Jesus regarding how we treat others does not end when we leave the church building.
- Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV)
Note to Believers that carry and share the love of Christ to others when out in the world: If you see a brother or sister in Christ acting rudely in public, gently find a way to share correction. It would not hurt to follow-up with the person being treated rudely, and apologies for your brother or sister without bad-mouthing them.
- I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—(Ephesians 4:1,2,15 NKJV)
- By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 NKJV)
Why were people attracted to Jesus? Because they felt He truly cared for them. How did He show He cared?
- Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV)
Wouldn’t it be great if every believer acted as Jesus Christ when we are both fellowshipping with believers and when we are out in public? I believe the impact the church would have on the lost would improve.
Pastor John
The Simple Pastor 