Looking outward

The Calling of Matthew

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

(Matthew 9:9-9:13, NIV)

I admit that I have not been to a lot churches during my life. I've been active in only three and I don't think I've been in more than 10 churches in my lifetime. However, I don't think that I've ever been in a situation where the church has not been talking about how to reach out and touch the lives of those that are lost.I read the above passage from Matthew this morning and found that it has challenged me in the area of reaching the lost. If we are ever going to reach the lost, if we are ever want to see souls saved, then Christians have to go and spend time with those Jesus wants to save. We must break bread with them and share the story of Jesus with them.This passage speaks as a personal challenge to me from our Savior to go and spend time with those that Jesus is going to reach. When I am in public, wherever I am really, I should be demonstrating God's effect on my life. Not in a way that puts people off, but in a way that pulls people in. That way I have an opportunity to share all that Jesus has done in my life.