This week we’ve been exploring the story of Levi meeting Jesus, and having a big party with his former partners in crime, now his friends. Jesus’s transformative effect brings Levi’s colleagues into a new friendship with Levi first, then that friendship brings his friends into contact with Jesus.
It’s no different today, this is very reason we held an outdoor movie night. We brought a bunch of people together over a great feast of popcorn. Our online users met one another, and made some new friends.
This app and web site is meant to be more than a transaction, more than something to watch/listen to. It’s meant to bring us into community. It’s meant to be made up of real people, in real community with one another.
Obviously movie nights and apps are large scale. But it depends on the small scale. It depends on people like you. You can be a Levi.
At parties, people mingle and meet, and often discover things in common.
So, have some people over to dinner, see what happens. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Or maybe have a hockey watching party, a playdate, a block party, whatever your scene is.
Through that kind of party, I hope you and some people you know and work with, or have helped, will become friends, and friends can talk about what really matters. When followers of Jesus are present in the room and real deep things of life come up, I think that’s when Jesus enters the conversation, just like at Levi’s table.
When he throws a great feast, his partners in crime learn the money grubbing tax collector actually isn’t driven by money anymore, but now he’s driven by love for Jesus, which makes him love them. Imagine the transformative effect on their lives. More than that, they just met a Jewish rabbi who will actually eat and drink with them, get to know them, love them, despite the risks, rather than standing outside and shaking his head.
So, go and show your neighbours the same! Learn their names, stories, needs, and then become friends.
Challenge: Plan a party, big or small! Please tell me the story, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Loading Content...
Share a Link to this Message
The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it.
Last week, I noticed my phone shaking, and tried to answer, didn’t get there in time. I check the voicemail shortly after, and it was a reporter from the Toronto Star. He said he’d like to interview me about Redeem the Commute, for a story on the commuting nightmare that has hit Toronto this summer.
I knew this was a great opportunity for thousands of people to learn about Redeem the Commute. Our biggest growth ever came through a story on CBC News, so I knew the potential. I also had learned from experience that he probably had a tight deadline, and would quickly move on if I didn’t call back soon. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to prep, but had an opportunity not to be passed up.
So, I stopped, prayed, reviewed a couple key points, and dialled the phone. We chatted briefly, and as I suspected, he needed a story to publish the very next day. We began our interview…
Now, imagine yourself in that situation. You suddenly have the opportunity to speak to thousands about something that really matters to you. What do you have to say?
We’re going to explore that kind of situation this week, as it related to some of the first Christians, particularly Peter. He got put on the spot to speak – to do the very thing Jesus had told him to do – would he know what to say?
Question: What is the largest group you’ve ever addressed? What did you have to say? Was it what you’d planned to say?
