Jesus hung out in some pretty radical places.
He spent so much time with drinkers that he was accused of being a drunkard.
He spent so much time with gluttons that he was accused of gluttony.
He spent so much time with party goers that he was accused of being a party animal.
Check out this encounter with Jesus.
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. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)
Jesus gave us His mission statement in Luke 19:10: “I came to seek and to save the lost.”
The Jesus mission is helping people find their way to God.
To accomplish the Jesus mission of helping people find their way to God, we must embrace a theology of proximity. You cannot help people who are far from God find their way back to God if you are far from them.
The essence of the gospel is being incarnational. Jesus moved in among us. He did not hang out at the temple and say “Come talk with me.” He moved among those that were farthest from Him in order to show them the love of God and tell them the good news.
So here are the tough questions:
Do you regularly spend time with people that are far from God?
Do you deliberately hang out with people that are far from God?
Do you schedule time with people that are far from God?
Many Christians are not missional because they spend all their time with the already convinced. Unlike Jesus, they are not hanging out with the party animals who need God. They are hanging out with those who are already convinced and converted.
I spoke earlier of third space. It is the incarnational idea of being on mission in all of your spaces.
God is at work where I live – in my community – and wants me to join Him on mission. That is my first space.
God is at work where I work – in my workplace – and wants me join Him on mission. That is my second space.
God is work where I play – in my hang out place – and wants me to join Him on mission. That is my third space.
The practice of deliberate third space is a game changer when it comes to sentness. Here is the concept.
Deliberately spend time in a third space – a play, hang out space – so that you can spend time with people that are far from God.
What would that look like for you? Here is one way it works for me.
I am a cigar smoker (just lost some of you – I know). I do not inhale (that would be total insanity). I do not smoke every day (although I would like to). I have my wife’s permission. She says that since I do not chase women and get drunk, having a cigar is ok by her. These are my justifications.
But on to my point. I love to hang out in cigar shops. And I love even more to hang out in cigar shops to talk with my unchurched friends. And I love most of all hanging out at cigar shops with my unchurched friends to share Christ with them.
I have discovered that when a man lights up a cigar, you have a captive audience for an hour. He is not going to lay down that cigar. And he is usually willing to talk with the guy next to him who is also having a cigar.
So I do not go into the cigar shop with a T-shirt that says “I am a pastor and I am out to get you.” I go into the cigar shop twice a week with this prayer:
“Jesus – I am here to be on mission for you. I want to love on who you have for me to love on. I want to care for who you have for me to care for. I want to talk with who you have for me to talk with. And I will point people to you with my actions and my words. Use me in this place today.”
I have been going into my cigar shop for the past ten years. And in that time, fifty-five people have made their way back to God because I hang out in that cigar shop.
Am I impressed with me? No! I know me too well to be impressed with me.
Am I bragging on me? Not at all! I am bragging on God because He is at work.
Am I hooked on deliberate third space? Without a doubt! Can’t get enough of it!
Jesus deliberately spent time with people that were far from God to help them find their way to God.
And He calls us to do the same.
Figure out your missional third space and deliberately go at it. Especially if you have to get out of your comfort zone to do it. God will show up big time.