The Centenary Connexion - November 14

To an Unknown God

For the last two months, Centenary has had a man preaching on the sidewalk during our Sunday services. I found out a couple of weeks ago that he’s done the same at First Presbyterian, First Baptist, and Christ Episcopal. He seems to make rounds on

Sunday morning.

His message isn’t about the grace of God in the love of Christ. Instead, he threatens people going into our churches with eternal punishment. He doesn’t know us, yet he accuses us of sodomy and adultery, among other things. He says God told him to do this.

I wonder if he actually knows the Bible he claims to preach. John 3:17 states that Jesus came not to condemn, but to save. Jesus reserved his words of judgment for the most judgmental among the Jews. He never issued blanket condemnations of the people.

We’ve invited this gentleman to worship with us. On Homecoming, we asked him to join us for dinner. He refused, saying he couldn’t associate with “people like us.” Yet Jesus was accused of eating and drinking with sinners, never considering anyone too low for him to interact with. How can you plant seeds of grace and invite people to know Jesus if you’re not willing to take time to get to know them?

For a completely different approach, we need only look to the Apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist who ever lived. If you want to know a better way to reach people for Jesus, worship with us this coming Sunday and hear the story of “The Unknown God.”

Pastor Vann