Sinner? You're In Good Company At Church.

If I come to church the walls will fall in... the ceiling will collapse... the place will burst into flames... Yep, I've heard them all.  But as we looked at in this post, every saint was once a sinner.  Which means that every person who has ever stepped foot inside a church was once where you may be at right now.   And most know the unsure feeling of walking into a place they've convinced themselves is full of people who have some spiritual power to see directly into their soul.  Will they somehow know what I've done?  Will they call me out?  Will I be exposed?   

If you thought your sin was too great for Jesus you need to know that only sinners are eligible to become saints.  This is true of every person who sits in any church; they aren't there because they are perfect - they are there because they have a past and want the promise of a brighter future.  

The Apostle Paul is a great example.  His past was full of hate.  His present was overtaken by murder.  He was a Christian killer.  2000 years before ISIS Christians were being hunted and killed because of their faith - only because of their faith.  Saul, was responsible for the arrest, imprisonment and eventual death of perhaps 100's of Christians.  That is, until he became one.  

Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and that experience changed more than Saul's name, it changed his life.  Eventually He would write well over half of what we call the New Testament today.  He would perform more miracles than any other Apostle that we know of and would eventually die as a martyr because of his faith - the faith he once killed others for holding on to.  

Paul didn't become a great man of God because he "got it right" but because he got right with Jesus.  He didn't wait to show up in church until he was living right, he got right with Jesus and then started living right.  And the first actionable step in getting right with Jesus is to be baptized - in fact, that is the very first thing Paul does.  In Acts 9:18 Paul  believes and was immediately baptized (dunked under the water signifying a connection with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and your own death to sin and life lived for God's glory.  

When a sinner comes to church they are in good company.  Every Christian was and is a sinner.  None of us are perfect and in fact, if the walls were gonna fall down, they would have done it already.  Since Christians are to be better at living out God's plan for our lives, and we're not, He should be most upset with us.  I'm thankful that my life isn't based on me getting things right but on me getting right with Jesus.  

Today, how can you encourage a family member, friend, or ever your spouse that coming to church with you is the best place for them to be?  

Please share any creative ways you have used to encourage someone to come to church with you!