GOD'S METHOD NOT A PROJECT BUT A STYLE

Have you ever noticed how much God reaches. While man tends to withdraw, God tends to extend. God's plot to reach to the world is not a plan; but rather a style....reach first with no guarantee there will be mutual reciprocation.

For God so loved the world HE GAVE His only begotten son.

We love BECAUSE GOD FIRST loved us.

God's method is not a plan; but a style....one style....one consistent style....reach.

We are called to fit God's style. The reason this is important is we tend to compensate for failure in this grooming by developing outreach plans. I know. I lived there way too long. I couldn't see it differently. Out of a combination of responsibility and guilt, I made intentional effort to do something that appeared to fit under the umbrella of evangelistic. However....it was a dead effort.

God's style changed my approach. No longer do I evaluate prospects according to my mission plan. I extend my love to them...as God did...with awareness there may be a casual, informal, wonderful response. God's style is making the first move and then waiting on our response. That's to be our same style.

My next door neighbor was Rob. He and his wife visited church. We soon baptized her and they continued to attend. Returning from church one Sunday at noon they had parked their car in the drive and left the garage door up. As I was turning into my drive I took a sharper right and pulled into their garage. I went to the door and Rob answered.

I said, Hey, do we need to get together and talk about this church stuff? I will always remember his response. Soberly he said, Our day will come. I drove off. I later baptized Rob and today he is an elder for a huge church in Dallas.

I didn't have a plan. I had God's style....reach.....in hopes their will be a response. God's method of reaching the world isn't a project. It is a style.