Becoming All Things to All Men

Today's sermon, I would like to talk about a biblical topic that's important, I believe, for all of us to at least wrap our minds around. It's something that I've come to understand a little more fully in recent years, and I believe if we can all grow in this point, it will do a lot towards our ability to reach out to people in the world, to help bring them to the gospel message of the kingdom of God, and it will do a lot to help us improve our ability to relate to one another and help one another as servants of God along the way as well. So today, I want to talk about the concept of connecting with people where they are at.

Connecting with people where they are at. And another way we maybe could even describe this concept, it's actually the biblical terminology that we'll find in Scripture, is becoming all things to all men. Becoming all things to all men. What does that mean exactly? It's an interesting concept, and we're going to see it in the Scripture as something that actually was an important part of the apostle Paul's ministry, Jesus Christ's ministry, but what does the concept be, coming all things to all men, or connecting with people where they are at, what does that mean? How do we do it? And what effect does it really truly have in the lives of us and those whom we have opportunity to impact? I want to talk about that today. Connecting with people where they're at is a leadership method that's been recognized and taught for over 15 years. It's one of these things where you have company heads that sit down and brainstorm, and maybe they have a product line they're rolling out, and they want to know how do we connect with people with this? Or, you know, we're looking at our lineup. How do we develop something that really speaks to what people are looking for? And they very much want to know how they can get to people's wants, to their needs, maybe even to their desires, in order to bring them to a place where they look then to that company to provide what it is that they want. So there's marketing groups, there's analysis that goes on again. How do we reach people where they are at in order to bring them what it is that we have to offer? And a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of money gets expended by corporations trying to figure out where their potential customer base is coming from in terms of outlook and perspective.

And again, how to connect with them there. Because if you want them just to connect where you're at, that gulf isn't always going to be bridge. You've got to find out how I'm going to grab hold of them there and then bring them where it is that I want them to be. That's the business side of things, but more than that, it's also a biblical principle that we can find in the pages of the Bible. And its purpose is for the conveying of the gospel message. And we see that, again, as I made mention already, in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. I want to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 to start with and just acknowledge his acknowledgement of this technique in his practice, in his preaching. 1 Corinthians chapter 9, here in verse 19. Paul says, For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the war. So this whole process, Paul, shows us, begins by the mindset of becoming a servant to all, to serving others with a desire to see them succeed. And, of course, the purpose in Paul's case was to see them succeed in a relationship with God, ultimately coming out of sin and coming into a reconciled relationship. Verse 20, it says, And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews, to those who are under law I became as under law, that I might win those who are under the law, to those who are without law as without law, not being without law toward God, but under law towards Christ. In other words, he's saying, when I was with the Jews, and there was the Jewish customs and traditions and even certain law and tradition that they kept, I could be as a Jew in order to connect with them there. But when Paul went into a Gentile region or a Gentile household who weren't under even these customs and traditions of men, and apart from this oral law, he says, I could connect with them on that level too, but not apart from the law of God.

Okay, it's not talking about forsaking our guiding principles, but he says, I did this, that I might win those who are without law. Verse 22, he says, To the week I became as weak, that I might win the weak, I become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

And so what we find is the Apostle Paul had this incredible ability to size people up and to, first of all, recognize where it is that they were at in terms of their culture or their place in life, and then he could step across maybe what was a gap, a gulf, between him and them to meet them where they were at in order to bring them to another place altogether. And he said, I do this, the primary purpose for the gospel's sake, in order that he could win them, if we want to use that term, over to what it means to be reconciled with God and Christ. So that's what it means to become all things to all men, to meet them where they are at, to make that connection in order to bring them to a better place. Paul said, I do it for the gospel's sake. And it doesn't mean that you become just like the world. In order to win the world, that's not the point. God has called us out of the world, and we are to be separate, and God's way sets us apart as separate. But as simply fellow human beings, there are so many points of connection that we can make with the people of the world around us, in order to meet them where they are at, in the circumstance they are at, in the need where they are at, in order to help to bring them somewhere better in the knowledge of God.

That should be our focus for the gospel's sake, just as it was for Paul. But that action takes an understanding. It takes an understanding, doesn't it, of who people are, and where they are, and what it is that they're going through, and where do they come from. And it's an ability that the Apostle Paul had, and one that will serve us well, brethren, I believe, if we can at least be aware of it and learn to develop it even more in our own lives. Certainly, I've been aware of this for a time, because for me, a personal example would relate to my travels than to West Africa. Because to fly halfway around the world and to step into a completely different culture, there's others here who have traveled the world as well, you would understand that it's different. Completely different than the American lifestyle and culture. And you have to come to understand what is the culture? Why do people function how they do? What makes them tick, so to speak? If you're going to connect with them in a way that's meaningful, it can be easy to offend. If you don't understand another culture, and you don't understand where people are at, and once you've offended, then it can become very difficult to even bridge that gap and overcome the barrier that's created. So for me, this is something I've been, I guess, a little more aware of in recent years through my travels, is how do you become all things to all men and connect with them in a way that's meaningful? Because, you know, I can give a sermon in West Africa just as I give a sermon here, and I can preach at people, right, all day long, but it doesn't mean you're making necessarily a connection. The subject matter. Biblically might be the same, but you have to figure out how does this fit? How is the lesson incorporated into their lifestyle?

Just as we consider what does it mean to us? The Youth Corps is something that has been a wonderful blessing to our youth camps in West Africa. Over the years, we've been able to take over a number of young adults to Nigeria and Ghana to serve as staff members at camp through the Youth Corps program. That's been on back burner since COVID hit, but hopefully by next year, we'll have that up and going again. But, you know, we'll take three, four, five, six young adults and take them over, but rather than just throwing them headlong in the camp, we'll go early.

We'll take three, four, five days. We'll travel around a portion of the country, and we'll see some of the sights that there are to see. We'll take some of the young adults of the congregation with us that they'll be working with at camp, and we just spend time together. We'll explore the markets, and we'll see maybe some of the things that are culturally significant to the area in order to basically immerse them, kind of a crash course immersion in the culture, because they're going to be connecting with the youth. They're going to be working alongside these young adults in camp, and again, they need to understand who it is they're approaching, how do we connect, and where is it that they are coming from. It's a very important concept to consider. The African culture, by and large, is tribal, which is very different than our culture, and it's authoritarian. The leadership structure and the government structure is authoritarian. It's very heavy-handed, top-down, authoritarian rule, and that bleeds in the families. That even if we're not careful, bleeds into the church. And so when I go over and I'm teaching leadership workshops, and we're having interactive discussions with the men there, I'll often bring up the topic of that authoritarian leadership, and we'll discuss. And I'll say, tell me, what are the drawbacks of living under that? How does that affect your city? How does that affect your family? How does it affect the church? And they'll just open up and start talking about the challenges of the authoritarian rule and gentile lordship and dominion, as the Bible would describe it. That's the point of connection, right? They understand that, but what do we teach in the Church of God? It's Christ-like servant leadership, and that's coming from a different perspective.

So you have to be able to connect where they're at. So the point of connection in these classes will be, what is the drawback of what you're currently living under, and what would be a better way? And then we bring the lesson across to how Jesus Christ lived, how He interacted, and then the blessings that come to people through a model that is Christ-like servant leadership. So reaching people where they are with a life-changing message is important, but you first have to be able to connect with them where they are at in order to bring them to another place altogether, and you look for that point of reference, that relatable point, then where you can connect at that point and then build a bridge across to where it is they need to go. And you know what? That can be difficult sometimes for us, and I would say especially for us when it comes to dealing with the world, because as Christians we often want to meet people where we think they should be, right, as opposed to maybe where they're actually at. Because where they're actually at can be a pretty uncomfortable place. Maybe we don't want to get our hands dirty, maybe we don't want to, what do I say, associate in certain ways, but just think about God is calling people out of this world. What does this world look like? This world is this world, and there's a lot of things going on that we certainly don't want to become involved in ourselves, but we need to find a way to connect with people to help them. They're truly seeking to come out of those circumstances. But again, as Christians it can be kind of tough for us to connect with people, because sometimes or oftentimes we want to meet people where we think they should be, maybe rather than where they are actually at. And if they're not where we think they should be, that could even cause us to take a step back and say, I'm not even going to get involved.

I want to challenge us and encourage us not to fall into that mindset or into that trap.

Recently, I was on a Sabbath out on the circuit and in another place, and there was a circumstance several weeks ago that took place actually in this area. Our members were coming to church and coming into the driveway and here to the hall, and there was a man that was laying out by the street. If he went out to the driveway to the street and just that way, maybe a dozen feet, there was a man that was laying out on the grass. And the sun kind of passed out halfway on the sidewalk. And people came by and drove in and came in and parked and came in. And one of our members in the congregation, a lady came in and saw this man out there, and it was concerning. It's a hot day. He's laying in the sun. And what's this guy's circumstance? Maybe he needs help.

And so she came in and she spoke to a couple of individuals, a couple of men in the congregation, and said, there's this guy out here laying out here. Somebody should go check on him. And it was sort of like, well, maybe we don't really want to get involved. And so eventually, this lady on her own walks out there and goes to check on him. He's laying in the sun, and she says, hey, are you okay? And I think he kind of muttered some sort of a response. But she says, well, I just wanted to make sure you're okay, let you know that someone cares about you. And you're laying out here in the sun, and he kind of shuffled back in over into the shade a little bit. And she came in. And when I heard the story later, I kind of got after her a little bit for going out there alone. I said, please don't do that alone. But also, I was disappointed that a couple of the men that she asked didn't accompany her or volunteer to go out there. Now, I know if she had continued to ask around, there would be men in this congregation that would go out. Okay, so that's not my point. My point is, that's an uncomfortable place to go. Right? Maybe that's a point of connection that isn't always comfortable for us to approach. You know, God's called us out of this world, called us to a bit of a different place, and maybe when somebody isn't where we think they should be, we're not comfortable with that. But in some level, we need to be comfortable in a way that is appropriate and safe, okay? Not asking us to venture into unsafe circumstances.

But we're fellow human beings with the others in the world around us, and we need to be able to express the compassion of a fellow human being, see where there might be need, and see where we can help. Eventually, the service ended, and as people left, and this lady left, the man was still there, so she ultimately, you know, called the authority so they could come and do a check on him, and it appeared maybe he was maybe coming off of a bender or something. It's hard to say, but it wasn't well for him, and honestly, it really wasn't well for those around him, and help was needed. So I'll just say, brethren, let us be careful. It can be easy to be overly critical of people that don't understand God's way of life, or we see them get into circumstances that we could easily say, don't go that way, and they go that way, and it can be easy to say, well, I told you so. Have fun with that. But God has called us to try to help people from where they are at in order to bring them where it is ultimately that he wants them to be.

And the lesson regarding the gospel message is that if we only approach people where we think they should be rather than where they are at, then we'll likely miss out on opportunities, really, to open a door that would be life-changing to them. Christ didn't come to save the righteous, right? He came to save sinners, of which, if I can borrow from Paul's words, of which I am chief, of which we all are chief. But we've been called out of this by God's mercy, and he's given us opportunity to extend that same blessing in his name wherever we might have the chance.

Jesus Christ is a prime example of someone who connected with people where they were at in order to bring them to a different place. When he walked the earth, his message was the gospel of the kingdom of God. It was declared very clearly, very plainly, by Jesus Christ. Mark chapter 1, verse 15, says, the time is fulfilled. These are Christ's words. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Right? It was the starting point and the foundation point of his message and his teachings. And where he went, that was the emphasis and the focus that he brought. And Jesus often used miracles to connect with people where they were at in order to help bring them, then, the message. Christ's miracles attracted attention, didn't they? He raised the dead. Imagine that attracts a lot of attention. He cast out demons, right? He healed the lepers. He healed the blind and the lame. He met them where they were at, and he met them on those grounds. He didn't shy away when maybe the Pharisees and the Sadducees said, oh, unclean, don't even approach. You know, we know the parable of the good Samaritan, and Christ chose that example to say, you know, this Samaritan who you despise, that was the neighbor to this man who had been beaten and robbed and on the street, not all the quote-unquote righteous people that kind of moved to the other side of the street and and passed by. And Christ went right to where the need was. He performed those miracles, and he met those people where they were at on those grounds, and he used that to highlight the message that they ultimately needed to hear, which was the gospel of the kingdom of God, that you can be healed, not just physically, but spiritually, ultimately in God's family. An example would be the Samaritan woman at the well. John chapter 4 verse 1 through 26. I won't turn there today. You can go later. I'll jump into the bandwagon of homework again for today. Go read the Samaritan woman at the well, John 4, verse 1 through 26. Jesus met her where she was at, didn't he? He met her at the well.

Christ was out traveling with the disciples. It was a long day's journey. He was fatigued. He sat down by the well while the disciples went to get food, and the Samaritan woman comes to draw water. And so he met her very much where she was at. He said, give me a drink. And then as the dialogue went on, Jesus said, well, if you knew who it was who said to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would give you living water. And so Jesus used that time, he used her desire for water to bring her to an understanding of her need for living water, her need for a Savior.

The conversation moved on then to her husband, and she says, well, I have no husband. And Christ says, well, you say, right, you have no husband. You've had five husbands, and the one you're with now is not your husband. And, you know, the lady was blown away. And she went and told people, she says, you know, come see this man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? And the deed he was. And it was a message then as people came and they heard, and it went out from there.

But, you know, Jesus didn't go rent the nicest facility on the corner with mega-speakers to blast the message. He was among the community connecting people with them where they were at and in their need. Feeding 5,000 people miraculously, that's a basic human need. And through that, then they were willing to hear a message. Again, it's something that Jesus Christ knew well, practiced well, and it's something that the Apostle Paul was a master of, apparently, as well in the Scripture, and it bore fruit. Let's look at an example in Acts chapter 16 here of the Apostle Paul and Timothy.

Acts chapter 16 in verse 1.

It says, Then he, Paul, came to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. It says, he was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him, and it says, And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. He says, As they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees, the keeps which were determined by the apostles and the elders at Jerusalem. What were the decrees that were proclaimed to be kept by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem? Well, go back one chapter, right? Acts chapter 15. There's the conference there. And what was one of the major things to come out of the Acts 15 conference? Circumcision is not required unto salvation. Not going to require that the Gentiles and those who would accept Jesus Christ become essentially a Jew before they can become a Christian, right? This is a spiritual calling in Gentiles. And even Jews that God would call that salvation was not dependent on the matter of circumcision. And yet here we have Paul taking and having Timothy circumcised. Why? I mean, that decision has been made. In fact, that's part of the message they're teaching. Well, verse 3 again, it says, Because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. It was in order to meet the Jews where they were at.

Right? You're trying to bring them to another place. You're trying to convey the gospel message of Jesus Christ and maybe honestly bring them from Judaism to Christianity. Because when I speak Judaism, I'm referring to the culture of their day and the oral law and the traditions and so many things that were tacked on for righteousness sake as it was proclaimed. They're trying to bring them to an understanding of who Jesus Christ was and Christianity and this action opened the door for Timothy to serve in a way that could make a connection. Right? These Jews knew that his father is Greek, that he would not have been circumcised on the eighth day as a Jew would have been, and why would they listen to him? So this was again a matter of, and Timothy, in compliance and agreement, meeting people where they were at in order to establish a connection, enabled them to bring them to the message of Jesus Christ. And it's rather remarkable.

Timothy, just as Paul set the example, did this for the gospel's sake. And if we notice verse 5, then of Acts chapter 16, it says, so the churches were strengthened in the faith, as a result, and increased in number daily. So the blessing was God opened the door of understanding and increase came, but that connection and that point of connection had to be made. Let's notice another example of the Apostle Paul meeting the Gentiles where they were at in order to build a bridge towards the true God. Acts chapter 17 and verse 15. Familiar account to us.

Acts chapter 17, beginning in verse 15, it says, so those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens, receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, says his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Well, how do you suppose Paul saw the city was given over to idols? It wasn't from the window of the Motel 6. He was out mingling about interacting and considering the environment, the culture of these people in Athens. Verse 17 says, therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. So again, he's watching and he's out and about and he's mingling and he's connecting with these people in the streets and the synagogues in the market. He's engaging with them, not waiting for them to maybe come to the standard that he found acceptable. This is meeting them where they are at. Verse 22 says, and Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and he said, men of Athens are perceived that in all things you are very religious. This was from his observations, again, of their city, of their practices. You're very religious.

For as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, he says, I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. He says, therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you. And that's the bridge of connection. Okay, that's where Paul could meet them where they were at, the unknown God. He says, you have this God you proclaim without even knowing. Let me tell you about him. And he met them there where they were at among at least one point of all their religious customs. And he picked that one and said, I can meet you there. And we can go from there to what it is that the true God would have you know. Verse 24, he says, God who made the world and everything in it, says, he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything, since he gives to all life and breath and all things. And he has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. He says, for in him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring. For we are also his offspring. It's a quote from their poets. Paul knew their culture, he knew their poets, their literature, and he met them at that point where they were at. Again, there's a gulf between the true God and the religion of Athens, but he says we can make a connection and bridge this gap if you're willing to meet me there. Verse 28, again, for in him we live and move and have our being, as also even some of your own poets have said, for we are his offspring. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devisings, you know, all these idols that you have littering every street corner of your city. Truly, these times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained, Jesus Christ, and he has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, we will hear you again on this matter.

And so, again, what we see is Paul then begins to bring them, at least a portion of them who would respond from where they were at, to the gospel message. Let me tell you about the true God.

Let me tell you how you ought to worship him, why you were created, the relationship you can have with him. And as the chapter wraps up, then it shows there was indeed some fruit that came from that interaction. Brother, an understanding where people are at plays an important role in connecting with them in a way that's meaningful. And frankly, people are all over the map, aren't they? Because we're not just talking culture, even within our own culture, even within our culture in the church. People are in different places. Some are single, some are married, some are divorced, some are grandparents, some are adopted, some are male, some are female, some are rich, some are poor, some are young, some are old, some are employed, some are unemployed. You could just go down the list all day long of differences that can be found even among us and the people of God.

And so many people that we interact with are in different places in the world. Vastly different, we would say. And again, we start to get into a little bit that uncomfortable zone of kind of wanting to reach out from where we feel comfortable. I appreciated the concept in the Sermonette, the fact that, you know, if you're just looking out for you and what makes you comfortable, you maybe, I'm paraphrasing, can't be in that great of a service to God because God has called us really to reach out beyond ourself in service to Him and Jesus Christ and what it is that they're doing. So we need to have an appreciation for the importance of meeting people where they are at, coming to have an understanding of their situation in order to bring them to a place of positive growth. In the world, it's to, if I can use this term loosely because it's used in other ways, but, wind souls. Okay, we don't just actively, if I maybe use the term wind souls, but we can help to open the door for people to have that relationship and understanding with God. God extends the calling, but He's involved us in the work and in the process as well. So in the world, we connect with people and in the church, we connect with people as well, don't we? Help each other through trials and struggles and various circumstances. And if you're going to help someone who's truly going through a difficult place in their life and strengthen them, you really have to know how you're going to meet them there, where it is that connection is that you can make and how you can help to bring them to a positive growth environment as well. So I want to spend the rest of the time just briefly talking about how we connect with others, where they are today, and how we do that both inside and outside the church. And I'm just going to speak in general principles, but there's more we could add to it if you wanted to consider. It begins by making assessments. It begins by making assessments. We have to employ tools of assessment to determine where people are because not everybody is alike. And assessment often begins with listening.

It's just that simple. Listening. You know, you happen to walk up to somebody who's in a certain circumstance and just say, how are you doing today? And they say, not well. Well, tell me about it.

You don't have to have all the answers for the world, but sometimes someone just needs a person to listen. And it's true listening that we then find out where they're at and find the point of connection. Listening is actually the most important component of the communication process.

I think we think it's talking. At least, I'll just point at myself. Sometimes I think it's talking. Let me tell you what I know about the situation, right? That's the important part of communication. We think sometimes, but actually it's listening. Listening is the first fundamental step to reaching people where they are at. If you want to connect with someone, make yourself a really good listener.

Don't interrupt them. Don't speak over them. Let them share what it is that's on their heart. And often when you just listen for the sake of your own understanding, then you'll see a point where you can relate and respond. But you have to listen for it, and sometimes you have to wait for it.

In Stephen Covey's book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we've probably all heard of that book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Habit, number five is seek to understand, then to be understood. That's an important principle of listening. Seek to understand, and then to be understood. Know where someone is coming from.

Quoting from franklincovey.com, it says, quote, communication is the most important skill in life.

You spend years learning how to read and write and years learning how to speak, but what about listening? He says, what training have you had that enables you to listen, really, truly listen, and listen deeply to understand another human being? He says, probably none. Probably not received. I haven't received training necessarily, and maybe some in more recent times, but I've received more training, I would say, in communicating by speaking than by listening, and sometimes I have to remind myself to put on the brakes, zip the trap, and just listen.

All right? He says, you've probably not had much training in that way. He goes on to say, if you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood. You want to get your point across, and in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you are listening, maybe selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation, or attentively, maybe you focus on the words that are being said, but miss the meaning entirely. He says, so why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. Right? Somebody's talking to you, and in your head, you're already thinking of the answer you're going to give, or you're thinking, I have the answer, and so you're listening to reply, not truly to understand what it is they're communicating.

He says, you listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you're going to say, the questions you're going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life's experience, your frame of reference. You check what you hear against your own autobiography, and see how it measures up, and consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person means before he or she even finishes communicating. I think it's probably easy for all of us to do that naturally. Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 2 says, a fool has no delight in understanding, but only in expressing his own heart.

So if you're listening only to respond, the Bible says that's actually a foolish place to be. You need to first seek to understand, then to be understood. Again, the apostle Paul said, I've become all things to all men that I might by all means save some. Again, 1 Corinthians 9 verse 22. So meeting people in their state where they are at builds a rapport with them, and it allows the communication in the flow out from there. But you have to be willing to listen, and watch, and consider, and then just wait for the opening to present itself, probably by the words that are coming out of their mouth.

Where can I make a connection on common ground that's relatable to help bring them to another place? Again, it starts with listening. Now, another assessment tool, once we have listened carefully, is then ask the appropriate questions. Once you've listened, ask the appropriate questions. Asking questions helps you to understand even further detail where people are at, how they got there. And remember, the point is they have a thorough understanding as to now being able to find that connection point, to build the bridge across the gulf that exists, to bring them to another place.

So listen within emphatic ear. Ask the right questions at the appropriate time, and then listen carefully to the responses. Jesus Christ did that. I mean, he taught, definitely, and he had a message, and when he taught, people listened, but he also had a listening ear as well. Jesus ate with publicans and sinners, didn't he? He was criticized for doing that. But why would he do that? Why would you eat with publicans and sinners? What happens when you sit down and you break bread and you share a meal together with someone? What's conversation?

Right? It's sharing. There's something about eating food together. Maybe the blood sugar gets kicked up, and people are in a little livelier mood, or they're willing to open up and share things even on a more personal and intimate nature when you've shared their their food with them.

Jesus Christ engaged them on that level and in a positive way. And through that, you learn the background, you learn the history, you learn strengths and weaknesses, you learn about hurts and vulnerabilities. But again, just finding somewhere you can meet that's comfortable sharing a meal, in this case, is a place that helps you find common ground.

In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie, another well-known author, Dale Carnegie writes, he says, you can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.

It's an interesting concept. It's all outgoing about me, it's pretty one-sided, but he said you can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two We've been here for over 20 years by trying to get other people interested in you. Showing people that you're genuinely interested in them makes them more willing to open up, to communicate, and to say, hey, this person cares. This person literally is intimately involved in my life and truly cares what happens. So when you do speak, they want to hear what you have to say, because they know it's from the love of your heart. Be empathetic and compassionate. Be empathetic and compassionate. Empathy is the capacity to understand and feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference. It's the capacity to put yourself in another person's position. Jesus Christ, again, could do this very well. We have an example in Luke 7 that I do want to turn to.

Luke 7, verse 11. This is something that Jesus Christ, maybe we read over it and don't even realize, but this is something that he could relate to very personally and directly. Luke 7, verse 11.

Now it happened the day after that Jesus went into a city called Nahun, and many of his disciples went with him in a large crowd. When he came near the gate of the city, it says, Behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.

And a large crowd from the city, it says, was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and he said to her, Do not weep.

And he came and he touched the open coffin. You can't come any farther to meeting somebody where they are at than meeting them right there at the coffin.

He came and touched the open coffin. And to those who carried him stood still, and he said, Young man, I say to you, arise.

So he who was dead sat up, and he began to speak, and he presented him to his mother.

And then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has risen among us, and God has visited his people.

And this report about him went throughout all Judea in the surrounding region.

So we have this example of Christ resurrecting this man, and we can read past it and just say, Okay, he had compassion, and he intervened. But reading between the lines was even more than that. Because this woman was a widow, had no husband, her husband was dead, and this was her only son.

Okay, that's the story. Well, what would Jesus' point of relation to that be?

Where is Joseph in the Bible, Jesus' physical father? Where is Joseph in the Bible beyond Passover of Jesus Christ's twelfth year?

He's not there. Last time Joseph is mentioned in the Scripture was when they came up to Jerusalem for the Passover, and they departed, and they're partway home with the caravan, and they get out quite a ways, and it's like, Well, where's Jesus?

We thought he was maybe with his friends or other family. He's not there. So Joseph and Mary turn around and go back, and they find him in Jerusalem, in the temple, and he's engaged with the Jewish leadership. That's the last time that Joseph is mentioned. So it appears that Joseph died when Jesus was of a pretty young age, and Jesus was the firstborn.

So Jesus understood what it meant to be the support for the family. He grew up learning a trade from his father. He was the oldest of the children, the firstborn son, and now he would have taken on that role of responsibility of caring for his mother, caring for his siblings, earning a life.

He was living and just seeing that the household was provided for as the man of the house. This woman was a widow, and her only son has died. And Jesus knew intimately what it was that she had lost. And so when it said he was moved with compassion, that's maybe, in our words, an understatement. He was empathetic. He could put himself right in her place because he had seen it firsthand for himself.

So there's various circumstances that God will allow us to encounter where, indeed, we should have compassion and empathy. And if we can relate from a personal experience, there is an opportunity to reach out and connect. And connect in a way that, frankly, would be deeper than somebody who hasn't been through such things could connect. So again, watch for it.

I'm just going to summarize my last points to wrap up here. Be sensitive to the culture and the situation at hand. There's a difference between the house of feasting and the house of mourning. And so whatever we're walking into, we need to be aware of the culture and the circumstance at hand. Be sensitive to the environment.

Another point is be approachable. Be approachable. People need to feel comfortable that they can come to you and talk to you. If you're someone that just says, I don't want to touch anyone that's outside of my comfort zone, don't even approach me, people aren't going to approach you. And then we miss out on the opportunity again to reach them in a way that is meaningful and helpful.

And finally, brethren, pray for discernment and guidance from God. That's the ultimate key. Pray for discernment and guidance from God. It takes wisdom and discernment to know how to approach people, when to approach people. It takes discernment to identify that point of connection and then to know how to build the bridge to bring them to a better place. It takes God's guidance and His Spirit to do it well. Jesus Christ had that, the Apostle Paul had that, and you and I can have that as well if we pray for God's help. Because it is to strengthen our brethren and it is to bring others to an understanding of the blessing of a relationship of God and Christ. And ultimately, it is to their glory and not ours. Let's conclude in 1 Corinthians 10.

1 Corinthians 10, verse 31. Again, the words of Paul. He says, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, he says, He says, Give no offense either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the Church of God. Just as I also please all men in all things, he says, Not seeking my own prophet, but the prophet of many, notice that they may be saved.

Again, the Apostle Paul understood the importance of serving for the benefit of others, and he knew how to reach across cultural boundaries to connect with people in a way that brought them to a better place. And he did so for their prophet and for their edification and to the glory of God, not his own. That's what it means to be a true servant of God. And so, brethren, I'd just say, as the culture around us and the society in which we live grows further and further away from any godly basis, let's not withdraw within ourselves. Let's not. We are to come out of the world, okay, in terms of practicing its ways. But we live in this world. We function in this world. And God has given us an opportunity to be lights in this world. Don't withdraw into yourselves. Never stop looking for ways to be lights that shine forth out of the darkness. Being all things to all men doesn't mean that you become just like the world in order to win the world. But it does mean that through understanding, you learn to identify the bridge of connection that allows you to bring understanding and blessing to other people's lives, both in the church and in the world.