Certainly, we will seek to do all that we do with excellence. However, we refuse to give room to the myth that our church is in the business of making the gospel effective. Rather, we are committed to the exact opposite. The church does not make the gospel effective, but the gospel makes the church effective.
So at the end of the service the pastor walked to her and simply asked, "Would you like to know the forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ, and the help that He can give you."
And her eyes once fallen now fell even deeper, toward the floor, filled with tears. And to the question, "Would you like to know Jesus, His forgiveness and help.", she said, "I am not worthy."
To which the pastor said, "The issue is not whether you are worthy, but whether you are welcome."
What Jesus is doing in this particular passage is reminding us of what the real issue is. In terms of His offer of His help and forgiveness to others, He is making it very clear ... the issue is not whether we are worthy, but whether we understand His welcome.
If we don't understand that, something will wither in us too. So that the welcome that God expects to extend through us, not only doesn't echo, but we don't even feel it any more ... if we don't understand that the issue is not worthiness, but welcome.
Remember this...
All the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness, and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ.
