1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

Observation: Paul did not expect the peoples of a diverse world or groups of diversity within society to first make the necessary adjustments that allowed them to understand him and his message of a strange Savior who was executed to bring salvation. Paul accepted full responsibility to understand them first before he expected them to listen to him seriously

Paul's personal Christian behavior policy when he succeeded in encouraging people of radically different backgrounds to accept Christ: the godly conscience of the new convert is the most important consideration. Theological correctness does not take precedent over a conscientious heart response of faith. Faith moves toward facts; facts should never destroy faith. The work of God is found in the heart of faith, not theological facts.

Romans 14:20-23 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

The Jerusalem congregation's policy for checking out Christians who were converted from a radically different background: send a man who will not react to the differences and will encourage the people. Christians do not approach those newly converted to Christ to be reactionary, critical, or condescending. Christians approach those newly converted to Christ to encourage them and to behold God's grace at work.

Acts 11:22-24 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

Observation: most Christians and most congregations today need a major realignment of their evangelistic concepts. As we use our twenty-first century scales of evangelistic evaluation, reaction and criticism are seen as important spiritual priorities. Encouragement and witnessing the grace of God at work are seen as low priorities.

1. I want to take you some mission trips this evening.
   1. Rules for our trips:
      1. First, we are going only to other countries.
      2. The congregations we visit must meet the following criteria.
         1. They do not have an American missionary working for them.
         2. The worship is conducted in every aspect by their own people: the singing, the preaching, the praying, the communion, and the classes.
         3. In their respect for your visit, they have an interpreter so you can understand.
      3. We make only one trip to one country every six months; we do not visit one country after another on one long visit.
   2. Let's travel.
      1. First, we visit China.
         1. Because any congregation of believers whose practices and assemblies are not approved by the state is illegal, you must meet with this congregation in secret.
         2. They do not do anything the way we would do it; your religious experience among these Christians is different to any experience you ever had.
         3. Their songs are different, they style of praying is different; the ways they express reverence are different, their lessons and emphasis are different, but their reverence and spirituality astound you.
         4. Are you impressed? Yes.
            1. At home you share your impressions with your class and congregation.
            2. You have a lot of compliments and few criticisms.
         5. Do you unquestioningly believe that God can relate to and accept those people? Yes.
      2. Six months later we visit Russia.
         1. A few years ago all religion was repressed in Russia.
         2. These Christians have virtually no religious background and have had Bibles only a few years; a few years ago they lived in a totally atheistic society.
         3. They do nothing as we would do it; again, the experience is completely different.
         4. The songs are different, the prayers are different, communion is done differently, reverence is expressed differently, their lessons have different emphases, and, again, you are moved by their reverence and spirituality.
         5. Are you impressed? Yes.
            1. At home you share your impressions with your class and congregation.
            2. You have a lot of compliments and few criticisms of those Christians.
         6. Do you unquestionably believe that God can relate to and accept those people? Yes.
      3. Six months later we visit rural congregations in a poverty stricken region of Africa.
         1. These people have so little, exist in such poverty, you literally cannot imagine how they survive.
            1. Half their children die before they are five years old.
            2. All of them have malaria and parasites.
            3. They are clean; they are just incredibly poor as they live among horrible diseases. They have no power to change their physical circumstances.
         2. Few have any education, and very few read.
         3. They do nothing as we do it, and, still again, you have never experienced a worship like this.
         4. The singing is rhythmic with hands clapping, the prayers are to papa God, there is a sermon to explain communion, with great effort they found horrible wine and cheap crackers, they are so poor they serve the wine in one cup (a matter of poverty, not theology), the preaching lasts over an hour as everyone sits in the heat on hard boards fighting insects as chickens and goats run through, and the worship ends with questions and answers. Just the worship took four hours, and today was short.
         5. When we come home you report to your class and congregation, share lots of encouraging compliments and few criticisms of the people.
         6. Do you unquestioningly believe that God can relate to and accept those people? Yes.
      4. Six months later we visit Central America.
         1. The religious background of these people is a combination of superstition and Roman Catholic perspectives.
         2. They view the world and life differently than anyone you ever met.
         3. They do nothing as we do it, and, still again, you have never worshipped like this before--any after three other visits, you did not believe that was possible.
         4. You are amazed that yet again the singing, praying, communion, and lessons are different.
         5. When you come home you report to your class and friends, and share a lot of encouraging comments and few criticisms of those people.
         6. Do you unquestioningly believe that God can relate to and accept those people? Yes.

2. After two years of travel, we now do something different.
   1. We make a careful, well prepared, planned effort to reach out to certain out to segments of the Fort Smith community.
      1. We have outreach to the truly poor, and help some turn to Christ. And we do have a group of truly poor people in this community who are powerless to change their physical circumstances.
      2. We have an outreach to the truly nonreligious who have no religious background, and help some turn to Christ. These are adults who actually have no religious experience in life--Mom and Dad were not religious, never worshipped, and they have never read a Bible.
      3. We have an outreach to those who have not worshipped anywhere in years, and we help some turn to Christ. When they were children, they had some religious exposure, but little since they were teens.
      4. We have an outreach to those who have very unusual religious views, and we help some turn to Christ. These are people who are powerfully moved internally to rely on Christ, but who do not share our views and priorities.
      5. All four groups of these people are very different to us. We as a congregation have very little in common with them. Yet, we are successful in attracting some from each group to Christ and fellowship in this congregation.
   2. Question: what do we believe about these new converts?
      1. Do we unquestioningly believe that God can relate to and accept these new converts?
      2. Will we be more likely criticize or personally encourage these people?
      3. Do we expect them to come "hang around" until they become exactly like us and convince us that they "are serious?" Do we expect them not to be involved until they are exactly like us?
   3. If they stay with us six months, this is what must happen.
      1. They must quickly make some friends who are real friends. If they don't (just like you), they will be gone.
      2. They must conclude within themselves that they can "fit in" in this congregation and will know that they "belong" as a part of this family.
      3. They first six months they will constantly ask themselves, "Does this group need me?"
   4. If they stay longer than six months, this is what must happen.
      1. Their new friends must become a more meaningful influence in their lives than their old friends. We must create that real opportunity.
      2. They came to Christ in the expectation that real internal needs in their lives would be meet in a new relationship with Christ and his people. Are those needs being met?
      3. He or she will constantly ask the question, "Is what I have to give this congregation valued by the congregation?"

Question: why is it that radically different people who are Christians in other countries are praised and touch our hearts, and radically different people who become Christians in our community make us very nervous?

Do I really believe that someone must be just like me and do things just like I want them done before God can love them, forgive them, and accept them?