This has always been a fascinating passage for me, one reason is that it seems somewhat disjointed.  Some Greeks, probably proselytes who had converted to Judaism, found Philip, which is a Greek name, and asked to see Jesus.  Philip in turn went to find and Andrew and Andrew and Philip together told Jesus about the request.  And then we don’t hear anything more about those Greeks

 And that is the second aspect that fascinates me, Jesus’ response.  We don’t hear about Him greeting them or offering to meet them.  No, we have a monologue about Jesus’ upcoming death.  Now I’m not criticizing Jesus but it does strike me as odd.  Now it could be that John is the one who is being disjointed in that he records these two seemingly dissimilar events side by side.  But then I remember that this is the word of God and that this brief encounter between the Greeks and Philip and Andrew is there for a reason.
 
In the past when I have preached on this passage, and I have preached on it before, I have always emphasized the need to introduce people to Jesus Christ, to help folks find a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ.  But the longer I am in the ministry the more I realize that such a task isn’t a simple one.

 For some, the idea of bringing people to Jesus is to thump them over the head with the Bible.  You show them the numerous passages about sin and God’s condemnation of sin and how if we don’t repent we are going to end up in that hot place, and we had better get right with God.  Well, with some people that might work, but I don’t think it works with most.

 For others, Evangelism is something best left to the professionals, that’s why we have preachers and youth pastors and seminaries to train them.  After all what would we common folk say to others we don’t know the bible well enough to be good Evangelists.  Besides we don’t want to offend, remember there are two subjects that are better left out of casual conversation among friends, religion and politics.

 This two I think misses the mark because it really is predicated on the first objection, that of being a Bible thumper.  No we don’t think that we have to get a good street corner and start preaching and thumping a big black Bible but our idea of a evangelist grows out of that image of what an evangelist is and does. 

 I remember a great line from the old Sit. Com. called Mash.  The main cast of characters are in Col. Potter’s office watching home movies that Radar’s (he is the little company clerk) mother had sent him.  Radar is in the process of telling who all the people are and Father Mulcahy asks Radar if the man in the dark suit was a clergyman.  To which Radar replies; “No, but he wanted to be but he couldn’t find a good street corner.”
 
I think that we are too limited when we think that the only people who introduce people to Christ are preachers and youth pastors and professional church workers.  And I think we become embarrassed by the thought of doing evangelism when we let the image of the street preaching bible thumper fill our understanding.  This morning I would like to change these understandings if I can.

 Before we go too far I want to say that the reason why I want to change these perceptions is that the cry of every human heart is; “I would like to see Jesus.”  Not that most people would say it in those words.  In fact there are many people who would look you in the eye and tell you that Jesus and religion just aren’t important to them at all.  In fact we are now in an age when many of the people that we reach out to are 3rd and 4th generation unchurched.  That means that they don’t go to church, their parents didn’t go to church, their grandparents didn’t go to church, and even sometimes their great grandparents didn’t go to church.  So to go up and thump them on the head with bible verses isn’t going to do anything other than annoy them.

 But this doesn’t change the need that is inside of them, a need to know the God who made them and gave them breath the need to see Jesus.  For there is a God shaped hole in everyone and most of our lives are spent in trying to fill that hole.

 So often people who don’t have a relationship with God through Jesus don’t know what their need is or how to express it.  But that doesn’t mean that they want us to tell them what that need is.  They see the world around them spinning off in the multiple directions of family, work, and recreation.  They have children’s activities, school plays, soccer games, back to school nights, band concerts, football games, basketball games, just to name a few.  They have work obligations with all of the pressures and stresses that go with those obligations and with this economy the worry that their job might go away.  Add to that something that many in this area have, the added stress of a long commute.  Then they have the desire to break free of all of the obligations and pressures and have a little fun.  But still, even when all of those things are going well there is something missing. 

 Some of these folks appear to be doing extremely well, at least on the outside and others are clearly struggling and are crying out for help.  But again that doesn’t mean that they want church people to tell them what the problem is and preach to them about how to fix it.  Rather what so many people in our world (and 40-60% of neighbors are unchurched) need is community. 

You might ask; and I hope that you do, why a church.  It’s a good question and the answer is good as well.  This is one of the places where Jesus is in a very exciting way.  Here is a community where people can share and feel the love of Christ.  This is a place that seeks to nurture people’s souls more than their bodies or even their minds.  Here is a place, if we do it right, where people are welcomed and loved just as they are and that my friends is something that all of us need.

 Yes, we church people know, because we have been taught from infancy up, that what all of us need is forgiveness of sins and a relationship with Jesus Christ.  But before we can earn the right to share that message we have to show them Christ in us, we have to show them the love of Christ in action.  And its really not complicated but it can be challenging.

 We can make our building user friendly.  Signage that is clearly visible.  If I were new to a church and it was Sunday morning I would very much like to know where the bathrooms are because by the time for the 11am service had rolled around I  would have had at least 3 cups of coffee.  If I had kids I would want to know what activities there were for my kids.  And if my kid had a little separation anxiety or was a little “busy” during the service I would want to feel that I wasn’t a bother to the other people around me.  And finally I would want people to smile and say hi to me.  Jesus had a way about Him that broke down the barriers and allowed people access.  The Priests, Sadducees, and the Pharisees had erected religious barriers to God, the people had to come through them.  We need to tear down the barriers here.

Jesus tore down those barriers.  Remember how Jesus said to Thomas and the other disciples on the night he was betrayed; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  How can human beings erect barriers when Jesus tore them down?  Have you noticed where Jesus met people in the market place, in their homes, at their places of business?  We need to tear down the barriers.  It’s sad that it took the Americans with Disabilities Act for churches to make their buildings accessible to people with handicapping conditions.

We need to tear down the barriers that exist in this church.  Some of them are visible and structural while others are internal.  Structural barriers a the ones that make it difficult for a visitor to find their way around the building.  Internal barriers are the ones that we the “initiated” erect.  It may be that we secretly resent when someone sits in our pew.  Or it may be that our shyness keeps us from being welcoming.  Radical hospitality means that we are challenged to stretch ourselves and come out of our protective shell.  We might even embarrass ourselves by asking someone we don’t know if they are a visitor when they have been coming for 5 years.  But we do it because we want to be radical in our hospitality.  We want to be outgoing, friendly, and welcoming to anyone who would come through those doors.
 
To that end, here at Gainesville Church, we are going to do some simple things that will help break down the barriers.  We are going to get a sign that can be put on an easel that will have large print with arrows pointing to the various places in the building, Sunday School, nursery, bathrooms, ect.  The second thing is that I am going to ask for volunteers who will weekly wear the name tags that say “Ask Me,” and be available in the Narthex of the church for visitors to Ask You.

These aren’t major changes nor are they all that complicated but they are radical in that if we do them every week it will make a significant difference in the welcoming aura of our church.  Just like all the regulars (members and regular attendees’) wearing your name tag.  It’s not a big thing or all that difficult to do but it can make a big difference in the welcoming atmosphere of our church.

Why should we do this?  So the bank coffers will be full?  In a word no.  So that the Pastor can get a big pat on the back from the Bishop and District Superientendent?  Again the answer is no.  Our reason is simple; people want to see Jesus and this is one of the places where He is.  Remember His promise; “where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in their midst.” 

And this place brings with it the added advantage that someone else does most of the talking about Jesus.  Most folks aren’t going to be asked to pray in public, give a sermon, or even teach a Sunday School class.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t volunteer to be a part of the morning worship.  You can sing in the choir, you can volunteer to teach a Sunday School class, and you can volunteer to be a lay worship leader for a Sunday morning. 

But even if you don’t do any of those things you can still be one who shows Jesus to someone who may know nothing about Him.   You can do it by being hospitable even radically hospitable.  And this hospitality isn’t limit it to those who are visiting, it spills over in how we treat each other.  And by that very spilling over, we increase our showing of Jesus to others.

Certainly most people won’t come here with the words so carefully formed on their lips like these Greeks did.  And many if you told them that the single biggest need anyone has is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they would look at you with a blank stare.

Many come to a church for the first time come because of their children.  They want a sort of moral foundation for their child.  Others come because they are looking for something spiritual, as vaguely defined as that may be.  Still others are seeking community and a sense of belonging and they might be drawn by the idea of giving back to their community and they have heard of our reputation as a church in mission.  Whatever, the reason whatever the depth of commitment to that reason we are here to be welcoming and we need to remember that Jesus met people at their level of felt need.  (say this twice)

We do all of what we do because we want to share the incredible love of God that is found in Jesus Christ.  When people walk in to this place I hope and pray that they can feel that love whether or not they know what it is that they feel.  We can spend a life time learning about God’s gracious gift of love and grace in Jesus Christ, but I hope and pray that everyone who walks into this place will feel it.