When we look around the sanctuary and see pockets of empty seats our mind quickly goes to those we wish filled those seats. Thinking about our spouses, friends, siblings, and kids who used to sit next to us can be painful. Our mind is filled with questions.

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Why did they abandon their faith? Were they ever true believers? Do they still believe? If I had done something differently would they have stayed?

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These questions matter so much because we know that eternity is at stake. Jesus asked his disciples in Mark chapter 8, "Who do you say that I am?" That question is the most important one we will answer in our lives.

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What do we do for loved ones who have left the faith? What can we do for them today? 

First, we can pray. The best definition I have heard of "intercession" is "Asking God to give the people who you love what we cannot give them ourselves." Faith is a gift of God, Paul tells us in Ephesians. Faith is not ours to give, it's God's to give. That means, as cliche as it might sound, that prayer is our greatest tool for helping loved ones who have walked away from Jesus to return to Him. Because we can't give others faith, we ask God to.

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Second, we can ask questions. Did you know Jesus asks more than 200 questions in the 4 Gospels? While there may be patterns among those who have left the faith, every individual's story is unique. Have we asked about the particular reasons someone walked away from Jesus? Was there a burning question they never got an answer to? Did some other worldview captivate their mind and heart? Were they hurt by someone in the Church? Is there an unanswered prayer that led them to believe God doesn't exist? Did what the Bible calls "sin" seem too good and fulfilling to them? For those who have "deconstructed" their faith, there are always a few underlying reasons that are at the core of their deconstruction. We should ask questions so that we know what those reasons are, so that when we talk about who God is and what the gospel is we can tailor it to their particular issues and concerns.

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Third, we can eat meals. Jesus, one Bible commentator pointed out, is always on his way to a meal, eating a meal, or has just finished a meal! The man loved to eat! The fundamental way we build relationships with others is by eating with them. This is how God designed it from the very start: babies bond with their mothers as they are fed every 2 to 3 hours for the first several weeks of their existence! We build relationships by eating with others and we simply cannot underestimate how God can use a meal to build trust and build his kingdom.

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It may take years or decades for someone to return to Church. In fact, we might never see that spiritual fruit. And yet, In 1st Corinthians we are told that as believers we are "temples of the Holy Spirit." That means that we get to bring the Church to others. As DL Moody, the famous evangelist and namesake of my alma mater once said, "1 man will read the Bible, but the other 99 will read the Christian." We have an opportunity to be used by God to bring the very presence of Jesus into the lives of others as we pray, ask questions, and eat meals!

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May we, as we are commanded in Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

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We need God to keep us hopeful and joyful even when we are heartbroken that our loved ones aren't walking with Jesus. We need to be patient even when things seem to be getting worse, not better, and we need to be faithful in prayer.

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"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1st Thessalonians 5:24).

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As ever,

Pastor Tyler