A COMPELLING LIFE

com·pel-  /comkəmˈpel/ verb.  force or oblige (someone) to do something.  bring about (something) by the use of force or pressure.  drive forcibly.

com·pel·ling - /kəmˈpeliNG/  adjective.  evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.  not able to be refuted; inspiring conviction.  not able to be resisted; overwhelming.

In Luke 14, Jesus was invited to a dinner party at the home of a senior Pharisee.  His host went all out.  He had the best food, forced his servants to work on the Sabbath, and invited all the best people to sit around Jesus, the guest of honor.  Everything about the dinner event was meant to be impressive, to be “compelling.”

Jesus was not impressed, but He did feel compelled to share some stories. 

The moral of His stories (Luke 14: 1-14) was basically, “If you want to put on and interesting, admirable, irresistible---- compelling----- dinner, then next time do the exact opposite of everything you’re doing now.”

·         Don’t hide behind legalism to indulge your greed for personal possessions and to hide your indifference to suffering persons.  Next time, forget your oxen and heal the sick. (Luke 14: 1-6)

·         Don’t scheme and politic for public positions of power and prestige.  Next time, deliberately seek out the position of greatest humility.  Don’t lobby for more, but accept only what is offered to you.  (Luke 14: 7-12)

·         Instead of choosing the rich and prestigious for your guest list, hoping that they will reciprocate with invitations to their next fabulous parties.  Next time, “you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.” (Luke 14: 13-14)

Jesus’ parables were designed to be instructive and convicting----- to be compelling.

And, as is usually the case, the first reply was something stupid.

All of the uppity dinner guest should have felt convicted by Jesus’ words.  They should have begged His forgiveness for their selfishness and hypocrisy.  They should have given up their seats of honor and made plans to bring the poor into their homes.  They should have felt compelled to repent and change.

Instead, somebody just got his “shout on” for no reason.

Now, when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”(Luke 14: 15)

The man’s praise break was supposed to impressive to Jesus. 

Jesus was not impressed.

He was like, “Really?  You’re just gonna throw back some random church cliché based on one word out of that whole exposition on ministering to the poor and the sick.”

Jesus jumped all over the guy with another story, a parable about insincere people making excuses about a dinner party (Luke 14: 16-24)

Jesus’ parable ended with the “Master” of the dinner feast declaring that none of the rich friends originally invited “shall taste my supper.” (Luke 15: 24)

In their place, the Master told His servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them (them being ‘the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind’) to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 15: 21-23)

“Compel them, ”the Master said.  “Force them to come to me.” 

“But how?” the servant asks, “How can I compel these to accept what others have declined?   Our power can’t compel them?  Our positions and posts of honor doesn’t compel them.  Our impressive list of member and patrons isn’t impressive enough to drive them to us.”

“Bring them to Me,” says the Master, “by the power of a COMPELLING LIFE.”

Jesus tried so hard to teach the dinner party the same lesson He’s trying to teach the church.  Go out into the highways and hedges to the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and show the a COMPELLING LIFE.  Show the love.  Show them sacrifice for others.  Show them grace. Show them unity.  Show them wisdom.  Oh, for the love of God, show them actual holiness!

Lives like that are extremely COMPELLING.

If Christians go out and show that,  people will follow us back to where we worship. 

More than marketing, or technology, or real estate development, the greatest tool for church growth is a church full of people who live compelling lives.

Let your light shine so, that when people see your good works, they are compelled to seek out your Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5: 16, Anderson’s paraphrase)

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

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Hall Memorial CME Church

541 Seibles Road

Montgomery, AL 36116