April 12, 2024

The Sunday after Easter is a hard Sunday for most pastors. On Easter the place is packed, the music is extraordinary, and there’s a sense of excitement and expectation. Although Jesus is risen EVERY Sunday, most Sundays don’t have that same kind of energy. But this past Sunday was pretty special to me, too. Even though our attendance was down from our record-breaking Easter, I noticed several new faces. I always try to get to as many new people as I can to introduce myself. There were more than I could get to, but I ended up meeting ten of them. With the exception of one couple who happened to come across us online, all of the new people who were there came the same way. Someone invited them.
There’s a word we use now to describe the rapid spread of news. “Viral.” Something happens, and someone who is impacted by it tells 10 other people, who all tell ten other people as well. Then they post it on social media, and the whole world knows. Like a virus that is transmitted from one person to another, the information travels quickly. For good or for bad, it’s an amazing thing.
That’s what happened with Jesus in Capernaum. He came to town and stayed with someone kind enough to open their home to Him. But the news of Jesus being there traveled from person to person like wildfire. Soon the house was packed with people with crowds standing outside. Lives were touched, people were changed, and many found healing. All because someone cared enough to not keep the news of Jesus to themselves.
Guess what? Jesus is at your church every Sunday. He’s there in the worship. He’s there in the fellowship. He’s there in the caring, the praying, and the sharing. He’s there in the preaching. The studies still show that 75-90% of the new people who come to church come because a friend, relative, or neighbor invited them. Let’s not keep Jesus to ourselves. Too many people around us need the hope, the healing, and the life change that only He can give. We’ll change our community the way Capernaum was changed when we do what they did. Be viral. That’s God’s Word for you today.