Go! And… Be a Community that Loves Jesus and Welcomes Everyone
(A Christ-Exalting Vision for the Church)
Introduction – A Vision of Welcome and Love
Imagine walking into a place where you feel instantly at home—not because you know everyone, but because everyone seems to know Jesus. A place where people look beyond your past, your background, your appearance, and instead see the potential of Christ’s love transforming your life.
That is the picture of the Church Jesus calls us to be: a community that loves Him passionately and welcomes everyone intentionally.
Our world is hungry for this kind of authentic love. Some people carry scars of rejection from their families, workplaces, or even from religious places that were meant to welcome them. But the Gospel is clear: the Church is not a museum for saints—it is a hospital for sinners.
Today, we will explore what it means to be “A Community that Loves Jesus Where Everyone is Welcomed,” and why this matters for our mission in the 21st century.
John 13:34–35 (NLT): “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
This is the heart of the message: Love is not optional for the follower of Christ; it is the evidence of our discipleship. The phrase “just as I have loved you” (Greek: kathos egapesa humas) carries the idea of the same manner, the same measure, the same sacrificial depth. We are called to love as Christ loved—selflessly, sacrificially, and without prejudice.
These words were spoken during the Last Supper, hours before Jesus was betrayed. The disciples had been arguing over who would be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus silenced their pride by washing their feet and then saying, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
This was revolutionary. Love was not new in Judaism—Leviticus 19:18 commanded, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” But now, the measure had changed: “as I have loved you.” That means a love willing to die for the unworthy.
Point 1 – A Community Centred on Christ’s Love
Romans 5:8 (NLT): “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
The foundation of our welcome is not our niceness—it is Christ’s love demonstrated at the cross. The Greek word agape speaks of a love that chooses to act for the good of the other, even at great cost.
Think of the lighthouse on a stormy night. It does not wait for the ships to be in calm waters; it shines in the storm. The church is to be that lighthouse, shining Christ’s love when the world is at its darkest.
Max Lucado: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”
That is the heart of welcome—we welcome people as they are, but we also point them to the One who changes everything. Our love is a bridge, not a destination.
To love like this, we must daily remember the cross. Before we judge someone’s story, we remember ours: we were loved while we were still sinners.
Point 2 – A Community Where Everyone is Welcomed
James 2:1–4 (NLT): "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewellery, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?”
James warns us against partiality (prosopolepsia – “receiving the face”). The early church struggled with welcoming those who were different—so do we today: rich vs poor, locals vs immigrants, those with a clean past vs those with a messy one.
There is a story of a church that turned away a homeless man at the door on Sunday morning, only to discover later he had been sent by God to test their hearts. They passed the service, but failed the Saviour.
Tim Keller: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
That should shape how we welcome others. If Christ has accepted me in my sin, how dare I build barriers for someone else?
In thr 21st-century, this might mean going out of our way to invite the lonely, the foreigner, the outcast. It means our welcome team is not just on the door—it’s every believer.
Point 3 – A Community that Displays the Gospel
Acts 2:42–47 (NLT): “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
The early church was magnetic. Why? Because they embodied the Gospel—they loved radically, gave generously, prayed earnestly, and welcomed joyfully.
Greek Word: koinonia – fellowship, sharing life in common. Not just coffee after church, but a shared life in Christ.
John Piper: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”
Our welcome is not an end in itself. We welcome people so they might come to know and worship the living God.
Does our church culture make the Gospel attractive? Not by gimmicks, but by the supernatural love of Christ flowing through us.
The Gospel Presentation – Why We Welcome
At the heart of this message is the Gospel itself: Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world not to condemn it, but to save it. He lived the life we could not live—perfect, holy, blameless. He died the death we deserved—on the cross, bearing the punishment for our sins. He was buried, and three days later, He rose again, conquering death and opening the way to eternal life.
This is why we welcome everyone: because the cross is for everyone. Not all will receive it, but all are invited.
Call to Action:
Believers:
Will you be part of this kind of community? Will you open your home, your pew, your heart? Will you choose to forgive, to embrace, to invite?
Unbelievers:
Today, Jesus welcomes you. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT)
Repent—turn from your sin. Trust—believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Receive—His forgiveness, His Spirit, His eternal life.
Benediction:
Go now, and be the church that loves Jesus and welcomes everyone. May the Lord make your love grow and overflow for each other and for all people, just as our love overflows for you (1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT). Go, love like Jesus, and watch how He adds daily those who are being saved.
