Meet Them Where They Are by PASTOR BRENDON JOHNSTON


Man, as Christians we can be such hypocrites, can’t we? That’s the knock against us. That we claim to love the “least of these” as Christ did and yet don’t prac- tice what we preach. The problem is failure on both sides. The onlooker looks in from the outside and sees the claims of a Christian serving a perfect God and can expect, among other things, that bar height is set at perfection. For the Christian, they aren’t perfect. They’ll never be perfect. As all have fallen short, this means that people inevitably get hurt.


So if we are commissioned to go into this


world, a world reeling in fear and divided on even being in populated space with another human being, how can we today, in 2021 (soon to be 2022), be the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be?


The solution is pointing


to Jesus. Yes, I know, it sounds simple … even cliché. But the onlooker needs to be pointed to Jesus, and, as Christians, we aren’t called to be perfect, but we are called to be faithful.


I needed to start off this


way because, in many ways, it has been what has stumped me in youth ministry in the 12 years God has graciously called and upheld our family at Martensville Mis- sion Church (MMC). I often wonder if there is another job on the planet that requires as much ability to adapt and change as youth ministry requires.


And yet our God never changes … ever. He doesn’t


have to adapt to a fluctuating culture. A pandemic doesn’t surprise him. And his truth is constant, ev- er-relevant, and endures the strongest critique.


Where we can go wrong, though, is believing


that we can convince someone of its truth and merit by ignoring the model of Christ in our approach in preaching the gospel — depending on ourselves and our abilities to debate and defeat the challenges that oppose the hard heart.


To be clear, the Spirit can work in all of our fail-


ings. That is not to be undermined or minimized here, but think back to when you were exposed to the great news of the Christian Bible. What was the environ- ment that helped lead you to Christ? Was it being hit over the head with the Word of God — or was it


through the words of a loved one or a close friend who committed time into seeing you grow, wrestle and struggle with that very truth?


Everyone has a different story of how they were


lead to faith in Christ. But I am convinced, more than ever, that it begins in a small feeding trough, in the quiet of night, in a little town called Bethlehem.


That night, God met us where we were. It wasn’t Plan B


after realizing that we could never part from our sin. It was about relationship. Not just about knowing truth, but imple- menting it into our lives as he crashed through the cosmos and broke into his own story.


That’s how much he loved us! A


king left his throne for the vilest offender unworthy of even being in his presence. And why? So that vile offender could experience his love and mercy.


What that manger


shows us is that we need to meet others where they are at. Not where we think they need to be. If we love others as Christ loves us, then there is no waiting. There is no excuse, no consequence that can worry us. Remember that joy that engulfed you when you came to a saving knowledge of Jesus! Meeting others where they are pulls us out of our comfort zone


and onto the front lines against the enemy, where souls are fought for.


The same joy that had the shepherds dancing with


angels — the same joy that had wise men bowing in reverence to a lowly baby in a stable became our joy. God met us where we were and didn’t leave us there.


How can we not desperately do this for those around us in need of the gospel?


Brendon and his wife, Tara, live in Waldheim, Saskatch- ewan, with their precious three boys, Gavin, Isaiah, and Grayson. Brendon has been the associate pastor at Mar- tensville Mission Church for 12 years. Along with a heart for ministry, Brendon has a deep passion for photography, music, and basketball. Being in a small church, Brendon wears many hats, but by far the one loved most is that of being a husband and father to his family.


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