Everywhere I Go

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer post:  Ldrshp Book Interview: Eric Bryant on Not Like Me

Ed Stetzer: What is the message of Not Like Me?  

Eric Bryant: Not Like Me advocates for the rights of those who do not yet follow Jesus. My goal was to help people of faith learn how to develop meaningful relationships with people with whom they disagree, differ, or even dislike. Too often as Christians we hide away from the world rather than engage in it. As a result, we alienate those who do not follow Jesus at a distance. They deserve better than that. 

ES: Why do you think our churches seem to drift towards more of a "shelter from the world" mentality?

EB: Sometimes we confuse the ideas of being "set apart" and being "sent out." We are supposed to be "set apart" in our behavior but "sent out" into our relationships. Sometimes we do the opposite. We become "set apart" from the very people God has brought into our lives to love, serve, and influence. It's human nature to spend time with the people who are most like us because of our self-centered tendencies. Another big part of the problem would be our more consumeristic view of the church. At Mosaic, we strive to go against that. Our lead pastor Erwin McManus says: "The church is not here to meet our needs. We are the church here to meet the needs of the world." If our relationship with God was all about me and Jesus, then my pastor should have just drowned me during my baptism so I could go straight into His presence. Instead, he brought me out of the water because there is much more for me to do. I now represent Jesus everywhere I go.