Welcoming Christ

Sermon Summary: This sermon explores the often-overlooked practice of receiving and welcoming Christ in others, rather than solely focusing on being sent as Christ-bearers. Drawing from Matthew 10:40-42, the pastor challenges the common emphasis on being sent into the world and introduces the concept of being "midwives" of what the Holy Spirit is already birthing in others. Through the theological lens of prevenient grace—the belief that the Holy Spirit goes before us and is already at work in every person—the sermon invites listeners to shift from an attitude of bringing Christ into spaces where He is absent to recognizing and welcoming the Christ already being formed in every person they meet. This perspective transforms how we engage in relationships, moving from a posture of fixing or directing to one of gentle curiosity and spiritual attentiveness.

Key Points:

- The passage shifts focus from being sent to the practice of welcoming and receiving those who are sent

- Many Christians grow up with an emphasis on being sent but receive little teaching on what it means to receive

- The Holy Spirit is prevenient—it goes before our yeses and is already at work in every space and person

- We should see ourselves as "midwives" of what the Holy Spirit is birthing in others, not as those solely responsible for bringing Christ into absent spaces

- Welcoming Christ involves asking gentle, curious questions about where the Spirit is working in others' lives

- This shift in perspective changes our relationships from fixing or directing to noticing and nurturing what God is already doing

- Prayer can open our eyes to see Christ being born anew in those we meet, even in difficult or frustrating relationships

Scripture Reference:

- Matthew 10:40-42: "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. And whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

Stories:

- The pastor's personal journey of discovering the concept of prevenient grace and being "midwives" of Christ through reading Margaret Gunther's work

- A testimony about a monthly women's gathering in the neighborhood that had devolved into gossip and frustration, and how shifting from a posture of fixing to welcoming—through prayer and curious questions—transformed the conversation and dynamic of the group

- The pastor's realization of operating with unintentional arrogance, assuming they were bringing Christ into spaces where He was absent, rather than recognizing His preexistent presence