Last month I spoke in Eudora, Kansas at a Southern Baptist Church. A couple hours before the sermon, I walked around the neighborhood and noticed a young hippie-looking dad taking his daughter for a motorcycle ride. He lived near the church, but I doubted he would just "show up" at one of the celebration services. Who would befriend him? Who would reach him? Before the sermon, a woman sang a  touching song about people who live in sight of our steeples, but whom we don't reach through our churches. I happened to be preaching that morning from Matthew 9:35-10:1:
 
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (Matthew 9:35-10:1).

The heart of Jesus burns with compassion for lost people, and He's still asking us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest field. Cells are a great way to send forth laborers who lead "the church next door" and can have compassion on hurting people-just like Jesus.

Most cell books and articles rightly emphasize friendship evangelism, which is getting to know people and earning the right to share the gospel.  This is good and right. But getting to know people can be a long, slow process, and there's a limit to how many people we can know well. What about those we don't know (or don't know well) but who still need an  invitation?

I'm coaching one lead pastor who is doing a wonderful job of exemplifying cell life by leading a cell group. He's also been inviting people from his neighborhood to attend, and his group is full! Last week, two of those he invited received Jesus in the group. What did this pastor do? He made fliers and passed those fliers out in his neighborhood. I've been encouraged by his testimony to practice both friendship evangelism AND personal invitation. Jesus wants us to become friends with non-Christians, but He also wants us to invite--not one or the other, but both.

I'm encouraged to redouble my efforts to get to know my neighbors and invite them to my life group. How about you?

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Joel Comiskey