Loving the Hell Out of Your City
Going from scaring the hell out of people, to loving the hell out of them.
Scaring the Hell Out of People
You have probably heard the phrase, “You scared the hell out of me!” Perhaps you have heard someone say it when talking about getting told off by their parents, and now they were too scared to be naughty! As I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount I’ve been wondering whether we have been trying to “Scare the hell out of people” when Jesus had a different approach entirely… Let me explain…
The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus most famous sermons. It has been described as a training manual for revolutionaries, (Stanley Hauerwas) a declaration of war on the world’s way of life, (Clarence Jordan) and the key to human flourishing. (Dallas Willard)
As Jesus unpacks this new way of living He repeats a phrase indicating that if you continue to go on sinning in the ways of the world, you will be in danger of hell. For example:
Angrily yelling at someone (Matthew 5:22)
Lust/Sexual sin (Matthew 5:29)
Failure of integrity/Hands causing you to sin (Matthew 5:30)
As I saw this, I wondered, “Was scaring the hell out of people Jesus method of evangelism?” It didn’t take me long before Holy Spirit showed me something…
When Jesus came across these sins in people, He didn’t try to scare the hell out of them - rather He loved the hell out of them. For example,
The Angry Violent Demonised man - Jesus sets him free (Matthew 8, Mark 5, Luke 8)
Women caught in sexual sin - Jesus forgives and celebrates their faith (John 8, Luke 7, Matthew 26, Mark 14)
Stealing tax collectors - Jesus invites himself over for dinner (Luke 19)
In the past I justified a hell-fire type of message with another passage from Matthew where Jesus says,
Fear the one who can throw you into hell… (Matthew 10:28)
But when I look at Jesus - the one who can throw you into hell - He didn’t actually do that. Instead He loved people. Jesus would love the hell out of people.
As Jesus was preparing for His death He gathered His disciples and told them He had a new command for them - it was LOVE.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34
Jesus found people along the way that had all sorts of sin going on inside of them. But instead of condemning them to hell, or trying to scare the hell out of them He loved the hell out of them!
What about Judgment?
Not only this but as I continued reading the Sermon on the Mount I found something else. In Matthew 7 Jesus teaches on not judging people. He then uses this analogy of having a plank in your eye and calling out someone else speck in their eye. He says, “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
When I used to read that I thought that that gave me permission to tell people how wrong they were. I thought that if I was now forgiven, and could agree that “Yes, I am a sinner.” That now I could tell other people off. However I don’t think that’s what Jesus is saying…
How did Jesus remove specks from peoples eyes? The angry demonised guy, those caught in sexual sin, those living without integrity, stealing, and sinning? He loved the hell out of them. He forgave them freely, He loved at them, He valued them, He encouraged them, He healed them, He set them free, He became friends with them… You get the picture. Jesus loved the hell out of them.
I believe Jesus sees sin as a disease to be cured rather than a crime to be punished. (Matthew 9:12, Luke 5:31, 6:45.) Telling people their behaviour is wrong may work in certain scenarios. Especially when we are talking to believers who are wanting to follow Jesus with all their heart. However, what we see in Jesus is that love is our first and most important priority. It is love that casts out fear, heals, and transforms.
Once Jesus has loved the hell out of you, you realise that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like good news to me!
Loving the Hell out of Your City
Dream with me a little bit… What would it look like if the gospel message you shared was based on loving the hell out of people?
What if instead of proclaiming what we think is right and wrong, we just invite ourselves over for lunch and became friends with them?
What would it look like for you to start strategising with the Holy Spirit about how you could love the hell out of your family members, neighbours, workmates and city?
I have this vision where every local Church prioritises Jesus’ command to love. Where Churches became experts at teaching love, training people to love and mobilising people to love.
I can see parents being taught how to love the hell out of their kids…
Youth being taught how to love the hell out of their friends and teachers in their schools and universities…
Churches prioritising the margianlised, the oppressed, those suffering trauma, the lonely, the hurting and loving the hell out of them…
Churches uniting together and mobilising to love the hell out of the darkest, most dangerous and most depressed places in their city…
The very people once rejected and demonised by the Church, would now be caught up in the love of God.
Join with me in praying and believing that the Church would be known for our love. That we would clearly declare and demonstrate the same love Jesus has for us. A love so bold, so outrageously gracious, so powerful that no sin, demon, or darkness could stand in the way.
A love that transforms lives, cities and nations.
Thanks for reading! I hope this is stirring you to love and good deeds. I’m hoping to release some training in the not too distant future called, “Loving the Hell out of Your City.” Subscribe to keep up to date with my progress and to read more Great Commission discussions like this… Grace to you all!
The city, region and nation would certainly look very different if we lived this out in its simplicity.