What role does church play in your life?
Is it a place you attend once a week, or is it something that shapes who you are every day? I don’t believe church is simply a place we attend once a week; rather, it defines who we are.
As we've been studying Acts 1:8, I've suggested that Jerusalem can represent our home. Now let's look at Judea, which to me represents the church.
The reason the early church had success is that it was a biblically functioning community. The biblical pioneers met together in the church (temple) every day. (See Acts 2:44.) Church was a way of life for them. But we must remember why that was so. They were motivated by one factor and one factor alone. They wanted Jesus to come back. They couldn’t wait for their Friend and Savior to return so they could be with Him again. Everything they did was done with this in mind. Their life was the church, and in their spare time they worked to meet their financial obligations.
How are we doing in comparison with the early church? Is your experience like the one described in the book of Acts? Take a moment right now to think about your priorities. Where on that list is church? How many times during the week do you think about your church? If it isn’t often, I think you have to ask why. Why is church not that important?
You might say, “Times have changed, Pastor Tony. It’s not the same anymore.” Are you sure? Shouldn’t our priority still be to prepare for Jesus to come? Isn’t it important to meet with fellow believers and encourage one another as a community? Shouldn’t we be exploring ways to share Jesus and the Gospel together?
I would like to encourage you to take some time to consider how you can become more involved in your local church. There are three main areas that I believe should be our focus.
1. We want to bring people into the church. That’s evangelism. I’m so encouraged by the wonderful reports of how our pastors are diligently sharing the Gospel through evangelistic efforts. But evangelism is not only for pastors. All of us should be involved in evangelism. Remember that evangelism takes place in different ways. Whether public or personal, all of us should be sharing the good news of Jesus with everyone we come in contact with.
2. We want our people to stay connected. That’s retention. We want to retain our family of believers so we are all ready and excited when Jesus comes again.
3. We want our people to be active. Our churches must have programs, ministries, and initiatives that encourage members to remain healthy and active in stewardship, providing opportunities to serve according to the gifts God has given them.
My dream for the Southwestern Union is that we will have healthy, vibrant church communities filled with people who are excited about spending time together throughout the week as they share the Gospel of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior with the world around them.