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The culture has changed, and the church has for the most part not changed its approach. The faithfulness to God, His word, and the supremacy of Jesus Christ must always remain the singular focus of the church but how we walk that out in the world can change. I have become convicted about my participation in the idea that “Come and See” was the way to reach our community, the Bible tells us clearly to “Go and Tell.” There are segments of our population who are not going to come to our established church. Shaking our heads and blaming culture, youth sports, or anything else is neither going to change anything nor help them find Jesus. Matthew 28 doesn’t command us to wait for them to come to us, but rather for us to go to them.
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 13:47
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus said we are to be both salt and light. Both elements are small in proportion but significant in effect. Given the implication of salt (arresting decay) and light (illuminating dark places) it makes sense that God would want the church to be as dispersed as possible. In other words, if you want to light up a dark house, you don’t put all the light in one room.
“Ultimately, Jesus designed the church to be a grassroots movement.” – Rob Wegner
I am burdened as your Pastor, convinced that we can no longer be content to just be a consumer of the church. We can longer just invite people to come to the church building at 10 AM, but we must take the church to them. Every member hearing the calling to go into the world and be the church. No, not just to blurt out the Romans Road “at people” but loving God, and loving our neighbor enough that we will tell them about the hope that is in Jesus Christ. Building relationships, praying with each other, speaking God’s words to encourage each other to be more like Jesus.
Won’t you pray with me as I struggle with what this means for me? Won’t you join me in asking, God what would you have me to do?