Church Family,
This is not an admonition diminishing the importance of the church gathering for worship: a time when the church is commanded to gather, to praise and celebrate the Lord Jesus, our glorious Savior and the goodness of the gospel. It is critical for us to gather to rehearse the apostles doctrine (the teachings of the New Testament), to fellowship with one another, exhort and encourage one another, celebrate in the ordinances of the church (baptism, Lord’s supper), and to worship and pray together. These truths are both commanded in Scripture and should be the desire of every believer to join together with other believers on the Lord’s day.
The thrust of my thoughts today, while we are not assembled together to share in fellowship and worship because of our present circumstances - hopefully ending soon by His grace and power - is to ask what can we learn and consider during this critical time.
My fear is that the worship, ministry, and service of many believers ends on Sunday evening when the church doors are shut, when the choir is silent, when Sunday School is over, the children leave Children’s Church, and our bibles are closed. To many believers, church has become nothing more than a routine, religious activity. And, honestly, a fairly convenient one; although, not everyone can be faithful to attend even one day. I mean, really? It’s one day, begins later than the work day, breaks for lunch, provides time for a nap, and then back for only another hour.
When Jesus commanded us, believers, not just missionaries, to go into all the world and to preach and make disciples, that was to be our lives’ work. The routine of our daily lives is to be the Gospel – it should be seen and heard in us: where we work, every street we live on, every school we attend, and every random person we meet is a potential mission field of The Church. The Church is us, not a building in which we attend a ceremony, but a people who expose their Savior through their everyday lives.
Our feet and hands must leave the building each week ready to lift up the hurting, help those seeking truth, and seize Gospel opportunities wherever we are, whatever day of the week, to whomever we find.
In this Coronavirus crisis, I encourage you to think of ways you can serve our Lord outside of our walls. How can you show your kids that, although we're commanded to gather, we can still live out the Gospel in these times when we cannot gather? How can you serve your neighbors? How can you spread the love of Jesus? What are creative ways you can worship, fellowship, teach, and rehearse Gospel truths while quarantined in your home. I hope this begins a conversation and we ask ourselves,"Is the church more to us than just a building?" How can we continue to serve while the church building doors are closed?
Because of Calvary,
Guy N. Roberts
Comment below with ways you and your family are living out the Gospel outside of our church walls.