The big question that everyone has been asking me for the last six months is this: “Do you have a building yet?”
The second most frequent question has been: “So when are you going to be a REAL church?”
For the record, I’m not mad or anything. But I am concerned about our picture of what “church” is. Let’s start with a re-orientation.
What is the church? Maybe a better question is WHO is the church? The church is a group of people who are called out by God to live on mission for His glory!
If the church is a who, then what is that building that we go to on Sunday mornings? I don’t mean to get into a semantics battle, but I think our understanding of God’s mission is at stake! So what is it that happens on Sunday mornings? And are we living out God’s call for our lives throughout the week?
Maybe the scarier question is this: Are we BEING the church throughout the week? If not, what exactly is happening on Sunday mornings?
Is it possible that we can attend a service on Sunday morning, but never really do church?
I think so.
Are we living out the gospel? Are we taking Jesus’ words seriously? Does the church need a building to thrive? Whether you’re a church planter that just moved to a new city, a student who follows Jesus, or a mom who’s trying to figure out how to teach her kids about God, the answer is the same for all of us!
If you are a Christian, are you on mission with God? Not “is your CHURCH” on mission with God. You ARE the church. Are you on mission?
Today is the day to:
– Love that neighbor.
– Pray with your kids.
– Invite that student to sit with you at lunch.
– Take the conversation deeper with your co-worker.
– Be generous to those around you.
– Start the bible study.
– Embrace a local ministry and commit to serve in it this year.
How is God calling you to step up and step out to embrace His mission today? Don’t wait for the next initiative that your church starts up. Because if you’re like me, “it’s not a church yet.”
WE ARE THE CHURCH.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10