You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Don’t just GO to church, BE the church!”
You see, God wants us to BE the church. But what does that look like? To begin, it’s important to clarify why this is a common phrase…
Most people see the church as a building — a place for believers to gather together (often on Sunday mornings) and worship the Lord! And when we see the church that way, we begin to misuse the word for what God had actually intended. Because when God designed “the church,” He was speaking to His followers — the people — as being “the church.” Not just a group of people who gather together and serve Him one day a week, but believers who serve God and their communities every single day.
So if we want to BE the church, where do we begin?
1. Know that the Holy Spirit lives within YOU!
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22
You can carry The Holy Spirit with you wherever you go. It’s great to attend church to fellowship and be built up with other believers, but we don’t leave the Spirit of God behind in the church building. We take Him with us so we can do what Matthew 28:19-20 tells us: “GO and make disciples.”
2. Know that the church is the designated messenger for the Kingdom of God.
“Boldly and without hindrance, he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:31)
We are told to boldly preach about the kingdom of God. The building can’t do that. We the people…the church…are the messengers of God! Just like Paul, we are to go throughout the world and share The Gospel as the designated messengers on this earth for Christ!
3. Know that the Body of Christ is a family.
Families love, forgive, and accept. We aren’t perfect, but God wants the church to look like a family. He doesn’t want us divided. He doesn’t want us to put our faith in the building or the preacher. God wants us to be a family who resolves conflict, loves one another through good times and bad, and does everything we can to bring those who are lost HOME!
So what does it mean to “be the church?” It means that we are to take the Holy Spirit who lives in us and GO to the ends of the earth to share the Good News! (Here’s one way to do that).
It means that we are to be messengers for the Kingdom of God and not rely on the church building alone.
And it means we must learn to be a family and care for every child of God with the same love and kindness the Heavenly Father gives to us!
Tell us in the comments, what choice can you make to actively “be the church?”
Join us as we grow and care for the church through our mission’s trips opportunities!
