Be the Church!
Y’all may have heard the story before. One Sunday morning there was this young man who was lying in bed and just didn’t want to get up. His mama came in and said, “Son, git up, you have to go to church.”
The young man said, “Mama, I don’t want to go over there to that church. Those people don’t like me, and they’re mean more than they are nice! They will throw insults at me and they’ll try to tell me how perfect they are. Mama, they ain’t perfect and you know it. I want to just stay right here!”
But Mama was insistent, “Yes, son, I know they’re not perfect; none of us are. But son, you have to go to church.” Then, Mama went and dumped his bed out so that he ended up in the floor. He bounced and then rolled over on that hardwood floor and said, “Aw, Ma what did you have to go and do that for?”
And to that, Mama said, “Son, you have to get up and go to church! You are their pastor and those imperfect people expect their imperfect preacher to show up and preach what our perfect God has given you to share with all us sinners. And yes, that includes YOU! Now get dressed and I don’t want to hear another word about how those people don’t like you! You git over there and show ‘em some love!”
Folks, it is important for you and me, that we get up on Sunday morning (or whenever your church meets) and go to the gatherin’!
But in these times going to the gathering has to mean something completely different. Because of the corona virus, we must not physically mingle together. But He has given us other ways to assemble. Many churches are somehow live feeding their worship service over the internet. A few are having drive up services. Folks show up in the parking lot and the Pastor and worship leaders get up on the porch and worship. They either turn up the pa system real loud or they locally transmit it on fm radio station so as families in their cars can tune in. We have to remember that the church isn’t the building; it’s the people! And for now, we don’t need to be gathered up in the building.
A church is to be like a family. Right now, the church has the need to not get together and possibly contract or transmit a virus that could be deadly to some. We are to care about the needs of our family members! In John 13:35, Jesus tells his followers: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (nasb)
The New Testament clearly stresses the importance of Christian fellowship. But fellowship without love is not fellowship.
Hebrews 10:24-25: and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (nasb)
But let me tell you, there is more to it than getting together once or twice a week at “church.”
Churches meet in all sorts of buildings. I know of one that met under an old oak tree. That tree wasn’t the church; it was the people.
The church is to have love for one another. The church should not forsake assembling together. But we must do it in a different way for now.
If you belong to a church then be the church! If you don’t have a church family then you have the opportunity during this time to go to facebook live or youtube or group messenger or zoom or drive-up and worship with a church group. This time will soon be past and we’ll
Choose Jesus, choose life! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST!