Every Sunday morning, David leaves his suburban home for a 30-minute trek downtown to pick up John and bring him to church. John sits with David and his wife and children. And when the service is over, David drives him back home. He does this almost every Sunday. He’s been doing this for fifteen months. People wonder, What does it mean to be the Church? This, my friends, is what it means to be the Church.
David didn’t plan to impact someone’s life and change the trajectory of it the day he met John. He simply befriended a man, disheveled in appearance, without an earthly home, and decided to ask him to come to church with him. John said yes. Since that time, John’s life has radically changed. From the first time he nervously walked into the building we call “church” he’s said yes to Jesus, found a home to reside in, gotten baptized, given his first offering, begun leading a weekly men’s Bible study, and now invites everyone he sees to church. David just talked to a guy and asked him to church. God’s majestic power did the rest.
This is what Church should be like. I use a capital “C” on purpose. I’m referring to the ones who follow Jesus, the body of Christ.
Instead of asking what church should be like, ask what you should be like. Because if you are a Jesus follower, you are the Church.
When David saw John and simply became his friend, he was, in that very moment, one of the tools God used to grow His Church. You see, God was already miraculously massaging John’s heart by the power of His Spirit. So, when David entered the scene, John was ripe for the harvest.
We are told in Galatians 6:9 to stay strong, not allowing weariness to set in when our earthly, finite timeframes don’t get satisfied. We’re challenged to “not give up.” When we don’t let feelings of discouragement or frustration set in, we eventually get to be a part of God’s harvest in some way.
What if instead of expecting the pastors and missionaries to be the ones who share the light of Jesus with others, we decided to be pastors and missionaries to those in our part of the world? What if we all looked for our own John? The person who is far from God and needs a touch of hope from the Savior we proclaim to know and follow. How outstanding would it be if everyone just reached out to one person? And then we did it again, and again, and again.
That is what it means to be the Church.
God is the Master Harvester. He doesn’t need us, but He most certainly desires to use us, His Church. We make the effort to reach someone, and God multiplies it by His mighty hand. We plant a seed, and God nourishes it with His living water. He can’t not. It’s just who He is. It’s just what He does.
What does it mean to be the Church? It means always growing. Always offering hope. Always making a difference in the world.
Let’s stop thinking we go to Church. Let’s be the Church. We get to live out what Church should be like.
