Growing up on a dairy farm, I observed that during the winter months our work was done mainly within the walls of our barn. There we took care of our cows that we milked twice a day. But during the summer months, we spent more of our time outside the walls of our barn, as we put up a lot of hay for the winter months.
On Sundays, we come to church to study God's Word, and worship Him. And in that time we prepare for what the Apostle Paul calls "Equipping the saints for the work of service."
The work of church leadership is to prepare the members of the body of Christ, to leave the walls of the church, and go out and minister to the needs of those in the community. And in so doing, to minister the Gospel, in hopes to lead people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
But too often, churches become too comfortable within the walls of the church. We come on Sundays, and put in our time, and never intend to use what we have learned, to make a difference for Jesus Christ, the other days of the week.
It's time that churches took seriously the purpose for which they exist. They are to be involved in evangelism, and the building up of the body of Christ. It's time to put aside what we want to do, and pursue what Christ would have us to do! GP
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