Monday, January 17, 2011

You Know Who You Are!

Whether you came to know Christ when you were younger or older, you have undoubtedly been challenged to share your faith with others. But, for many of us, that challenge takes the form of words that go through one ear and out the other! Or, like me, you might have shared on occasion, but you are embarrassed to admit that it most certainly hasn't resulted in a lifestyle change that takes advantage of countless situations where you neglected to even mention Jesus's name! But, if you...

1) Have invested the time to tell others about Christ
2) Have chosen to share your Christian faith with whoever reads your blogs
3) Or, you want to...

Then this message is one I hope you'll respond to!

Most of you have found a good church home, others are still looking...but I'm guessing that all of us are in agreement that the church today, in general, tends to focus on making us feel good or "feeding us." There is nothing wrong with that, unless that is all it does! Don't get me wrong, I've been walking with the Lord for 34 years and am a very strong supporter of the importance of gathering together. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us to refrain from "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..."

But what was once a movement of God...has become a mere location, to many people. I am assuming that most of you understand that, because His Spirit lives in you, His Church is wherever you are. People that don't know Christ are generally the ones who assume the church is simply a location.

The problem, as I see it, is that we unwittingly take on the worlds view of the church, in the sense that we tend to compartmentalize it. I know I do. I don't mean to and I don't want to...but, it happens. "Gotta go to church, this Sunday", "Wasn't church awesome today?" or "I hope nobody caught me falling asleep in church today" are some examples of things we here or say to ourselves quite frequently. Sound familiar?

It's time to break free from that thinking. Time to be a church that is a verb instead of a noun! I'm calling on you right now, to share with other people both in person and via your blogs, what I have been hearing a handful of Christian pastors talking about.

Click on the link, below, to hear a message that is gripping and inspirational. I will spend the next few posts, "re-capping" for anyone that didn't get a chance to listen.

The Do Something Church

You want to be who God wants you to be, but you just don't think about it...or you let the thought "I'm no Billy Graham!" prevent you from doing what, in your heart of hearts, you have been told you should do...but it just doesn't come natural to you. Believe me, there are a lot of us that fall into that category! Keep following this blog. Go ahead and listen to the message in the link above. I challenge you!

You Know Who You Are!

1 comment:

Sharon said...

Shay -

Courageous post! I love how you challenged all of us out here in Blog Land to take a good look at our WITNESS to the world.

We ARE the Church, and it's up to us to take God out into our communities and beyond. We are His hands and feet.

I am blessed to attend a church that feels the same way...

GOD BLESS!