When we think of church almost all of us think of a regular Sunday service. We think of going to a building filled with people, singing worship songs together, listening to a sermon, and greeting/talking to each other. The purpose of a typical corporate church service is to strengthen community, encourage and equip believers, and reach the lost. But, the reality is that reaching the lost can sometimes be difficult within church. For us, it’s in one location, on one day, at one time. And why does an unsaved person just come to church? It’s usually connected to a personal invitation that happens outside of the church.
Can you count the number of ways in which someone can be reached for the Gospel?
A lot of us have had Gospel ‘encounters’ with co-workers. That tends to be a place where conversation can happen freely, at least in some occupations. I would imagine those of us who work in funeral homes or zoos aren’t doing as much talking. If you are, please reach out to us. 😉
Perhaps a similar number of people have had meaningful and important discussions with family gathered around a meal or at a family function.
Many of us who are more extroverted may have found an opportunity here or there to reach the grocery store clerk or the local pharmacist.
I’m sure some of us have been able to make an impact once in a while on the postal worker who visits our residence.
This list could go on forever, but the point is:
The work of the Church to save the lost largely happens outside of these walls.
It’s with your co-workers, your family, the grocery store clerk, or the postal worker. Unfortunately, right now even these interactions feel like they’ve been put on hold. It feels like there’s no space to have these crucial conversations about Jesus. It feels like it’s not okay to even talk to other people in public places for fear of breaking a social distancing rule.
So, here’s some encouragement, and this is what we’ve been believing throughout our Church At Home series: The power of the Holy Spirit is not confined to face-to-face interactions. God certainly moves in a unique way in a corporate setting, but by no means is He incapable of working through a video, a text/call, or even a smile. What would happen if God’s people embraced our radical eternal hope of Heaven in the midst of these dire circumstances? What if the hope we have is not just to make us feel better, but to be a light to the world?
Remember to join us this Sunday at 8:30am online for CHURCH AT HOME Vol. 5!
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