You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world…therefore go and make disciples of all nations…
They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship…every day they continued to gather together…
Soooo…what is the focus of the church? Are we to draw in and encourage, instruct, and grow each other? Or, are we to push out and be light and salt? Both-and. From the very beginning, God chose a people to be set apart unto Himself, that they might be testimony-givers to the world through their lives and a channel of blessing. Yet, what was the rebuke that Israel received from her God??
I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted. Israel was set apart to the Lord; there were like the first fruits of a harvest to him.
-Jer 2
The rebuke is continued in the gospels when Jesus condemns the religious leaders of the day, not only for their hypocrisy, but for excluding the Gentiles from the blessings of God. In addition, though, the New Testament is full of instruction on gathering together for teaching and spiritual growth. Believers too are holy and chosen, set apart from the world through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The challenge, then, is to always be on mission and grow as family. If the focus is too heavy on family…which tends to be the norm for most…then we become exclusive and are not gospel-proclaimers to the world. But likewise, if the focus is too heavy on mission, then we become anemic and fail to be good gospel-proclaimers to the community of faith. Both are dangers, so we acknowledge the tension, press into it and intentionally engage and build family while also pushing each other out to be on mission…together!
What can you do this week to engage and build church family while also engaging on mission?
