In Luke’s record of the Early Church we learn in Acts 2 that the three-thousand converts who were saved on the Day of Pentecost “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42) So close did the members of the Early Church become that Paul referred to the body of believers as “the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). The idea is that the Church is like a family. As a matter of fact, the Church is a family. It’s the family of God (Ephesians 2:19).
While salvation is a personal experience, the Christian life is something we do together. I was saved alone, but I don’t stay alone. At salvation I am born into the household of God. Rather than going it alone, it is God’s will that I become part of a local church family.
Did you know that there are many animals that live alone? They are called solitary animals. The list is numerous and includes such animals as tigers, bears, foxes, and Tasmanian devils. Who in their right mind would want to live with a Tasmanian devil? Search the list of solitary animals and you will not find sheep among them. Psalm 100:3 says, “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Like sheep, God designed us to live with the flock.
There are a lot of lonely people in the world looking for a place for belong. For that matter, there are a lot of lonely people in Southwest Florida. I talked to a brother in Christ today who confessed he could not name one Christian friend. Not one. How sad.
I have a radical idea. Let’s recommit to our local church family known as RLA. Then let’s start inviting others from our community to church. Let’s invite them to meet the Savior we all know and love, and to become part of the household of faith. This means we do not approach church with a consumer point of view (what’s in it for me), but from a missional point of view (what’s in it for others). May God help us to all start thinking like a missionary.
The Church of Jesus Christ is the household of faith. To all who walk through the doors of RLA and unite with us in Christ we say — welcome home to family!
Pastor Todd Weston
While salvation is a personal experience, the Christian life is something we do together. I was saved alone, but I don’t stay alone. At salvation I am born into the household of God. Rather than going it alone, it is God’s will that I become part of a local church family.
Did you know that there are many animals that live alone? They are called solitary animals. The list is numerous and includes such animals as tigers, bears, foxes, and Tasmanian devils. Who in their right mind would want to live with a Tasmanian devil? Search the list of solitary animals and you will not find sheep among them. Psalm 100:3 says, “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Like sheep, God designed us to live with the flock.
There are a lot of lonely people in the world looking for a place for belong. For that matter, there are a lot of lonely people in Southwest Florida. I talked to a brother in Christ today who confessed he could not name one Christian friend. Not one. How sad.
I have a radical idea. Let’s recommit to our local church family known as RLA. Then let’s start inviting others from our community to church. Let’s invite them to meet the Savior we all know and love, and to become part of the household of faith. This means we do not approach church with a consumer point of view (what’s in it for me), but from a missional point of view (what’s in it for others). May God help us to all start thinking like a missionary.
The Church of Jesus Christ is the household of faith. To all who walk through the doors of RLA and unite with us in Christ we say — welcome home to family!
Pastor Todd Weston
