The Christians who have turned the world upside down have been man and women with a vision in their hearts and the Bible in their hands.   T.B. Maston

            Often we talk about going to church and sitting in church, but perhaps we should talk about being the church. What exactly does it look like to be the church? Cannon Ernest Southcott (founder of the “home church” movement in England) said, “The holiest moment of the church service is the moment when God’s people—strengthened by preaching and sacrament—go out of the church door into the world to be the church. We don’t go to church; we are the church.” As we are strengthened by the work of our local churches (the visible church), let us go out into the world and live out the love we have received. Our job as Christ’s body, the church, is to show the world what Jesus love looks like in word and in deed and to speak His truth in love.

John said it plain and clear, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1John 4:7-12). When we demonstrate Christ’s love, we are truly being the church. We are his hands, his feet, his heart, his mouth. The world will be drawn to Christ, not by our perfect words or our incredible church services. They will see Christ through the love we have for one another.

Ravi Zaharias writes, “For those who follow Jesus Christ, our message to the world must be clear. God transforms the heart and mind and we become his children and his ambassadors.” This week, consider how God wants to use you to be a light shining in the darkness. Where does He want you to go? Who is He calling you to reach, to help or to serve? May His love flow through you, so that a hurting world may know a living Lord.

Let you light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify the Father.  Matthew 5:16