Refreshing Faith

There is something really comforting about gathering with other believers. We worship together, pray with each other, hear God’s Word, and encourage one another. The church should be a place where our faith is strengthened and where we are reminded that we are not following Jesus alone.

Our faith, though, was never meant to stay inside the church building.

Jesus calls us to gather, grow, and give, but He also calls us to go. We are sent out from the place where our faith is strengthened into the places where faith is so desperately needed. We represent Christ in our homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, grocery stores, everywhere we go, and to everyone we meet.

Just before Jesus returned to His Father, He told His disciples:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
­—Acts 1:8

Jesus did not tell His followers to merely attend meetings, just learn as much as you can about Me, or simply enjoy Christian fellowship. He told them to that they would be His witnesses. The Holy Spirit would empower them to take the good news of Jesus beyond the places they were comfortable and familiar with. The Holy Spirit would empower them to GO.

That calling did not end with the first disciples; it belongs to every follower of Christ. It belongs to us.

Light Is Meant to Reach the Darkness

Imagine standing in a brightly lit room at night. The lights are all on, the room is warm, and everything inside is easy to see. Outside the room, however, the hallway is dark.

As long as the door remains closed, the light stays contained, stuck in the room. The room may be bright, but the darkness outside remains largely unchanged. When the door opens, the light begins to spill into the hallway. It crosses the threshold and reaches a place that had previously been dark.

Light fulfills its purpose when it reaches the darkness.

In the same way, the church is not called to keep the light of Jesus contained within its walls, reserving it only for the members or attenders. It is good for us to gather in worship, but the light we receive is meant to travel with us when we leave. We carry the presence, love, truth, and the hope of Jesus into the world around us. We do not leave the church on Sunday morning as just attenders of a service, we leave as missionaries sent out into our world serving in offices and homes all around our community.

The goal is not simply to build a brighter room; the goal is to open the door and share the light.

Every Sunday, we gather so that we can be encouraged, equipped, renewed, and challenged. Then we go back into our communities as people who belong to Jesus. The church building is not the final destination of our faith. It is a place from which we are sent.

We Represent Jesus Wherever We Go

Paul described believers this way in 2 Corinthians 5:20:

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

An ambassador represents someone else. An ambassador does not speak for themselves; they carry the message and the priorities of the one who sent them. As followers of Jesus, we represent Him.

That does not mean we will always represent Him perfectly. We are still growing, learning, and depending on His grace to work in us. It does mean, however, that the people around us may form parts of their own understanding of Jesus based on watching how we live.

They notice how we speak to our families.

They notice how we act when we are frustrated.

They notice whether we are patient, honest, compassionate, or forgiving.

They notice whether our faith makes a difference in the way that we treat people.

Representing Jesus is not limited to preaching a sermon or leading a Bible study. It happens in the ordinary moments of life. It happens around a dinner table, in the break room, on the sidelines, in a grocery store, and across the backyard fence.

We go whenever we bring the character of Christ into the places where God has already placed us.

Going Begins Where You Are

When Christians hear the word “go,” we may immediately think about missionaries traveling around the world. God does call some people to serve in distant places, and the church should faithfully support them. But Acts 1:8 begins with Jerusalem; it begins in the place the disciples already were; it begins at home.

The same is true for us, going begins at home.

It begins with the people we see every day. It begins with the neighbor whose name we barely know, the coworker who seems discouraged, the family member who may be struggling, or the friend who seems to be growing distant from God.

You do not need to travel around the world to live on mission. You only have to become more attentive to the people who are around you.

Going may mean praying consistently for a neighbor.

It may mean listening to a coworker who is carrying a heavy burden.

It may mean preparing a meal for a family in a difficult season of life.

It may mean inviting someone to worship with you.

It may mean sharing how Jesus has helped you through a painful time in your life.

It may mean apologizing when you have been wrong.

These acts may all seem small, but God can, and often does, use simple acts of obedience to open doors for deeper conversations and lasting relationships. We do not have to force every conversation into a sermon. We do not have to treat people as if they were projects. We just need to love people sincerely, listen attentively, serve humbly, and remain ready to speak about the hope we have in Jesus.

Open the door

A light that never leaves an already bright room does little for those standing in darkness.

Our faith, in the same way, if it remains only inside the church, cannot fully accomplish the mission Jesus has given us. God has placed each of us in particular homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and relationships for a reason. There are people around you whom God loves very deeply. There are people around you who are lonely, discouraged, confused, or searching for hope. There are people around you who may never walk through the doors of a church unless someone first shows them what the love of Jesus looks like.

This week, identify someone for whom you will commit to praying. Write down that person’s name and ask God to work in their life. Then identify one practical way you can represent Jesus to that person.

Listen.

Encourage.

Serve.

Invite.

Share.

Pray.

Open the door and allow the light of Christ to reach beyond the places that are already bright.

We gather to be strengthened. We grow to become more like Jesus. We give because everyone has a part. And we go because the good news of Jesus was never meant to remain inside the church building.