I was on my way to church on Christmas Eve and was listening to the local Christian radio station. Not necessarily for the "Christian" music, (I'm not a big fan of contemporary Christian music), but they were playing Christmas music during December, and I was feeling festive! That was until the DJ made this comment. "You know, tonight you're going to see a lot of CEOs at church, Christmas and Easter only. Let's make sure we put our best foot forward and make them feel at home. This may be the only time you run into these people, so let's show them what the love of Christ is all about." Just for a moment, I'd like you to think about that statement. Especially if you're a follower of Christ, think about these words. Imagine that you are not a follower of Christ. Imagine that you're one of these CEOs, and on your way to church with your family. Imagine that you decide to tune into the local Christian radio station because you've heard someone at work talk about it. Imagine that you're a mom or dad, and beginning to think that you're family needs something more in their lives. You've been thinking about church more and more, and the Christmas Season has been convicting your spirit. The New Year is coming up, and you're going to finally start visiting churches. Maybe you and your family have drifted away from church for a while, and you've finally decided to give it another shot. Whatever the situation, you just heard yourself labeled as a "CEO". You've wife gives you one of those looks. Your husband sighs and glances back at the kids in the back seat. Your teenager says, "So, I guess we're one of those CEOs, huh?" You're one of "those" people. And when you walk into church in a few minutes, you and your family are going to be on center stage. Are you going to have to wear a name tag that says CEO? You're not going to feel too self conscious, are you?
You might have heard this same comment and didn't give it a second thought. I could have easily heard this, allowed it to go in one ear and out of the other. But for some reason, it caused me to pause and think about how the Church appears to the rest of the world. What do they see from outside the walls of our buildings? What do they see in the neighborhoods, workplaces, homes and shopping centers? Why do we need to be reminded of things like this DJ referred to? Why does Christmas and Easter have to be when we "put our best foot forward"? Shouldn't we be doing this every day of the year? Should statements like this seem strange to our ears because it's a given for how we live our lives?
Don't get me wrong, Christmas and Easter are wonderful times of the year. In the Christian faith, they are considered holy days, and are times that we are all convicted and reminded of what our faith is built on. My point is this: If we put on a show for people on 2 specific days of the year, will they be disappointed in what they see the other 363 days of the year? Should they see something different? Should our celebrations be consistent? Is this really showing them the love of Christ, or are we just performing to get the "CEOs" in the front door and is this the kind of mindset that we should have toward those that are outside the doors of our church?
Yes, I believe 100% that as believers in Christ, we are called to share our faith with those that don't know the gospel. We are all called to be on mission and spread the Good News to the entire earth. But what does that mean in a practical way? Is it something we turn off and on? Or is it something we live 24/7? Is it something that is irresistible to others to the point that there is no question of who we serve and what our faith is all about? Is it something we "do", or something we "are"? Why is it not as real for us as it was for the Church over 2000 years ago?
If you are unfamiliar with the early New Testament Church, read the first few chapters of the book of Acts. The Church depicted in Acts 2 was a group of people that were "living" their faith in Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:42-47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
These were people that were consumed by their faith in the risen Lord and could not contain it for one minute. They lived and breathed their faith in Christ. Yes, they preached the gospel and spoke this truth to thousands of people and the Bible tells us that thousands were coming to know Christ every day. It was literally an explosion of faith and the growth was astronomical. Truly, a revolution had begun in Jerusalem and the world would never be the same.
But this faith and growth of the Church was not conditional. It was not a "one or the other" kind of thing. They were living an irresistible life that made others see that it was true. Their words were backed up by their lives and actions. There were no "special" times to share the truth of Christ. There were no better times than others, because they were just living and sharing what they believed. No one told them to put their best foot forward when they walked outside, went to the Temple or market place. Both of their feet were the best and were always moving forward. They didn't see CEOs. They only saw people that needed to know what they knew, and needed to live as they were now living, because the love they felt could not be contained.