Nothing brings us quite as much joy in our ministry as seeing local believers being the Church.
For missionaries and ministry leaders it's really easy to become discouraged when those we are trying to lead are happily complacent just sitting in their pews of tradition. We attend our weekly services and teach Sunday School. We pray for the missionaries and those who are sick. We give tithes and sing praises. Isn't that what the church does? Aren't those good things?
We all know that the answer is, "Yes".
But, is that what "being the church" really means? When we look at Scripture we see there is so much more that God expects from us that can only take place outside our place of meeting. And when our brothers and sisters get up from their pews and leave the church with the intention to do more -- that's when we get excited and encouraged.
So, you can imagine how we felt when believers from a church in the bush gave approximately $140 to rent a flatbed truck, plus donated the use of two of their own vehicles to bring fifty of their members down bush roads to another village sixty miles away for an evangelism weekend.
In 2018 they had visited this same village before -- and a pastor from another denomination started a rumor that they were Satanists. But, they pressed on and returned despite the fact that they really weren't wanted there; despite the fact that the villagers tried to cause trouble for them when they came.
And you know what? Their obedience to be the church paid off. By the end of the weekend, people who were originally trying to make problems were sitting and listening to the teaching of the Word with smiles on their faces. On Sunday morning, seventeen new believers were added to the Kingdom, a new church was started (pictured above), and ten more made decisions to leave the church where the "Satanist" rumor started and join our new one.
All because believers became the Church in action.
We regularly encourage our own church here in town with stories from what is happening out in the villages. We want them to be spurred on -- to think, "If people in the bush can come up with that much money and sacrifice their time and resources for Kingdom work... why can't we?"
But, that encouragement shouldn't be limited to other churches here in Zambia. Believers everywhere can learn a lot from our brothers and sisters who live out in the Zambian bush.
Are we being the Church in action? Or are we hearers only?
Are we seeking out opportunities to share the Word? Or, are we content with simply issuing invitations to church -- because preaching and teaching the Bible is the pastor's and Sunday school teacher's job?
Are we looking for opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ, not just in our communities but in other parts of the world? Or, are we content with tossing a few dollars into the mission offering -- because "hands and feet" work is the job of missionaries?
We are all called to action. We are all expected to sacrifice. We are all ambassadors for Christ.
How does the world see us representing Him?
Let's learn from our brothers and sisters here. Let's be the Church in action.