So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
-Acts 16:5 (ESV)

When I came across this verse the other day I felt conviction. I was convicted because this verse, in it’s simplicity, points out the [tag]missional[/tag] attitude of the early church and exposes the lack of missional thinking in today’s church (myself included). The early church’s attitude was basically that every part of the body (aka every believer) was a missionary to their family, community, workplace, and every other place they went. This verse shows us that every person within the [tag]early church[/tag] had an active faith that overflowed into the lives of everyone around them, sharing with them the good news of Jesus Christ.

I think today’s church would do well to remember that the church doesn’t just grow on Sundays. And, people don’t just come to know [tag]Jesus[/tag] at the end of a sermon. The church should grow every day as believers go into the world living out their [tag]faith[/tag], sharing the good news, and discipling new believers.

[tag]Christmas[/tag] is next week. We celebrate Christmas because Jesus’ birth was an amazing gift; God came to earth as a baby. But, many people around us don’t even know the gift that has been given to them. I wonder if the [tag]church[/tag] is willing to not only celebrate this amazing gift, but if the Church is also willing to take this gift to the world.

I think [tag]Derek Webb[/tag] captured the essence of this idea perfectly in his song Take to the World:

Go in peace to love and to serve
let your ears ring long with what you’ve heard
and may the bread on your tongue
leave a trail of crumbs
to lead the hungry back to the place that you are from

and take to the world this love, hope and faith
take to the world this rare, relentless grace
and like the three in one
know you must become what you want to save
‘cause that’s still the way
He takes to the world