Beyond Brick and Mortar
By Kelly Garner
From the time I was a little girl, I have gone “to church” almost every time the doors were open! Now let me be clear, I loved it!
I have many fond memories and received Jesus into my heart as my Savior and Lord when I was eight, right there in those pews. But, my family and friends always spoke about church as “going TO church.” Thank goodness I was raised to go to church; but now, as an adult, I have had plenty of time to think about what “going to church” is in my own life.
According to the Word, the church is those of us who are believers in Christ Jesus! We have been commanded, in Hebrews 10:25, to “not forsake the assembling together…” But, we have to be willing to get outside the walls of “the church” and do ministry, evangelize the lost, in the highways and byways.
The brick-and-mortar will always be a place where we gather together as believers to worship, study God’s Word, and pray with one another. But, I think we are beginning to see more and more in our culture that the “lost” ones are not going to be “found” unless we are willing to go out beyond the brick-and-mortar into a lost and dying world. Jesus commands us, in Mark 16:15 (NIV), to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
As a teenager, I memorized that verse as “Going out into all the uttermost parts of the earth and make disciples of all people.” During His time on earth, Jesus met with his close companions behind closed doors, but traveled far and wide teaching and making disciples in various places.
I feel led to encourage you that going beyond the brick and mortar might not be any further than you going to the grocery store. To others, it might be going across the world. However we feel led by the Holy Spirit, we, as believers, need to take up the responsibility of strategically leaving the ninety and nine and going out to try and find the one that is lost. A smile, a kind word, in a grocery store, shopping mall, or gas station just might spark a conversation that might lead someone to Christ.
Let us remember to go out into the world and live out our faith beyond the walls of the church, Beyond Brick and Mortar!
