"Go ye..." Matthew 28:19a
I have often had conversations with others about how the church is failing in their responsibility to reach the lost, to be bright shining lights for Jesus, to take a stand against the evil that is invading every part of society, to reach out to others with the love of Christ, and so on. There is not doubt that we have "dropped the ball". But I have to stop and remember that even though the church, as a whole, does have a responsibility, the "whole" church is made up of "individual" members. "But now are they many members, yet but one body." (1 Cor. 12:20)
Bring made up of individual members means that in order for the "whole" to do what it needs to do, the "each" has to be doing their part. Before we can criticize the church for not doing what they are suppose to be doing, we much first answer the question, "Am I doing what I need to be doing?" Am I witnessing to the lost? Am I reaching out to others? Am I sharing the gospel? Am I letting my light shine? The Great Commission doesn't say, "Go Ya'll" (Southern vernacular). It says, "Go ye". (Go you- you go) It is an "individual" command. We each have been given the commission- each and everyone of us. And we each and everyone make up the whole church.
I believe that the church has failed to do what we should be doing, but before we can do much criticizing, we have to stop and look at ourselves to see if we are doing our part. Unless each member takes the commission personally and works to fulfill it individually, we will continue to "miss it" and fall short. This puts the onus on each of us-- because each one makes up the whole.
Have a great day. Each one of us makes up the church, so you are the church. Are you doing your part?
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