The Relevance of Local Churches

Are Christian churches relevant to their local communities? This is a broad question. What makes local churches relevant in their communities? This question is much more focused.

The answer to what makes local churches relevant is the same as what is the reason for the existence of Christian churches. We can find a clear answer to this question of relevance by examining the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost.

Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. Luke expands on this command in Acts 1:8 with these words of Christ, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me."

"When the day of Pentecost was fully come," the Holy Spirit arrived. The Spirit of God filled the house. The Spirit of God filled each person. They began speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4). Peter preached the first message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41)."
"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47)." 

Why? The words of Christ in Acts 1:8 were being fulfilled. They had become witnesses of Christ. Those Christians of the first apostolic Church turned their world upside down. They became relevant to their world because they were witnesses to and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their priority was taking the Gospel to the lost souls around them.

What then makes today's local churches relevant to their communities? The witness of, and to, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Local churches will be the only Jesus Christ our communities will ever see in this life.

We must share the Gospel with those around us to bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We must love the lost souls around us, and not exclude them from the great salvation found in Jesus Christ.

This may be a hard statement, but the measurement of relevance could be taken by the number of lost souls being won to Christ in our local churches. Every individual Christian makes up the Church. It is the personal witness of each Christian that will determine the relevance of the Church.

Yes, you will be a witness. You may never utter a word to another person about Christ. The souls around you are watching you. You profess to be Christian. What witness does your activities display? What witness does your daily conversation portray? God bless...