Lewis Memorial UMC

Last Sunday I was blessed to attend the Lewis 101 class with a group of people here at Lewis who are interested in joining our church and/or learning more about the United Methodist Church. We concentrated on the 5th promise everyone makes when they join a UM Church and what it means to be a witness in the world. This is yet another great group of people and I really appreciate Sonny and Renee’ McDowell for faithfully leading this class. Also last Sunday here in worship we looked at what made the early church start and grow and what some of the similarities and differences are between the church then and the church now. Putting both of these experiences together got me thinking about what a witnessing church looks like and I found myself back in Luke’s writings in Acts.

Many times when we think about what it means to be a witness in the world for Jesus Christ we probably think about it in a personal, individual aspect. I have wondered what kind of witness I am both in the life of the church and away from it. You hear sermons about being a witness for the Lord out in the world. Jesus told His disciples that they are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria. All of these are examples of being an individual witness for Jesus and it is vital that each of us do just that! You and I and all Christians everywhere should witness to our faith and tell others what Jesus has done for us! But what about the church? What kind of positive witness is the church today? What kind of positive witness is Lewis Memorial?

These loved ones we have remembered today for All Saints Day were a witness to their families and friends and many of us here at the church through the years. They did so in their individual lives as well as through the church. So what role does the church have in being a witness to the community around us as well as helping us be individual witnesses in the world? I believe it has a BIG role!

Between my parents’ witness and the church’s witness to me as a young child I have been exposed to the example of Jesus Christ and how to live my life as a Christian. Our scripture reading out of Acts again this morning gives us a glimpse of what it meant to be witnessed to as well as to how to be a witnessing church. Let’s take a closer look at Luke’s words in Acts 2.

First of all we read that the followers were devoted! That’s such an important word and one that doesn’t always seem to be so evident in every church, nor in every Christian. Too many followers of Christ lack a sense of deep devotion today! We tend to think that if we come to church once or twice a month then we are devoted. What would happen if we treated our marriage or our job that way? Check out the definition of the word devote – to commit by a solemn act; to give OVER or directly to a cause; religious fervor; the state of being ardently dedicated and loyal. It takes devotion to God and to the ministries of Lewis to be a witnessing church. We must be devoted to be a Christ centered church whose goal is to seek AND follow God’s will for His church. Every person who enters the doors of this church should know soon after they enter that this is a church about Jesus Christ and His love. And it needs to be evident that we are all dedicated to our Lord and to His church. That is a great witness for all who are led here by the Spirit to worship God.

One thing we need to remember is that there are two sides to being a witnessing person or a witnessing church and Jesus warned against it. You can be a good witness or you can be a bad witness! Whether you realize it or not you are a walking, living, breathing witness for Jesus Christ the moment you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. When you profess Jesus Christ as your Savior then you are witnessing for Him. The same is true for the church. This church is a witness for Jesus and it needs to be a positive witness! Once a church gets a bad reputation it can destroy the ministry of God and can take years to rebuild! That’s why it is so important that we understand Acts2:44 when Luke wrote that all of the believers were together and had everything in common. This means that we all have Jesus at the center of our lives and in the center of everything this church does.

Lets look at Acts 2: 47 again. Just before this Luke wrote how these early church goers were dedicated to meeting together and this continued the theme of being like-minded. Now, here in verse 47 he wrote that they were “…praising God and enjoying the favor of all of the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” A witnessing church praises God and enjoys the favor of all the people! A witnessing church welcomes and greets everyone in Jesus’ name! A witnessing church is accepting of each other! A witnessing church loves one another even when the people don’t always see eye to eye! A witnessing church makes sure everyone hears about Jesus when they come in the doors! A witnessing church offers ministries and opportunities to the community! A witnessing church continues to praise God together even when there are 3 different worship styles offered every Sunday with 2 at the same time! So how is Lewis Memorial doing as a witnessing church? Maybe the only ones we should ask are the visitors. I so want this church to be a witnessing church and not just here on this corner, but also to the corners of the world!

If we will remember the last verse we read this morning out of Acts then I believe it can give us hope in the area of witnessing to the world around us. Acts 5:42 says that “Day after day, in the temple courts AND from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”

A witnessing church is one that not only is stationary and waits for people to come to her, but she also sends us out to do the work of the Lord from house to house and to places all over the world. Just think about all that this church does to tell and show people that God loves them! From mission trips to Peru and Mexico and Ecuador, to local missions like the Lydia Project and putting together flood buckets and roof repair and Lewis Day of Service and River of Life and Bread of Life services that the youth do each year.

I can’t help but think that our church members who have gone on to glory to be with the Lord were proud of all that their church has done through the years. I am also certain that each of us can be proud of what God is doing for us and through us as His witnessing church here at Lewis! Once again, let’s take after the example left for us by these early Christians and be the witnessing church of today that will help all people to their eternal future. We can do this as long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus and ask God to keep us centered on the cross of Christ!