The Church: A Gift Worth Guarding

This week, as we begin our Monday morning, I want to share a thought that’s been on my heart: The Church is a gift worth guarding.

I found myself reflecting on those children who gave their lives to Christ yesterday — on the joy and newness they felt — and it took me back to my own moment of salvation. I remembered how it felt when I accepted Jesus, when I confessed my belief in Him, when He came into my life and changed everything.

At first, I began to think how  Jesus saved me from something — from sin, from separation, from death. But as I kept thinking, I realized something deeper: He didn’t just save me from something; He saved me into something.

He saved me into a family.

Saved Into a Family
When we come to Christ, we are not only forgiven — we are adopted. We are brought into the family of faith.

The people who have prayed for me, encouraged me, walked with me through life’s ups and downs, and those I’ve been able to support — that’s the family God saved me into.

That’s what the church is. It’s not just a place we attend — it’s a family we belong to. It’s a gift from God. And because it’s a gift, it’s something we should guard — with love, unity, and commitment.

Which leads to our scripture focus this morning coming from Ephesians 2:19 (ESV): “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

In this scripture, Paul is letting us know as he’s talking to the church of Ephesus that we were all outsiders at one time. We were all strangers at one time. But by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us, He brought us in. I’m thankful to God that this week, we have an opportunity to turn around and open the door for somebody else. As we go out this week to be the hands, the feet, the eyes – to show the love of Christ and do the mission He has charged us with, I want us to remember three things:

1. The Church Is a Family, Not a Club
When we go out to serve this week — at our Food Giveaway or Beulah Outside — we’re not putting on a show. We’re inviting people to join us at the family table.

When we accepted Jesus, we took our seat at that table. Now, as we go out into the community, we’re taking that same table with us — so others can pull up a chair who may not have had one before. When we show the love that we have for Christ, let’s invite them in.

Let’s show up with joy, love, and warmth. Let’s make others feel like they belong — because there was a time when we didn’t belong either - whether it was on our jobs, through various trials, or in society in general. But through Christ and His love for us, God gave us a seat at His table.

So remember: The church is a family, not a club. It’s our responsibility to show the same love that Christ gave us to others and offer them a seat at the table. Let’s keep inviting others to join the family.

2. Lead at Home First
If we want a healthy church, it begins at home.

I’ve said from the beginning that my first ministry will always be my home — my family, my son. Because healthy homes lead to healthy churches.

And this applies to everyone — whether married or single, with children or not. How are we leading in our own space? How are you protecting and guarding your first ministry?  How are we showing the love of Christ where we live?

We do it by example. When we pray together, serve together, and live out our faith in our daily environments, it reflects in our church community. When we take care of things in the living room, it will take care of things in the sanctuary next. When we take care of our homes first and create healthy environments there, it will lead to a healthy church and healthy church membership.

So let’s start by leading with love at home — and watch how it flows into the life of our church.

3. Guard the Gift — But Also Give It Away
Our salvation — our belonging to the family of God — is a gift. We must guard the gift but we also must give it away. And we all know that as birthdays and holidays come, gifts costs something. And for us to be seated at God’s table, there was a cost that was paid.

It cost Him to be hung on the cross — to have nails driving through His hands, ankles and feet. To be pierced in His side. It cost Him to be beat all night long. the nails, the pain, the sacrifice. It cost Jesus His life, but that was the gift given to us.

As John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, the whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.” We recite it in a moment’s notice. We put it on wristbands and t-shirts. But do we realize what’s being said when it says He gave?  That word gave means it was a gift, a gift that cost Him — but guess what?

Now, it’s our turn to give it away. It’s not meant for us to hold on to because of our preferences or our personal agendas. The love that God showed us by giving His only Son to invite us into this family, to invite us into this household of faith is a gift that we should protect.

We guard this gift through our unity, our love, and our fellowship — but we also share this gift by reaching out, by inviting others to the table, by showing the same grace we’ve received.

This week, as we go out to serve and share, let’s do so with joy in our hearts and remember: this may be someone’s first encounter with God’s love.  It might be the first time they’ve been invited to a table where everyone is welcome — regardless of background, status, or appearance.

Let’s show them that everybody belongs at God’s table.

A Gift Worth Guarding, A Mission Worth Sharing
As we go out this week, keep this in your heart:
Being part of the body of faith — part of God’s household — is a gift worth guarding. And not only that — it’s a mission that we have that is worth sharing.

Amen and amen.