The W.I.F.E. We Are Called To Be (Part 4)

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Somebody said that, if the church is a social club, it’s the only one that exists for the sake of its non-members. Though the church is not merely a club, it does exist for the sake of people who are not yet part of the church. 

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In his “The Bride: Renewing Our Passion For The Church,” Charles Swindoll summarized the four major objectives of the church in the acronym W.I.F.E. We already saw that “W” stands for “Worship,” “I” for “Instruction,” and “F” for “Fellowship.” Finally, “E” stands for “Expression.” Despite the ever increasing persecution, the early church “continued to speak the word of God with boldness. … And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:31c, 33, ESV) No wonder “more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14). 
Thought-provoking question. Image credit

Swindoll wrote, “[I]n our expression the church reveals that it is a reaching body. Expression would include evangelism, a mission vision, reaching out to those outside of our circle who are in need, and providing hope and help for those within who require special support. In a word, it is compassion.” (Italics his.) 

"Expression would include evangelism, a mission vision, reaching out to those outside of our circle who are in need, and providing hope and help for those within who require special support. In a word, it is compassion." Charles Swindoll. Image credit

I love to tell the story of Totoy and his wife Nene. As a laborer, Totoy could only bring home a meager salary, not even enough to barely meet their needs. Nene does not know how to cook. She even burns the rice often. So, they had their share of conflicts. Then, Nene gave birth to their first child. Still, Totoy does not earn much and Nene burns the rice. But they no longer quarrel. They now focus their attention on their newborn baby. 

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A wise pastor noted that one of the reasons church members gossip and quarrel is that they don’t reach out. Thus, they become ingrown. They end up focusing on themselves. If that church focuses instead on evangelizing those who are still seekers and ministering to those who are already believers, they won’t have the time and energy to fight against each other.

Brethren, let us express our faith!


(To be continued)

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