There are many cases in which someone has health problems from a lack of exercise. We all realize that a person who is active is generally healthier than one who is lazy. The same is true with the “body” of Christ. Just as our bodies need exercise and activity to stay healthy, the Lord’s body also needs exercising. The word active means “engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits; moving or tending to move about vigorously or frequently.” The word church means “the called out.” An active church is a group of people called out from the world who are ready to engage in these energetic actions. This should describe the work of the church. The Lord commanded us to be active in trying to win souls to Christ; but far too often, we fall terribly short of this command. We look around and see the immorality and the anger of this world, and we think that no one is interested, and we will not be able to gain any souls. The truth is that the gospel is just as powerful today as it was in the first century. Whether it is presented in the form of door-knocking, correspondence courses, or a conversation in Walmart, the truth of God’s Word is far from powerless. The world recognizes, more often than not, that there has to be something else to this life. They realize that the happiness that they feel in this world is fleeting and it does not fully satisfy. God’s Word offers something that the world simply cannot, and we have the ability to help others see it. Unfortunately, we have allowed the world to turn “being on fire for the Lord” into something that is embarrassing. The world tells us that talking to people about God’s Word is just weird and unwelcome. The truth is that we ought to listen to God rather than men (Acts 5:29). The church thrives when its members are active. It is not only the preacher’s job nor the elders’ job to be the only ones studying with others and helping them come to Christ. Christianity is not a pew-warming religion. We have to get out and bring others to the Lord.
But how do we do this? How do we bring the gospel to others? The first thing that we must address is the attitude that we must have. In order to reach souls with the gospel, we must first make sure that we are living by the gospel (I Corinthians 9:14). We cannot be halfhearted in our walk and expect to get others fired up for the Lord. Passion is contagious and we should have that excitement that comes with following Christ. We must also be ready to teach others the gospel that Christ gave us and help them to see the blessings of a life in Christ. If we do this, we will be able to show someone with a true and honest heart the truth of God’s Word and the life that a true Christian lives. No matter if we talk to someone one time or one hundred times, the power of God’s Word remains the same. All that has been asked of us is that we teach others the Word of God (Matthew 28:18-20). Let us be that active church that follows God’s example and brings souls to Christ.