Acts 7:48 However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men.
Yet last year Christians spend 284 billion dollars in keeping church buildings maintained and functional. But the truth from this verse is, the Lord is not more present at Grace Church than at your dining room table. Yet the dining room table is rarely thought of as an effective tool in sharing God's love.
In our anti-Christian culture, church buildings are viewed with skepticism and even disdain. The church is thought to be filled with judgmental and hypocritical people, who are only concerned about getting into your wallet.
So why don't we change things up and use our dining room tables for ministry? One of the best ways to love your neighbor is to eat a meal with them. The early church grew immensely for the first 300 years without one church building. So should we sell the property at 241 Courtland Ave? No, there are still ways to redeem this location, but make no mistake about how strategic your dining room table is.
When I look at cultural changes in Christianity over the past generation, this is, by far, one of the greatest changes. Christians rarely practice hospitality anymore.
As we think through ministry for the future, how about opening your home to people? It could be a group of our young people, college students, Chinese students from UCONN, or just some neighbors you would like to hang out with. You don't have to put out a seven-course meal, just keep it simple. But take the risk and realize that Jesus is living in your home. And when you invite people to sit at your dining room table, Jesus is sitting there with you.
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