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And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19: 13 (KJV)[i]
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Did you know, as a Christ Follower, you are part of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s “Occupation Army.” We wrote on the Occupation Army back in March[iii]. This week’s journal, however, is more about our role as a believer in the local church. More, the local church is designed to function as our “outpost.” An Outpost is such a great image, because such an installation more than suggests what our role should look like as a Christian. We individual believers are not a solo army, but we are the troops who work as a unit to demonstrate to an unbelieving world what God’s heaven is like. Yes, as individual troops, we are prepared to serve our King. We prepare by our “basic training” in Bible truths; we prepare by how we put into practice what we learn in study of the scriptures; we prepare as we sit under Biblical instructions from our “officers,” our pastors and church leaders; we prepare by feeding at the “mess hall” on the fruit of the Spirit; we prepare as we pray before we deploy for a mission. There are times when an individual “trooper,” in the armed forces must walk in the path of danger to perform a solo operation. Such solo assignments, however, are in the context of a united effort of the base unit. The same may be said for the Body of Christ, when we stand up for what is right, when we share the gospel with an unbeliever, or when we do the right thing when others around us urge us to join them in ungodly behavior. No analogy can be perfect, but I like the outpost image.
Sometimes we may hear a Christian say, “I don’t need the church. I can be a Christian in my own way.” Oh? Sort of like a “conscientious objector” Christian, huh?
You may be interested to read an article about why people who claim they are Christ followers do not go to church. See: 15 Reasons Why Committed Christians Do Not Attend Church, by Scott Ball. [iv] (Click on link to read the full article: 15 Reasons Why Committed Christians Do Not Attend Church – Healthy Churches Toolkit). Read this list. You may have heard these excuses—and more. You may have made the same excuses yourself.
- I can get better preaching from a podcast.
- I can worship on my own.
- I can study the Bible on my own.
- I have Christian friends that are my “church.”
- I have to work on Sundays.
- I have family obligations on the weekends.
- I feel like church is boring.
- I don’t feel like there is a place for my child or teenager.
- I don’t feel like going to church makes a difference in my life.
- I don’t know of any “good” churches near me.
- I’m not sure I believe the same things anymore.
- I’m offended by the church’s position on sexuality.
- I’ve been hurt by church members.
- I don’t trust church leadership.
- I don’t feel like there is a place for me to lead.
Something we must remember is that the enemy is not the unbeliever. Our enemy is Satan, who wants to destroy the Church. If he can keep the Christ follower from following, he has no concern about those who do not believe.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6: 12
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What does being a part of a local church look like in the context of Christ’s Occupation Army?
Defend the faith
… contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 1: 3[v]
… but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3: 15
Keep out incursion of the enemy
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.1 Peter 5: 8
Share the gospel in the world around your “outpost”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1: 8
Meditation prior to battle: Prayer
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7
The Church, and the local church as an outpost, is the means of reaching the lost for Christ. The writer of Hebrews states this clearly:
So, let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 22-25 (MSG)[vi]
Challenge: Where is your Outpost? Do you have a friend, family member, or neighbor who claims he or she is a Christ follower but does not have a local church, invite them to go with you. If you are not currently part of a local church, pray for God to lead you to the “outpost” where you can worship and serve Him.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, warm the hearts of those who claim the “Name” to truly take up the Cross and follow Him in the outpost where they may be a true soldier of the Cross.
[i] BibleGateway – Keyword Search: occupy till I come; King James Version
[ii] https://p0.pikist.com/photos/602/954/soldiers-military-uniform-armed-combat-ready-battle-war-army-amber-leach.jpg
[iii] https://jetituswriter.net/occupation-army/.
[iv] 15 Reasons Why Committed Christians Do Not Attend Church – Healthy Churches Toolkit
[v] All Scripture from ESV (English Standard Version) unless otherwise indicated
[vi] Hebrews 10: 25 MSG – So let’s do it—full of belief, – Bible Gateway
