God at Work
God is at work in our church. Truly, I believe that God is always at work, but there are times when it is more clear to me than others. So many good things…
- I see people hungry for the Word, whether it be in our gatherings as a church on Sunday mornings, or in Bible studies throughout the week, or in personal devotions. People are hungry for the Word (1 Peter 2:2-3).
- I was blown away Sunday night hearing college students talk about their desire to give their lives to Christ, rather than playing it safe. Immediately following that was a senior adult who humbly confessed to living a life that was not kind and respectful to his family. The seniors in the room were listening intently to the college students. The college students could not take their eyes off the humble, contrite man. What makes that happen? God’s grace and God’s Spirit at work!
- I see people making changes to address sin in their lives.
- I saw a room last night filled with people of all ages, all backgrounds with Bible’s opened ready to engage and learn more about Jesus.
- I see the body of Christ in action, ready to meet each others’ needs.
- I see people lingering after our services talking with each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, and being there for each other.
- I see a willingness to go public with our faith, rather than keeping it private.
- I see a greater desire to reach out to those in need, rather than playing it safe.
- I hear the voices of God’s people at OBC singing loud, confessing to God and each other, “I need You, Oh I need You!”
- I look forward to Sunday as more people take the step of committing to our church family formally through baptism and membership.
- I sense a growing willingness to pray for each other.
In the midst of this, I do see the enemy attacking…
- We often face temptations to divide over preference, rather than uniting through the Word and Spirit.
- Several people are facing long, protracted illnesses which can have a draining effect on faith. Many are also care-givers which also poses a great strain physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
- Marriages and families are being assaulted on a regular basis.
- Misunderstandings and confusion often can go unchecked and damaged relationships ensue.
- There is grief in watching those who fall away from their first love of Jesus Christ. There are chilling reminders that “but for the grace of God,” any one can stumble and fall away. There is such desire to see them move back toward Jesus Christ and our body!
- We continue to fight our tendency to be satisfied with being a disconnected body with minimal commitment to each other.
But, I am confident that God is faithful. Matthew 16:18 reminds me that Jesus’ church will prevail. Revelation 2-3 gives us marching orders to fall in line with our King, and enjoy His victory as He overcomes sin and the world. 1 John 4 reminds me that the One in us is greater. With all this in my mind, I am so grateful to God for all that He is doing, but so much more aware of our need to depend on Him.
Lord, shape (and re-shape) our church into Your likeness, and be patient with us and kind towards us, as this process is not always easy. Hear these prayers, and answer them in ways that would bring glory to our Savior! Amen
