IT IS TIME... to come back together
“We are Better Together, it is Time to Go Back to Church!”
So much has changed in our world over the past year and a half. In the midst of all the change there remains a constant… Our Faith! Our faith has been called into question by the world around us as never before in the history of our nation. Yes, the church in the USA has faced crises, challenges, difficulties and governmental over reach in the past, but few would argue that these days we live in are unprecedented with respect the state vs church.
Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ on the east and west coasts have faced things unheard in our nations past. Local authorities have made it illegal for church families to gather or to meet on their church owned campus. Churches have been fined for holding church services, ordered not to sing worship songs, pastors have been arrested for holding public services, the public square has been closed to religious gatherings in some cases they were fenced out, barricaded, armed police officers were put in place to block worshippers from gathering. There are congregations all over the US that have only very recently been allowed to re-open for public services in some cases they are limited in the numbers allowed for the gathering.
No, we have not seen this in our past as a nation that has embraced freedom of religion. And yet the church remains, some might argue is poised for a break out. I can only speak for what has happened in my church but I suspect there is a growing church movement that no one, but God intended, when first these restrictions were put in place. As the restrictions played out across the US we witnessed something that needed to happen long ago…. THE CHURCH LEFT THE BUILDING! No longer confined to a small community or a gathering of the faithful the church across the US got online and millions who were restricted to their homes, because of the pandemic and looking for something to do, found the church in ways we never dreamed.
This past Sunday we baptized a new member who found us online though his family and gave his heart to Christ. One hundred sixty seven miles away from our church in Round Rock Texas! He has been driving from Houston to Round Rock, to attend in person, several times over the past two months. We have seen our online church grow and have received testimonials from several across the US that have experienced God through our local ministry. Big and small congregations are impacting our nation as the gospel is broadcast each Sunday across the US.
Remember the words Joseph said to his brothers who had intended to harm him because they were jealous… “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Think about it… “In order to bring it about as it is this day, to SAVE many people!” Powerful and dark forces are always at work attempting to destroy the church and render it ineffective. But the church cannot be destroyed or quieted! Why? Because the true church is the BODY OF CHRIST! God has always had a people who would not deny His name or disobey His commands. A people who not only believe but a people who BELONG to the King of Kings.
While I don’t believe recent events have hurt the church, I do believe we are BETTER TOGETHER and that it is now time for us to come back to church worship services united in the one mission given to us by our Lord… Luke 19:10. Let me take a moment to put into context the statement above. The numbers of attendees has declined in churches across America as a result of the pandemic and the after affects on people who previously attended but have not returned to church. I want to be clear, numbers in a worship service and actual members of the Church of Jesus Christ are two very different things. The true Church that belongs to Jesus has never been in jeopardy. It has never been stronger, never more committed to mission, never more anointed for service, never more gospel centered. The true church is made up of men, women and children who are redeemed, Holy Spirit filled, obedient to God, surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives. Yes, the true church always has been and always will be Christ centered and an immovable force on the earth.
The question we must all answer is… Are we members of the body of Christ? Not members of a local worship gathering or faithful attenders on campus or online. Do we belong? Are we surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives daily? The CHURCH in this moment in history is dynamic and powerful in the United States of America and across the world. Persecution, crisis and difficulty unite the body of Christ and rally them to mission to reach a lost world with the good news, remind them of the soon return of her King, and give the world a chance to see the light of Jesus in the eyes of His Bride.
You can belong, we are better together. Surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ today. Let us return to the House of the Lord to Worship, Pray, hear the Word of God boldly proclaimed! It is time to Come Home!