“Brothers, what shall we do?”
25/04/10 12:37
When
Jesus ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right
hand of Majesty, He asked the Father to send the
Promise, His Holy Spirit. Ten days later while a
group of believers were worshipping God in an upper
room, there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind and
tongues of fire appeared above each of the disciples
and they were filled with the Holy Spirit!
Wow, what a church service that must have been! Of course the reason God sent the Holy Spirit is because He knew the Church wouldn’t get anywhere without Him. It is just like Gamaliel said to the Sanhedrin when they were frustrated with the apostle’s teachings of Jesus, “Therefore, in this present case I advise you! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
The Church of Jesus Christ, the Christian faith has been spreading across the breadth of the earth and growing strong for two thousand years! Though at times it has had trouble and at times only a remnant seemed to survive, it would resurrect in another place and become an impacting force in the societies in which she lived.
After Peter preached that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the people who heard him cried, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter commanded, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off –for all who the Lord our God will call.”
Brothers and Sisters, that command has not changed for two thousand years! This is what Peter, through the Holy Spirit commanded them on that day, and it is what he has commanded us today. My question then is this; why do we see all this ‘other stuff’ going on? The Scriptures go on to say, “They [the believers] devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Can we take a good honest look at ourselves and make an objective assessment? Is it possible that we may have lost the compass that directs where the Church is heading? Why is it necessary to entertain the faithful? Why is the Church busy with so many other things, but doesn’t have time to study God’s Word? I think we have to admit that our prayer time is considered something that we ‘try to get to” after we have done the ‘other things’ and just before the day ends.
Again, I think that we become so entangled in the things of this world that hopes and longings for our eternal home become obscured and tomorrow melds into today. What then shall we do? How can we set the compass needle to point in the right direction?
I think every one of us, who call on the Lord, should repent, humble ourselves and begin to once again, tremble at His Word. This Pastor’s Desk is straight from the Lord and comes after much prayer concerning the conditions of the Church – and I am referring to the Church as a whole. Now, someone may argue that I am being too negative, that I never have anything good to say and that I need an attitude adjustment.
To those I would ask, “Give me another solution that we may try.” I read one the other day from an internationally known preacher; he said, “I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and hence counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise that the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.” (Robert Schuller –Christianity Today Oct.5, 1984)
Wow, what a church service that must have been! Of course the reason God sent the Holy Spirit is because He knew the Church wouldn’t get anywhere without Him. It is just like Gamaliel said to the Sanhedrin when they were frustrated with the apostle’s teachings of Jesus, “Therefore, in this present case I advise you! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
The Church of Jesus Christ, the Christian faith has been spreading across the breadth of the earth and growing strong for two thousand years! Though at times it has had trouble and at times only a remnant seemed to survive, it would resurrect in another place and become an impacting force in the societies in which she lived.
After Peter preached that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the people who heard him cried, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter commanded, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off –for all who the Lord our God will call.”
Brothers and Sisters, that command has not changed for two thousand years! This is what Peter, through the Holy Spirit commanded them on that day, and it is what he has commanded us today. My question then is this; why do we see all this ‘other stuff’ going on? The Scriptures go on to say, “They [the believers] devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Can we take a good honest look at ourselves and make an objective assessment? Is it possible that we may have lost the compass that directs where the Church is heading? Why is it necessary to entertain the faithful? Why is the Church busy with so many other things, but doesn’t have time to study God’s Word? I think we have to admit that our prayer time is considered something that we ‘try to get to” after we have done the ‘other things’ and just before the day ends.
Again, I think that we become so entangled in the things of this world that hopes and longings for our eternal home become obscured and tomorrow melds into today. What then shall we do? How can we set the compass needle to point in the right direction?
I think every one of us, who call on the Lord, should repent, humble ourselves and begin to once again, tremble at His Word. This Pastor’s Desk is straight from the Lord and comes after much prayer concerning the conditions of the Church – and I am referring to the Church as a whole. Now, someone may argue that I am being too negative, that I never have anything good to say and that I need an attitude adjustment.
To those I would ask, “Give me another solution that we may try.” I read one the other day from an internationally known preacher; he said, “I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and hence counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise that the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.” (Robert Schuller –Christianity Today Oct.5, 1984)
|