The Church Perseveres!
“When he puts forth all his own,
(The Gospel According to John 10: 4-7 NASB)
he goes ahead of them,
[THE GOOD SHEPHERD DOES]
and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
A stranger they simply will not follow,
but will flee from him,
because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them,
but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
So Jesus said to them again,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”
Unfortunately, this week has been a week of funerals.
- A sweet, elderly, precious lady who embodied the term “Christ-follower” went home to be with her Jesus.
- A young woman who proved to the watching world that with God’s help, she could overcome addiction, and then she went home to be with the Lord..
- A sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend who fought a good fight and then went home to Christ as He promised to those who know Him as Savior.
Three women—Three church members—Three sisters-in-Christ.
Truly, weeks such as these are usually not cherished but endured; however, as the days of this past week unfolded, one important truth emerged.
A convincing proof, in fact the most convincing proof that the Bible truly is the Word of God lies in the number of prophecies fulfilled during the life of Jesus Christ. The prophecy that became clear this week as we attended these funerals was one the world sees but a prophecy the watching world may not understand fully—unless they too belong to the “church.”
“And Jesus said to him,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 16: 17-18 NASB)
“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, [Peter]
because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you,
[that Jesus Christ was the Son of God]
but My Father who is in heaven.
I also say to you that you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build My church;
and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
If we are students of the Bible, then we know how Peter & John and the other apostles were sent into the world to continue the work Jesus called them to. The early church we read in the first book of the Bible that comes after the four Gospels is The Acts of the Apostles. We see how this young, early church (the same church prophesied by Jesus Himself) took Jerusalem by storm & persevered.
- They met together in the temple and in homes.
- They ate together.
- They prayed together.
- They witnessed together to the curious onlookers of that day. &
- They even endured together, standing against the accusations, the threats, & the struggles.
THE CHURCH PERSEVERED!
STILL TODAY, The CHURCH PERSEVERES!
This week, as we attended three separate funerals, held in three different locations, it was apparent all three deceased ladies were God’s children & members of HIS CHURCH, the same church Jesus, the Son of God, prophesied when He spoke to Simon Peter.
“I also say to you that you are Peter,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 16: 18-19 NASB)
and upon this rock I will build My church;
and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
With each funeral, the scene remained the same—a child of God went “home to heaven.”
This was true because the deceased professed Jesus as her Savior before she passed from life to death.
As we traveled from one funeral home to the next & to the next, it was so apparent that the “church family” was present. We surrounded our brothers and sisters-in-Christ as they grieved the earthly loss of their loved one. It was palpable—the presence of the “church.”
As we hugged, talked, and comforted the family grieving the loss of those they loved, we spoke of the faith-walk of the earthly bodies at rest inside the caskets.
It was clearly known to those present—their loved one went home to JESUS!
We live in a generation where people proclaim that the church is dead, that no one cares about Jesus, and that religion (faith) is not important. Hallelujah, the events of this week (the three funerals) proved the opposite TRUTH of GOD!
- Three funerals attended by church families.
- Three deceased who proclaimed Jesus as Lord when they lived.
- Three buildings, three locations but ONE BODY OF CHRIST JESUS!
Josh Baldwin & Jenn Johnson sing the melody “Made for More” that speaks of the way—
Believers in Jesus will overcome death—BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO GOD & BECAUSE of JESUS’ DEATH & RESURRECTION!
Pause to listen & “sing it over yourself today.”
The Church Perseveres—because of JESUS!
The Church Perseveres—because of JESUS!
The Church Perseveres—because of JESUS!
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 10: 23-25 NASB)
for He who promised is faithful;
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own assembling together,
as is the habit of some,
[Let us see the importance of congregating each week with our “church” family]
but encouraging one another;
and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
[the day Jesus comes to take the child of God—home]