To all the beloved friends and saints of Grace Baptist Church,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me take a moment to report on additional Covid-19 Survey input from the church body. Currently you have told us that 69% of those surveyed are not concerned about contracting Covid-19 at all. 15% are moderately concerned, and 15% that are pretty horrified that they might contract Covid. The fear level is definitely coming down for most of us as we journey through this pandemic. Fear is a difficult thing to gauge and deal with and we can’t simply wish it away. Sometimes people are afraid and they don’t know why? It is such an unsettling and disturbing feeling. Let’s bear with each other.
Next we find that out of 31 responses that 18 have had their Covid-19 shots already (58%) while 13 have not (41%). It is nice to see the percentage rising here. I believe the shots are safe and worthwhile and recommend them to you. It’s why I was one of the very first of our City’s First Responders to receive my vaccination last December 31st. It didn’t keep me from getting Covid, but the Covid case I had was very mild. I believe it could have been much worse. Furthermore, of the 13 who have not received a shot 5 people are thinking of getting it with 2 more who indicate maybe getting the shot. 6 people said they decided not to get a vaccination. But now if those who were thinking about getting a shot, coupled with the maybe getting a shot (7) were added to our vaccination totals we would be at 75%–a very high percentage indeed. And it is so easy to do. For example, you can walk into Safeway Pharmacy and ask for a shot without an appointment. And there is no charge. This would help those who are still fearful.
When it comes to gathering around other people without social distancing and face masks—a full 77% of our church has no difficulty with that. Of the remainder, 22% indicated that they were moderately concerned, leaving one who is still very cautious. This is reflected in the increased attendance recently at church. You also see it in the increased activity of local restaurants and stores. People are coming out and reclaiming their lives. This is a movement that is spreading across our country.
In fact, from our polling, 81% of our people are now saying they would be comfortable resuming our normal programs at church. I hear that as a return to a single service accompanied with a Sunday School hour. 9% have indicated that they would be comfortable doing this when a good percentage were vaccinated. (They didn’t indicate what that percentage might be?) While the remaining 6% thinks it will be okay when the government indicates it is okay.
The hardest thing for people to deal with throughout this pandemic has been the isolation (51%), the social restrictions (21%), and the normal functions of everyday life (18%). The reason I believe is because we are creatures who are designed for relationship. God created mankind to relate to Him and to each other, and when that is not happening we sense a deep loss and emptiness. So let’s come together soon.
Speaking of coming together… let’s take a look at a summary of the New Testament church shortly after Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out on the people. This is a snapshot of a church that is filled with the Spirit. We find this in Acts 2:42-47:
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Dr. Luke begins his summary of the early church with what is sometimes called the “four pillars” in verse 42. The first pillar has to do with the apostle’s teaching. In other words, believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit are devoted to biblical teaching. The apostles were teaching the biblical truths that Jesus had taught them. Jesus taught them that the Scriptures testified about Him (see John 5:39) and that the Scriptures could not be broken, (see John 10:35). The apostles taught from the word of God. Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost referenced the book of Joel, chapter 2. Believers filled with the Spirit long to know more about the precious Savior and pursue biblical study and instruction.
The second pillar has to do with fellowship. The Spirit-filled church of Acts devoted themselves to fellowshipping with one another. At the time it was becoming dangerous to openly sharing your faith. People were cancelled by being put out of the Synagogues. You were publicly ostracized. Yet they would not stay away from each other. The word fellowship here in the original language is “koinonia” and it involved sharing goods, having meals together and praying together. It contains the idea of “partnering together.” Indeed the believers were partnering together in the great work of making disciples that Jesus commanded. The body of Christ was working together in the power of the Spirit. John Wesley said, “There is nothing more unchristian than a solitary Christian.” A Spirit filled church comes together for regular fellowship.
The third pillar refers to the “breaking of bread.” This breaking of bread refers to communion services that were celebrated in remembrance of Jesus. You will recall that Jesus had instituted this remembrance at His Last Supper. Matthew 26:26-29 has the details of this remembrance with Jesus saying, “Take and eat; this is my body,” verse 26. Later when He had given thanks He took the cup and gave it to them saying, “Drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many or the forgiveness of sins. I tell you; I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom,” vs. 27b-29. The first communion service was tied to the Passover meal so Jesus had eaten with His disciples then instituted communion as a remembrance. The early church filled with the Spirit also ate together and observed the Lord’s Supper together. That was important to them and it is still important to Spirit filled believers today.
The fourth pillar has to do with prayer. They prayed together. In fact, the text tells us that they were devoted to prayer. The prayer meetings were filled with an expectation of God answering them; that powerful work was being accomplished; and that God was building His Kingdom. Prayer has always been a mark of believers gathering together because they recognize that God answers them. They recognize that God hears them and is with them. Prayer was not an option, rather it was foundational for everything that they did. Spirit filled believers are devoted to praying together. Really praying!
After the “Four Pillars” we see something else that was taking place in the early church. Verse 43 tells us that there was a sense of “awe” that people were filled with. The awe stemmed from the things that God was doing amongst them. God was working “wonders” which were fabulous miracles evoking awe in those who saw it. And there were “signs” that were performed by the apostles. God used these signs to authenticate the message and the messengers to all the people. These signs identified the message of Christ as divine truth. We can sum it up with the word “gospel.” Today we have the authentic message of God contained in the Scriptures we call the New Testament. This was the fulfillment of what God had foretold would happen in the Old Testament. The Two Testaments go together as One Book—it is all God’s story from Genesis to Revelation. God still works wonders today and gives signs but we don’t see it as we did in the early church. The reason is because God doesn’t need to keep validating the truth of His Word. The foundation has been fully laid. We need to fully grasp it, that’s all.
Now Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment just before the Last Supper. He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” John 13:34-35 (NIV2011). And in verses 44-45 we see the Spirit filled believers doing exactly that—they were together and had everything in common. There was generosity, courtesy, and compassion on display. If someone had a need in the church, the whole body of believers found a way to meet the need. This was vital since many had lost jobs, positions, and their places in the Jewish culture. It cost something to follow Christ, and thousands were ready to pay the price. Happy were they all to help one another. Why? Because to them… Jesus was their “all in all.” (See Col. 3:1)
In verses 46-47 we see these early believers meet together and eat together—meaning that they were with one another in the temple courts and in each other’s homes. They recognized that it was Jesus who had changed their lives forever. They had glad and sincere hearts meaning that they were filled with joy. They weren’t glum. They weren’t living in fear wondering that they might be found out by the authorities. They weren’t putting on a façade—pretending to be someone they were not. They were open, authentic, happy, joyful, and overwhelmed with the grace of God. Being overwhelmed by God they couldn’t help but praising God. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” If you want to know how to enter into God’s presence; if you want to experience Him in your midst—begin to thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done—and God will show up. He showed up big time in that early church because of their constant praise to God.
No doubt everyone enjoyed favor within the community of faith because they held all things in common and no one had any need, vs. 44. But now in verse 47 we see that they enjoyed the favor of all the people. I take that to mean that God had given these believers favor among the unbelievers of the city. Those outside the church had to marvel a bit at what was going on within the church. Jesus said that everyone would know that you are my disciples by your love for one another—and when the unbelieving world saw what was happening they couldn’t help but take note. They believed too.
And that brings us to the last thought in this summary of the church. Dr. Luke records that the “Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The observing world could only drool with desire when they saw these Spirit filled believers living like this. Many wanted to be a part of a community like this—so they would listen to the testimonies and hear the gospel with the result being people were being saved daily. I long to see God move like this once again—don’t you? Let’s pray for a great harvest of souls taking place in our city. This will require us to pray and to testify of what the Lord is doing because ultimately it is the Lord who adds those who are being saved. He will do His part. We are to do our part.
So what is our part? I think it is the simple work of “remaining in Him.” Jesus taught His disciples saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing,” John 15:5. Being one with Christ is the goal here. In this context, to remain is synonymous with “walking in the Spirit.” The fruit of the Spirit is the Christian life as we saw in Acts 2:41-47a. (Compare also Galatians 5:22-23) The fruit of that Christian life is more Christians as the Lord adds to their number, Acts 2:47b. This results in much glory to Christ.
Benediction:
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV2011)
Pastor Russ Hilsinger,
Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, OR
P.S. It was great to see some more people return last Sunday. We’ve missed you! I pray that more people will be able to find their way back this coming Lord’s Day.