If Southside Community Church (insert your church name here) ceased to exist today, would anyone besides its members even notice?
This questions has been haunting me since Sunday night. What are your thoughts on this?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Excellent question!!
Yes, I think some non members would notice. Two groups of people immediatly come to mind, 1/ the public school around the corner. Once a month we give out free pizza and chat with the kids and 2/ a small church on an Indian reservation - we visit them for 3 days every summer and play games and have cook outs for them.
Thinking about your question - I think I wish a lot more people would miss us, however.
I know many would miss the church there. I do...terribly, but more than that, it is the fellowship, the relationships built with others that are family through the blood of Christ that would be missed most. You can build a building anywhere. But to be a part of the true church,(brother and sister Christians is what Gods plan is all about. To uplift and encourage one another, to reach out and seek the lost, to be about the work of the Lord. One can only hope that all that are a part of that church realize, it is lead as God intended, as the early church was, and that the community it is in would suffer a tremendous loss should Southside Church ever be lost. Many souls would go assunder, and theres no telling how far the repercussions may expand. To use an analogy , it would be like Jesus deciding to climb down off the cross before His work, His purpose was accomplished. Where would we be? Where would not only the citizens of the community be?...but the many whose lives were changed by Gods presence at Southside, in worship, in Fellowship??? One of the main reasons my family is relocating ,is because of the Spirituality and opportunity for individuals , families, children ,everyone,to study to grow,to stay on the right path,fight the fight and finish the course.
Not to mention, if the Lord was to return in my lifetime, I cant think of a place I would rather be ,than with friends old and new along with my family beside me .
Rarely before,and not since, have i ever experienced Gods presence in a place of worship and praise,as I and now my wife too has experienced at Southside. Southside offers hope because it is lead in such a way that we learn of the true source of all good things, faith ,hope love, etc, God through his son Jesus . God teaches us through the book of Isaiah that His word will accomplish that which it is set forth to accomplish... which is... that none may perish but have everlasting life. The scenario posed in this blog question i know is hypothetical... but it is a forgone conclusion, that if any church ,being true to faith, and their faith based upon the word and teachings of God. I beleive , I hope , and I pray that Southside will be around for many many years to come. When our relocation is complete, God willing, it is my wife and I's intent to contribute to the Lords work there as God opens whatever doors he chooses. Jesus was asked by the rich man..Master what must I do to become your disciple? Jesus answered , sell all that you have, pick up your Cross and follow me.
Not much to ask for eternal salvation....The Bales, the Stoddards, the Tarrys and a few others are dear to my heart and know exactly the kind of fellowship , work, love and kindredship that God has brought to Southside. I know there are many many more.
We must remember the promise Christ made to his disciples. in particular the one call Peter, he said, Upon this rock ,I shall build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it... personally, i beleive with all my heart God would be the first one to miss Southside...just as sure as misses the one who missed church from being ill or homebound. May God Bless Southside , the leadership God has set in place and their families. I cant wait to be back home with people I know one day Godwilling, I will share heaven with!
Post a Comment