GET TOGETHER- IT’S YES AND AMEN
Ac 2:1 -4 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Heb 10:23,25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
I can only imagine what it was like on that glorious day in the Upper Room when the promise of the Holy Spirit came and filled all one hundred and twenty that were in the room. I will admit that there have been some times that I have been in some services with others when the presence of God was so glorious that I did not want to leave that place, or go anywhere else.
Also, I praise the Lord for the word that we have in Hebrews that is encouraging us to stay faithful in our journey. We are told to continue to meet together. We are told to encourage, and to exhort one another. We are told to love on one another.
This has been a time like many of us have not experienced. Here are some things that I hear a lot of faithful Christians saying during this time. The church is not the building. They are right. It is not the building. The church is made up of the Blood bought children of God. We are the Bride of Christ! His body here on the earth.
The church is not the four walls and we are not called to just comfortably sit inside the four walls. Jesus commanded the disciples in Mt 28:19,20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV) This is referred to as the Great Commission. It isn’t the great suggestion. That commandment is for every believer in Jesus Christ today. I originally had plans to be in Guatemala last week serving with Daniel, and Brandi McIntyre with Eyes Wide Open Ministry. That trip was cancelled because they are not letting people in the United States into Guatemala right now.
Last week one morning when I was sitting on my porch praying and spending time in the word, I heard the Holy Spirit say that we were missionaries to Hamilton. That did not mean that we don’t go other places. But the Holy Spirit was stressing that as Christians we all are living in a Mission Filed. He was stressing that we should take our approach to being missionaries here as serious as our brothers and sisters in Christ who are on the mission field in other countries do. Again, that does not mean that we don’t go on mission trips to other places. The good news is we don’t have to do this in our own strength. If Jesus commands us to do something, He will empower us to do it. This is what He told the disciples and this is for us today the same as it was for them Ac 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
I am sure that on that day when the Holy Spirit came into the Upper Room that it would have been tempting to just want to stay in that room. But praise God that they didn’t! They hit the street! Peter the one who had denied the Lord at the most critical time in the Lord’s time here on earth was now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. He preaches that Jesus is the Christ. Three thousand would get saved on that day! Wow do we ever need a move of the Holy Spirit like that today!
God is looking for people with a missionary mentality to use in this time and season! He still wants to do what Peter preached about on that day : Ac 2:14- 18 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. “For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.” But just like in that day He isn’t just wanting to do this so that we can have a feel-good worship service every once in a while. He wants to do it to advance the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Phillip did it and God wants us to do it as well :Ac 8:12 “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”
Now when we do this it is very important that we do not forsake the assembling of the saints. Recently I have wondered what it would have been like for me if when I first got saved if we had not been meeting together. I was at the church every time that the doors were opened. I met with an accountability group every week. I was able to talk to them about areas that I was being tempted in and other challenges that were going on in my life. I don’t believe that I would be typing this if I had not been doing that at that time. Please don’t take this as a means to make anyone that may be in danger, or endangering someone else feel guilty because you are not able to come to worship, or other church activities at the present time. On the other hand, pray for a way for people to meet with others. Pray for those of us who are able to take the Gospel out into the world to be protected. Pray for all to be able to gather again in corporate worship.
With all of this said. Let me ask you a question. Do you see yourself as a missionary where you are at? Pray that all of our congregations will have a missionary zeal to reach the lost. I have read that missionaries from Africa, and other countries are now coming to the United States to do missionary work. Jesus had this to say in Mt 9:37,38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (NKJV) Pray for laborers in the harvest. Be a laborer in the harvest!
In conclusion yes, the church is not a building. But the building is a place where the church can gather and worship God, love on one another, pray for one another, and experience the presence of God in a powerful way. All of this so that we are equipped, edified, loved on, and encouraged to take the Gospel to a lost, desperate, and hurting world. And to that we say yes and Amen!
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus we thank You that we have the honor of being the church. Forgive us when we have let other things have priority over the mission that You have given us as Your people. Today we pray that all who read this will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be your missionaries, and Your witnesses in a world that needs You so much. May we Your people be free to gather together, and encourage one another in order that we are able to fulfill the destiny and purpose that You have created us to fulfill.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Thanks to all of you who pray for us and encourage us. We love you and greatly appreciate it.
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
Real Party Ministry 