Weekly Encouragemenet
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to you. Let me begin with a few announcements as we begin the month of June. This coming Lord’s Day we will observe the Lord’s Supper. At Bethel Baptist, we observe the Lord’s Supper once each quarter, but the impact is long lasting. After each Christian’s salvation, the Lord’s Supper is one of the two most meaningful “physical” aspects of our faith because of what it represents to the “spiritual” reality of our faith. The other is of course believers’ baptism following our salvation. Every Christian should be baptized as a matter of obedience, and as a matter of public testimony.
For as much as the believer’s baptism is an outward reflection of our faithful commitment to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our participation in the Lord’s Supper is an inward reflection of the same commitment. The Lord’s Supper is celebrated by faith, with humility, and it displays deep appreciation for the atonement of what Jesus Christ willingly did for us, while we were still sinners. Consider for a moment the words of Jesus at the Last Supper recorded in Matthew. Jesus said of the bread He offered to each disciple, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then when Jesus poured the wine He said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Over the bread and the wine, Jesus blessed both. On Sunday, we will celebrate the blessing of the bread and the wine. Today, we know what Jesus meant with his final meal with the disciples, but they would have to learn what it meant after Jesus died for therm. The body of Jesus, or the coming of Him to earth, is what we believe in, and the blood of Jesus is how we are saved as He sacrificed Himself for us. Again, while we were still sinners. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is powerful – Don’t miss it!!
Tonight at 6:00 P.M., is the beginning of something. It is something small, but it could be something huge as the summer continues. Beginning tonight we begin the Summer Wednesday Night Fellowships. At Bethel Baptist we will weekly air one episode of The Chosen, Season 3. Each episode builds to the other, so it will be tough to watch only one. The weekly episode is not the event. The event is our fellowship in our Lord’s house. You may know someone who needs to see more than an episode from a Christian film. They may need to come to church. They may need to reprioritize their church attendance. They may need Christian fellowship more than you do. If the Lord is placing a name in your heart: Call them; Invite them; Pray they will come tonight. For Bethel’s faithful, this will be a great night of fellowship, but for others it might be the start of something incredible and lasting in their life. Invite someone, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
For the remainder of our week, let us prepare for this coming Lord’s Day. Reflect upon your salvation. Reflect on your testimony. Reflect upon the Lord’s Supper. As you do, be appreciative of what you have in faith, be thankful for the way you received it, and then – Then be lovingly concerned for those who do not have what you have. Don’t you want others to have what you have in Christ Jesus? I know you do. Of all the things Christians are, one thing we are is human. We fear. We make mistakes. We fall short. We sin. But most of all, what Christians have overrides everything else. Christians are forgiven. We all know people who need and want forgiveness. They want to be forgiven and they want to forgive others, “They just don’t know it yet.” Coming to church will not save anyone, but it is a great place to be found. Once others come to Bethel Baptist the Holy Spirit will tell them plainly, “Repent and believe.” Pray for this Sunday. See you there.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Michael
