Think about it for a moment…what is the biggest obstacle to our congregation’s future and our capacity to be a thriving assembly committed to serving the Lord, declaring truth, and proclaiming the Gospel message? There are certainly some worthy ideas; among them are these challenges of secular, cultural, and spiritual natures:
· Legal challenges which put up obstacles to our ability to minister away from church property.
· Cultural challenges that seek to minimize and even eliminate the need for churches.
· Political challenges by those who want to restrict the First Amendment’s freedom of religion.
· Educational challenges by those who claim the church is irrelevant in the 21st century.
· Financial challenges created by COVID, inflation, and a reduction in tithes and offerings.
· Demonic challenges by the forces of evil which always resist the work of God.
Certainly, these are issues that can’t be ignored. Additionally, it wouldn’t take long to think of other challenges that could either restrict our existence or our effectiveness. That’s why I was surprised that Dr. Mark Dever (Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.), in his book, Twelve Challenges Churches Face, put none of these issues in his book. Indeed, the first issue he addressed was forgetfulness, which seemed like an odd place to start. However, once I finished that chapter, I agreed, it was a wise choice.
That chapter of the book caused me to pursue more about what the Bible says about remembering, for indeed, the Bible constantly echoes the obligation of not forgetting, consider for example:
· …remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. (Num. 15:40)
· …remember all the ways which the Lord thy God led thee… (Deut. 8:2)
· Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God… (Deut. 8:11)
· Remember his marvelous works that he has done… (I Chron. 16:12)
· I will remember the works of the Lord: Ps. 77:11
· And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. (Ps. 78:35)
· Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Ps. 103:2)
· Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth… (Eccl. 12:1)
Dr. Dever focuses the priority of not forgetting the blessings and faithfulness of the Lord. Truly, if we forget what the Lord has done for us and how faithful the Lord has been, then we set ourselves on a path of ruin.
So, let’s be reminded, and often remind ourselves, of the Lord’s blessings on us as individuals and families, and on us as a congregation. This month we celebrate eighty-three years as an assembly formed into a local church, and we must not forget the Lord’s blessings and His faithfulness over these many decades.
To us as individuals, God has been faithful to provide the gift of salvation by grace and through faith in the sacrifice of Christ; He has provided us with a purpose to life and a future eternity that far exceeds anything the world has to offer; He has provided us with the Bible and the promises He has recorded for all generations.
To us as a congregation, God has been faithful to provide a pastor with strong commitments to the Gospel, the ministry of preaching, and the priority of family; God has assembled here a diversity of people with various abilities and gifts to strengthen the church; He has provided us with a wonderful facility to use as a house of worship and as a launching pad for outreach and evangelization.
Therefore, let us diligently strive to say off the path of ruin because of our forgetfulness and ungratefulness. Let us always remember, and not forget, as Ephesians 1:3 says, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
Dr. Harlie Miller,Executive Pastor
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