Faith Baptist Church Riverside clocked 25 years on 5th September this year. I have been privileged to be a member for 20 of those 25 years, and in the most recent years, serve as an elder. The anniversary celebrations reflected on the faithfulness of God over the years and how that should spur us to praise and serve him. Five thoughts flooded my mind as I reflected on the Lord’s faithfulness to this local congregation.
God uses people to carry out his purposes
The Lord builds His church; he saves people; his purposes are set in heaven and no one can thwart them or say to him, what have you done. Yet as you read the pages of Scripture, it is clear that God uses people. He works through instruments, vessels to do his work to the praise of His glory. From moving people to plant a church, to prompting a person to share the gospel; from burdening an individual to start/lead a ministry, to urging a member to invite a friend; from gifting individuals, to exhorting them to use their gifts to the building up of the body; the Lord uses people. By application the people should constantly be aware that they are but instruments in the hands of the mighty God.
You will never find a perfect church
Reflecting on the history of a local church invariably exposes the faithfulness of God and the sinfulness of man. In light of the ongoing battles with sin in the believers’ lives and also the fact that unbelievers make it on the membership rolls, no single local church is perfect. When you add the fact that we all have preferences, opinions and even convictions about matters, you have a recipe for frustration, conflict and growth. The lack of perfection in local churches is actually a great testament to the faithfulness and patience of God. The Lord in his wisdom has chosen to use the weak to confound the wise, so that the glory may be His alone.
Unity in diversity is beautiful
As the Lord saves different individuals and brings them into a local church, you end up with a diverse group of people. This is a beautiful sight to behold as one marvels at the wisdom of God in salvation. However, there is a greater blessing when this diverse group of strangers live in familial harmony, each using their gifts, time and talents to serve one another with joy. It is beautiful to behold when God’s children are selflessly serving one another with oneness of purpose.
It is important to count your blessings
The psalmist cries out, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Due to our forgetful nature, it is important to count blessings and take stock of what the Lord has done. This keeps you grateful. Counting your blessings helps you remember where you have come from and how faithful the Lord has been to you.
God is the one constant in the life of the church
When you stay in one church for a while, you realise that people come and people go. The church goes through different seasons; there times of growth and stagnation; there are times of unity and division, and there are times of excitement and drudgery. People come and go, events come and go, but the Lord remains constant. He is the one who builds His church. He is the faithful one.
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