Reflection

As I reflect back on our services this past Easter weekend, I am overwhelmed and overcome by happiness and joy, because I see this church “walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). Our Good Friday service was incredibly sobering, but in a good way. We were able to see a large crowd come out on a Friday night to reflect on God’s sacrifice for us. We focused on the Truth of God being slain on the cross by His people who are trusting in the lies of the devil. Yet, our hope is that the truth will prevail and the Truth of God is what sets us free (John 8:32). Then on Saturday, volunteers showed up in the morning to work on our church building. They prepped siding, painted trim, and attended to various other projects in preparation for the siding party coming up soon. Then many of those same volunteers who worked the morning at the church building site drove over to Mascenic to help out with Easter set-up as they and many others readied the high-school for our Sunday service. This meant bringing all the worship equipment and the millions of different doo-hickies, and thingy-ma-bobs and cords needing to be plugged into their rightful place. They decorated signs and prepared the cafeteria to serve Easter brunch. I helped out where I could, but mostly marveled at the team effort that I witnessed that Saturday.

Then on Sunday, several of the same volunteers and others showed up early to ready the food, warm-up for worship, run mic-checks, and hook-up technical equipment, hide eggs for the kids and so much more. God’s people were at work and so was He. God showed His hand in the service as He greatly blessed His Church’s effort. I don’t have exact numbers but several people estimated that we served over 450 people Easter brunch and around that same number were able to sit in on the worship service and heard the gospel preached. I was able to speak on John 14:6 and John 20. We focused on how “Jesus is the Life” and how he came from on high all the way down to us to conquer death so that He could take us up again with Him. Down is the new up. We also talked about how we have come full circle in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from garden of Eden to the garden tomb. From harmony to hostility to harmony again. From life to death to life again. Praise be the Lord for his marvelous and indescribable gift of grace (2 Cor. 9:15).

Rebuilding

This month we are going to jump back into our sermon series in Nehemiah. We will be covering chapter 3 and some of chapter 4 this Sunday. I couldn’t help likening what I witnessed this past weekend to what I read in Chapter 3 and 4 of Nehemiah. Because Nehemiah 3 is a long list of names and projects. Many of the names are hard to pronounce and many of the projects and locations are foreign to us, sounds boring right?. Well actually, this list is incredibly important and exciting for us to take a closer look at and is incredibly relevant to us as a church today. Because when I look at the long list of names given in Nehemiah chapter 3 and see how they kept accurate records of the ones involved in this ginormous building project, I think of all the people at Hope Fellowship who, day after day and week after week, selflessly serve behind the scenes in order to see the gospel advance and the Lord’s church grow. There are obviously too many volunteers for me to name, but you know who you are. I want you to know that it is encouraging to see all of you pitch in and get the job done. For those of you who haven’t found your place to help out in the church or are still hesitant at the idea, that’s OK. I want you to know that we have a place for you when you are ready, but don’t wait too long because at this rate someone might take your spot. Because when I look at the people who built the wall in Nehemiah’s day, I see regular ole’ people who gave of themselves to see God’s work finished. For us today in 2016, God’s work will never be finished until He returns. But take heart because there is true joy in serving Jesus. I agree wholeheartedly with the Apostle Paul that, “I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15).

Thank-you everyone and keep up the good work!

— Jordan