Church bulletin for July
Not a day goes by when we are not disturbed by what is taking place around us; sometimes in the church, sometimes in the world. This last year has seen some catastrophic moral failures in the church. Just recently a leading Reformed minister in the US confessed to an extramarital relationship which occurred after his own wife committed adultery. The fiasco of the Mars Hill church has been well documented. We should be disappointed but we should not be surprised (2 Tim 3:1-6). Even good men fall into sin, but it would seem that some who climb the ladder of ecclesiastical significance get caught up with a sense of self-importance failing to “take heed to themselves and to the doctrine” (1 Tim 4:16).
The world today feels like a very different place than it did 20 years ago. Terrorism meant distant lands and seemingly small minority groups. Gay marriage was unthinkable. With the Supreme Court decision in the US last month, it is most likely only a matter of time before it is passed in Australia. Once again we should be concerned but not surprised, scripture warns us of instability, persecution, and degenerating moral standards (Matt 5:11-16; Rom 1).
Before the destruction of the temple, Jesus said to His disciples “see that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass” (Matt 24:6). We need to remind ourselves that God is in control and is outworking His purposes in the church and in the world. He is building His kingdom on earth and He is doing so through the events we see around us every day. There is a sense in which, things are as they always have been (Ecc 1:9).
Let us not suppose that we are living in some uniquely troublesome period. While it’s true that the church enjoys times of particular blessing, according to the New Testament it is a narrow and difficult path we must walk. The church always has and always will face trouble from within and from without. Every age presents its own challenges and opportunities, this age is no different. For our part we must be faithful to the will of God and not compromise for the sake of ease; we must be fearless in the face of opposition remembering that we are at war with a spiritual enemy not a physical one; we must be fruitful in spiritual growth showing forth the grace of God in our lives. Let us keep our eyes upon Christ and our hands upon the plough.