Dear pastor,
I want you to know that the Lord watches over His church.
We know of course that He watches over His Word, as that is clearly stated in Jeremiah 1:12: “Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.’”
But we need to be reminded that God watches over His church. He is the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd and He gives watch, care and protection to His sheep.
The hard part (and even tragic part at times) is that because of our own free will, we (parishioners and pastors) negatively impact the church and her holiness and her mission/activity in the lives of people. What am I saying? I am saying that because God has given each of us the freedom to choose, then we can quench the Spirit or grieve the Spirit in our own lives and sometimes (in the short run) the people around us, and even the church pays the price. As my wife and I always say: “Everyone gets to choose.”
We know however the promises of God to present His church without spot or wrinkle. We know His promise that nothing and no-one can separate us from the love of God in Christ. We even have the promise that no one can snatch us from God’s hand.
But that doesn’t mean that we might not hurt the church and the people around us by our own selfish, short-sighted and sinful behavior.
And yet, the great news is that God is still watching over HIs church!
He will complete the work that He began.
He will make His church holy and blameless in His sight. (The question always will be whether or not we will be a part of His church, by our on-going choice of Him as He has already chosen each one of us, if we will accept His invitation.)
So if you are worried and concerned about the church and whether or not it is going to make it: stop. Don’t fret, it only leads to destruction. Instead cling to the promises that God will watch over His church. In certain instances, a local ministry or gathering of people will fold but each of the persons who are part of that gathering, who are still part of God’s church, will continue to blessed by God and He will continue to shape them, refine them, fill them and use them (and place them in another gathering of His children).
Perhaps a local gathering needs to fold in order to spread the gospel farther, in new ways and to new people. Perhaps a local gathering folds because of the sin in its midst and the best way for the church of Jesus Christ to be sanctified and presented as holy is that God closes a fellowship or revamps, refreshes or re-makes it.
Let’s just hold to the promises of God, and know for certain, that God is watching over His church, so we don’t have to worry or be afraid, We can just keep loving God and people, keep sharing the gospel and keep inviting people to be a part of God’s family, God’s kingdom and God’s mission.
Pastor Encouragement 