Shalom,
Even though we have to go through such tough days throughout 2021, God is always with us. As the year passes quickly, are we still filled with joy from living in fellowship and caring for those who don't know God yet? Do we still remember the message of God's Word that we heard at Christmas service last week? Is our faith still childish because it is limited to believing that Jesus was born in a manger and was under threat of the cruel murder of Herod? As He grew mature and carried out His ministry at age 30, Jesus triumphed over the temptations of clothing, food, position and spirituality. Furthermore, Heavenly Father was willing to leave Him for a moment to die for the sins of mankind. For those who hated Him, dying on the cross was a failure to become their Savior, even though three days later He was resurrected as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). His resurrection gave great hope. 40 days later before ascending to Heaven what did He do? Luke 24:50-53 writes, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass while He blessed them that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy …”
Soon we will leave the year 2021 and for almost two years there has been no face-to-face corporate worship due to the pandemic. Are our hearts still filled with joy even though we listen to God's Word online? Do we still believe that Jesus will come again? If you believe, what is your response?
No what is the message that God wants to convey through His Word with the theme "Communion that fuels God's mission until Maranatha"?
- Remaining in fellowship → The Table of Showbread
The disciples felt strengthened after their minds were opened to understand the Old Testament where prophecy after prophecy was fulfilled in the Person of Jesus. They were not sad; on the contrary, they rejoiced greatly after being blessed by Jesus before He parted and was taken up to Heaven (Luke 24:50-53).
Application: We should not belittle the fellowship that Jesus blessed. Coming together in church is the same as having an opportunity to receive blessings from Him. So it is not just a place to gather and meet each other. For that, we must come to church with the right purpose: to worship Him sincerely. The apostle Paul strongly rebuked the Corinthian church for holding meetings that did not bring good but instead bad. Why? Because on the outside they looked harmonious but inside there were divisions (1 Cor. 11:17-18). We need to feel alert if we find cliques in church because it indicates an unhealthy fellowship.
Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He promised the descent of the Holy Spirit so that His disciples would have the power and strength to carry out the mission to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). He wants us to persevere in the teaching of the apostles and in fellowship (Acts 2:42). Be careful, don't let our fellowship feel bland because we do it merely as religious rituals or because we have the same ethnicity, hobbies, tastes, etc. The Lord looks at our hearts, so let us gather together in a fellowship that is pleasing to Him, for it is God who has called us to fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9). Obviously the fellowship here is based on the same desire of listening to the teaching of God's Word.
On another occasion, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas shook hands with James, Cephas and John as a sign of fellowship before Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel to the Gentiles—the uncircumcised (Gal. 2:9). They remained in fellowship and had the same vision but aimed at different people—the Jews and the Gentiles.
Furthermore, the apostles wrote the living Word that they heard, saw, witnessed and touched so that we may have fellowship with them based on the fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4).
Application: We who have heard and read the Word of life must testify through our attitudes, speech, views and solutions based on the word of God to produce healthy fellowship.
In order to have fellowship with one another, we must live in the light and practice the truth and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (vv. 5-9). Do not act like the Apostle Peter who was hypocritical – shunned fellowship with the Gentiles out of fear of the Jews and thus rebuked by Paul (Gal. 2:12-14).
Introspection: What fellowship are we building? True fellowship always has a positive impact on fueling God's mission concerning salvation. Our church has a vision and mission to make our society better through the transparent testimony of our words, attitudes and actions. Let not our fellowship be kindled by lust for good reputation but by the Father and His Son!
- Fueling God's mission → The Gold Lampstand
What is God's mission? Preaching the Gospel to all directions (Mark 16:14-15,19-20).
After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples and conversed with them on the way to Emmaus. They were gloomy because the hope that Jesus came to deliver the Israelites dashed because He died on the cross. They did not believe that Jesus had risen. That's why their closed eyes could not catch Jesus' explanation of all the Scriptures starting from the books of Moses and all the prophets. After Jesus sat down to eat with them, took bread and broke it and gave it to them, then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He had disappeared from their midst. They only realized that their hearts were burning when Jesus spoke to them on the way (Luke 24:13-27).
Introspection: Did our heart fierily believe in the word of God only when we were in church, then left our faith behind as we stepped out of the church? Who burnt our heart? It was not the preacher who was eloquent in preaching but it was the Holy Spirit. Let our spirit be fiery controlled by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit; if not, our spirit will become wild (Prov. 29:18). Do not be ashamed and disheartened because the Spirit of God in us is strong and disciplined!
It is important to know that God’s mission of preaching the gospel of Christ should not stop at one place but after they believe it is continued with discipleship. Wasn't Paul called to be an evangelist-teacher-apostle? He did not stop at making someone converted, but he taught them to relay the preaching of the Gospel to others. Do not inflame God's mission by evangelizing here and there—when we find a problem in one place, we then move to another place to satisfy our own desire!
Preaching the Gospel is like seven churches that were different in place (Rev. 1 – 3) but had one God. All the churches’ lamps must shine to spread the gospel throughout the earth and make disciples of all nations (cf. Matt. 28:19).
- Maranatha → The Altar of Incense
Are you ready if the Lord comes today? Do you believe in His return? Are you sure that you will be lifted up when He comes to pick us up? If you believe, prove it in your response and action (Acts 1:9-14)!
1 Corinthians 16:22 says, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come [Aramaic: Maranatha]!”
Notice, if we don't love God, we are damned. God knows whether we really love Him or not.
The phrase “until the Lord comes” is used in the service of Holy Communion which reminds us that every time we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26). Honestly, we don't know exactly when the Lord will come but Maranatha is absolutely true.
It turns out that Maranatha contains the idea of judgment because the Lord will surely come again (Rev. 1:7) to judge (Heb. 10:30; Jude 1:14-15). Maranatha also contains prayer. After Jesus ascended to Heaven, His disciples returned to Jerusalem and prayed diligently for the Holy Spirit to descend (Acts 1:12-14).
Application: Anything can happen including a pandemic but we must still have the goal of igniting God's mission and love God if we don't want to be cursed or judged.
At the end of the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John wrote , “He who testifies to these thing says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).
Even though the Apostle John died before Jesus came, he responded, “Come Lord Jesus!”
We should be more active in the fellowship with God's Word and passionately preach the gospel in carrying out God's mission and pray diligently so that we are ready to welcome His return and escape the curse or punishment as we love Him as our Heavenly Bridegroom. Amen.