Just over 24-months ago, the people of God who meet at North Second Street ordained elders to serve and lead the congregation. David Brown and David Muiznieks have been feeding, tending, and guiding the flock as true shepherds and we are being blessed because of our submission to the will of God through Jesus the Son.
Attendance numbers can not tell the entire story because we were still emerging from COVID. But see how good God has been to us. In 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, our average Sunday had 56 assembled for worship. Since then, it has been a steep up-hill grade. We posted 65 in 2022, 78 for 2023, and so far a whopping 83-souls are making their way through our doors each Lord’s day. We are humbled and grateful to our God.
Elders alone do not a scripturally organized congregation make. Scott Ford and Jim Lahue were recognized as deacons in May of 2022. We are excited to announce, Tom Cunningham, joined Scott and Jim as our third deacon last week. It would be an oversight not to mention Jennifer, Amy, Laurie, Brenda, and Mandy as vital co-workers for the Lord at this location. We have also seen an uptick in involvement from so many of our young families and individuals. There is no doubt, God’s way works. We are enjoying the fruit of our willingness to no longer be free-range sheep. We are the sheep of Christ’s pasture indeed.
All of this came to mind while preparing a sermon on the subject of obedience. As mere created beings, we can not know all the reasons behind God’s plan for his church. In the same way, we don’t understand all the things baptism does for a sinner. The point is this. Do what God asks you to do and trust our Creator knows what he is doing. Which is better, to know all the intricacies of how baptism changes us, or to simply obey Jesus when he says, “Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.”-Mark 16:16? We can learn a million things about God’s grace, salvation, the power of Jesus’ blood, and how important the cross, tomb, and ascension are. But none of those blessings will be given to us until we obey.
Paul has plenty to say about Christian obedience. Our great example is Jesus himself, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”-Philippians 2:8. The apostle to the Gentiles gives us this inspired summary of his gospel message, “that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”-Acts 26:20. We turn away from unbelief in Christ Jesus, and sin against God. Our turning to God is a life-long process. If we are convicted of our need to, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,”-Matthew 6:33, our works will align themselves with the will of God. As faithful subjects of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will obey his teaching. Repentant hearts don’t protest or demand answers, they obey.
All of this takes humility. As a congregation we had to allow men to be ordained as overseers. For twenty years, our group answered to no one. We had to bend our will to the direction of no leaders. That is not the will of God. We learn to honor our father and mother in the home. We learn to submit to imperfect men tasked with a divine purpose, by removing self and joining a local church that is operating according to the New Testament pattern.
Since March 6, 2022, the North Second Street Church of Christ has consisted of saints, overseers, and deacons. We have obeyed and God has poured out blessings on us. As we move toward a larger pen to accommodate more sheep, let us remember it is the obedience of faith that brought us this far and that same faithful service will result in more growth from the Master. Thank you, Lord.
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