Enjoy this true story about the beauty of the Church.
A children’s Sunday School class was interrupted one day as a new student was brought in. The little boy had one arm missing. The teacher, who had had no opportunity to get to know the child’s story nor to ask how well he responded to other children asking about his disability, felt ill at ease throughout the class. What if one of the other children was to tease him or call him names?
As the class drew to a close, the teacher began to relax. The new arrival seemed to fit right in. She asked the class, then, to join her in the familiar game, “Here is the church, here is the steeple....” As she watched the children put their hands together to make their little churches, she remembered – to her horror – that her new student would not be able to do this. She herself had done the one thing she had feared the children might do – totally embarrass the child.
The little girl sitting next to the one-armed boy knew just what to do. In a calm, matter-of-fact way, she reached out her own hand and placed her palm up against his. “Come on,” she invited him. “Let’s make a church together.”
Isn’t that beautiful? That is the way the church is supposed to work. We are in this together. Everyone is needed. We can’t do it without one another. We work together and the Holy Spirit takes our unity and makes it all happen.
How valuable is being part of Christ’s triumphant church to you? Is it a priority or a convenience? One unnamed pastor shared this true experience.
I was a supply preacher for a small town Texas church, coming in early Sunday, preaching a sermon to the congregation, and then leaving after lunch. Arriving early one Sunday I sat down at a local donut shop, opened my Bible and went over my sermon notes.
A man was sitting down the counter from me and said, “You a preacher or something?”
I replied, “Yes I preach at the Christian Church here in town.”
He got excited and said, “Hey, I’m a member of that church.”
The church was small and I knew all the regulars so I said, “I’ve been preaching there for about three months and I’ve never seen you there.”
He looked at me kinda strange and said, “I said I was a member of that church. I never said that I was fanatical about it!”
If there is a reason you are not able to join together physically, please do not feel condemned. But if you are able to join us in person this Sunday (or the church where you live), I urge you to do so. We are called to be faithful in ministry and worship every day, all week long. But there is something special that happens when we join together in unity. Jesus promised us (Matthew 18:19-20), “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” There is power, and beauty, in unity!
This Sunday, February 26, will be about the Church. I will be sharing our Hawaii Assemblies of God District theme for 2023: Church Strong! Do you believe these are the last days? Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1, “But realize this, that in the last days, difficult times will come.” A strong church is needed to face such terrible times. Are you ready, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to rise up and be that church? Please invite someone to join you at 10:35am either in the building or online for the Live broadcast on Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday morning at 10:35am to both locations.
The 9:30am Adult Bible Class will continue its study of the Book of Romans this Sunday (1:18-32) so please start your day with Bible study.
A Big Mahalo goes to Edwin Beltran and the musicians for leading us in worship last Sunday. You are a Blessing!
Aloha ke Akua!