It was so wonderful to celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior this past Sunday. Personally, I felt the movement of the Holy Spirit as the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra led us in the worship of our living Savior. Wow! What a Sunday! I think we all beheld a beautiful vision of the possibilities of what God can do in our midst when we all commit to gathering together each and every Sunday.
If you have spent any time in church, then you no doubt know the oft-quoted biblical proverb: “
Where there is no vision, the people perish
” (29:18a). From my experience, this truth is timeless and real. We need a vision! I think God gave us a small glimpse of what could be with our packed-out worship center on Sunday. But the question is, how do we get to that reality every Sunday? I have been prayerfully pondering that for the past few months, and this Sunday I’m going to begin a four-week series entitled “Envisioning Transformation”, where I will explain what I feel God calling us to faithfully pursue together.
There is a second part to that proverb that I do not want to minimize (since we often do): “
but blessed is he who keeps the law
” (29:18b). We can have a vision for where we want to go as a church, but it requires a commitment by each one of us to keep the “law.” Jesus says, “
If you love me, keep my commandments
” (John 14:15). Basic to fulfilling God’s commandments must be Sabbath observance. Can I challenge you with something? We do not have to experience the historic attendance drop-off that occurs the week after Easter. Will you prioritize attendance in Sabbath worship above your travels, your toils, or your tee-time this Sunday and in the year to come? If we want to see our world transformed by the gospel, then the Bible is clear: Let us not give up meeting together.
I want to set a goal for you: Commit yourself to worshipping among God’s people at least 75% of Sundays between now and next Easter. That sounds like a lot, but that would still allow you to miss 13 out of 52 Sundays a year! I think that is too much, personally, but I want to give you an opportunity to attain a feasible goal. Will you re-commit yourself to the worship of God in community – both in Bible Study and worship?
I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday, when I share the first of these four “vision sermons” entitled “The Legacy of a Praying Church” based on Isaiah 56:1-8. I firmly believe that these next messages will greatly impact the future of Tabernacle Baptist Church as we enthusiastically fulfill God’s calling for us.
Expecting His Best,
Stephen V. Allen, Senior Pastor
