A Word from Pastor Ben

It is hard to believe it is February. Time has been blazing fast the last several weeks. As I thought about what to write about for this month, I have wrestled with a few different, and I mean different, directions to go. Maybe the other one I will do for March, time will tell. I would like to spend just a few minutes in Acts 2.

Read these words out of Acts 2:41-42:
41 "So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them."
42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer."
Acts 2:41-42 (CSB)

In this passage, we see a great awakening taking place. Peter has just finished his sermon at Pentecost, and at the call for repentance, about 3000 people were saved! The church age is birthed with a great movement of God amongst the people. We should pray for these kinds of great movements to happen every day. God is still in the saving business. It is upon their salvation that we see the marks of a healthy, vibrant church. 

When he says that "they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,” he is saying that they devoted themselves to hearing the word of God taught. Paul, the greatest missionary to live. Repeatedly teaches the word of God to inform and call others to repentance. The Word of God is not an optional part of our church ministry but foundational. It is the truth God has given us, and we ought to devote ourselves to the preaching of it, the personal study of it, and the faithful obedience to it.   

It says they devoted themselves “to the fellowship.” There is a trend in churches that attending services together is   diminishing. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 30% of American protestants (SBC is part of this group) say they attend church every week, 14% say they attend a couple times a month, and 13% say they attend about once a month. Yet, another group says they seldom or never attend religious services; that number is a whopping 43%. Let that sink in. The majority of church members say they attend once a month or less! Based on the statistics, we have an issue in our protestant churches. We are not faithfully devoting ourselves to gathering together as we should.