THINK THINGS LOOK BAD NOW?

Good Morning!

Think things look bad now, imagine what the disciples were thinking on Good Friday.

Jesus was betrayed by one of his twelve disciples, falsely accused by the religious leaders, convicted in a kangaroo court, cruelly executed by the Romans, and carried by his broken-hearted disciples to a grave just as the sun was setting. From the perspective of our Lord's faithful disciples, everything had gone wrong. Certainly it appeared that the Lord was powerless against the onslaught of Satan.

And what of our day?

Like Judas, there are many who have betrayed the Lord for personal gain.

Like our Lord's accusers, "professing" religious men mock and reject those who will stand with the Christ for Biblical Truth (Witness the shouts of "legalist!" against those of us who strive to enter in to the straight gate of purity and holiness).

And like Pilate and the Roman culture he represented, our generation is unwilling to acknowledge even the existence of Truth. Governance is more about personality than principle. And like sheep led to the slaughter, we are being led to the precipice of moral anarchy.

Objective truth is being sacrificed for subjectivism, freedom is being sacrificed for the illusion of security, responsibility is being sacrificed for immediate gratification, and holiness is being sacrificed for popularity. We are paying dearly now, but I fear we have only begun to realize the cost of our folly.

It appears to us, like it must have appeared to the disciples, everything is going wrong. So what are we, as the people of God, to do?

OUR COMMITMENT .

1. TRUST THE WORD OF GOD!
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are inspired by God, and are inerrant. God's Word is intellectually credible and rational. It means what it says and says what it means. Extensive knowledge of the Word is important, but obedience to the letter and to the spirit of God's Word is more important. When Biblical commands demand that we change course, we must trust the Word more than our feelings or our desires. For example: If God's Word says we should not marry a particular person then we should not marry them. If God's Word says we should dress modestly and according to our gender, then guys shouldn't wear dresses and ladies should not dress in a revealing fashion.

2. ACT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD!
Beginning at Pentecost, the New Testament Church was Spirit-driven. The Power of Pentecost moved them to action--witnessing publicly and from house to house, walking in the Spirit of Holiness not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, and prayerfully following the leadership of the Spirit. If God's people would truly act in the Spirit, we would fill our world with the Gospel, like the 1st Century Christians filled Jerusalem with their doctrine.

3. LOVE THE WILL OF GOD!
It is not natural for men to love to do the will of God. But when the "Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost," then "His commandments are not grievous." "Herein is our love made perfect" as we "dwell in Him and He dwells in us." Pray God will perfect your love for Him, so that "you whole body, and soul, and spirit, will be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord!" "Faithful is he that calls you who also will do it!"

OUR PLAN OF ACTION .
This is NOT the time for God's people to retreat from the mainstream of society and confine ourselves to our comfortable Christian sub-culture.

This is NOT the time for the Church to imitate the world, ingratiate the flesh, or surrender to the devil.

This is NOT the time for the Church to blend into the culture (I'M HEARTSICK AT THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES THAT LOOK AND ACT MORE LIKE NIGHT-CLUBS OR SHOPPING MALLS, THAN HOUSES OF PRAYER!) This is the time for our services to God-ordained, Spirit-filled, and Christ-honoring gatherings.
Our mission must be to disturb the comfortable and to bring comfort to the disturbed.

This is NOT the time for the Church to give up on the Great Commission (Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19,20), it is time for us ramp up our efforts, increase our investment, and give all we have to this holy Crusade.

TO THAT END WE ARE DEDICATING OURSELVES TO:

1. INTERCESSORY PRAYER. We will pray fervently and "without ceasing" for the salvation of the lost, for believers who are battling the enemy, for the Church of Jesus Christ, and for our nation. Watch for announcements of special prayer services. Every service of the Church will begin with prayer.

2. AGGRESSIVE EVANGELISM AND SOUL-WINNING. With the Lord's help, we will take the Gospel to 500 homes every week, in addition to our regular calling on prospects and families. Time is short, millions are unprepared to meet the Lord. We cannot, we dare not stand idly by.

3. SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. Jesus said, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shallworship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." Our singing, our praying, our testifying, our giving, our preaching--all will be Spirit led, and Truth driven. Church must not be turned into entertainment or a performance or a rock and roll concert. Only spiritual worship can produce spiritual worshippers.

4. TOTAL COMMITMENT AND COMPLETE INVOLVEMENT. It is settled in our hearts that our Christianity will not be segmented to only a few hours a week, but that it will be integrated into all that we do or say, at work, at school, at home, and wherever we are. It's All for Jesus! Discipleship is not optional!

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians,
For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God.
For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Indeed we too are "weak in him" but WE SHALL LIVE WITH HIM BY THE POWER OF GOD! For "the same spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead," will "quicken our mortal bodies" to live in victory!

WE LOVE ALL OF YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THIS SUNDAY! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU COME THIS WEEK FOR A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

Pastor Rick Jones
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH
2969 North Lindbergh Blvd,
St. Louis, MO 63074
Telephone (314) 607-1424

Sunday Service Schedule:
Children's Bible Hour & Adult Bible Study 10:30 A
SundayMORNING PRAISE AND WORSHIP 11:00 A
SundayEVENING SERVICE OF EVANGELISM 7:00 P
MIDWEEK SERVICE, Wednesday 7:00 P
FRIDAYSTeen Service 7:00 P