The Birth & Passing of A Church
I was about to say the little church in Philippi
vanished without trace but that would be a tragic mistake. Like so many
other little assemblies of Christ they burned brightly and shaped the
world for his Father before they "moved away". Along with countless
others they bore their witness to God's redeeming and reconciling work
in and through Jesus Christ. They rehearsed this work of God in their
baptism, Supper, prayers praise, lifestyle and shared Story and then
went their way. But before they left they confirmed the truth of a
gospel they had heard before a callous and watching world.
Acts 16 tells us how it all began. A dream that left Paul restless
and determined, a Sabbath prayer-meeting by a river, a woman whose heart
God opened and who with her whole family was baptized into Christ, a
jail sentence, an earthquake, a jailer and his family baptized into the
Christ in the night and a church meeting with all the brothers and
sisters at Lydia's house before parting. The drama of it all.
And how would some see all that? They'd explain it all in terms of
psychology and religion. Paul saw it with different eyes. He saw it as
God beginning his good work in them (Philippians 1:6). The jailer and
his family are gone, Lydia and her family are gone but they carried a
torch that breaks out in other fires all over the world in every
generation.
Those who have sceptical eyes will read Acts 16 in one way because
(so I judge) they haven't seen the bigger picture. Some of us will see
the birth and passing of the little Philippian church as failure and
tragedy and may feel disappointed but maybe there's a bigger picture.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.