Faith and Love

Weekly Update – November 10th, 2022

In Ephesians 1:15-16, the apostle Paul says that he does not cease from giving thanks in his prayers for the Ephesians.  The reason for his thanks is because of the Ephesians’ “faith in the Lord Jesus” and their “love toward the saints.”  Now, these two phrases about the Ephesians’ faith and their love, they are necessarily connected.  The reason why I said that is because within the church, there can be no display of true faith if there is an absence of love, just as there can be no true love if there is an absence of faith.  But not only is this true, but the way that we love each other is also the greatest evangelistic witness that we as a church can display, as our love for one another shows the natural outcome of our faith. 

Again these two terms, faith and love, are necessarily connected.  In seeing their necessary connection, we get an idea as to their importance within the church.  You see, faith can never be separated from action.  This is one of the apostle James’ biggest issue with the church in Jerusalem whenever he writes his epistle to them.  He says that “faith apart from works is dead” (Jas. 2:25).” James here does not mean that there is another category for the Christian.  Instead, he is necessarily saying that all faith that is true and living will be displayed in the way that we live and function with one another.  This then means that if there is a failure to love, whether it is individually or corporately as a church, then there is also a lack of faith.

So then how does this affect us as believers within the church?  Well, we help each other grow through the way that we live out our faith to one another.  When we handle differences with grace and peace or when we place the interests of others above our own, we show the type of love that led Christ to die for us.  We become portraits of the gospel to one another as we spur each other on in our faith.  We can put discipleship programs in place, create new Sunday School classes and expand opportunities for our members to be involved, but if we don’t display love towards one another, then it will be difficult to lead each other to grow in Christ. 

But even more than that, as I said earlier, the way that we love one another is the greatest testimony to our evangelism that we have.  Consider an opportunity you might have to share with your neighbor about the truth of Jesus Christ.  After sharing the gospel with them, the next greatest step ought to be to try and connect them with others in the church.  Why?  Because it is through the supernatural love that members of the body display to one another that the proclaimed gospel message is lived out for them.  When we think about evangelism, we must remember that it is personal, in that we make the most of every opportunity we have to share Christ with family friends and co-workers.  But not only is evangelism personal, it is also corporate.  What I mean by corporate is that we have at our disposal the greatest supernatural evidence of what faith in action looks like when it comes to Christ’s church.  And anytime unbelievers can be brought into the fellowship of the church they should get a glimpse of what it looks like to live redeemed lives that place others above themselves while keeping Christ as the central focus.  What this means is that our evangelism must be clear on the truths of Christ’s gospel, but it should never be separated from the supernatural display of Christ’s love shown through his church. 

Our mission as First Baptist Church is to speak and to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Essentially that is proclaiming faith in Jesus Christ and living it out in love for one another.  Inviting people into the fellowship of the church is not evangelism.  But inviting people into the fellowship of the church does display the power of evangelism as our faith is clearly evidenced by our love for one another.  So if you are striving to share the gospel with someone, don’t ignore the powerful effects of the gospel on display that comes through the fellowship of other believers.  But remember, that by God’s grace we are all in this together as we strive to speak and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.   

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  - Galatians 2:20

Announcements:

Volunteers Needed: Volunteers are still needed during the 10:30am nursery time. Check the update or email the office for more information on how you can serve.

Thanksgiving Dinner: The annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner will be held following the service on Sunday, November 13th. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls will be provided. Please sign up on the bulletin board in the hall. More information can be found HERE.

Turkey Bowl: Immediately following our Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner, we will bring back our infamous “Turkey Bowl” football game out in the open field, north of the church. No need to sign up, just be ready after dinner that Sunday.

Christmas Cookie Exchange: The Nelson family will be hosting a Christmas Cookie exchange in their home on Saturday, December 3rd. More information about the exchange can be found HERE.

Christmas Tree Decorating: Join us as we decorate the church Christmas tree on Main Street, following the service on Sunday, December 4th. We will have refreshments in the gym after decorating the tree.

Special Meeting: We will have a special members’ meeting following the service on Sunday, November 27th. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the potential sale of the land.

Awana

Join us for Awana Bible Clubs on Wednesday nights. Dinner is at 6:00pm and Awana Clubs are from 6:30-8:00pm.

Bible Study

Join us for Bible Study at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. Click HERE for more information.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. If you are interested in joining one, you can find more information HERE.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE. 

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE.