Repeated Displays of the Faithfulness of Jesus
The other night, Steph and I were having dinner with some friends who are also in ministry. The local church has, to put it kindly, chewed them up and spit them out lately, so they were curious—what is so special about Regeneration that has kept us going and kept us here.
It took me a moment to put my answer into words, and then I said: repeated displays of the faithfulness of Jesus.
As we gathered on Sunday, I was reminded again that Regeneration has never, even for a minute, fit the mold of new churches. I was reminded, again, that not one but two nationally-recognized church consultants told us that we may as well throw in the towel, because this church wasn't going to survive. I was reminded of the difficult moments which, while far outpaced by the moments of joy and encouragement, are still real and heavy.
In all of these moments of difficulty and doubt, Jesus showed up. Jesus would display His faithfulness, saying over us, sometimes gently, sometimes with a bit of correction, "I will build my church." One author, Bob Goff, says that God doesn't pass us notes—He sends us friends. When we were at our wits end, someone would walk in the door and something in the culture and atmosphere of our church would change.
Psalm 100:5 says,
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
If we have a shared story here at Regen, I want that story to be a story of the faithfulness of Jesus—how, even when the night is dark, Jesus walks in and brings light and hope and newness. I want that to be a part of our shared story, so that in those moments when one of us needs a display of Jesus' faithfulness, our connection to this spiritual family would increase our faith and trust in Him.
If Sunday was a day of celebration, it was a day of celebration because of who Jesus is and longs to be to us. If Sunday was a celebration, it's a celebration of Jesus' ability to enter into someone's life and bring new birth. If Sunday was a day of celebration, it was a day celebrating the faithfulness of Jesus. If Sunday was a day of celebration, it was a celebration of the truth that we'll have cause for more celebration in the future, as Jesus is and will continue to be so faithful to us.
Grateful for you, and for Him,
-Pastor Kyle
