Yesterday morning, Conrad Mbewe preached to our local church after a long week at the G3 Conference. His text was Psalm 126, and as he preached, he asked two important questions. The questions emerged from the text, and in form of application, he asked them to our local church for the purpose of evaluation and examination.
Do You See Value in Studying Church History?
As the Psalmist writes in verse 2-3, “The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.” Israel needed to recall the “great things” that the LORD had done for them. Often, we forget how great our God is and how immeasurable the great things are that He has done for us. One way of doing this is by having a good understanding of church history.
As we consider the importance of the Reformation, it’s important for us to consider where we are in church history and the shoulders that we stand upon. This helps us to see how good God has been to us and it should lead to gladness of heart. The point is clear, if Israel studied redemptive history and was reminded of the works of God—we should do the same.
Is The Prayer Meeting — Just a Prayer Meeting?
As Pastor Conrad continued to preach, he placed the focus on prayer. In application to the local church, he asked a very important question. He asked, “Is it just a prayer meeting?” In other words, is the weekly prayer meeting an emphasis or something that we neglect and overlook?
As Israel was encouraged to “go out there” weeping, they would soon return with joy—bringing their sheaves with them. At this juncture, Pastor Conrad placed the emphasis on the weekly prayer meeting and asked some helpful questions worthy of consideration. Do we weep for souls? Is our prayer meeting focused on physical illnesses rather than spiritual needs? While physical problems are real, they should not outweigh the spiritual needs of the congregation and our community.
As he came to an end, he asked if we are “bruising our knees” in prayer. Are we? Are you? Why is prayer so neglected in our churches today? If we want true reformation and if we want to see our church reach our community, we don’t need more gimmicks to reach lost people and convince them to “join up” at the local church. We need serious minded, humble Christians to be on their knees pleading with God, weeping for souls, and trusting in God for the results.
Is your weekly prayer meeting just a prayer meeting?
Do you place any value in understanding church history?
