September 6, 2023

Our family gathers on Sunday for worship, instruction and fellowship and scatters throughout the rest of the week in order to make Christ known. In our weekly gathering, we also love to celebrate the grace of God to one another. We do that by rejoicing in the news that a baby was born, a long-time birthday or anniversary was enjoyed, an engagement took place, or a wedding happened. Therefore, this Sunday is particularly joyful because we are all celebrating an anniversary together. On Sunday, September 11, 1983, Cornerstone Baptist Church held its first Sunday service as a newly formed congregation. This Sunday, September 10, 2023 we are celebrating 40 years.

Of course, it is fun to look back and see what people looked like 40 years ago. It is also a time of reflection as we acknowledge that so many of the people who helped birth this congregation by a merger of two churches are now with Christ in glory. But there is another perspective that I wish to impress upon us. The ministry of this church is a reflection of the faithfulness God poured out through the faithfulness of his people. Our God is a promise-making/promise-keeping God. He follows through. He does what he says he will do. He goes on record so that we will know what to expect from him and then he carries it out. What a gift that is to us. When we do that, we are making him known. When we keep our commitments, we display our faithful God.

Dear church! Do not underestimate the impact that you have by being faithful. 40 years ago, a group of people bound themselves to each other with their promises to be a church. They met regularly, they served, they gave of their finances and set into motion a pattern that has marked this church ever since. Like most of you, I was not here then, but I/we have been the recipients of God’s grace through them.

It is common for people to make promises in the moment in order to look good. It is easy to make a commitment, but not keep it because, well, it is hard to keep. We are blessed by God to be a people who have stayed by the stuff, who have held the ropes, who have kept the lights on, who are, by the grace of God, seeking to finish what we have started. May God bless our legacy of gospel faithfulness with a long future of sweet gospel fruitfulness.

“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” 1 Cor. 4:2

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text:           2 Samuel 21:1-14

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