Many
have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been
fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who
from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this
in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from
the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you,
most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the
things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)
Pastor Andy took time at the start of Sunday's sermon to note
that Luke was a diligent researcher. Luke's source material was
gathered from “those who from the first were eyewitnesses
and servants of the word.” (Luke 1:2, emphasis mine)
Just as Luke was blessed to know
people who knew the Lord, we too are blessed. During Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene's
fiftieth anniversary events our church took time to honor
pastors, leaders, and members, some of whom have served in our local
church for decades. They are our modern-day “eyewitnesses and
servants” who have been in our faith community “from the first.”
They know our Lord Jesus, and have lived in a way to make Him known
to us.
We are
privileged to have a living history book at Bronx Bethany! We thank
God for a community in which longtime members are neither privileged
nor pushed aside, but are present to hand down stories of God's
faithfulness. It is their presence that allows newer members to have
the same resources that Luke accessed before writing Theophilus:
eyewitnesses and servants of the word, careful
investigation of all things, an orderly account left as a
legacy, and a certainty of what has been taught.
Lord
God, thank You for those You spoke to in times past. Thank You for
their diligence and their joyful obedience. Help us to be like Luke:
give us grace to learn, compassion to teach, and patience that
empowers us to share You with the generations to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment