GPBC Blog

By Ken Hesson--

First and foremost, I love the Lord and may all the glory be His in heaven and earth. When I was asked to write something for our church newsletter, my first reaction was joy shortly followed by a feeling of anxiety. How was I going to narrow down my thoughts and feelings about my faith in about one page, because God has such a BIG place in my heart and mind, and the Bible is filled with so much wisdom and hope? I thought it would take at least a few pages to convey what I wanted to say, but, in the end, joy overcame anxiety and what you read in the following blog is my attempt at putting into about 650 words what words ultimately fail to adequately describe.

Over the years, I have heard many wonderful sermons and one that frequently comes back to memory is one I heard about thirteen years ago at my old church in Orange County, California. Chuck Smith was the pastor, and one gem he spoke about was how the church congregation today is a descendant of the last supper Christ had with the apostles before the Christian church began. He taught that each Sunday when we gather together, we are continuing what began so long ago with Christ in that small upper room. As I was sitting in GPBC on a warm, sunny Sunday in the beginning of September, I remembered his sermon. And it struck me what a profoundly awesome thing this is. The fact that Christ was born and lived a perfect life, leading by example, and teaching what it means to truly love and sacrifice...And then before his crucifixion, he doesn’t share his mission with just one other person, but he shares it with twelve! And in doing this, Jesus taught us that we need each other to make God’s love and grace known to the world; that we cannot do it on our own, especially back when the apostles were alive and the early Christian church was being born. Those first Christians died as martyrs for what they believed, and I have no doubt that the Lord gave them strength, as well as faith, that they shared with their fellow Christians. 

So, while sitting in church this past September Sunday, listening to the beautiful voices sing in glory to our heavenly Father, I thought about the past few years and the struggles we have had to go through. And those we will continue to deal with in life. But, I also thought about how we are a continuation of a small group of friends who sat around a modest meal, listening to the humble, loving, wise, and beautiful Jesus Christ. And I can relate to how they must have felt: confusion, fear, hope, love, joy, anxiety, trepidation. Probably every emotion we are capable of. Only now, the tables are turned in a way. It is not Jesus I have these feelings about, but sometimes it is the world I live in that I feel this way about. And I am reminded every Sunday (and also throughout the week), when listening to all of your beautiful voices, seeing your wonderful smiles, hugs and pats on the back, and talking to Butch, and Traynor, and Greg, and Lynn, and Keith and each one of you, I’m reminded that it was God's infinite love and grace through Jesus Christ that makes this possible. That makes everything possible. And how it was God’s awesome plan for us to be part of something so wonderful, and infinite, and awesome, that words can't really describe. But I hope I have given at least a satisfactory description of what it means to me to be a Christian and to be a part of something infinite and profound.