HOME COMING (October 22, 2023) Message given by Pastor Jerry Decelle Guest Speaker

Riverview Baptist Church, 1722 Florida Ave., Woodbridge, VA 22191

Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

As all of you gather here today to reminisce, there has to be unity or else you would not be here. You have come to fellowship with one another and to strengthen acquaintances with some who may have moved and relocated elsewhere.  I can remember when I relocated to the Ruckersville area in 2004 and meeting Brother Tim Brown and Sister Abigail Brown for the first time. We all served together in our local church for many years.  Then several years later the Lord saw fit to move all of us to different ministries.  Today is a “home coming” of sorts for us.  We all have matured in the ministry and the Lord has increased our areas of serving.  My Brother Tim Brown is now Pastor Tim Brown.  My Sister Abigail Brown is still faithfully supporting her husband in the ministry. As the man’s ministry increases, likewise so does the ministry of the wife.  A pastor and his wife, friends of mine, were being interviewed for the pastorate.  She was asked what her ministry was.  She was quick to reply: “his ministry became my ministry when I married him”.  Hopefully everyone here today has grown in the ministry.  We are told in scripture that we 1Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”.  We are not to remain “baby” Christians but we are to develop our spiritual gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit.

1Corinthians 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

 1Corinthians 12:11 “But all these (gifts) worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” 

How does this work in each of our lives?  Paul is not bragging but telling us how the Lord and Holy Spirit work in each of our lives.

1Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me (you), for that he counted me (you) faithful, putting me (you) into the ministry”.

Are you faithful and available? Then God will enable you and will use you.

Faithfulness and availability is how you accomplish Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”   The first part of this proverb is often used in mission conferences and revival meetings but many speakers leave out the second part as if the vision was their idea and their ways of carrying out the vision.  The second part of the proverb is equally important or else God would not have inspired it into scripture.  It tells us that the vision must be from God and it is to be carried out in accordance with keeping His law.  When we are in agreement with the law of God, then we will be happy in fulfilling the vision.  Proverbs 29:18 When man insists on his own way, happiness turns into disappointment. Psalm 106:15 “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”

Riverview Baptist Church has a vision.  The vision can be found in the church information site as well as hand out literature.  The vision is presented in three folds as: a vision, a mission, and church values.  Some onlookers might say ‘why the redundancy’?  No, this is not redundancy but an emphatic statement that Riverview Baptist Church is serious about its vision and it is worth repeating.  How often does God repeat Himself in scripture to emphasize the importance of what He is saying?  Likewise Riverview Baptist Church takes its vision to be important.

VISION                       MISSION                  VALUES

Reaching this and next    Reaching this and next    Bible believing

generation  for Jesus.      generation for Jesus.        church.

HOW?             GUIDING IN:                    TEACHING              TEACHING

Missions                             Missions                    Missions

Evangelism                         Evangelism                Evangelism

Discipleship                        Discipleship               Discipleship

This vision is being carried out in accordance with the Word of God. Matthew 28:19-20“Go (missions) ye therefore, and teach (evangelism) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching (discipleship) them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…..

Riverview Baptist Church has been given a pastor to lead and to prepare the congregation for the work of the ministry; that is, your position or ability for service with your spiritual gift(s).

Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Riverview Baptist Church has a mission and a pastor for leadership.  Many churches say they ‘stand behind’ the pastor but so far behind that they hardly can be seen.  May I encourage you ‘not to stand behind’ your pastor but rather ‘stand with him’ in the ministry.

Psalm 133:1

When there is unity, members and visitors can say:

Psalm 122:1 “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

What is the house of the Lord?  Some congregations may meet outdoors in a make shift shelter, or in a rented facility, or occupy what we call a church building.  The meeting place is not as important as the reason to meet.  We meet to worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Matthew 15:8-9 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”     (This lacks spirit and truth.)

Hebrews 13:15-16 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

 Psalm 122:1

The house of the Lord?  Where does the Lord reside? He has omnipresence, he is everywhere.

1Kings 8:27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”

Solomon is referring to the temple he has built as a place for man to come and bow down and offer sacrifices before the Lord. The temple and our churches serve as an approach to God.  God does not dwell in a house made with hands here on earth. We can not confine His omnipresence nor can we hide from Him.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”

God makes it clear that He has never asked His people to build Him a ‘house’ but that He did walk in a ‘tent’ and in a ‘tabernacle’.

2Samuel 7:6 “Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.”

God has gone from a temple of linen in the days of Moses to a temple of flesh with His first coming.

John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, …..

The Lord died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.  Forty days later He ascended into heaven.  He no longer dwells in a temple of flesh.  He now dwells within the believer, the born again child of God, until He does come again.

1Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Annual home comings are something we can look forward too.  But they are of a temporary nature.  The day comes and the day passes.  There is a home coming that Jesus spoke off when comforting His disciples for His soon departure.  Perhaps it could be better labeled as a ‘home going’.

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

What was Jesus saying or revealing to His disciples? What did He mean I go and prepare a place for you?  The mansions are already in the Father’s house.  The question then becomes: “how do you expect to be able to claim a mansion in the Father’s house?”  Jesus had not yet died, been buried, nor risen again the third day when these words were spoken.  He had yet to go to Calvary that we might could be born again.

John 3:3, 16 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (you cannot even see it, leave alone think you are going there) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”)

The ultimate home going, either by death or the rapture, awaits each of us.  Have you made your reservation – have you accepted Jesus Christ for your salvation?  No better time than right now for you to call upon the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:9 – 11 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Do not procrastinate.  Eternity is but a heart beat away.

AMEN