Thinking About the Lord’s Day

Don Johnson

This week and next we are featuring a series of articles by Pastor Taigen Joos¹ on the subject of “Incarnational Ministry,” a trendy topic amongst preachers in some circles. I realize that the theme might be of more interest to pastors than the average reader, but as it affects so many churches and ministries today, I believe it is worth paying attention to.

On a subject that is much closer to our daily Christian walk, Pastor Joos has written on another topic that is of interest to all Christians – the Lord’s Day. We all gather weekly for worship, instruction, and fellowship. The Lord’s Day is a vital part of faithful Christian life. Another pastor, Matt Johnson,² also wrote recently on the Lord’s Day. I’d like to summarize their posts and commend them to you. Take the time to read them, you will be blessed by their thoughts.

First off, Pastor Joos in “10 Things to Pray Regarding The Lord’s Day” offers these subjects worthy of our prayers for the ministry of our own local church:

1. Pray for your pastor to be well rested and fully prepared to proclaim God’s truth through the teaching and preaching ministry.
2. Pray for God’s people to make The Lord’s Day a priority and to attend the services of the church.
3. Pray for a readiness in every person who attends to receive the Word of God, to hear it, and to act upon it.
4. Pray for the regeneration of the lost, and for the rejuvenation of the saved.
5. Pray for God the Holy Spirit to bring deep conviction upon hearts.
6. Pray for God’s power to be evident through the preaching of God’s Word.
7. Pray that the Word of God would run freely in hearts and be glorified.
8. Pray for the pastor to preach behind the authority of God, and not be concerned about being a comedian, or a celebrity.
9. Pray for the musicians to communicate God’s truth faithfully and heartily, and draw attention to God rather than to themselves.
10. Pray for the church of Jesus Christ to see souls saved, baptized, and added to the church.

Each of these points are further developed in the article.

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And, on a similar theme Pastor Joos offers us “5 Things Your Pastor Needs on the Lord’s Day”

1. Pray for the power of God’s Spirit as your Pastor preaches and teaches God’s Word.
2. Pray for God’s people to attend the worship services of your church.
3. Pray for God’s people to be receptive to God’s Word.
4. Pray for stamina and physical strength for your Pastor.
5. Pray for patience and longevity for your Pastor.

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Now, turning to Pastor Johnson’s offering, “Five Reasons You Should Go to Church This Sunday”

1. You need to be around other Christians.
2. Other Christians need you to be around them.
3. You need Bible teaching from God-appointed Pastors.
4. You need both to sing and hear singing.
5. You need to remember that Christ’s church is a holy, healing community in a new covenant of grace.

There you have it, some simple, Biblical advice from pastors of local churches. I’d encourage you to go to each of these posts and “read the whole thing.” You will find them edifying for your soul. They encouraged my heart as I thought about them and shared them with the folks in our local church.

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Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.

1. Heritage Baptist Church, Dover, NH [↩]
2. Grace Baptist Church, West Valley City, Utah [↩]