In a retreat held in a Jiangsu church, Rev. Chen Dehong, president of Yancheng CC&TSPM, preached two sermons on how Christians could return to the foundation and beginning of their faith.
In a sermon he gave at the Xuande Church in Zhenjiang on October 17, Rev. Chen shared how believers can return to the beginning of their faith.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of attendees in many churches decreased. At the same time, some cults became more and more rampant, so churches and believers should think how to return to their original faith.
1.Bethel
“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” (Genesis 28:18-19) After Jacob deceived Esau and received his father's blessing, he fled in fear and escaped from his brother. In the wilderness, he fell asleep and met God in his dream where he was given the promise that all people on earth would be blessed through him and his offspring. He called the place Bethel. Rev. Chen encouraged the church to go back to Bethel, as it is the home of the living God and where we can engage Him.
2. Bethlehem
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
Bethlehem could also be called the "house of bread", "granary" or "house of supply", because Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he was the bread of life. Coming from Bethlehem, he fed all nations. In the biblical story of Naomi, she left her family in Bethlehem and journeyed to Moab because of the famine in the land. However, this did not solve her problem because her husband and son both died. Naomi, who had no one to rely on or no one to give her hope, had to go back with her daughter-in–law to her hometown of Bethlehem. There God gave her a full life again. So which location serves as a place of spiritual sustenance for believers? It is with the Bible in our hands and prayers in our hearts that we can find fulfillment in our spiritual lives.
3. Bethany
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” (John 11:1)
Bethany was called the "House of Figs," because the place comforted and satisfied Jesus. In John11:5 it states that Jesus loved Martha, his spiritual sister, and her brother Lazarus. Jesus was pleased and satisfied because they trusted, loved and understood him. Today, believers must return to God's guidance and do what can please and satisfy Him. Followers of Jesus should deny themselves and take up the cross, and be willing to pay the price of following the Lord.
As Christians on their faith journey, it is easy to gradually forget the foundations of faith and the beginning when they pursued the truth. The teachings in the Bible, such as the redemption and grace of the Lord’s cross, love and salvation, were not just learned in the first stage, but need to be meditated on and carried out throughout our life of faith. We should always look back to strengthen the foundations of our faith, and then we will be able to go higher and farther in our journey of faith.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
