We are coming to the end of our fiscal year. After worship this morning we will offer our budget for approval. This is a time of great joy for our Congregation. 2012 has been a good year for us. But to those whom God has blessed comes the responsibility to use wisely His gifts. One way we are using our money this year is by blessing some of our local ministries with a portion of our gifts. We would like to be a voice of blessing in our community, particularly in the city of Pensacola. Proverbs 11 says: “By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.” Blessing a city means working for her good, and that means that we must be intentional about blessing her. A city represents the voice of its people. If the voice of the people is a voice of passivity towards those things the Bible considers important, then the enemy wins. But if we put into action our blessings, then as Solomon says “the city rejoices.”
My exhortation to you is “Bless the City.” Love the city. When we pray “thine kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” we are praying that God would transform this city, so that she may reflect the glory of heaven.
This morning we are beginning the task of blessing the city by worshipping the King of the City, Jesus Christ. Let us worship him together.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of
that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their
glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the city of Pensacola.
Allow your Church to be the voice of reason in an irrational culture.
Send us honest and able leaders. May peace prevail, may false balances be
eliminated, and your gospel change the hearts of dying man through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
