A Tough Job: Turning A Sinner From Wicked Way

It was a beautiful fall day as we gathered to worship Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church.

Wayne Johnson opened our service with prayer and special prayers were requested for Alesia Parish, Don Chaney's son, Amber Lemonds and Brother Mark's daughter Molly. Linda Abercrombie led the congregation in the responsive reading "Praise and Adoration" from Psalms 98. Tyrel Lett asked God's blessing upon our offertory and he and Rick Lett served as ushers. With Becky Johnson at the piano, Jerry Abercrombie led our congregational hymns of praise including "Victory in Jesus" and we were blessed with special music including "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" from Jim, Jamie and Bethany Leemasters.

Brother Mark Hall brought us God's message in the sermon "The Toughest Job of All" with scripture from James 5:19-20 which says "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

Brother Mark talked about growing up on the farm and the tough jobs that you do with it, like digging post holes in rocky ground and hauling hay when it's hot. "There are a lot of tough jobs out there and everyone's idea of a tough job is different. In verse 20, James is talking about a tough job -- turning a sinner from his wicked ways. As Christians, we comfort, care and help one another, but do we help the sinners? No one is worthless if Jesus died for them. When we don't want to do a tough job, we make excuses or try to justify why we don't help someone."

Brother Mark referred to Galatians 6:3 as it talks about the qualifications. "Sometimes we like to act like we are spiritual until it's time to put it into action. It takes a truly spiritual person to restore someone. There is a qualification or method for that. The qualification is spirituality and the method is gentleness.

Brother Mark talked about consideration or temptation which is being drawn away and enticed by our desires. I Timothy 6:9-10 says "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Brother Mark then asked, "How do we flee our own temptations? We all think we can justify our own but judge others for theirs. We always look at the temptations and struggles of others, but we make all kinds of reasons and excuses to justify our own and why they are okay, but not others." He referred to I Timothy 6:11-12 which says "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

"These are things," Brother Mark said, "which give us immunity from temptations. We are born with a sin nature. It is our nature and feeling guilty about it doesn't do any good. We are enticed and drawn away from God by our own desires. We have to put on the nature of Christ and yield to His way and then we can save a soul from death. We start out innocent, but what may not be sin in people's eyes, is in God's eyes if we depart from the faith. Someone may say that person used to be a Christian.

"We have departed from faith one step at a time. We get drawn away by our own desires. Who do you know that needs to be restored? It all starts with prayer. Talk to God about it. Talk them back or pray them back. First we need to be spiritual and stay with the truth. Second, we need to be gentle and never put them down and be considerate of ourselves. Get them under conviction. People are falling away from God and the truth in record numbers. People are falling way from faith one step at a time. Who do you need to pray for before it is too late? We live in a cordless society. We don't run forever. We need to be recharged and the alter is where we get recharged. If you have wandered away, you need to come back. If you know someone who has wandered away, you need to help restore them and get them under conviction. It all starts with prayer."

Our hymn of invitation was "Softly and Tenderly" and Wayne gave the benediction.

We invite you to worship with us at Mill Creek Baptist Church each Sunday morning at 11. Sunday school begins at 10. Everyone is welcome.

Mill Creek is located 3½ miles east of Noel just off Highway 90.

Religion on 10/08/2015