Our senior pastor, Larry Crawford, brought our Sunday morning message: "Two Legs and a Piece of an Ear."
We stood for opening prayer and the reading of God's Word.
The scripture reading was taken from Amos 3:11-12, I Peter 5:8, Proverbs 22:13, and Proverbs 26:13-14.
In the old testament, Israel was still remaining in the promised land. However, Judah, the northern kingdom, had been sent away for disobeying God. A few years later, Israel had failed to turn away from their sinful ways, and God sent Amos to warn them that they were in the same position that Judah had been in and would soon face the consequences. Amos was one of three prophets that God had sent to warn the Israelites of the their spiritual weakness. Hosea and Isaiah were the other two. Amos came from a farmer's background, so there was no eloquent speeches in his warnings from God. He related it to what he was familiar with.
Amos 3:11-12
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
12 Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
Amos came from Tekoa, a town in Judah. He had witnessed Judah being hauled off due to their disobedience, sinful nature and negligence. Amos compared Israel to a lamb that was being consumed by a roaring lion. As God is represented as the shepherd, He reaches in to the lion's mouth to retrieve what He can, hoping that He can salvage all He can from the lion. Unfortunately, the only thing remaining at this time is a couple of legs and a piece of an ear. Israel had allowed itself to be devoured by its sins.
I Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Here the roaring lion, like in so many other places in the Bible, is a description of Satan. He is a predator that is going about, seeking those that he can devour.
Proverbs 22:13
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
This description is used again in Proverbs 26:13
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. 14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
After Jesus was resurrected, He went to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. Turning to Peter, He asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter replied that Jesus knew that he did. Jesus answered in turn, "Feed my lambs." It was here that Jesus commissioned His disciples and future followers to tend to the lost, sinning world. We are responsible for protecting the lambs (our children). He also told Peter to feed His sheep. Those are the others in the world. We are commissioned to teach them so that they are not consumed by the roaring lion.
Too often, we are aware of the roaring lion in the street but are unwilling to warn others that the danger is there. We have become cowardly and lazy -- too afraid that we will be mocked, persecuted or stopped from sharing our beliefs. Or we are too lazy to care enough that there are so many dying in their sins. Satan is there ready to devour them.
Knowing that our time here on earth is limited, we should feel the urgency to spread out the warnings to the world dying in its sin. We should be reaching out to the lost. Are we teaching our children about Christ dying for them, so that none should be lost? Are we teaching our neighbors? You would risk your life to pull back someone from the street as a car races toward them. You would admonish your children if they tried playing with matches. Are we feeling the desperation or urgency to snatch them back from the fiery pit? Are we living a life of Christianity in front of our peers as a witness?
The big question is: "Are we going to have anything left to salvage, or is it a couple of legs and a piece of an ear?"
Please come join us for church. We have two services. The Early Morning service is at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday School immediately afterwards. The Mid-Morning Service will start at 11 a.m.
Please check out our FBCP Teen Group Facebook page.
Friday night, Bible Study will start at 6:30 p.m.
The nursing home ministry will be at Golden Living Center in Anderson at 3 p.m. every other Saturday afternoon.
Kids for Christ is now happening during Wednesday night service. We are studying the Armor of God. This will be our last week. VBS will be Aug. 10 through Sept. 7. We will have meals starting at 6 p.m., and lessons will be 6:30-8. This year's lesson will be "The Amazing Race."
The 2016 Church Camp will be July 28-30 for 1st through 6th Graders. Cost is $30 per child.
The teen camping/floating trip will be Aug. 11-12. Cost is $5 per teen. Please contact Ryan for more information.
You can hear a rebroadcast of one of our pastors' services on KURM radio, 100.3 on the FM dial, at 8:30 Sunday mornings. Or listen to our pastors' services on our website at www.firstbaptistchurchpineville.com/Sermons.html.
If you have no church home of your own, we would love for you to join us in ours (off the northeast corner of Pineville square, just behind U.S. Bank). No friendlier, down-home church can be found anywhere in the four-state area.
Religion on 07/21/2016