Tyrel Lett was celebrating a birthday, and Wayne Johnson opened our service with prayer Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church.
Special prayers were requested for Lane Killion, Payton Vanderpool, Cleo's grandson, John Bradford's niece, Steve's son-in-law and Rhonda Renfrow. Janice Mason shared a praise.
Angela Hamilton shared the devotional, "The Best Antidepressant," and read scripture from Psalm 33:4-5 and Psalm 3:3. She told the story of the struggles during the depression and keeping depression at bay. God's promise is that He will rescue and shield us from the enemy. Listen to the word of God and it will sustain you during those difficult times in life.
Rick Lett and Tyrel Lett served as ushers and collected the offertory, and we were led in hymns of praise by Becky Johnson and Karen Gardner, who sang "For Those Tears I Died."
Bro. Mark used I Corinthians 10:1-3 as scripture for the message as Paul talks about the children of Israel. Bro. Mark told us, "If you quit thanking God for those 'Thank you, Jesus!' moments, they will become less and less. We have a lot to be thankful for. As Christians, we sometimes look at people around us and their situation, circumstances, lifestyle and addictions and think, 'You poor people; it's too bad you are not as smart as me.' 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, 'Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.'"
Bro. Mark continued, "If you are a Christian, there is nothing special about you except Jesus. Nothing you can have is better than having Jesus in your life. Wisdom, money, property, education and prosperity are nothing to knowing God. Paul says we are no better than the Old Testament Israelites, and we should take heed from what happened to them in the Old Testament when they didn't do right. Verse 1 talks about being under the cloud, which is supernatural guidance. They all passed through the Red Sea, which is supernatural deliverance. And when they were baptized into Moses, they had supernatural leadership. Paul is telling us in this scripture that we don't have anything the Israelites didn't have, and if they went down, we can too. They were examples for us, and they fell into the mud hole so we could stay out of it. The reason that is all written for us is because when the spirit of God left them, they fell."
Bro. Mark explained the five reasons they fell.
"First, because they lusted. They didn't want the manna from heaven. Instead, they wanted the worldly stuff.
Second, they fell because they became idolaters. God's things became not good enough for them. They wanted worldly possessions. The trouble with worldly possessions is that you have them and then they have you and get between you and God.
The third reason they fell was because of sexual immorality. It is ruining our country. Immorality is always the consequence of idolatry. Numbers 25 talks about that in the Bible.
The fourth reason they fell is because of presumption. They tempted God. In Numbers 21, they dared God to live up to His promise. We need to show God respect like we do the highway patrolman when he is in sight -- not, "out of sight, out of mind."
And the last way they fell was through complaining and murmuring. Bro. Mark referred to Numbers 16:41 when the children of Israel complained against Moses.
In closing, Bro. Mark referred to 1 Corinthians 10:13 which tells us: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Bro. Mark told us the good news from that scripture is that God is faithful. The bad news is that there are no excuses. "God isn't interested in our excuses, only our holiness. You get involved in stuff you shouldn't be in and you get in trouble. Turn loose of your addictions and hold on to God. He broke the bonds of sin at the cross and is faithful. Turn your excuses into confession."
Our hymn of invitation was "Near the Cross," and Doug Cory gave the benediction. Dot Harnar thanked the congregation for donations for Christmas in July for the Noel Senior Citizens, and we invite you to stop and visit with us at our church booth at the McDonald County Fair and sign up for a free Bible.
We invite you to worship with us Sunday mornings at 11. Mill Creek Baptist Church is located 3.5 miles east of Noel, just off Highway 90. Everyone is welcome.
Religion on 07/21/2016