Our Sunday Morning Service, for Sept. 17, 2017, was brought to us by our Senior Pastor Larry Crawford Jr., reading from the book of John 11:1-46. The message titled "God's Job."
Now in this story we have been told that Lazarus has been dead for four days. Even his sister said "Lord he stinketh." Now it's not difficult to understand how a body would decay faster beneath the hot Middle Eastern sun. Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary, has died, been buried and our Lord is about to raise him from the dead. In just a little while he is going to walk home a living man. These are four steps to his walk home. Between the time he lies in the grave and the time he walks across the threshold and enters his house. There are three steps I have called Our Job, God's Job, and their Job.
The Lord raised three dead people that we know of in his ministry, first a child, second a youth and third an adult.
"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. John 11:39.
"Take away the Stone." That's our part, because Jesus raised this man from the dead and because he gives this man, his friend, new life, He said "Take away the Stone.
Don't you think He could've done it without the stone being moved? Couldn't He have moved it Himself? He could have but He wouldn't. Apart from God, man can do nothing. Without man, God will do nothing.
God uses human instruments to do his work. In the Old Testament He used animals, visions, dreams, miracles and angels. But now he uses men, women, boys and girls who have Jesus in their heart, "To take away the stone."
As Christians, we are a walking, talking sermon. We have the Gospels to teach us how to be a Christian. As Christians, do you read God's word? Pray? Witness to non-believers? Go to church? Not all saved people act like Christians. Can someone else tell you are a Christian? Can your life lead someone else to the Lord? Would someone be able to follow you?
Our part is to remove the stone. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6.
Joseph Stalin studied for Priesthood in an orthodox church in Russia. Karl Marx came to New York, and then went to a Baptist church and didn't hear the Gospel. Mahatma Gandhi "I would be a Christian if it wasn't for Christians," Red Cloud "Show me first a Christian who believes what he says and lives it." John Dillinger went to church as a "bus kid" and was not accepted and as they say: "the rest was history."
Religion today doesn't want to do their part and then turn around and wants to do God's part for him! Do not be an obstacle for a non-believer.
If you do not have a home church of your own, we would love for you to join us at First Baptist Church, east of the Museum Square in Pineville. Just behind the US bank. No friendlier, down-home church can be found in the four-state area. Please check out our FBCP Teen Group Facebook Page.
Our first session of AWANAS, starts Sept. 20, 2017, at 6 p.m. Dinner served.
Nursing Home Ministry meets at McDonald County Living Center in Anderson at 2:30 p.m. every other Saturday. WMU meeting is the second Tuesday of the month.
Have you read your Bible today? If not read Genesis Chapter 2.
Religion on 09/21/2017