We were greeted by Wayne Johnson, who opened our Sunday morning worship with prayer at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Special prayers were requested for Ruth Robinson, Dot Harnar, Maxine Stephenson, Debbie Taylor, Marsha Butler, Susan's mother, Katie and travel prayers for some. In announcements, the business meeting will be held at 7 p.m. this evening and fall fellowship will be at the Collingsworths at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1.
Linda gave the devotional "Windows" and read Colossians 3:1-3. We are to think about things of heaven, not earth. Life is like windows. Large windows let in light and small and few windows make us feel cramped. The windows we look through help predict our future. We need to look through windows of forever to remember who we are and where we are going. We should be on life's journey that will end in fulfillment which helps us face our troubles and live with hope in our heart on this earth.
With Becky Johnson at the piano, congregational hymns included "Pass It On," with special music by Karen Gardner who sang "I Asked the Lord." Tyrel Lett asked God's blessing upon the offertory and he and Wayne served as ushers.
Our pastor, Brother Mark Hall, brought us God's message "The Truth Shall Set You Free" as he has been preaching about truth this month. John 8:31-32 says "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.'" Brother Mark began by telling us that as Christians, we all have an obligation and that is to know the truth. Verse 31 tells us what we have to do to be Jesus' disciples and that is to abide in His word.
Brother Mark talked about someone who got set free and that was the woman at the well from John 4:4-25. In verse 24 Jesus tells us that "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Our objective at Mill Creek Baptist Church is to worship God in spirit and truth and abide in His word.
As Brother Mark talked about the woman at the well, he told us three things about her: she was blinded by Satan, she was bound by sin and she was broken by sorrow. "Her problem was that she did everything the world expected and demanded of her. Does that sound familiar? They looked down on her for that. That is not an excuse for her, but Jesus had compassion for her like He does us," Brother Mark told us. "Jesus taught her about worship just like He does us.
"First, we must worship the right person and there is only one and that is God the Father. It is idolatry otherwise. Jesus calls God the Father 70 times in the Bible." Brother Mark read, I Corinthians 8:5-6.
"Second, we must worship in the right place. Every place and every day is sacred. When you get saved, you became His sanctuary." Brother Mark read Acts 17:24-26 and I Corinthians 6:19-20 and told us that because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can worship anywhere.
"Why come to church then? To show others that God and people are important to us. We come as worshipers to worship together for our love for God and one another. That's how the world knows we belong to Him. We must worship the right person, at the right place and with the right spirit." Brother Mark referred to Hebrews 10:25 .
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." He told us that church is good, but we must be real to God and worship with sincerity and genuineness. We must worship in truth based on the word of God. That is when we get close to God."
The fourth thing about worship is that we must worship for the right purpose. Brother Mark said, "Don't get lost in going to church for what you can get, but for what you can give. Worship God in order to bless Him. Our blessing is a bonus." Psalm 103:22 says, "Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!" Brother Mark told us worship is about blessing the Lord, because what we have, he gave to us. "The best is the last and that is the everlasting. If we have blessed the Lord, we have worshiped correctly.
Worship the Father in spirit and truth. The number one other purpose to come to church is to get saved and confess Jesus Christ before man. Then you come to church to bless God and worship in spirit and truth."
Our hymn of invitation was "I Surrender All," and Wayne Holly gave the benediction.
We invite you to worship with us Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. at Mill Creek Baptist Church located 3 1/2 miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. and everyone is welcome.
Religion on 09/28/2017