Bible Verses for Sunday Service January 15, 2023
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Zechariah 8:21
The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’
Announcements:
Everyone is welcome to join us for a potluck right after church. Our annual business meeting will follow. We will be electing officers, and voting on the budget for the coming year. We will consider a project involving the support of a missions’ training center with ACTS International. We will also consider changing the means of heating the old church building (fellowship hall and classrooms) from electric heat to a gas furnace with central air. Lastly, we will consider a plan to support missions automatically if the church giving continues in its current generosity, above the amount needed for the budget.
Be sure to check to see if your information is correct on our preliminary copy of the church directory. Today is the last day to make sure your entries are correct. Also be sure to complete a directory form update and leave it on the table if you are not in the directory, but wish to be.
The Awana kids will be making cars to race on Saturday, March 4. This is a great event that creates a lot of fun and excitement for the kids and their parents. We will be needing some help setting up and running the event, so consider giving a Saturday morning to help. Car kits are available for $5.
Pastor Jim and Gaylene thank everyone for the generous gifts given them for the Christmas and Pastor Appreciation. They are thankful for the encouragement and support given them all year long. They are blessed, and thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve here.
Sermon:
Working his way through Luke, Pastor was in Luke 3:1-14 for service today. In these verses, Luke tells of the start of John the Baptist’s ministry. Pastor chose to describe that ministry in a message he called “Real Repentance.” To set the stage Pastor introduced the idea of what the world might describe as repentance, Pete Rose selling baseballs for $300 in which he apologized to baseball. He contrasted that with an example from scripture, Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus. He exhibited real repentance.
Now what are the other qualities of real repentance that John the Baptist exhibited? His entire message was that real repentance brings remission of sin. Not only was that the message, it is God’s message to sinners spoken through John the Baptist. And spoken in sharp terms. He called the scribes and Pharisees a brood of vipers. Perhaps he was stern in his admonishing because he knew God’s message of salvation that repentance is first, then believe in the Gospel. Pastor provided two verses to support this view, Mark 1:15, where we are instructed to repent and believe the gospel, and Acts 20:21, that repentance is for everyone, the Jew and the Greek.
Pastor also observed that real repentance brings a change of life. John the Baptist phrased this a fruits worthy of repentance. Being sorrowful over our sin is not enough in of itself. And we know we cannot bring this change ourselves. Pastor pointed out that Jeremiah asks in Jeremiah 13:23, can a leopard change its spots? No, neither can we change our hearts. All we have is the potential to change when we repent. But has the power to make us a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17. To be truly repentant, we must change.
Change is a necessity. It is such that if there really is no change then there is no fruit. We must have a open heart towards others. For this change we can think of it as areas of our life that change through the power of Christ. Scripture records Jesus’ explanation of this, the vine model. We are the branches He is the vine, if we abide in Him we will bear much fruit. Lastly, Pastor reminded up that any hard hardheartedness requires repentance, and it is good for us to continually examine our hearts for this hardheartedness and, if we find it, repent.
So if we understand John the Baptist’s message we will continually repent. Repentance is not a one time event. In closing Pastor encouraged us to consider this advice this week, and if we find a hard heart towards anything repent of it, and look to Jesus, author and perfecter of our faith.
Accessing the Service, Bulletin and Sermon Outline:
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