Bible Verses for Sunday Service July 23, 2023
Psalms 95:6
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
Announcements:
Thank you for your help on Work Day. We had a great day last week with several hard working people who gave their time to clean up and organize the church facilities. If you haven’t had a chance to peak into the new garage, be sure to do when you get the chance.
Our ladies are planning a garden tour on Saturday, July 29. We will meet at the church at 9AM or at the gardens, the Dan Walt Gardens (720 N. Washington St) at 9:30AM. Admission is $7.50, but children are free. Included at the gardens are a Japanese garden, a rose garden and a pond. After the tour, we will meet for lunch at a local restaurant. Gaylene would like to know who to plan for, so please let her know if you plan on attending, 406 672 9838.
We will have a chance to see Mae and Jonathan Helberg’s new baby on August 5. Proud mom and dad will bring Andrew Nathan to the church between 2 and 5PM. Mae would like you to RSVP if you plan on attending, by calling or texting her 406 702 6142. You can also email her at [email protected]. She says “no gifts required.”
We have a pavilion reserved for a picnic on Sunday afternoon, August 27. We will meet there right after church and enjoy an afternoon of fellowship and recreation. Besides the fun, we could also have baptisms in the lake if anyone wishes. Please contact Pastor Jim if you want to be baptized.
Sermon:
This Sunday, Pastor preached on Luke 9:49-56 in a sermon titled “Love Towards the Outsider.” Pastor Jim used these verses to explore how John, one of the Sons of Thunder changed to become known as the Apostle of Love. In this vignette, he was rebuked by Jesus for being sectarian, and rebuked twice for the same thing in a very short period. What can we learn from this passage? Pastor had two points for us to consider. He divided his insight into two categories.
For the first category, Pastor asked to use love towards those outside of our group to reflect on this Scripture. Consider that Jesus had given the disciples authority to cast out demons, which they had used, sometimes unsuccessfully. John’s reaction to someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name perhaps was motivated by jealousy – we want to stop him. But, this is not a loving response. Perhaps John was concerned over appearances, this exorcist was making the disciples look bad. Jesus however took this in hand with a simple explanation. Anyone who was working for the Kingdom was with them, not against them. He provided a reminder that with exclusiveness there is no love. We can all be critical and sectarian. But, this passage is reminder that we should not be this way.
In preaching the second category Pastor asked us to see that Jesus’ response to this and John’s offense at the Samaritan village missed the mark of love towards those outside of God’s grace. Pastor remarked on Jesus change here, setting his face towards his death in Jerusalem, and the path through the Samaritan village, the quickest route. By choosing the direct route, Jesus illustrated his determination to take up his cross. He can see it in his mind’s eye, less than a year away. But, this determination meant that the disciples showed their disdain. Angry at the Samaritans, John wants to incinerate them as Elijah did to Ahab’s army. Jesus instead illustrated His long suffering, His love.
To conclude, Pastor asked us to look forward in the Bible to Acts. There we find Peter and John visiting Samaritan villages to share the Gospel. And, besides this, other events on this year long journey to the cross illustrate Jesus’s love for those who are currently outside of God’s love by not knowing or not accepting the Gospel. So, let’s be people of love ourselves, illustrating the best of our Savior, modeling John’s response AFTER the cross, not before it.
Accessing the Service, Bulletin and Sermon Outline:
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