Hello Orange Cove Church Family & Friends of Orange Cove, Pastor’s Weekly Letter: March 17, 2014 – Messenger or Message? “Attending the worship service each week isn’t that important to me,” I can hear someone say. “Having fellowship with a brother or sister means more to me than being in church.” There are many reasons given by certain people as to why being in the worship service isn’t their priority. As I was sitting in the worship service this past Sabbath, while one of our elders was preaching, God’s Spirit was speaking DIRECTLY to me and CONVICTING me, my heart ached for those who werent inside the church. “By their fruits you shall know them,” Matthew 7:20. What are the fruits in your life? Are they in keeping with a healthy, mature disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you overcoming sin in your life? Are you kind and courteous to those you meet? Are you tolerant of others who don’t believe the way you do? Are you hungry to learn more and more about living out the life of Christ? Do you get up early every morning to spend time alone in God’s presence? Do you use EVERY opportunity to learn more about God? Your honest answers to these questions may indicate whether you are maturing as a Christian or not. God has made provision within the church for every person to mature as a disciple of Jesus Christ. The smaller bible study groups that meet every Sabbath morning and the in the homes during the week, provide opportunities for questions and answers and to be guided by Sabbath School Lesson Study teachers and small group leaders. This is like a street light that illuminates a broader subject where there are many people sharing and giving varied input. The preaching of the word is more like a laser beam, concentrated on a single focal point of truth. The Holy Spirit uses this uninterrupted focus to bring conviction to the heart of the hearers. What too often happens, is that the enemy deceives a Christian into focusing on the messenger instead of on the message. The messenger is human and has most probably has made mistakes, but he or she is still called by God to deliver His message. Jonah ran away from God. Moses wavered in speaking for God. Peter denied Christ. Paul persecuted God’s children. When a person focuses on the messenger, the message becomes insignificant. When a person focuses on the message, the messenger becomes insignificant. When a person is willing to listen to the message, God’s Spirit will craft the spoken words to bring a customized, personalized message directly to them. Acts 10:44 says that, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” The preaching of the word is a powerful tool used by God’s Spirit to bring conviction to the hearts of men. There is no interruption, no discussion, just a laser focus on one single aspect of God’s Holy Word. Hebrews 10:26, says, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some . . .” Have you been making excuses for missing the worship service and missing out on the outpouring of God’s Spirit? Have you been watering down the impact that corporate worship can have on your life? Do not allow the enemy to lure you from God’s laser beam shining every week in the worship service. No matter who is preaching the Word, the Holy Spirit has something special for you. As a young person I remember sitting in church while an elder read the sermon word for word. It was the most boring discourse I ever heard. Nevertheless, one simple thing he read impacted my life in a very profound way. I encourage you to take your attendance of the weekly worship service seriously and put aside your prejudices and personal biases. In humility and surrender, allow God’s Spirit to use this powerful tool to bring you to maturity as a disciple of Christ. Prayer for this week: “Father, forgive my resistance to the tools You wish to use to grow me to maturity. Give me humility, tolerance, openness and a hunger to use every single means You have provided to mold me into your image. Please LIKE OrangeCoveSDA on Facebook & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.’ If you missed the sermon this past week, you may watch it on YouTube by clicking on the following link youtu.be/zqcUvjjuKvM
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 20:07:48 +0000
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