Monday, May 29, 2017

Dutilh Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Dutilh Church, 1270 Dutilh Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.776.1094, www.dulilhumc.org, Tom Parkinson, Senior Pastor.


Scripture

Acts 1:1-11 –

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Romans 10:17 –

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.


Bob’s thoughts:

We were greeted by one of the pastors who let us know it would be okay to bring our coffee in for worship; this is always a question for visitors.

The sanctuary has an interesting modern flat ceiling with a low center arch. The large cross in front is framed by a stained glass window. There are some great banners on the walls displaying minimal color.

The message, part 6, was “Can I Get a Witness?” Christ ministry was in a very small geographical area and most people didn’t know of Him, which required people to witness about Him. Faith in Christ was spread by these witnesses and the reality is, this is still how it grows. Christ was limited on Earth by the human constraints of time and space.

People seem hesitant to tell their story, much as the worship leader professed. My answer is always, “Christ claiming me was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, how can I be quiet about it?”

I’ve known many people who try to intellectualize their way to Christ, but it just won’t happen. However, your story may encourage them to faith.

He cautioned to remember, when witnessing, display the love of Christ. If you are not being Christ-like, it could invalidate your witness. Be bold, witness not in “Paul’s Jesus,” but in your Jesus.


Jan’s thoughts:

Being a holiday weekend, we decided to worship someplace nearby. Our last visit here came only a couple of weeks after this pastor’s arrival.

We arrived plenty early, got a cup of coffee, and sat in the café area. Since this church has three Sunday services, I was not surprised when only the Associate Pastor greeted us.

Eventually the sanctuary was filled, but since this was a contemporary service, we found seats easily. I had forgotten how beautiful the unusual windows were, and the banners were also distinctive: mostly white with gold colored accents.

The people sitting near us welcomed us warmly during the greeting time.

The sermon was the sixth and final part of the series SHARE and was entitled Can I Get a Witness? It focused on the fact that all believers are called to be witnesses and he outlined the three steps it takes to be a witness:

1 – You must have a personal experience with the Gospel.

2 – You must declare what you know to be true. Declaring God’s truth means telling others how the story of Jesus has become MY story so that it will become THEIR story.

3 – You must display the love of Christ in your life. Our character can validate or invalidate our witness, and when we don’t extend the grace we have received, the window gets foggy and Jesus becomes unclear. (I thought this was very well put.)

He encouraged the congregation to use the half sheet of paper included in the bulletin to share their story and be witnesses, so we did also.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray for Your continued presence and guidance as this church moves to become an overwhelming witness to this community. Amen.

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