We were warmly welcomed at North Park Church, where we were invited to worship. We found good signage; it is a large complex and there was only time to see a small part of the facility.
I noticed no mention of missions in the literature I saw. There does seem to be a healthy mix of ages in the congregation. The church body sang the worship songs with passion. To me there seemed a high ratio of male voices, which is unusual in all churches.
I could tell that there was a large cross behind the screen, but when the screen was raised for the sermon, for me it was like coming through the tunnel and seeing the City of Pittsburgh: it was a special moment.
The sermon was on the basics of our lives: Jesus is essential. The pastor revealed a bit of the Antichrist in us and those around us in that we are happy to have Christ in us but resistant to be also in Him. We gladly claim the Savior, but not so acknowledging Him as Lord.
The pastor spoke with the conviction of Christ and let Christ speak through him. It was refreshing to hear the Word preached without excuses. I think we accommodate people for so long that we forget what we believe.
God is calling us to be rhinos. A dear friend who is an engineer related to us once that a rhino charges at a speed that far exceeds its eyesight, so that he cannot see what he will be running into. The time has come for all of us to be rhinos for Christ. Make no apologies for your faith…your witness may save a life.
Over Christmas we received a kind invitation via email to visit this church. I had heard of it before and it was “on our list” but I really knew nothing about it.
The directional signage as we pulled into the parking lot was most helpful, and parking spaces marked for visitors are a clear indication of a hospitable church.
The building is rather new, quite large, and well-kept with excellent directional signage. Many people greeted us, though I’m not at all sure they knew we were visitors (which does not matter in the least).
The bulletin was well arranged and attractive to the eye. I especially liked the font.
The large Sanctuary contains comfortably-padded pews that were filled to capacity. The praise band consisted of a drummer, two female vocalists, a pianist, a keyboardist, and a violinist, and the music sounded professional. (We learned in conversation after the service that the Director of Music and Worship was a professional musician.)
I realize that we often comment negatively regarding the volume of the music, so I feel compelled to say that the volume today was perfect. We sat toward the back, as usual, but not once today did I think that the volume was excessive. (My ears and my head were grateful.)
Making announcements during the offertory seemed to work exceptionally well, and I appreciated that the screen was put up during the sermon. I knew Bob would like that too, since it revealed a plain but beautiful wooden cross.
The sermon, entitled “BASICS: Jesus is Essential,” was based on 1 John 2:18-27, and was part of a series. When I first saw the title I wondered if the series was geared toward those new to the faith, but nothing could have been further from the truth. The main point (as expressed on the sermon notes insert) was that “Jesus is essential for discerning the truth, fighting hard for truth, enduring in the truth, and enjoying eternal life.” He spoke to points with which most Christians struggle (Christians I know, anyway) such as the Antichrist, eschatology, cultural pressure to conform, knowledge, discernment, religious pluralism, and eternal life.
His instruction included using Scripture to interpret Scripture and to define one’s position on cultural issues, how to identify false teachers, the admonitions that “The fight for truth is now” and “Where there is no truth, there is no love,” as well as encouragement to know that God has given believers His Holy Spirit. He concluded with the lovely directive to “Be winsome but never compromising, and be joyful in the journey.” It was one of the most challenging, interesting, courageous, on-target sermons I’ve heard in a long time.
Following the service we were given a tour of the children’s space, which was truly outstanding, and had a pleasant visit with the gentleman who had emailed us and the Director of the Children’s Ministry. I was truly blessed by our visit today.
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