Matthew
16:15 – “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Matthew
7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will
say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in
your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Luke
6:46-49 – “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will
show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into
practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the
foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could
not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and
does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground
without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed
and its destruction was complete.”
We
left early for church and got there just in time…men don’t ask directions.
We
were greeted at the door and given a visitor flyer, and when we requested
direction to the rest rooms we were led there. There did seem to be signage,
but nothing directional from the narthex.
We
have visited a church with the same architecture but I can’t remember where: high
pointed ceiling covered in knotty pine and triangular el’s on either side. I was
disappointed not to see a cross till the screen was raised at the end of the
service to reveal a large cross on the wall behind it. There were few seats
left when the service started. We were told the pastor was away so it seemed
unusual for a packed sanctuary.
A
number of different lay people offered prayers throughout the service and
seemed comfortable doing so.
The
message was delivered by a heart surgeon who provided a whole sheet of
Scripture references pointing to an affirmation of Christ. A considerable echo
made him hard to understand, but the sermon was shown on slides.
A
highlight: truth is not subjective, you can’t create your own; we are called to
be enslaved to Christ; and the conclusion if you are saved, lived like you mean
it.
I
have a neighbor for whom I have felt called to lay hands on for healing prayer,
but I have a sense he is not a believer from his lack of response to some of my
Christ talk. This is the third week in a row where the sermon has called us to
not just talk the talk but to walk the walk. I am slow, but now know how God
wants me to offer Christ Jesus’ healing of heart and soul.
Today
we were feeling our age so we were especially grateful for the “Visitor”
parking.
Upon
our first step inside we were offered a bulletin, and upon our second step we
were asked if we were visitors. Since the service was just beginning when we
arrived, we hoped to find the restrooms quickly and get into the sanctuary, but
we encountered a visitor greeter who took his job very seriously.
We
entered the sanctuary during the announcements, and then witnessed a moment of
appreciation and sending for the first youth pastor of this church and his wife
as they prepared to leave for mission work in Spain.
The
large sanctuary was filled almost to capacity. The areas of the campus that we
saw were meticulously decorated and cared for.
The
praise band consisted of drums, a piano, three guitars, and one male singer and
one female singer, and their sound was unexpectedly perfect together.
The
pastor is on vacation, and the guest preacher was Dr. Cherian John, a
cardiologist in the tri-state area. His message (to be concluded next week) was
entitled “Who Do You Say That I Am?” and was full of many more Scripture
references and much, much more information than I could hope to recount.
A
couple of the many “bottom line” ideas were that the truth is true even if you
choose not to believe it, if you are saved then you should live like you mean
it, and that the fine print includes the assurance that believers will
encounter persecution. The message was deep, Scripture was constant, and
history was strongly emphasized.
Next
week’s message will compare Christian faith with the beliefs of other religions
and, based on this message, I expect it will be educational.
Lord, we pray this church hears Your call to walk and talk for You. May they take Your witness to all they meet, encouraging others to bring their questions and find that You are the answer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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