Scripture
– Colossians 1:15-20
He
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him
all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through
him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him
all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to
himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of
his cross.
On
the way to the church we chose to visit today God re-directed us to the church
we chose to visit. Bridgeway was meeting in the local school and did have a
sandwich board sign outside. When we showed up there was no sign, a full
parking lot, and a sports event on the field. I thought we would just select a
local church to visit but I first wanted to show Jan a church sign I had
noticed…it turned out to be the new location of Bridgeway.
We
were warmly welcomed and offered coffee; a few noticed my Marine shirt and
offered comments. I was pleased to see a large wooden cross, something I missed.
I brought
my earplugs but didn’t need them although the volume was a little high for the
announcements and the start of the message. The decibel level has been such a
problem in other worship services that the lower volume here added greatly to
my enjoyment of worship.
To
honor and thank the pastor, the deacons and elders came forward to lay on hands
and pray for him and his family. They also thanked the young woman who takes
care of the children during the service. I peeked in downstairs toward the end
of the service for what sounded like Junior Church.
The
pastor’s wife read the Scripture with passion and inflection, a welcome introduction
to the message. The sermon was part of a series and dealt with our complacency
as Christians. We are so used to Christ that we start to feel that we need
Jesus plus something else, that beyond the Creator we need some of what He
created. The Scriptures state Jesus reveals God, is the Creator/Sustainer, and
the Re-Creator/Reconciler. It was a good Biblical message and I felt God
speaking through him.
I
was remembering a bit from a movie where the lead character was leaving and
identifying the few useless items he was taking with him stating, “This is all
I need.” It sounds like us when we desire something He created over the
Creator.
We’ve
seen signs for this church for a while along Duss Avenue in Ambridge.
It’s
a friendly place: we were recognized immediately as visitors and greeted by
several folks, then invited to stay for refreshments afterward, which turned
out to be in recognition of Pastor Appreciation Month.
During
worship the church officers came forward and prayed for the pastor and his
family and the young woman who cares for the children during worship.
We
fully anticipated needing our earplugs, but such was not the case. They used
the same equipment as at other churches, but we had none of the usual issues
with the volume and I enjoyed the music.
The
brief presentation about preparing boxes for Operation Christmas Child was well-done,
informative, and cute.
The
message is part of a series called “Jesus is Better.” He pointed out that we
can become accustomed to knowing Jesus and come to take Him for granted. However
the single greatest need of the human heart is for reconciliation with the
Creator, and faith in Christ is the only route to that destination. He stated that
“freedom = living according to our design within the restrictions God has
designed for us, and then and only then can we function according to our design.”
I
couldn’t agree more with this message…it was a word of caution and a reminder
to stay focused on Christ.
Awesome Lord God, we pray we all remember that You are all we will ever need, and we all need to be forever with You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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