Sunday, March 8
Sunday School – Subject: A Prayer for Justice – Habakkuk 1 – Teacher: John Diffenderfer
When studying Habakkuk you realize again that there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
There was injustice during the life of Habakkuk and there is injustice today.
When do we let justice/injustice to God and when do we take it into our own hands? The strongest answer: Obey Scripture and listen to the Holy Spirit.
How do we get a burden for doing something for the sake of God and in spreading the Gospel? By following God’s Word by living and sharing the Word where we live.
We should be salt and light to those in our sphere of life.
Worship Service – Missionary Sermon – Minister: Rich Rhodes. Mennonite Pastor from Reading, PA.
He introduced his wife and family and had this link on his PowerPoint https://rfamilyministries.org/meet-the-rs/ so I checked it out and found this great photo of their family.
Sermon title: What Do You Do with Light?
He used a large flashlight as an example while telling a story of when his family lived in Thailand (I think it was Thailand. They lived in a few countries.) He was mowing their lawn one evening as it was getting dark. Because he didn’t want to accidentally surprise a snake or scorpion in the back corner of their yard, he used his flashlight.
You don’t turn on the dark – you turn on the light.
Of the Seven I Am’s in John 7 there is only one that can be transferred to us.
John 6:35 – I am the Bread of Life
John 8:12 – I am the Light of the World
John 10: 9 – I am the Door
John 10:11 – I am the Good Shepherd
John 11:25 – I am the resurrection and life
John 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and life
John 15:1 – I am the True vine
The only one that can be transferred to us is “light” because we are asked to be His light.
God is in the habit of sending light to dark places.
Rich asked this question several times throughout his sermon – expecting the audience to respond.
What do we do with light? Take it to darkness.
Our excuses continue to be the same as those in Luke 14 in the parable of the great banquet:
I cannot come because: I bought a field. I bought oxen. I married a wife.
Today we tell God: I cannot go because I must take care of my land, my job, and my family.
If you are willing to take light to darkness, ask God where it is dark and in need of light.
How do we take light to darkness? Give your life to doing God’s will.
Seek: Ask the Lord for direction.
Send: Plan and prepare to take light to darkness.
You are light. This is not a question but a statement – the words of Ephesians 5:8-9.
For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light for the fruit of the light is in every kind of goodness, rightness and truth.
Evening Worship – Preparing for and Praying for our upcoming revival meetings.
Opening by Ron Copenhaver: Revival is an effort we do together. It is not Mark Bucher’s revival. (Mark will be our evangelist.)
Vince Weaver talked about the revival of King Nebuchadnezzar after failing to honor God. What can revival produce? Unity and fruitfulness. Is God asking for revival in your heart?
Eric Litzenberger referred to Billy Sunday who was a famous baseball player and came to know Christ when we heard singing and walked into Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago.
From the internet: Billy estimated that he preached nearly 20,000 sermons between1896 to 1935.
Eric’s research found that 65,000 people came to know the Lord because of Billy’s sermons. Billy took the light of Jesus to his world – do we take the light of Jesus to our world?
Paul Heller focused on 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It takes humility to seek the Lord’s face and turn from our wicked ways.
To close the service Ron asked twelve men to come to the microphone and individually pray for our church, the people to whom we should be sharing light, and for our evangelist, Mark Bucher, while the audience sat or kneeled (each person’s choice).