Sunday, January 24, 2010 -- Northeast & Northwest Regional Service

 

Announcements -- Bruno
Special one time contribution for Haiti next week 1/31 coordinated by HOPE Charlotte
Make check to "Hope WorldWide" and write "disaster Response fund" in memo line

 

Church basketball league starting -- call Bruno or Corrie to sign up

 

Communion -- Sean Davis
Romans 10:8
He is a son, he should feel some parallel with Christ in this passage
but he had a distant relationship with his parents.  They never said I love you.   Nothing is good enough for them, very discouraging.
He was happy to leave his family to go into the military.  That's not the relationship God wants with us. 
He and Isabelle are both school teachers.  Some students come to school and don't want to learn.   Don't have a teachable heart.   Some students give the impression of doing well, but they are not.   We can be the same way with God.  
How are we doing in our relationship with God?   Do we think we know everything already? Are we giving up?

 

Ron Drabot -- Revelations, continued
attendance last week 775 in three regions;   the week before it was 804
Melinda was baptized last week in the SW region, Latino ministry
Tracy Johnson will be baptized today in the North
The teens have 9 Bible Talks set up in the high schools
We strive to live to God's standard
people should ask us "why are you so happy?"
Next week -- special contribution for Haiti --350 disciples in the Haiti church; 9 are reported dead; 150 disciples haven't been found yet
The Port-au-Prince church building completely crumbled
50 or so disciples are meeting on the church property, sleeping outside (plus 60 or so family members)
Mark Ottenweiller, who worked as a doctor for Hope in Africa for 20 years, brought food and water to the church, he arrived the day they ran out of food and water
God was calling people in the first century to live for Christ, even through tribulation, the same as today

 

Revelations 2
-- review of introduction and Rev 1 --
vs. 1-7   church in Ephesus  labor for God during the week to the point of physical pain
one thing they lack, they forgot their first love
it needs to be more then showing up for church
laboring in prayer, reading the Bible and trying to become what you read

 

vs. 8-11  church in Smyrna
angel = representative
ten = complete period of time
vs. 8 words of Jesus
we serve the one, true God, raised from the dead
vs. 9  in poverty because wouldn't bow down to the emperor
Smyrna was the city known for emperor worship
Many Jews became Christians, but many Jews did not

 

Aba Abeen (sp?)  said that the early church advanced quickly because of Saul, and because of the hatred of the Jews
Polycarp was martyred in Smyrna -- he prepared a meal for the men who were going to kill him, asked for one more hour of prayer.  
The soldiers watching him were repenting because he prayed so fervently, they begged him to deny Christ by calling the
Emperor Lord.   They had to stab Polycarp because the fire would not burn him at the stake.  
The synagogue of Jews was against God, called the synagogue of Satan.   How many people call themselves Christians and use Jesus' name as a swear word?
They would say they believe but that we are fanatics
vs. 10  they knew some would die, they knew there would be suffering
Being a great disciple doesn't mean you will avoid suffering, but you will overcome suffering
He challenges them to be faithful to the end
vs. 11 for us today as much as for them, we will live forever

vs. 12-17  Church of Pergamum
double edged sword- The Word
Heb 4  cuts you and shows you where you stand with God
Keep focused on my relationship with God, keep growing and changing

 

Numbers 23 & 24 Balaam -- enticed Israel, wanted material gain rather than spiritual
they were committed to making money; compromise; they believed you don't have to put God first because he gave you talents that should come first
vs. 14  sexual immorality -- not pure
Eph 5  not even a hint of immorality
Mark 9  whoever causes someone to stumble
Doing it God's way will bless your life beyond your dreams
1 John 1-  confess to God when you sin
James 5 confess to your brother or sister
Do what it is right -- it is tough
vs 15  Nicolaitans -- worldly practices; the Israelites ate things sacrificed to idols and committed fornication
vs. 17  Manna - God will provide for you
white stone - given to a victorious soldier; a slave set free; an athlete who wins

 

vs. 18-29   church in Thyatira
fire = all powerful
bronze = strongest metal
vs. 19  I know your deeds - God knows you better than anyone else; he knows  your thoughts, your actions in private
What would God say about you?
we need to be more zealous for God today then we were in the beginning
vs. 20   Jezebel in the old testament - evil woman with a bad ending (we don't name girls Jezebel anymore).   Immoral
We need to be loving, teach them right, God had given her time to repent
There are those in the audience today with a secret life - teens from their parents; places on the internet; affairs
These secrets will send you to hell; will destroy your life and those around you
devastate your spouse and children; you become distant from people
vs. 22 your life will become a mess if you live that way
Ron believes AID's is a result of sin in most cases today
vs. 24  Satan's so-called deep secrets -- Nostacism, asetics denied themselves, libertines have knowledge of God and can be immoral
secrets of Satan - need to experience sin so you can relate to people and be effective
If you've been through it, use it for God, but don't go through it by choice. 

 

from Foxe's Book of Martrys
Felecia Tavis (sp?)- well known, wealthy family, devout Christian, 7 sons who were devout Christians, all martyred.  They made the mother watch them kill all seven of her sons and then cut off her head
Sanctus - burned to death
Glendina - Christian woman, very weak physically, beaten and tied to a stick with lions around her.   The lions didn't attack her twice in the arena, the lions attacked her the third time.   She would not recant her love for Jesus; they finally killed her with a sword. 

 

Don't tolerate sin in each other's lives;  repent of your own secrets