Electronic Aggravation

Good Monday Morning To You!

I hope you had a terrific week. As for me --- I’m aggravated. We have a sound system at Church that is driving us nuts. It never works the same way twice. Our former music director took care of setting up the equipment and adjusting it each week. When he left, he showed several of us how to use it, and we made a diagram of what to plug where. The system was so upset with its change of handlers that it is acting like a spoiled brat. It literally does not like us. I think Bill Wolfe has somehow offended it. I took the mixer board back to Jay and Kay’s Piano Shop where we bought it and it worked just fine for them. Jay even took time to show us the proper way of setting it up. A total of five of us learned the proper procedures and it worked like a champ at the store, but when we took it back to church -----. You get the picture. I should add at this point that this hateful creature is only a little over a year old. I suspect the problem is in our speaker. Everything else seems to be just fine. This time when I take it in, I’m taking the whole kit and caboodle with me. It worked fine using their mics, wires, and speakers. Hopefully we can get an answer. If they can find an fault, we can eliminate operator error. I hope so; five brilliant Baptists can’t be wrong.

Yesterday was an awesome day at Friendship Harmony. Attendance was super, and the presence of the living LORD was with us. It is so good to be in a church where people love God and love each other. Sadly, that is not the case in all churches. All of us at Friendship Harmony Baptist Church are genuinely aware of the gift God has given us --- the gift of a unified congregation. What a tremendous blessing!!! I can’t tell you how many people who have visited from other places have said that if they lived in our community, they would definitely attend Friendship Harmony. God has blessed me twice to pastor extraordinary churches: Calvary Baptist in Cincinnati, and Friendship Harmony in Lee County Florida.

I concluded our “Walking” series with part 3 of our messages titled “Peripateo.” Remember, peripateo means to walk to prove you can. Below are the notes. I hope they are of benefit to you as you look deeper into God’s word. One way of having a peripateo walk is to study God’s word and to plumb its depths. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. Unfortunately, the notes cannot go into the depth the actual sermon did. With the coming of the video ministry, however, you will eventually be able to get it all.

Peripateo ©
Deut. 5:33
Walking Series 3 of 3 October 19, 2012
By Victor Cooper

Intro: Today we wrap up our look at the command to “peripateo;” walk to prove you can. We conclude by looking at some good reasons for walking in the ways of the LORD out side the fact that it is commanded.

I. Walking in God’s ways prevents sin.
Psalm 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
A. Iniquity means “evil; unrighteousness.”
1. Unrighteousness = not right with God
2. What we call a “little” sin, God calls it evil.
3. How much sin did it take before God chastised Adam, Eve, and all creation?
4. How much sin did it take for Jesus to have to die on a cross?
“By man’s way of thinking, taking a bite of a piece of fruit is not such a big thing, but look what it has done! Pastor Vic Cooper
B. You cannot walk in God’s ways and the world’s ways at the same time. Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

II. Walking in God’s ways guarantees light.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life
A. “Walk“ in this verse is “peripateo.” To paraphrase our Lord, “I am the light of the world: he that accompanies me shall not try to prove he can walk in darkness…”.
B. Since Jesus is light, the only way to walk in darkness is to purposely step away from Jesus.
1. Key word: purposely. Remember, peripateo means to walk to prove you can. To walk in darkness is a deliberate attempt to show you can.
2. To walk in darkness once you have been in the light is to tell God, “I’ll show You.”
That is called rebellion. It goes back to that unrighteousness we spoke of earlier.

III. Walking in God’s ways grants rest. (A paradox.)
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The paradox ---
How can walking be restful?

A. Logic: Any creature, man or otherwise, can only walk so long before fatigue sets in.
B. Resting is fine, but can lead to laziness if one enjoys the rest better than the walk.
1. Psalm 37:7a says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him…”
2. This, however, is not a rest from walking in God’s ways.
C. Walking in God’s ways guarantees rest because to do it one must be with the LORD.
1. “They that wait upon the LORD…” They walk with Him, not run ahead nor lag behind.
2. The old Gospel song says, “You’ve got to keep walking, keep walking, walking in the light of the Lord.”

Conclusion: We are called upon to walk to prove that we can. Primarily we are called upon to prove it to selves. It is encouraging to try it and succeed at it. It makes you want to keep going.

I hope you can join us at Friendship Harmony soon. If not, be sure to keep up with us here on the Monday Morning Blog. Either way, it is always a joy to visit with you. Here’s just a little preview of the message for this upcoming Sunday. “Our new body will be: imperishable; incorruptible; incapable of sin; incomprehensible.

Stay safe and well, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!