I trust that all is well with you. I am doing fine, feeling good, and excited about what is going on at Friendship Harmony. We are a seasonal church, and the assumption is when our winter visitors are gone for the summer, we nearly go into hibernation. While that may be true in some places, it is definitely not true at our church.
I was called the other day and asked if I would start a new converts Bible study. No one has ever had to ask me twice about teaching the Scriptures. We are not calling it a new convert’s class. We are calling it “Basic Beliefs of Christianity.” It will be very useful for those new to the faith. It will also be good for people who are interested in basic Bible teachings. Believers who have been studying the word for a long time will be refreshed in returning to those tried and true doctrines they hold so dear. This new group will begin on Wednesday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m. If you are here, please feel free to join us. Contact me for the address of our study.
I am also excited about the young people who have been faithfully coming these past few weeks. It is so good to see that they feel the need to be in the house of the Lord. I told them if they would keep coming, we would look into some events they would enjoy. I am just absolutely excited about what God is doing at Friendship Harmony. I promise you, we will not roll over and go to sleep until the fall. Our fellowship dinners will continue, the video ministry will move forward, and some other things are in the works. I’ll tell you more about that after some details have been worked out.
Yesterday was another great day at Friendship Harmony. The attendance was good, and the service was blessed. I truly wish each of you could come and experience Friendship Harmony! As I’ve said many times in the past, you do not simply attend our church. You experience it.
The morning message was. “Missed Opportunities.” In it we looked at missing Jesus’ leadership, missing Jesus’ teachings, and missing Jesus’ fellowship. The sermon came from Matthew 26: 30-45, and looked at the opportunities the disciples missed, and how that if we’re not careful, we can miss them too. Here are those notes. I hope they are a blessing to you. You can also see the message at www.youtube.com. From their homepage, type Friendship Harmony Baptist Church into their banner, hit enter, then click on our icon and select the message you’d like to view. I hope the notes and the video are a blessing to you.
Missed Opportunities
Matt. 26:30-45
By: Victor Cooper
05/11/13
I. Missing Jesus’ leadership.
A. 1st contradiction v33
1. Jesus said you will - Peter said I won’t.
B. 2nd contradiction v35
1. “Yes Peter, you will.” “No Jesus, I won’t.”
Important, but often overlooked key:
v35b Likewise also said all the disciples.
C. 3rd contradiction v40
1. “We won’t deny you, Lord. We’re right here with you;
every step of the way.”
D. 4th contradiction v43
1. “Sorry Lord. We’re here for you, We’ll watch and
pray”
II. Missing Jesus teaching
A. v31 He heard, took it personally, became offended and
missed what Jesus said next. (v32)
1. Verse 35 indicates he heard the “die” part, but nothing
else.
III. Missing Jesus fellowship
A. They, too, were to be watching and praying. v38,41
1. watch> gray-gor-yoo’o> from the Greek root egeiro
meaning to keep awake ie to be on the alert
B. question Why did He single out Peter?
answer Refer back to v33-35. It was Peter who voiced
the group’s sentiment.
C. Some of the saddest words in the Bible. v45
1. They missed the opportunity of fellowship with Jesus
when He needed them.
Conclusion: What opportunities are available to us at this time?
Have we pledged loyalty to Jesus only to fall
asleep? JESUS NEEDS YOU!!
My prayer is that your week is healthy and safe. It is always such a privilege to visit with you in this blog. I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!
Late news to share: J. C. Smith, a winter visitor to Friendship Harmony, and a dear friend to Bess and me these past sixteen years went home to be with the Lord earlier today in Ashboro, North Carolina. Please remember to pray God’s comfort to his wife, Berniece, and their family. J. C. was a devoted Christian, and a fine man.
No comments:
Post a Comment