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June 23, 2013

WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel and pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

THANKS: to everyone who helped yesterday with the memorial service for Dave Picken's sister.

BENEVOLENCE STATEMENT: Two weeks ago we distributed a statement of policy which we asked everyone to sign off on. The idea is that we will put this on our answering machine (which is going to be upgraded) and make it available to inquiries from the public. The problem we are addressing is that we are getting many requests from people who want help with rent, utilities, medical expenses, etc. The volume of requests is growing. The load on the brethren here whose phone numbers are listed is large, and we can reduce that by having a consistent nondiscriminatory announced policy. Asking Bill Gibson or Bill Salmons to make judgements on every call is a real load for them. That is what the statement is about. If you have not seen it, get one from John Clayton today. We would ask you to let us know this week if you have a problem with anything that is in the statement. Call John Clayton at 269-687-9426 or see one of the men you see leading worship today.

TODAY'S LESSON

THE TRANSFIGURATION

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Matthew 17:1 – 8; Mark 9:2 – 8;
Luke 9:28 – 36; 2 Peter 1:16 – 18
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Perhaps the third most important event in the Bible
1. After the resurrection and the creation
B. Similar to Jesus' baptism — Matthew 3:13 – 17; Mark 1:9 – 11; Luke 3.21
II. MOSES HAD A MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE — THE LAW.
A. Exodus 24:13 – 18
B. Moses had no known grave — Deuteronomy 34:6.
C. Jesus also has no known grave.
1. All other religious leaders do.
2. All political leaders do.
III. ELIJAH HAD A MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE — THE PROPHETS.
A. 1 Kings 19:8
B. Elijah had no known grave — 2 Kings 2:11.
C. Jesus also has no known grave — Mohammed does.
IV. THESE TWO WERE THE BASIS OF THE JEWISH RELIGION.
A. Matthew 5:17
B. Matthew 7:12
C. Malachi 4:4 – 6
D. Luke 24:2 — the two at the tomb
E. Acts 1:10 — the two at the ascension
F. Revelation 11:3 — the two witnesses
V. CLOUD SYMBOLIZES THE COVERING OF DIVINE PRESENCE.
A. Exodus 24:15 – 18
B. Acts 1:9
C. Revelation 1:7
VI. THE EXODUS OF JESUS WAS FROM JERUSALEM INSTEAD OF FROM EGYPT.
A. Moses led from Egyptian control to freedom.
B.Jesus led mankind from slavery to sin to real freedom.
1. Colossians 2:6 – 23
2. Romans 6:4 – 23
VII. THE MESSAGE OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IS FREEDOM.
A. Freedom from a bunch of human laws — legalism
B. Freedom from political systems
1. Dispensationalism reverses that
C. Gave us the capacity to live free and with confidence
1. Letting Jesus lead us
2. Freedom from the fear we are living incorrectly


THE BACK PAGE

THE MUSIC QUESTION — AGAIN

One of the saddest experiences that I continue to have as a member of the Church of Christ is constantly being reminded that what the Church of Christ is known for by a lot of people (both in and out of the church) is not our faithfulness to God's Word, or our benevolent work, or our emphasis on obedience, or our call to die to sin and be raised to newness of life from baptism, but by the fact that we do not use an organ or a piano in our worship! In the past the explanations of why we do not use instruments has revolved around quoting passages like Ephesians 5:19; Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; and Colossians 3:16, where the references are clearly to singing, not to playing. We have pointed out that being told to sing does NOT require God to tell us everything NOT to do. Opponents of this view would state that having a piano is no different than having a songbook, it simply is an aid to help us sing better.

The fact is that all of this misses the point. The point that each of us needs to consider is why we come to church. We do not come to watch or listen or feel something. We come to participate and to be united with people of like faith. When we sing together the same praise to God, we are united. When we observe the Lord's Supper together, we are united. When we give together, we are united in giving back to God. Doing this bulletin or bringing a lesson helps us unite our minds in common thought and action. Worship is not a spectator sport; it is a total unified action done together.

The fact that you are tone deaf and cannot sing in a way that entertains others has nothing to do with singing praises to God. Praying together does not demand eloquence and a command of the English language. Our hearts and our minds need to be joined in the unity that Jesus taught and prayed for over and over (see John 17:21 – 23). Our desire for unity is what should define us; and the fact that we join all of our voices together in worship is one evidence of that desire.

— John Clayton