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September 22, 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
WELCOME BACK, JIM AND FAMILY: Jim Harasewicz will be speaking for us as a guest speaker today at the 11:00 worship service. We still claim Jim, Brenda, and David as part of the family here, even though they are serving their family by being with the brethren in Mishawaka and it is good to have them back with us from time to time. Steve Wysinger will speak for us next Sunday.
MEETINGS: There are opportunities for spiritual growth and fellowship in the area with a variety of meetings and lectureships. We are posting them on the bulletin board and we encourage you to to check them out.
THANKS: To everyone who participated in our highway clean-up effort yesterday. The neighborhood is aware that we do this, and it is a great testimony to the community that we are here to serve and be a part of making the world a better place. Our special thanks to Richard Hoyt who does all the leg work on this project, and makes it so we can do it quickly and efficiently.
TODAY'S LESSON
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Jim Harasewicz |
THE BACK PAGE
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
NONBELIEVING FAMILY?
This is another question from the “Questions Box” in the lobby, but it is also a question that many have been verbally expressed and which all of us have wrestled with. What do you do when family opposes you? Sometimes that opposition can be to such a simple thing as attending services when a loved one may not only not want to join you, but may even openly oppose your going. The usual technique is to come up with some activity which can be done at the same time as the worship service and badger you into joining them in that activity rather than going to worship.
Jesus knew that this would happen. In Matthew 10:34 – 39 Jesus says that he would “turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother … a man's enemies will be the members of his household.” This is actually a quote of Micah 7:6 where the ancient prophet says that even wives and friends can be used as tools by Satan to stop us from serving God.
Your author knows something of this dilemma. Raised by atheists, when I became a Christian my parents reacted strongly. They used a family tradition which was going to a public swimming pool on Sunday morning when “all the nuts are in church,” to use my mother's words, to pressure me into going with them and skip church. Let me suggest some things that I hope will be of some help.
1) Help your family understand your priorities. Jesus goes on in Matthew to say that “anyone who loves his father or mother (or son or daughter) more than me is not worthy of me … and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Tell your family what your church commitments are and that they are important to you.
2) Do not be argumentative — practice Matthew 5:38 – 48. The old statement “I'd rather see a sermon than hear one” applies here. Solomon said it best “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Turning the other cheek, going the second mile, being a giver — these are strong arguments against those who oppose our faith in Christ.
3) Be patient. My mother was 93 when I was caring for her and helping her when no one else would — and it was at that age when she finally said “I don't want to be an atheist anymore.” That came after decades of me making academic arguments and debating with her. Your loved one did not get where they are overnight, and they will not get out of it overnight.
4) Show only the positives of church. The history of the church in Michiana in recent years has not been good. There has been some mean-spirited teaching and actions that have caused splits in congregations as Satan has used people to cause division and strife. Do not parade these things in front of your loved ones. No one wants to be a part of strife and conflict and hostility. Do not criticize the preacher, the song leader, or any brother or sister before your family.
5) Strive to be a good example. We all make mistakes. Letting your loved one know that you are trying and that you have “godly sorrow which brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10) is important. What reading material you use and leave behind in the bathroom and other places in the house carries a message. We have a variety of Christian literature you can take home with you in the lobby. Please use it and make sure that Satan's literature — porn and fleshly tabloid type material — is not associated with you.
6) Keep close to the church (the called out). Paul says it well in 1 Corinthians 15:33 when he says “Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.” Do not allow yourself to miss opportunities to be with other Christians — not just in worship, but in work projects, in special classes and meetings in homes, and after services. We need each other, and we need to pray for each other and for our loved ones. Read 1 Corinthians 7:16 – 17, and pray that this will be your family's ultimate end.
— John Clayton |