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September 5, 2021

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S

We welcome you to our worship services this morning. We hope that you will be encouraged and uplifted by our time together. We have no creed or set of rules to force on you. We simply rely on the Bible to tell us what to do and try to copy what we read the church in the first century did. We meet here every Sunday, but we also have Zoom available for those who are interested. Just ask and we will include you in our Zoom services. Call Karl Marcussen at 574-514-1400 for information.

FAMILY NEWS

SUNDAY NIGHT SERVICE begins Sept. 12 at 6:00 P.M. We will be doing a series on archaeological support of the Bible featuring John Cooper's series filmed in the Holy Land, and John Clayton will be leading a question/answer session after the DVD presentation. We are inviting the community to join us and we encourage you to invite visitors.

NEXT HIGHWAY CLEANUP will be the last week of September. You will be getting a letter on this soon. Mark your calendar.

MORE COVID ISSUES: We continue to have cases of COVID among our congregation, and we have some people who are especially vulnerable to the virus. If you are not fully vaccinated, please be considerate of the needs of others and wear a mask when you are in the building. We have masks available at both entrances.

PLANS: We will be resuming our Sunday evening services on the 12th. The next step is to resume our Sunday morning Bible class. Give this some thought and let us set a date and subject to be studied.


TODAY'S LESSON

LABOR DAY — 2021

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John Clayton

INTRODUCTION (John refers to this song: “They'll Know We Are Christians.”)
A. Purpose - celebrate the accomplishments of workers
1. Called International Workers Day in Europe
2. May 1st in Europe
3. First Monday in Sept. in U.S. and Australia.
Started in 1882, Federal holiday as of 1894.
B. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
I. FROM THE BEGINNING LABOR WAS GIVEN TO MAN.
A. Genesis 3:19
B. Labor was structured in the Law (of Moses).
Exodus 20:9
II. WORK IS GOOD FOR MAN PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY
A. Ecclesiastes 5:12; Proverbs 14:23; 16:26; 21:25
B. Modern medicine shows this — pandemic data — alcoholism, abuse, porn, drugs, divorce, etc.
C. Message to those retired and to empty nesters
III. BIBLE PUTS RESPONSIBILITY ON OWNERS/RULERS
A. Old Testament — Leviticus. 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14
B. New Testament — Luke 10:7; Acts 20:35; James 5:4
IV. NEW TESTAMENT RULES for all of us
A. Ephesians 6:5-8
B. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
C. Paul's example — Acts 18:1-3
D. Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:22-25
E. 1 Timothy 6:1-2
V. SO WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF LABOR DAY?
A. A celebration of being able to work.
B. Motivation to influence the work place.
C. Strive to be self sufficient, but ready to help others.
D. Allow our work to be an evangelistic tool.
What did Paul do in Acts 18:4 during 1.5 years?
E. What does your work say evangelistically?
1. Do you have to tell others you are a Christian?
2. See THE BACK PAGE below for how you preach at work.
F. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR STRENGTH AT WORK? What is the sermon you preach?
(At the end John refers to this song: “Nothing but the Blood.”)

THE BACK PAGE

YOU PREACH A SERMON AT WORK WHEN YOU —

  • Say “Good Morning!” When you park your car, or when you come to your work station.
  •  Dress in a way that is modest and conservative.
  • Have your Bible available in your locker or briefcase.
  •  Turn off pornographic music and listen to songs without profanity or immoral themes
  •  Pause to thank God as you start to enjoy lunch.
  •  Listen enthusiastically to a message about good things or good behavior.
  • Smile and say hello to visitors and sincerely ask how they are doing with eye-to-eye contact.
  •  Give to a real need giving time, energy and/or money.
  •  Show up at work when you could get out of it.
  •  Listen attentively to the struggles of fellow employees or to your boss and have empathy with that person.

There are very, very few people converted from sermons they hear at a church building. Our services are not geared to reach people who are totally outside of religion. My ministry to atheists and skeptics has resulted in many baptisms, but not at a worship service. It usually happens days or weeks or even years after I have left town. I get letters nearly every day from someone who was converted from a program I was involved in, but I never knew that the person now writing me was converted to Christ.

People will say, “yeah, but look at what happened when Peter preached in Acts 2.” How much preparation had gone on by Jesus and other workers before Peter preached that sermon? Acts 2:40 tells us that “with many other words did he testify and exhort … .” This was not a church service in a church building. Even the apostles taught people one-on-one. Paul's work involved one-on-one teaching or small groups, not canned sermons in a facility. Your preaching will do far more good than mine ever will. Preach the Word. God will bless your efforts!

— John Clayton

Our sign by the street!

Freedom is never free!

Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com.

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.

www.dowagiaccoc.org
10/28/2021