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September 28, 2008TO OUR VISITORS
The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome. If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer. The uniqueness of the Church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century Church doing. We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for. We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live. Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.
FAMILY NEWS
SINGING TODAY! The singing this afternoon will start at 3:00. Be sure to come and be part of this. Our sister congregations will be here, and we expect to fill the building. Dave and Donna have worked very hard to get the building ready, and things are in great shape. Bill and Patty have worked hard on the arrangements. Let us make sure that we as the host congregation are all here to greet our guests and to provide refreshments. Come early to be ready to help with final arrangements and to welcome our guests.
LADIES APPRECIATION DINNER OCTOBER 11. The men of the congregation invite all of our ladies to come and enjoy a night of Italian cuisine, fun, and service. The famous Italian chef Karlos Marcussoni will be preparing the meal and the evening will be complete with singing waiters and wonderful fellowship. The meal will begin at 6:00PM.
GETTING THERE. You surely noticed as you came in that the parking lot project is nearing completion. This improvement will make projects like our singing this afternoon and our Ladies Night so much easier to do, and will radiate to the community the permanence and desire to serve that the Lord would have us do. We hope to start adding programs and services that can be done for the community. The next project to complete this year is the sign in front. We hope to have that completed before the snow flies. Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard on this parking lot project.
TODAY’S LESSON
Ephesians 3:9-11 tells us that God's plan through the ages has been that "the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known through the Church according to the purpose which God purposed in Christ." Satan continues to batter us, and we have seen some strong attacks here by Satan with the deaths of those we love and extensive sickness among us. Like Job we may bemoan our fate and wish we were not a part of the battle, but Satan presses on and our complaining will not change the difficulties of life.
In Job 42:5 when it is all over and Job reviews what has happened to him and the role he has played in God's plan, Job says "I have heard of thee Lord by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees you." We sing the song "Further along we'll know all about it, further along we'll understand why ... ." We may not understand all the reasons for what we have gone through now, but we can know we are in a war and the enemy uses spiritual terrorism. We also know that God tells us that what we have endured others have endured, and that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure, but that with the temptation God will provide a way of escape (1 Corintians 10:13). God will win the war and we are soldiers in that war.
ARE
YOU UNHAPPY WITH GOD?
INTRODUCTION--DO YOU HAVE A
COMPLAINT WITH GOD? Job did--Job 3:25--"For the thing
which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which was afraid of is
come to me."
Why did ...
Why can't ...
Why don't ...
SOMETIMES WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS
BEST. Why did ...
Why can't ...
Why don't ...
Death is sometimes the best
solution to life quality.
Sometimes the solution is more than we want to pay.
SOMETIMES GOD'S SOLUTIONS ARE
TOO SIMPLE.Sometimes the solution is more than we want to pay.
1 Corinthians 15:33--"Evil
company corrupts ... ."
2 Kings 5:10-14--Naaman
SOMETIMES THE COST IS TOO HIGH.Worship of God does not have to
be complex.
Prayer does not have to be fancy--Luke 18:10-14.
Satisfaction in life is found in simple things.Prayer does not have to be fancy--Luke 18:10-14.
Ecclesiastes 1-12
Ecclesiastes 12:13--"Here is the conclusion ... ."
Ecclesiastes 12:13--"Here is the conclusion ... ."
Matthew 19:16-22
WE WANT GOD TO DO THINGS OUR WAY."Money may not be everything, but
... ."
Jesus called him to change his lifestyle.
Luke 12:16-21--Why did he have the Midas Touch?Jesus called him to change his lifestyle.
"So is he that lays up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God (verse 21)."
Luke 14:26-33--Weighing the cost--family, sex, fulfillment.Do it God's way--nothing else
works.
Relativism--pluralism
John 14:6--"...no man comes to the Father but by me."
Christianity is a doing faith--obedience is important.
WILL WE JUST SIT AND POUT, OR
WILL WE OBEY?
John 14:6--"...no man comes to the Father but by me."
| Colossians l:18 | Ephesians 4:4-6 | Matthew 16:18 |
| Acts 2:47 | Ephesians 5:32-33 | Titus 2:11-12 |
Grace is too--Titus 2:11-12.
James 2:14,17,24
James 2:14,17,24
| Acts 2:38 | Acts 22:16 | Romans 5:8-10; 6:3 |
SPIRITUAL TERRORISM
Life can be incredibly hard at times. In today's sermon we are
talking about the fact that there are times we we may even get angry
with God because of the problems and hardships in life. No matter
whether a person is an atheist or a believer there are some difficult
things that happen to us, and we may feel sometimes that what happens
is unfair. If I am living as God tells me to, and doing what I
should, why should I have pain and death and problems in life?
Human suffering and the struggles of life make no sense unless we
understand why we exist. We are not just a chance product of
natural forces. God has created us for a purpose, and we are part
of a war that is taking place between good and evil. Ephesians
6:12 tells us that this war is "not against flesh and blood, but
against ... the rulers of the darkness of this world ... against
spiritual wickedness in high places." Job 1 and 2 gives us a
glimpse into the struggle that is taking place in heavenly places. Ephesians 3:9-11 tells us that God's plan through the ages has been that "the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known through the Church according to the purpose which God purposed in Christ." Satan continues to batter us, and we have seen some strong attacks here by Satan with the deaths of those we love and extensive sickness among us. Like Job we may bemoan our fate and wish we were not a part of the battle, but Satan presses on and our complaining will not change the difficulties of life.
In Job 42:5 when it is all over and Job reviews what has happened to him and the role he has played in God's plan, Job says "I have heard of thee Lord by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees you." We sing the song "Further along we'll know all about it, further along we'll understand why ... ." We may not understand all the reasons for what we have gone through now, but we can know we are in a war and the enemy uses spiritual terrorism. We also know that God tells us that what we have endured others have endured, and that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure, but that with the temptation God will provide a way of escape (1 Corintians 10:13). God will win the war and we are soldiers in that war.