Okay, I'm 'borrowing' Ron's idea to blog about Sunday. However, I will be taking a little different perspective. I wanted to share my observations from the pew.
First of all, worship was just amazing! You could feel the Holy Spirit's presence and movement as people all over the building worshiped and praised God this morning. The worship team did a fabulous job setting the worship tone. We were a church worshiping our Lord and Savior in unity!
Second, the message was just good, sound teaching. So often we do overlook the significance of salvation, taking for granted it is more than just a "get out of hell free card." We look at salvation through our own selfish perspective, for what we can get from God. Pastor Ronnie reminded us that Salvation is not like that at all. Salvation is a gift from God. It is only because of Jesus Christ that we can be saved, not our own works. AND...it is confessing AND believing. God made salvation available to us for HIS PURPOSE and HIS GLORY! Today's message came from Matthew 25, the separation of the sheep and the goats. Those who do for the least of these have done also for Christ. What struck me most is how Christ calls the least of these - the poor, the sick, the orphans, the prisoners, the homeless, etc.. - HIS BRETHREN! Wow! This message impacted me, thinking of how I could do better helping and reaching out to those in the world who are in need, who are suffering, who are hurting.
Ronnie closed today giving examples of people with real needs and how their needs were being met by the church, or not met. He specifically discussed the young lady attending our church who is deaf, pointing out how we have asked for a deaf intepreter for many months so that she, too, can hear the Word of God being preached. He challenged us as a church as to why this need has not been met? This message was so powerful that my youngest son, Michael, took what Pastor Ron was saying to heart. During the closing song, Michael asked me if he could learn to sign so that he could help deaf people hear about Jesus. Oh how my heart was touched!
As we worshiped and listened to today's message, I was fortunate to be sitting at a vantage point to see all who were in attendence in the sanctuary. I saw hands raised, people standing, people silently praying, people crying. People were in authentic and genuine worship with our God and Savior! The Holy Spirit was moving in such a profound way. Even throughout the message, people were not only attentive, but by their expressions, really taking the message to heart. At the closing worship song, people spontaneously rose to their feet, raising their hands, and giving praise to the ONE who is WORTHY. Many of these people have overcome so much in their own lives with Christ's help - addictions, health crisis, relationship issues, divorce - you name it. Many of us in the congregation today had been a 'least of these' ourselves and we are thankful to now know Christ! Many were thankful and recognized their blessings to be in church singing HIS praises! I'd say today's message and the worship really hit home to many of us. It makes reaching out to the downtrodden all the more urgent and real.
I praise God for our church home, our church family. PCC is truly 'keeping it real,' reaching the lost and the downtrodden. I'm praying that God will help me to recognize when someone is in need or hurting and help me to respond in a way that is a genuine blessing to them. I'm praying that we, the members of the Body of Christ, reach out to help anyone who is a 'least of these.'
God bless you this week, my friends!
In His Love, Cathy
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