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ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler.  Pennsylvania 
Requiem  Observance  January  1,  1934 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  musical  Director 
Mr.  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
Ms.  Molly  Cochran, Tlutist 
Heather  Covert  and  Danny  Mangel  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude     "Magnificat  on  the  Eighth  Tone"  Kindermann 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
••Processional  Hymn  No.  7  "Great  God,  We  Sing  Your  Mighty  Hand" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison}  "0  thou  God  of  holy  love,  we 
acknowledge  that  at  the  beginning  of  this  year  our  Uvea 
do  not  Btand  before  Thee  as  a  book  unwritten,.  Much 
that  we  shall  do  has  been  spelled  out  already,  ever,  before 
the  year  has  begun.  Inscribed  deep  within  are  old  habits 
and  familiar  behaviour  patterns,  We  know  that  these  in  large 
part  will  write  for  us  the  history  of  this  coming  year. 
Cause  us  to  be  aware  of  thy  forgiving  grace,  and  when  wt 
have  written  a  life  page  full  uf  the  errors  cf  our  misdeeds, 
help  us  to  acknowledge  ourselves  for  what  we  are,  and  to 
seek  thy  love,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen." 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 

•Praise  :  -B*BB»s*^rS*feluiZEi53*a3^*J  _ 

Pastor-  The  Lord  be  with  you  ~  (yta/t-ZA'     PATfi-/ 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  pray 
Requiem  Observance  and  Prayer 
Alice  F.  Bell,  Sara  Evelyn  Snow,  Lula  G.  Penar, 
Emily  Irvine,  Irene  G.  Wilson  Lane,  Catherine  Riemer, 
Philip  M  Crouse 

Friends:   Anthony  Graham,  William  H,  Smiley,  Howard  R. 
f     p,  Robert  L.  Harrison,  Jeffery  L.  Zimmerman, 


Floyd  Stewart,  and  Alma  J.  Dobson. 
Hymn  No.  614    "For  All  the  Saints" 
Offering 

Offertory  "Break  Forth,  0  Beauteous  Heavenly  Light" 
(No.  207  -  Hymn)  Schop 

•Doxoiogy   No.  382 
Solo   "Come  to  the  Waters"  Cherubini 

(Ms.  Molly  Cochran,  Soprano) 
Scripture:      1  Corinthians  16:5-9 
Sermon:      "An  Open  Or  Shut  Case?" 
•Hymn   370   "0  God,  Our  Help  In  Agee  Past" 
•Benediction 

•Postlude    "Magnificat  Octavi  Ton!"  concluded 
+++++++*+  *Congregaticn  Standing  +++♦+++ 
Please  take  your  Poinsetta's  today.  The  covers  for  them 

are  in  the  Office. 
Monday  -  Hall  has  been  rented 
Wed.  -  7:00  -  Council  Meeting 

Wed.  -  Right  after  CcuncI]  Meeting  -  Elders  Meeting 
Thurs.   -  7:00  -  Choir  Practice 
Wed.  -  Rehoboth  Hall  has  been  rented 

The  next  few  Sunday  in  January  are  available  for  Flowers, 
if  you  want  them  for  any  particular  Sunday  -  please 
sign  up  now. 
Mike  Nazaruk  and  Harry  Fry  will  bo  visiting  the  Hcsnitxl 
this  week. 
-^  Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  DanASos6oTtlBa've  McMillir, 
.^Hospitalized:   Nancy  Swain  and  Lucille  Tack. 
^>Every  Sunday  this  month  we  will  be  making  nominations 
for  Elders  and  Deacons.  Put  a  slip  of  paper  in  the 
offering  plate  with  the  names  you  wish  to  be  placed 
on  the  ballot. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carl  Vinrce  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 

Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  t:j  day 

A  Homemaker /Chore  Program  and  cf  the  services  they  offer 
to  Senior  Citizens  and  disabled  persons  living  in 
Butler  Cfunty.  There  services  are  listed  on  the  bulletin 
Board  in  the  Narthex.  Check  into  it  if  you  wish  -  prices 
are  available. 


I 


■ 

WAT: 

•  UfS  16:5-9 

f  1A/P!* 

■ 


•    - 

.JAR 
fll   IT  B??   AH   OW  CASE' 
1  .    J-31 

n   en   "ocni-c   W/f  •.-■■,;     -;I     -,?-..    -    riJ)1 

-  TS  ■> 
Tiait   in   titur  twofold^  1-0! 
I   -   ' 

?  Motra 

YS   9-SfT  HAKI    iDTERSARTS 

- 

or 

SPOT  ''•YA'IGEXISM 

ETTTC?'  MT).ACTIT/1 

, 

'      MIS    TP    i   EVB   TR???? 
■THL  THINB  EBHAHD  DTP   ATEHHOICT     ALEBIAH0?T1 

IC07-? 
I 

! 

-'•«'   DOOR  HI  rPOVIS  THIS  TK?? 
-■"  HESABDLES  HIS  GAL  CM  CUB  LIYS:? 

lik  rut*  r 

tl  c  a's  OK         ' 
CULT  CMS  9BTTT 
H,   TT   i?1    T1.BPSN  DOPE 


■  An  (pen   t'T     >hut   Casm  " 
Scripture:    1   Corinthians   15:5-9 

(Poem  on  Opportunity) 

Dc        prenen  ops   Ikind/nothr  as  writr  pt   out 

Ther  sevri  optics  opn  ?us  wen  cum  2  dors 
t1  "as  dor   mayB  clos   &  if   f=o  h=v  optin  let  remain  clM 
ht      optin  opn  it:fi   hav   optin  opn  *<•  entr 

whichevr   optin  clios  deterns  wat  dor   present  ?us 
ea  yr-  c;-in  nctuly  P  thot   of  in   terns   of   E  a   nu  dor 

but   it   dor  w/sll   bran  nu  ops 
dor   in  old  yr  has   clos   t   watevr   ope   has   cresen  ^us 
R  now  past    ■   bes  pa.?    of   as    Closed   Case 

only  othr  optin  lef  concern  old  yr,sit  bak,indulg 

selvs.Wish    I   had  dun  this/that"   £   this  wil   p;iv   do 

satifj  Icua  wat  pest  dun    r.  oanot  3  undun 
So  wat   R   our  optins  as   face   nu  yr" 

Actuly   only   hav   2   at    this    pt 
l.»remain  outsid   do  wb/stan  ajar   &  let  ops   of  nu  yr 

pass  us   by 
P.^hav   optin  stej    thru  do  1        '■  atevr  cps  maycwr 

./hich  wil   it  B?   Wil  this   yr  B«Open  case?   ohui   Case? 
very  dedicat   rrart  of  G   gud   examp  "us   Ik  at   as   think 
Ops    of   nu   yr   F4    UG 

this   man   of   corre=.'po3   Paul  rtly   so 

"ere   nan  wil   corrp  recor  -.v/sny  othr  iirc ."i 
2  Cor  13  :22-31.Head 

I   abl  by  Grac  G  endur  «]]   tties   thins  til  r   abl 

writ   ch    rhil«I   con  do   all    th/thru    JCp  who   rtr   ire 
time  writ   ^crip   *H,I   in   Eph       wrot   concern   futux  visi 
18   1st   writ   concern  offr  Ch  Corinth  was  'B  colec 

?B   pivn  2church    in    Jerusalem 

trt   of  visit  wudE   in  regard   cnlectin,how  pet   Jeru 
2nd   part    was    just   2B  w/peop  in  Cor   S-  help  spirit  live 
this  pt   at  which  sp   Bgin  ?reod: 

vs   5=    '  '  y»wi]    t.r  vl    ovrland   fr    "ph  2   Corinth 

■rui    bout  wa;  uiklj    cros   Aerian   B    I 

his   plan   nutlin  nex  5  vsa : 

e   say  sltho  wontr   ther   sun  tiipe  ,yet  ,wen  ret  ite» 

ther    prob   apen  wintr  w/them  1=4  pel    off  watevr  iiir.ee 

dipectin  he   led   "ro 
vs    7=  If     i  wil, let    i     r.riv    estf/end    wi]    no    Ju  _■    cpend   a 

fleel     lay/tw<    ■  , "  i  ■  I  wil   no   C  U  now 

by   the  way.      Tut   plan  2stay  w/them  4a  whil=Tarry  etc 
vs   Etrent  refer  2  not   Ipian  lent   but    Jewish   "'   usul 

cum  arnd  end   of   Hay 
P"  can  C  why  say  wil  spend   wintr  w/them, he  writ 
i     iun  time  rasovr- April,*   infoi™  wud   stay  Eph  til 
Tent  the   end   of   Bay 
r  anxious   get   2  Cor   Fcuz   prots  tsk   plac  ther   in   :"  urc 


CLrcunit;  i/tiuutt  ; 


iiut   wai;    oi    preseii 
vs   9-Bas   sod  wil   retrain      ;  J      ent,now  says   ther 

e;rt  deal  work  2B  dun   in  Eph, plus  many  adv  ?ovrcun 
pan   C  dilena  he   f sc : 
w._-it  2B  Cor  work  probs    Church/but  also  need  in  Eph 
Fi     lorn  tween  two  8    mis    rake  choice   tween  dors 
ll  nt;   priortys    in   r-rdr    '    inform  eh   Cor   1st   ordr 
I    earn  needs   at  Epl 
f'e  use   2terms  i  "  ' 

GET  rCR=r,r=r:EGA.'?  THYRA=R-  mean  Ire  opninr  °B  takn 
care   of 

quite   oft  wen    ipol     lor,refer  2ops  4   Fvanp  presented 
themselves  to  him 

,  ,    en  raj  recognifc 

Bcuz   fr/Eng  word    Energy 
In  Crk=.TCtiv  ,ef  f  ectiv  ,powerfu3 

Co  r  tel   ch  Cor  as  nuch  wvtl   lik    "B  ther  w/them-, h:-d 
oak  choio   3    ?tay   Erh  whil   lon?;r  Bcuz=open  dor   set 
=  very   activ  ,efectiv,powrful 
-.at   perf    illua   ^anyl   an    face    nu   yr 
Eor.t  all  face  task  determ   Jus  wat   priortys  wl]3? 
ront   all   hav  sevrl   th/deBaja  attH/8.He|  "' 
'  i  ch  do   we   chocs? 
Obvious   can  no  choos/do  al3   thing,  at  sane   tine 
So  lik   P  BUS   Ik  dor   opn  ™i    us   J  Bgln  wher  we   R 
But  deciain  irusF  made   not   only  2which  propr   prioj  : 
?  pursue, but   also  nothr  direct  in  ae  veil 
(Illus   which   is   more   import?  which  tak  p*ec< 
i   matti   how  tit    thinl   we    H»hoi  I    our  priortys 

R.our  actind   muaS  acord   ?*at   G  wants 
"'•    isnt   our  lif  we  I?  llviag»ineted    it   lif  Me  eivn 

■il  2altr  corse  E.  step  thru  opn  dor  He  provid 
h.hruruit    this   yr? 

Qr  G  we  insted   going  2ae»k  "do  -'   T  wat  we    rant     tm 
•    ~  giVd  p  Jlis  call  upon   our   livp? 

il   our  respona   ?   Bu  Yr   B  lik  P's   &  can   say  w/hin- 
I    HF"     «  '  ■    -  I 

or  wil  it  B  inatea-Tl  '    ■■<= 

continu   2    rite   then   in   our  own  strength 
Which  will   it  be? 


"An  Open  Or  Ghut  Case" 

Scripture:  1  Corinthians  '1 6: 5-9 

v^_  i  unknown  writer  penned  the  lines: 

There  was  a  door  that  stood  ajar, 

That  one  had  left  for  me, 
But  I  was  seeking  other  doors, 

To  which  I  had  no  key. 
And  when  at  last  I  turned  to  seek 

The  refuge  and  the  light, 
A  gust  of  wind  had  shut  the  door, 
And  left  me  in  the  night. 
Doors  present  opportunities  of  one  kind  or  another  as  this  writer  is  pointing 
out.   There  are  always  several  options  open  to  us  when  it  comes  to  doors. 
At  times  a  door  may  be  closed  and  if  so  we  have  the  option  of  letting  it  remain 
closed;  we  have  the  option  of  opening  it;  we  have  the  option  of  opening  it  and 
entering  it-  Whichever  option  we  choose  is  determined  by  what  the  door  presents 
to  us.  Each  year  can  actually  be  thought  of  in  terms  of  being  a  new  door.  But 
it  is  a  new  door  with  all  brand  new  opportunities.  The  door  on  the  old  year  has 
closed  and  whatever  opportunities  it  presented  to  us  are  now  all  past  and  so  it 
is  best  passed  off  as  a  "Closed  Case."  The  only  other  option  left  concerning 
the  old  year  is  to  sit  back  and  indulge  ourselves  in  "I  wish  I  had  done  this  or 
+-hat"  and  this  option  will  bring  no  satisfaction  because  what  is  past  is  done 
-and  cannot  be  undone.  So  what  are  our  options  as  we  face  the  Hew  Year? 
We  actually  only  have  two  at  this  point.  One  is  to  remain  outside  of  the  door 
which  is  standing  ajar  and  let  all  of  the  opportunities  of  the  New  Year  pass  us 
by.  Or  we  have  the  option  of  stepping  through  the  door  and  dealing  with  what- 
ever opportunities  may  come  our  way.  Which  will  it  be?  Will  this  year  be 
"An  Open"  case?  Or  will  it  be  "A  3hut"  Case? 

A  very  dedicated  man  of  God  is  a  good  example  for  us  to  look  at  as  we  look  at 
the  opportunities  of  a  New  Year  before  us.   That  man  of  course  was  the  Apostle 
Paul.  Here  was  a  man  who  was  willing  to  compare  his  record  with  that  of  any 
other  Apostle,  or  minister  of  the  Gospel  and  rightly  so.  He  wrote  in  his  sec- 
ond letter  to  the  ^orinthians  the  11th  chapter  verses  22  through  31,  (read 
these).  Paul  was  able  by  the  Grace  of  God  to  endure  all  of  these  things  and 
still  to  be  able  to  say  as  he  wrote  to  the  church  at  Phillipi,  "I  can  do  all 
things  through  Christ  which  strengeneth  me." 

At  the  time  of  the  writing  of  our  Scripture  for  this  morning,  Paul  was  in 
Ephesus  and  he  wrote  pertaining  to  a  visit  he  .-ould  make  in  the  near  future. 
He  first  was  writing  concerning  an  offering  the  church  in  Corinth  was  to  be 
'  selecting  to  be  given  to  the  church  in  Jerusalem.  A  pact  of  his  visit  would 
be  in  regard  to  the  collection  and  how  to  get  it  to  Jerusalem.  The  seoond  part 
of  his  visit  was  to  just  be  with  the  people  in  ^orinth  and  help  them  in  their 
spiritual  lives.  This  is  the  point  at  which  we  begin  to  read.  He  writes: 


_  -2- 

"Now  I  will  come  unto  you,  when  I  shall  pass  through  Macedonia ;  for  I 
do  pass  through  Macedonia," 
^uat  Paul  is  saying  is  that  he  was  going  to  travel  overland  from  Ephesus  to 
Corinth  which  was  a  long  round-about  way.  He  could  have  been  there  very  quickly 
if  he  crossed  the  Aegian  iiea  from  ephesus. 

His  plan  is  outlined  in  the  next  three  verses  as  follows: 

In  verse  6,  he  says:  And  it  may  be  that  I  will  abide,  yea,  and  winter  with 

with  you,  that  ye  may  bring  me  on  my  journey  whitherso- 
ever I  go. 
He  says  that  although  he  won't  be  there  for  some  time,  yet,  when  he  gets  there 
he  will  probably  spend  the  winter  with  them  before  he  sets  off  again  in  whatever 
direction  he  is  led  to  go. 
In  verse  7,  he  savs :  For  I  will  not  see  you  now  by  the  way;  but  I  trust  to  tarry 

a^while  with  you  if  the  Lord  permit. 
If  God  wills  and  lets  Paul  arrive  safe  and  sound  he  will  not  Jua>  spend  a  fleet- 
ing day  or  two  with  them,  which  is  what  he  means  by  "I  will  not  see  you  now  by 
the  way."  But  his  plan  is  to  stay  with  them  for  a  while,  "Tarry  a  while  with 

you." 

And  then  in  verse  8,  he  says:  But  I  will  tarry  at  Ephesus  until  Pentecost. 

The  Pentecost  he  is  referring  to  is  not  the  Christain  Pentecost,  but  the  Jewish 

antecost  and  this  usually  came  around  the  end  of  May.   oo  we  can  see  why  he 
"says  he  would  spend  the  winter  with  them.  Paul  was  writing  this  around  the 
time  of  the  Passover  in  April  and  informing  them  he  would  stay  in  Ephesus  until 
Pentecost,  the  end  of  May.  Paul  was  anxious  to  get  to  Corinth  because  of  the 
problems  taking  place  in  the  church  there.  But  what  of  his  present  BiisiistoK! 

circumstances?   In  verse  9,  he  writes:  For  a  great  door  and  effectual  is  opened 
C1I^U  unto  me,  and  there  are  many  adversaries. 

He  has  said  he  would  remain  at  EpheBis  until  Pentecost.  Now  he  says  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  work  to  be  done  in  Ephesus,  plus  many  adversaries  to  overcome. 
We  can  see  the  dilemma  he  was  facing.   Paul  wanted  to  be  in  Corinth  to  work  at 
solving  the  church  problems  there,  but  he  was  also  needed  at  Ephesus.   He  was 
torn  between  the  two.   But  putting  his  priorities  in  order  he  informed  the 
church  in  "orinth  that  his  first  order  of  business  was  to  take  care  of  the 
needs  at  Ephesus, 

Paul  uses  two  terms  to  describe  his  work  before  him  at  Ephesus.  He  says  first 
of  all  that  there  is  a  "Great  door"  there.   In  Greek  he  is  saying  this  is 
MEGAS  THyEA.  Paul  is  saying  that  this  large  opening  needs  to  be  taken  care  of. 
xite  often  when  he  spoke  of  a  "door"  he  was  referring  to  the  opportunities  for 
Evangelism  which  presented  themselves  to  him.  do  along  with  this  "wide  opening 
or  "great  door"  he  says  this  is  "effectual"  and  in  Greek  this  is  "3NERGEs"or 
"ENERGEIA,"  and  you  may  recognize  the  word  because  it  is  from  it  that  we  derive 

our  English  word  "Energy."   In  Greek  it  meant,  "active,  effective,  powerful." 


-5- 
So  Paul  is  telling  the  church  in  Corinth  that  as  much  as  he  would  like  to  be 
there  with  them,  he  had  to  make  the  choice  to  stay  in  iiphesus  a  while  longer 
^because  of  this  "open  door"  set  before  him  which  was  showing  signs  of  being 
"very  active,  effective,  or  powerful." 

What  a  perfect  illustration  or  example  for  anyone  as  they  face  the  New  Year. 
Hon't  we  all  face  the  task  of  determining  just  what  our  priorities  must  be? 
Don't  we  all  have  several  things  demanding  our  attention  or  our  allegiance? 
Which  one  do  we  choose?  It's  obvioua  that  we  can't  do  all  things  at  the  same 
time.   80  like  Paul  we  must  look  at  the  door  opening  before  us  and  begin  where 
we  are.  But  our  decision  must  be  made  not  only  according  to  which  is  the  prop- 
er priority  to  pursue,  but  also  in  another  dircetion  as  well. 

(Illustration  of  which  takes  precedence  in  our  lives) 

A  Captain  in  the  navy  had  always  dreamed  of  commanding  a  battleship. 
Finally  that  dream  came  true  and  he  was  given  commission  of  the  newest 
battleship  in  the  fleet.   One  stormy  black  night  as  his  ship  plowed 
through  the  water,  the  Captain  was  on  the  bridge  when  off  to  one  side  of 
the  ship  he  noticed  a  light  which  was  rapidly  approaching  his  vessel. 
He  ordered  the  signalman  to  flash  the  message  to  the  unidentified  craft, 
"Alter  your  course  10  degrees  to  the  south."  After  the  signalman  had  done 
this  a  message  came  back,  "Alter  your  course  10  degrees  to  the  north." 
Well,  this  new  battleship  and  this  Captain  were  not  going  to  take  a  back 
seat  to  any  other  vessel  so  the  Captain  snapped  out  the  order  to  be  sent, 
"Alter  your  course  '10  degrees  to  the  south  —  I  am  the  CAPTAIN!" 
Quickly  the  response  came  back,  "Alter  your  course  '10  degrees  to  the 
notth,-I  am  Seaman  Third  Glass  Jones." 

Now  completely  furious  at  such  nerve,  the  Captain  grsJEg  took  control  of 
the  signal  light  and  fired  off  the  message,  "Alter  course,  I  am  a  battle- 
ship."  Quickly  came  back  the  response,  "Alter  your  course,  I  am  a 
Lighthouse," 
No  matter  how  big  any  of  ua  think  we  are,  or  how  important  our  priorities  are, 
our  actions  must  be  according  to  what  God  wants.   It  isn't  our  life  that  we 
Am£. living.  Instead,  it  is  the  life  He  has  given  us.  Are  we  willing  to  alter  our 
course  andxstep  through  the  open  door  He  has  provided  and  will  provide  through- 
out this  year?  Or  are  we  instead  going  to  seek  to  do  and  be  what  we  want  to 
do  and  be  without  regard  to  His  call  upon  our  lives?   Will  our  response  to  the 
New  Year  be  like  Paul's  and  we  can  say  with  him,  "A  great  door  and  effectual 
is  opened  unto  me?"  9r  will  it  be  instead,  "There  are  many  adversaries',;  and 
we  continue  to  fight  them  in  our  own  strength?  Which  will  it  be,  "An  Open 
Or  ohut  Case?" 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
First  Sunday  After  Epiphany        January  0,  1934 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  Musical  Director 
Mr.  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
Ms,  Molly  Cochran,  Flutist 
Danny  Mangel,  Heather  Covert  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  *  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  t  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude         "Cantabile"  Rousseau 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joya  _  j£  ai^v    Fey 
Prayer  Requests 
Choral  Introit 
"Processional  Hymn  Ho.  202  "As  with  Gladness  Hen  of  Old" 
"Ascription 
♦Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Almighty  God,  by  your  power  is 
Christ  raised  from  death  to  rule  this  world  with  love. 
We  confess  that  we  have  not  believed  in  Him,  but  Tall 
into  doubt  and  fear.  Gladness  has  no  home  in  our 
hearts,  and  gratitude  is  slight.  Forgive  our  dread  of 
dying,  our  hopelessness,  and  set  us  free  for  joy  in  the 
victory  of  Jesus  Christ  who  was  dead  but  lives,  and 
will  put  down  every  power  that  hurts  or  destroys,  when 
your  promised  kingdom  comes.  Amen." 
"Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise 

•PaBtor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I 
♦People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
♦Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  Mo.  36     "No  one  understand  like  Jesus" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
fcffertory    "Lord,  Keep  Us  Steadfast  in  Your  Word„ 


> 


> 


(Mr,  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist)   Busarow 
Doxology  No.  382 
Presentation  of  Acolytea  Pins 
Anthem:    "Sing  We  Now"  -  Old  Marching  Song 
"Life  Anew"   -  Johnson 
(Mr,  Lloyd  Link,  tenor;  Ms.  Molly  Cochran,  soprano) 
Scripture      1  John  4:19-21 

Sermon      "Joint-Participation:  Summary  of  Love" 
Closing  Hymn  No.  220  "I've  found  a  Friend" 
++*++++++  "Congregation  Standing  ++*++++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Jane  Andrews  in  loving  memory  of  her  "Husband" 

Roy  Andrews. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  "Virginia  Mangel,  Marie 

Henry,  Nancy  Deller  and  Karen  Link. 
Hospitalized:   Mrs.  Ann  Weitzel 
Robert  Dellen  and  Richard  Mangel  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 
Starting  the  evening  of  Jan.  19  (Thurs.  at  7:30  P.M.) 

Spiritual  Study  will  be  set  once  a  month.   Books  that 

will  be  studied  will  be  ordered  shortly.  There  are 

already  20  in  the  Class  -  Please  let  the  Pastor  know 

now  if  you  would  like  to  be  a  part  of  this  Class. 
Jan  26  -  7:00  -  Meeting  of  the  Andrews  Club  (2  Hr. 

meeting 
Congregational  Dinner  coming  up  Jan.  29th  at  5:30  P.M. 

The  Year  Books  will  be  ready  if  you  get  your  information 

in  on  time. 
The  Hall  will  be  in  use  all  this  week. 
Wed.  -  1:00  the  Blood  Bank  will  be  here  at  this  Church. 

If  you  would  like  to  give  Elood  now  Is  the  time. 

Those  receiving  Acolyte  Pins  today  are  Diane  Zavecky, 
Michelle  Henry,  Brian  Hollefreund,  Julee  Vargo,  Beth 
Hartley,  Valerie  Hartley  and  Chris  Andrews. 
Mrs,  Jar.e  Snyder  will  be  in  the  Nursery  this  morning. 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  LeRoy  Andrews,  Jr.  will  fireet  the  Congregati 
at  the  door  this  morning. 

Please  get  your  informatlonl  in  for  the  Cookbook  -  so 
the  Activities  Committee  will  know  if  and  how  many 
people  want  it  in  the  Congregation.  Details  went  out 
with  the  Newsletter. 

) 


(Illua   Dr.  ^pock  son  ^b.suioiaejDooK  &  results;         -dt 
Spock  repudiat  aevrl  yr  ago, but  21ate  damag  dun 

sumtim  mos   luv   thing  can  do   is   mete   out  punish  & 

G  ^emonstrat  agin/agin  throut   Word 
No       ■  way  G   sho   luv=permit   childrn  go  thru   lonaum  val 

Conaidr  man  name   Hoses   G  cbos   lead  peop  From  Land 
if   nt,reoeiv   10  C'B,cuai  dwn  peop  worship  calf ,plead 
G     .6  destroy 

But   litl  latr  so  angry   leadship  rol  ask  G  kil* 
Numbers   11 :10-15-READ 

Illus  G  suntim  let  go  thru  circumstanc  no  want,but 
wne  travl  thru  made  strongr/weakr  depend  reaatship 
w/God  &  also  how  thoz   aroun  us  react 

Think  famlys  agin  &  how  sum  Bliev  only  way  ?luv  is 

2  pay  bils ,buy  cars .bail  out  evn  af  tr  marry 
Mos  luv  thing  sumtim  is  let  go  thru  valeys  &  lern 
self-rellanc  &  a3ura  responsbilty  41if 

This   S  did  w/Moses,othrg=no  desert    jus   let  go  thru 
ft  whil  go  thru  giv  encourag,evidenc   of   luv. 

Real  intent, purp  this  Pcrip  sum  by  state  G  want  us 

21uv   in  all  circumstanc  regardles  wat   mayB 
(Illus  girl   operatin  twist  mouth  ft  luv  husband) 
This   Sumry   of  Luv, it   luv  evn  ugly  circumstances 

it  luv  w/thoz  who  seem  unlovly 
it  luv  w/thoa  hate  us/w/thoz  desptifuly  use  us 
But  most  of  all  it  is  luv  as  He  luv  ua 

That   luv   Js   Kp  cost   sumthing,sumthing  very  dear, 

sumthing  we   shrink  from  giv 
K.  that   sumthing  was   His  all 

Wat  S  we  wil  2giv? 
Can  truly  say  as   J  sed=We   luv  Him   Bcuz   He   1st   luv 
us? 
n.  Can  we   aay  that  out   luv  4   Js  Xp  is  evidenced   in 
how  we  luv   1  anothr  as  He   taught? 
What   is   the   Summary   Of  Our  Love? 


[    "Joint-Participation;    ruirmary  Of   Levu* 
Scripture:    1   John  4:19-21 

lnce  agin  resum   IV   Jt-farticip  wh/J  Fbar  1st   letr  & 
'  cutr     pon  word-JUV 

I    Cv\»   entitl  brief  Fcrip=rumry   of  Luv 

I  ln^e  agin  ask  quest- Wat  fluz   this   eH^Iv/undef  in  mean? 
)use  so   oft/so  many   ways   &  iruch  overwork^! it 1   undei 
'  Peop  serch  41uv  2day  all  sorts  ways/places=Co»FU*»ra 
(Illus   girl, computer, requires   ft  send   penguin) 
(Illus   Ann  landers   &  w«jt   luv   is) 
Gumup  wat   luv   is, so  sermn  ovr-Rite?   Wrong! 

J  spk  luv  this   way, but   add  mor  2it 
if   Ik  4world  def   luv, humanistic  aproach  2it, Landers 
def  wil  aufic;but   if  want   2kno  wat   G   say  bout   luv, 
mus   investigat  wat   Apostl   luv  hav  say 
Vs   19- J  say  erlier=Vs   10  this  chape READ 
1    We  wer   luv  b-  G  B4  evr  knu  ?luv  Him  S=   J  say  our   luv 
i    4   God  preciptal   by  His   luv  4us   1st   of  all 
1  Wat  was   th/luv  wh/lst   luv  us?-Vs   10b   READ 
'    means   Js  Xp  Beam  substut  4us  &  this   demonatrat   F  s 
luv  mos   graphic  way 
Apos  P  wrot  stil  mor  graph  2   Cor  5 :14a-, = Read 
Oonstraineth=2B  seiz  by,2grasp=fe  wat  seWgrasp? 
vs   14b-15=F  say  wen  Xpian.Blievr  graap  or  seiz  by 

enormty  wat   Js   Xp  did   4indlvid   Blievr.then  Blievr 
Bgin  liv  lif  worthy   of  cal  2  which  has   bin  called 
I  that   lif   madeup  luv  ft  it  luv  ?werd   ONE  made  posib, 
God   Almighty  &  His  Eon   Jesus   Christ 
this   1st  part  wat  real  luv   is 
va   20-self-explantory  &  suoeed  vs  also=vs   21 

Ea  indtivid   made   imag  of   God=not   all  cbiiarn-only  tax' 
tl     ',  nu  birth   Bcum  ch  of  G, 
bfu  daily   livs   meet   mor  unBlievrs  than  Blievrs,but 
thez   made   iaag   of  G ,    &  G  want  them  2B  His  also  &, 
we   R  ?!uv  them  So  treat  aa  bros 
Je  himself   say  this  as    J  pt   out   in  Gospl, 
cum  2end  this   chap  &  Fumry  of  Luv,P«  is   th/sum  tot  If 
NO=we   only  scratch  surfac,&  nor   lef   unsed   than  sed 
G 'a   luv   shown  ultimat   in  Giv  Son  4mank,but   expres   luv 
othr  ways   2giv  ua   examps  2  liv  by 

Adam/Eve- liv  gardn;perf  envirnment,eternty ;tol  no  eat 
but   did  ft  Sin;G  cum  2walk  aak  Adam  bout   giv  evasiv 
anseriblame  Eve 

(Illus   Adam  »alk  son, pas   gardn.son  ask  bout; Adam  say, 
U3e  to   liv  ther  until  Ur   mothr  ate   out  hous/hotne; 
Lk  this  eaxamp;G   gav  freedom,chanc   2repent«lie 
so       4  punish=throw  out  &  sumtimes   aa   luv  F  only  tfc 
thing  can  do   is   punish 


"Joint-Participation:  Summary  Of  Love" 
Scripture:  1  John  4:19-21 

Once  again  as  we  resume  our  look  at  the  "Joint -Participation"  which  John 

shares  with  us  in  his  first  letter,  we  come  upon  the  word  and  theme  of  "Love." 

We  could  entitle  this  brief  Scripture  as  a  "Fummary  of  Love."  But  once  a«ain 

we  must  a3k  the  question,  "What  £s~'~this  elusive,  undefinable  word  mean?" 

Since  it  is  used  so  often  and  xx  in  so  many  ways,  it  is  much  overworked  and 

little  understood.   People  are  searching  for  love  today  in  all  HKingrx  sorts 

of  ways  and  places.  Since  we  have  come  into  the  age  of  computers  peolUe  are 

oven  using  them  xxzx  in  their  search  for  love. 

A  young  lady  searching  for  the  ideal  mate  listed  her  eequirements  with  a 
computer  dating  service.   She  said  she  wanted  someone  who  liked  people, 
wasn't  too  tall,  preferred  formal  attire  and  enjoyed  water  sports.  The 
computer  service  followed  her  wishes  exactly:  it  snet  her  a  penguin. 

One  of  the  advice  to  the  lovelorn  columnists,  Ann  Landers  defines  love  in  this 

way:    Love  is  friendship  that  has  caught  fire.   It  is  quiet  understanding, 
mutual  confidence,  sharing  and  forgiving.   It  is  loyalty  through  good 
times  and  bad.   It  settles  for  less  than  perfection  and  makes  allow- 
ances for  human  weaknesses.  Love  is  content  with  the  present,  it 
hopes  for  the  future  and  it  doewn't  brood  over  the  past.   It  the 
day-in-and -day-out  chronicles  of  irritations,  problems,  compromises, 
small  disappointments,  big  victories  and  common  goals.   If  you  have 
love  in  your  life,  it  can  make  up  for  a  great  many  things  you  lack. 
If  you  don't  have  it,  no  matter  what  else  there  is,  it's  not  enough. 

That  sums  up  pretty  much  what  love  is.  So  the  sermon's  over!   Right?  Wrong! 
John  was  speaking  of  love  in  this  way,  but  he  adds  more  to  it  than  that.   If 
you  are  looking  for  strictly  a  worldly  definition  of  love,  or  a  humanistic 
approach  to  it,  Ann  Lander's  definition  will  suffice.  But  if  you  want  to  know 
what  God  has  to  say  about  love,  you  need  to  investigate  what  the  Apostle  of 
Love  has  to  say  about  it, 

John  begins  by  saying,  "We  love  Him,  because  He  first  loved  us." 
John  said  in  an  earlier  portion  of  this  letter,  the  10th  verse  of  this  4th 
chapter,  "Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  He  loved  us." 
Wft  were  loved  by  God  before  we  ever  knew  to  love  Him  and  so  John  is  saying  ±x 
that  our  love  for  God  is  precipitated  by  His  love  for  us  first  of  all.  What 
was  that  love  with  which  He  first  loved  us?  The  end  of  that  10th  verse  says, 
"And  sent  His  Sen  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."  That  means  that  Jesus 
Christ  became  the  substitute  for  us  and  in  this  demonstratedcthe  Father's  love 
in  a  most  graphic  way.   The  Apostle  Paul  elaborated  on  this  in  a  still  more 
graphic  description  than  that  of  John  when  he  wrote  to  the  Church  in  Corinth, 
his  second  letter,  the  5th  chapter  and  verses  14  and  15,  "For  the  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us,"  The  word  "constraineth,"  means,  "to  be  seized  by, 
to  grasp."  And  what  is  to  be  seized,  or  grasped?  Paul  continues,  "because  we 
thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead:  And  that  He  died 


for  all,   that  they  which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,   but 

unto  Kim  which  died  for  their,   and  rose   again,"  .  ._   »  - 

'  °  or  i»  seized  by, 

lere  Paul  is  saying  that  when  a  Christian,  a  believer  grasps  the  enormity  of 

what  Jesus  Christ  did  for  that  individual  believer,  then  the  believer  begins  t< 

live  a  life  worthy  of  the  calling  to  which  he  has  been  called.  And  that  life 

is  made  up  of  love  and  it  is  love  toward  the  One  who  made  this  possible,  God 

Almighty,  and  His  Bon  Jesus  Christ.   This  is  the  first  part  of  what  real  love 

is. 

Then  John  adds:  If  a  roan  say,  'I  love  God,'  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a 
liar:  for  he  that  loveth  &±sxiir»*fcKx:  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen, 
how  can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen?" 

TJiis  verse  is  really  self-explanatory.scbkHix±haB  And  the  succeeding  verse 

which  Jn}  r.  adds  is  equally  self-explanatory  when  he  says,  "And  this  commandmen' 
have  we  from  Him,  that  he  who  loveth  God  love  his  brother  also." 

Each  individual  is  made  in  the  image  of  God.  Hot  all  individuals  are  children 
of  God  and  we  meet  more  of  these  in  our  daily  lives  than  we  do  believers.  But 
we  are  to  treat  each  one  of  them  as  brothers  and  the  only  way  to  do  that  is  to 
show  love  toward  them.  We  are  commanded  by  none  other  than  Jesus  Christ  Him- 
self to  love  one  another  and  John  painted  this  out  in  his  Gospel.  So  now  that 
we  have  come  to  the  end  of  this  chapter  and  in  particular  this  f'ummary  of  Love 
is  this  the  sum  total  of  what  love  is? 

The  answer  of  course  is  "No."  To  say  just  these  few  things  is  to  only  scratch 
the  surface .  There  is  more  left  unsaid  than  has  been  said ,  For  instance , 
"Is  God's  love  shown  only  in  the  giving  of  His  Son  for  mankind?"  The  answer 
is  that  this  was  and  is  the  ultimate  example  of  His  love.   But  His  love  is 
evident  in  many  other  ways  as  well.  There  are  too  many  facets  to  His  love 
xiKixiaxxitB  for  us  to  cover  in  one  short  message.  Po  let's  look  at  just  one  or 
two  examples  of  God's  love, 

I  believe  that  almost  all  of  us  know  the  history  of  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden 
God  createdctbem  as  the  first  humans  to  live  in  the  garden  which  was  His  perfei 
environeemt.   It  was  eternity.  His  instructions  to  them  were  that  they  could 
partake  of  any  tree  in  the  garden  except  tJwxSbfHHxiifxiias  one.   His  promise  was 
that  if  they  did  so  they  would  die.  So  they  ate  of  that  tree  and  God  came  int 
the  garden  to  walk  with  Adam  and  when  God  questioned  Adam  he  gave  a  deviou3 
answer.  First  God  gave  the  warning,  then  when  he  questioned  Adam,  instead  of 
Adam  repenting  and  seeking  God's  forgiveness,  he  tried  to  sqeeze  out  of  the 
deed  by  placing  blame  on  Sve .   And  then  what  did  God  do?  He  punished  them  and 

shrew  them  out  of  the  garden.  There  is  a  story  that  is  to]d  that  one  fej 

long  after  this,  Adam  was  walking  with  one  his  ^ .       _^ons  and  they  walked 
past  the  garden  which  now  had  a  fence  around  it.  The  ^  ...son  stopped 
and  remarked,  "look,  CBaddysjp  what  a  beautiful  garden."  Adam  replied, 
"Yes  it  is.  ¥e- used -to  live  there  lintil  your  mother  ate  us  out  of  house 
and  home . " 

God  showed  in  this,  that  in  order  to  be  a  loving  Father  it  is  necessary 


-3- 
sometimes  to  punish.   Just  this  past  week  I  heard  that  the  26  year-old  son  of 
■Or,.  Spock  jumped  from  a  window  and  committed  suicide,   You  may  remember  that 
Jr.  Spock  was  the  proponent  following  World  War  II  of  not  punishing  children. 
He  wrote  a  bock  on  this  subject  and  many  people  throughout  the  country  raised 
children  in--1. this  manner  and  we  reaped  the  benefits  from  it  in  the  late  fifties 
and  sixties.   Dr.  Spock  repudiated  his  philosophy  a  year  or  so  ago,  but  by 
then  it  was  much  too  late  to  do  any  good  for  those  raised  as  he  instruct^tf* 
Sometimes  the  most  loving  thing  that  can  be  done  is  to  mete  out  punishment  and 
God  xfeHWJEd  demonstrated  this  again  and  again  as  we  read  in  His  Word. 
Another  way  in  which  God  shows  His  love  is  permitting  Eis  children  to  go  througt 
some  lonesome  valleys.  There  are  several  characters  we  could  look  at,  but  let's 
just  consider  one  of  them,  a  man  named  loses.   Moses  was  the  man  God  chose  to 
lead  His  people  to  the  I^omised  Land.   Moses  was  at  his  task,  in  fact  he  was 
up  on  the  Mount  speaking  with  God  and  Gad  was  giving  him  the  Ten  Commandments. 
When  he  came  down  from  the  Mount,  he  found  the  people  had  turned  to  idolatry. 
Hoses  had  to  plead  with  God  not  to  destroy  the  people.   A  little  later  Moses 
became  so  angry  with  his  leadership  role  that  he  asked  God  to  kill  him.  In 
Numbers  11,  verses  10  through  15,  we  read,  (read  this). 

^his  is  an  illustration  that  sometime 8  God  lets  us  go  through  circumstances 
i,hat  we  don't  really  want,  but  when  we  have  traveled  through  them  we  are  either 
made  stronger  or  weaker  depending  on  our  rs^atlgmaxki:  relationship  with  God  sn«l 
how  those  around  us  have  xsastsd  also  reacted.  Thinking  here  again  of  families 
we  had  said  that  to  punish  sometimes  was  the  meet  loving  thing  which  could  be 
done.  There  are  also  times  when  the  most  loving  thing  we  can  do  for  a  son  or 
daugjrter  is  to  let  them  go  through  their  valley  without  bailing  them  out  com- 
pletely.  There  are  parents  who  believe  their  responsibility  ±x    i;o  their  jsfex 
children  is  to  continue  to  pay  their  bills,  keep  them  in  food  and  clothes  and 
cars  and  take  care  of  all  of  their  needs  long  after  they  are  married  and  out 
of  the  nest.   This  is  not  to  say  that  parents  should  abandon  their  children 
completely.   But  no  child,  no  matter  how  old  will  ever  learn  how  to  stand  on 
hos  own  two  feet  if  he  cannot  assume  responsibility  for  his  life  and  that  in- 
cludes his  marriage,  his  debts,  his  children  and  so  on.  It  isn't  easy  to  be 
this  wise .   But  with  God  as  our  illustration  we  can  individually  travel  through 
our  valleys  and  help  our  children  and  families  do  likewise.   It  isn*  easy  to 
stand  back  and  do  nothing  when  we  feel  we  should  be  interceding  in  some  situa- 
tions. But  again,  look  at  God.   vhat  did  He  do  with  Moses?  He  let  him  live 
each  day,  working  at  the  problems  and  cares,  but  supplying  ^is  all  encompassing 
love  .iyxisttingzKDSEs   \nd  He  let  Moses  know  He  was  doing  this  by  Kis  presence 
in  Moses '  life. 


-4- 

But  the  real  intent  of  this  portion  of  Scripture  can  be  summed  up  by  stating 

that  God  wants  us  to  love  in  all  circumstances  regardless  of  what  they  may  be. 

(Illustration  of  Dr..  &  patient  with  twisted  mouth  because  of  surgery) 

A  doctore  said  that  he  stood  by  the  bed  of  e   young  woman  on  whom  he  had 
operated  to  remove  a  tumor  from  her  face .   Because  of  this  her  mouth 
would  remain  in  a  twisted  palsy.  He  had  done  everything  he  could,  but  it 
was  impossible  to  give  her  bhe  same  curve  of  he   i  .rth  as  it  was.   Her 
young  husband  was  in  the  rcrrr  with  her  and  the  doctor.   Th«  woman  asked, 
"Will  my  mouth  always  be  like  this?"  Ty,e  doctor  answers,  "Yes,  it  will 
because  I  had  to  cut  the  nerve."  The  young  woman  nods  and  is  silent. 
At  this  point  her  husband  says,  "I  like  it,  it's  kind,  of  cute."  With  this 
h«  bends  over  his  wife  to  kiss  her  crooked  mouth.  And  the  doctor  xx*iK«» 
can't  help  but  notice  how  the  husband  has  to  twist  his  own  lips  to  meet 
the  lips  of  his  wife.   .And  with  the  tears  flowing  from  his  own  eyes,  he- 
sees  love  in  action. 

This  is  the  "Summary  of  Love."  It  is  love  even  in  ugly  circumstances;  it  is 

love  with  those  who  seem  unlovely;  it  is  love  with  those  who  hate  us;  with 

those  who  ditpitefully  use  us.   But  most  of  all  it  is  loving  as  He  loved  us. 

That  love  of  Jesus  Christ  cost  something,  something  very  dear ,  something  that 

we  shrink  from  giving.   And  that  something  was  His  all.   What  are  we  willing 

to  give?   Can  we  truly  say  as  John  said,  "V.'e  love  Him,  because  He  first  loved 

usV1   J'nd  can  we  say  that  our  love  iaxKE  for  Jesus  Christ  is  evidenced  in 

~"~ow  we  love  one  another  as  He  taught? 


) 

ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Second  Sunday  After  Epiphany      January  15,  19S4 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Mr.  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
Ms.  Molly  Cochran,  Flutist 
Heather  Covert,  and  Danny  Mangel  -  Acolytes 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  T  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 
ORDER  Of  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 

Prelude        "Jesus,  My  Lord"  Fnick 

Anno  un  c  erne  n  t  s 

Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.   67  "Blessed  Assurance" 
"Ascription 
♦Exhortation 
♦Confession  (In  Unison)  *'0ur  Father,  we  confess  before 

you  that  our  lives  are  not  what  they  should  be.   We  do 

undesired  sin,  and  we  permit  temptations  to  overcome 

u&.  But  we  know  there  is  forgiveness  with  you  when 

we  do  confess.   5c  as  we  humbly  seek  forgiveness*  we 

ask  for  new  strength  to  lead  a  more  Godly  life,  for  we 

pray  in  the  Master's  name.  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
"Praise 

"Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
*People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  62       "Sun  of  My  Soul" 

Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastors   Let  us  Pray 

Prayer 

Offering 

Offertory       "I  Will  Serve  Thee"       Gaither 

Dokology  No.   382 

Baptism  of  Child   Jessica  Michele  Dellen 


Anthem:     Mo.  114   "Wonderful  Grace  of  Jesus" 
Scripture        1  John  5:1-5 

Sermon:    "Jcint-Participntion:   Lr-ve  And  Faith" 
Closing  Hymn  No*  71   "Faith  Is  the  Victory" 
+++4++++  +*Con^regation  Standing  +  4  +  +  +  +  + 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Harry  Cunningham  "In  honor  of  and  appreciation  to 

to  Chancel  Choir  and  Roland  Thompson" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  *Rcbble  Vinroe,  Robert 

Dellen,  Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy 
Elder  and  Mrs.  Harry  Pry  will  gre«t  the  Congregation 

at  the  door  this  morning. 
^^Hospitalized:   Hugh  Pyle,  Marlent  Riemer 

Paul  Campbell,  and  Art  Snyder  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 
Mon  and  Tues  -  Rehoboth  Hall  has  beer  rented 
Wed.  -  7(30  -  Golden  Circle  will  meet.   They  will 

also  have  a  Bible  Study 
Thurs.  -  Mary  Martha  Circle  Meeting  and  Anniversary 

Dinner  at  lone'  Pflugh's. 
Thurs.  -  Hall  is  rented. 
ji^-Oon't  forget  to  make  your  nominations  and  put  them 

in  the  Offering  plate.   These  will  be  nominations  for 

Elders  and  Deacons  for  the  coming  year  of  1995.   Yciu 

don't  have  to  have  their  permission  tc  nominate  them. 

They  will  be  contacted  later. 
'"^January  29  -  5:30  -  Congregational  Dinner  and  Meeting. 

Entertainment  will  be  provided. 
Get  your  information  in  for  the  Cook  Book.   The 

Activities  Committee  want  tc  know  if  you  want  one  or 

not  by  year  response.   Fill  in  the  sheet  with  your 

favorite  recipes  and  get  them  in  tc  the  church. 

Details  went  out  with  the  Newsletter. 
■"Our  Sincere  Sympathy  to  Alwin  Shakely,  Family  and 

Friends  in  the  loss  of  Evelyn  -  His  Wife  -  last 

weekend . 
"^Jan.  19th  (Thurs*)  will  be  the  starting  class  of 

Spiritual  Study  which  will  meet  once  a  month.  Books 

are  available  at  the  Church.   There  are  around  22 

in  the  class  sr  far.  Please  let  the  Pastor  know  if  ycii 

are  interested. 


I 


He  wrote  to  her: 
My  Dear  Aunt, 

Years  ago  I  left  a  house  not  knowing 
where  I  was  going,  whether  anyone  cared, 
whether  it  was  the  end  for  me.   The  ride 
\  t   long  but  the  slave  encouraged  me. 
Finally  he  pointed  out  your  candle  to 
me  and  there  we  were  in  the  yard  and 
there  you  stood  embracing  me  and  taking 
me  by  the  hand  into  my  own  room  that  you 
had  made  up.   After  all  these  years  I 
can't  believe  it,  how  you  did  all  that 
for  me;  I  was  expected;  I  felt  so  dafe 
in  that  room,  so  welcomed.   It  was  my 
room. 

Now  it(s  your  turn  to  go  and  as  one  who 
has  tried  it  out,  I'm  writing  to  let  you 
know,  Someone  is  waiting  up,  your  room 
is  all  ready,  the  light  is  on,  the  door 
is  open,  and  as  you  ride  into  the  yard 
dont  worry  Auntie.   You're  expected? 
I  knowl   I  once  saw  God  standing  in' 
your  doorway  —  long  ago." 


"Joint-Participation:  Love  And  Faith" 
Scripture:  1  John  5:1-5 
Text:  1  John  5:5 

Ape  P  end  chap  13,  1st  letr  Cor=&  now  abideth  faith, 
nopt  &  luv, but  the  grtest  of  thez  ia  luv 
A.j     ,J  writ  thin  'I  at  letr  fe  spk  luv  rathr  extensivly 

b^J  this  portin  letr  spk  both  luv /faith, but  luv  spk 

of  tied  cigether  in  faith 
(Illua  soldier, chaplain, foxhole  &  how  work  crucifix) 
J  spk  portin  dcrip  how  31ievr  worka  th  cal«FAITH 
Bgin=vs  1s=*Here  nothr  short  lean  in  Doctrine 

persn  bliev,acpta  Js  as  Xp,or  anoint  1  of  G  Bcuma 

BOWM-AGAIN  &  that  mean  Blievr  Bcum  child  of  God 
This  Blievr  furthr  identfy=va  xllx  'I  B 
Interpfevr  Blievr  that  luv  G=thia  is  Him  that  Bgot 

tford=Bgot=<produc,2bring  fotth 
bo  Blievr  who  luv  G,who  brot  4th.  tor  produc  the  Blievr 
&  everthing,luvs  Him  that  is  Bgoten  of  Him-Blievr  not 
only  luv  G,but  luv  Ja  Xp  whom  G  alao  produc/brot  4th 

&  this  J's  1st  lesn  here  la  Doctrine 
Next  teach  proof  of  luv  &  obedience=vs  2 

J  say  sumthin  here  in  roundbout  way 
Gud  posib  J  refer  bak  2  vs  21 ,chap  4-=lets  Ik  &  read 
He  say  thia  1  G's  comandment3,£:  now  say  hav  pruf  our 

luv,&  this  wat  mean-By  this  we  know, or  we  underat 

our  luv  4-fslo  Blievra,othrs  in  ch  who  Bliev  as  we  do 
Our  pfuf  41uv  4- Inothr  show  by  fac  all  keep  Hia  com 
1nce  agin  it  our=Jnt-Partic  in  avrthing 

As  felo  Blievrs  in  same  G  &  Fathr,Jon  Js  Kp  we  hav 

this  real  feloship  &  pruf  that  all  striv  21iv  &  act 

as  God  wants  us  to  do 
2e  borat  futhr  J  add.vs  3 

Ther  conectin  tween  luv  4  G  &  obed  2  Him 
wat  mean  in  ordr  21uv  Him  we  raus  sho  it 
This  separat  luv  of  G  from  stricly  emotinal  thing 
Ther  thos  Bcum  Childrn  of  G  thru  nu  birth  &.   it  grt 
joyful  feeling  &  nothin  wrong  w/this 

But  as  lif  then  liv  discovr  being  Apian  means  liv  in 

valys  as  wel  as  hav  mountintop  experiences 
&  thos  persns  may  Bcum  discourag  &  evn  expres  Blief 
no  hav  aalvatin  Bcuz  they  "Don't  feel  it" 
oalvatin  is  sumthia  definitly  kno  hav  Bcuz  our  cum  2 
Xp  fc  it  iant  jus  hav  feelings/emotinl  higha  all  time 

If  truly  lui  G,wil  sho  by  striv  liv  as  He  wants 
We  shud  want  2pleas  Hira,2serv  Kim 
Lk  wat  J  say  end  vs  3=His  comandments  H  not  grievous 
Gri   jus  mean=coniBndments  of  G  r  not  Burdn,or  2heavy 
2bear,or  dif  2observ=luv  hav  *  3o!i  ovrcums  any  care 

we  may  hav  about  doing  God's  will 


NOW  J  apu  uireotijf  u-l  raimsia  -r  ^/ 

wat  ia=Wataoevr  J  spk  of  here? 
It  individuls;he  say  whoevr  born  of  G,watevr  persn 
is  born-agin  thru  Xp,overcuma  the  world 
Wor   which  Ja  liv  in  was  worl  no  salvatimnno  releas 
fr/aarknes/deth/sin 
I  )  sacrific  self  on  cros  &  this  overcam  curs  wti/sin 
placed  on  mankind 
Aros  from  grav  &  this  conquer  deth 
jo  He  ovrcam,or  Chang  wat  was  norml  events  wh/tuk 
plac  4evr1  separat  from  God 
So  thetl,any1  acpt  His  salvatin  ovreum  as  will 
But  we  sho  victry  by  way  we  liv 
Illus  Israels  histry  help  underst  wat  J  say  here 
G  apok  2  Joshua  &  sed=Joshua  chap  1 , verse  3 
But  G  pni  promis  mor  than  this  &  Joshua  explain  2 
peop  aa  read  chap  3,vss  9-17 
We   C  from  this  it  Ithing  2B  tol  by  G  wat  2do,but  it 
quite  nothr  2act  upon  thez  instructins  as  etory  relat 
But  this  faith  in  actin  S.  J  say  only  thru  faith, thru 
actin  that  victry  ovr  world  is  gained 
3o  now  J  sum  all  up  as  read  vs  5 

littl  by  littl  J  lead  readr/hearer  2this  sumatin 
Notic  progresin  he  uae=Bgin  say  vs  4a 
spk  here  nu— birth  4  Blievr  &   then  mov  on  2  Blievrs 
experienc  S>  act  faith  as  conclud  vs  4=>Hi£AD 
And  then  thia  all  conclud  in  confesin  of  faith  in  xxx 
vs  5=HiiAD 

There  it  is!  Bgin  G'a  luv, Si  end  up  Blievr  kno  that 
luv  &  rest  in  it. 

(Illus  John  Todd  &  G  wait  4aunt  aa  she  wait  4-  him) 
TV-  ■  wat  J  say  2  each  Blievr 
Ht.  try  2expl  worl  ovreum  by/thru  Js  Xp  &  any'l  who 
Blong  2  Him  has  ovrcum  worl  as  wel 
But  it  faith  in  actin  which  bring  that  realty  home 
d   Blievr 
And  evry  ^lievr  need  2kno  that  he  aharea  all  that 
G  haa  4all  Hi3  childm-JQIHTLY  &  that  thn  victry 
is  complet 
The  evidenc  is  the  LOVE  OF  GOB. 


"Joint-Participation:  Love  And  Faith" 
Scripture:  1  John  5 ' 1-5 

^ext:  1  John  5:5 

The  Apostle  Paul  ended  the  1Jth  chapter  of  his  first  letter  to  the  Church  in 

love 
Corinth  with  the  words,  "And  now  abideth  faith, hope,  xfesxxix,  these  three: 

hut  the  greatest  of  these  is  love."   The  Apostle  John  writing  in  this  jshx-Xxhh 

bxxhxx  1st  letter  speaks  of  BBKfexXEXSXxiiaxxxxtHXXXBXKX  love  rather  extensively. 

But  at  this  portion  of  his  letter  he  speaks  of  both  "Love"  and  "Faith" ,  but 

the  love  he  is  speaking  of  is  tied  together  in  faith. 

(Illustartion  of  soldier  and  chaplain,  and  crucifix) 

During  World  War  II  in  a  very  fierce  battle  a  soldier  on  the  front  lines 
was  caught  under  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy.   He  ran  to  a  large  shell  hole 
and  rolled  into  it  and  tkucked  down.   He  started  digging  at  the  dirt  trying 
to  get  in  deeper  and  his  hands  touched  something  that  was  metal.  Digging 
it  out  he  discovered  it  was  a  crucifix,  probably  lost  there  by  another 
soldier  before  him.  Then  another  soldier  jumped  into  the  hole  with  him 
and  he  discovered  the  new  soldier  was  an  Army  Chaplain.   He  looked  at  the 
Chaplain  and  said,  "Good,  I'm  glad  you're  here."   And  holding  up  the 
crucifix  he  asked,  "How  do  you  work  this  thing?" 

John  speaks  in  this  portion  of  Scripture  how  the  believer  "Works"  this  thing 

called  "faith."  He  begins  by  stating,  "Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  is  born  of  God." 

Here  is  another  short  lesson  in  Doctrine.   The  person  who  believes,  or  kxx 

accepts  SeKMXxSJixxxtxBxxSiffXiixKinixjtKxxHira  Jesus  aa  the  Christ,  or  anointed  Qne 

of  God,  becomes  born  again.   That  means  the  believer  in  this  becomes  a  child  of 

God. 

The  believer  is  further  identified,  "And  every  one  that  loveth  Him  that  begot 
loveth  Him  also  that  is  begotten  of  Him." 

He  says,  "every  believer  that  loves  God,"  this  is  the  "Him  that  begot."  The 

word  "begot"  means,  "to  produce,  to  bring  forth."  6o   the  believer  who  loves 

God  who  brought  forth,  or  produced,  loves  Him,"  and  the  "Him"  in  this  instance 

is  Jesus  "that  is  begotten  of  Him,"  or  "God."   The  believer  then  who  loves  God 

who  brought  forth  or  produced,  loves  Jesus  also  who  is  produced,  or  brought 

forth  by  God.   That's  John's  first  lesson  in  Doctrine. 

The  next  thing  he  teaches  is  profif  of  love  and  also  of  obedience.   He  says: 
"By  this  we  know  that  we  love  the  cuildren  of  God,  when  we  love  God,  and 
keep  His  commandments." 

John  is  saying  something  here  in  a  roundabout  way.   It  is  a  very  good  possi- 
bility that  John  is  referring  back  to  the  ^'i»t  verse  of  the  4th  chapter  which 

we  shared  last  week.   If  you  look  at  that  verse  you  see  that  it  sayn,  "That  he 
who  loveth  God  love  his  brother  also." 

.e  says  this  is  one  of  God's  commandments.   Now  he  says  we  have  the  proof  of 

our  love,  and  this  is  what  he  means  by  "By  this  we  know,"  or  we  understand 

our  love  for  fellow  believers,  others  in  the  church  who  believe  as  we  do. 

Our  proof  of  our  love  for  one  another  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  we  all  keep 


-<£- 


His  commandments.  Once  again  it  is  our  "aoint-Participation"  in  everything. 
As  fellow  believers  in  the  same  God  and  father,  and  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  we 
aave  this  real  fellowship  and  the  proof  is  that  we  all  strive  to  live  and  act 
as  God  wants  us  to. 

To  elaborate  further  on  this  John  says  in  the  3rd  verse,  "For  this  is  the  love 
of  God,  that  we  keep  His  commandments:  and  His  commandments  are  not  grevous." 

There  is  a  connection  between  love  for  God  and  obedience  of  Him.  What  this 
means  is  that  in  order  to  love  Him  we  must  show  it.  This  separates  love  of  mart 
God  from  strictly  an  emotional  thing.   There  are  those  who  become  children  of 
God  through  the  new  birth  and  it  is  a  great  emotional  joyful  feeling.   But  as 
they  live  life  and  they  discover  being  a  Christian  means  living  in  the  valleys 
as  well  as  on  the  mountaintops,  tteRtxymixmi  those  persons  may  become  discouragec 
and  even  express  the  belief  that  they  do  not  have  salvation  because  they  don't 
"feel"  it.  But  salvation  is  something  we  definitely  know  we  have  because  of 
our  coming  to  Christ  and  it  isn't  just  having  "feelings"  or  emotional  highs 
all  the  time.   If  we  truly  love  God,  we  will  show  it  by  striving  to  live  as  He 
wants.   We  should  want  to  please  Him,  to  serve  Him. 

And  John  adds,  "His  commandments  are  not  grai  grievous."   By  this  he  means  that 

the  commandments  of  God  are  not  a  burden,  or  too  heavy  to  bear,  or  difficult  to 

bserve.  The  love  we  have  for  God  overcomes  any  care  we  may  have  about  doing 

God's  will. 

Now  John  speaks  directly  of  faith  as  he  says  in  the  4th  verse:  "For  whatsoever 

is  born  of  God  overcome th  the  world:  and  this  la  the  victory  that  overcometh 

the  world,  even  our  faith." 
What  is  the  "whatsoever"  Hohn  is  speaking  of  here?  It  is  individuals.  He  is 
saying  that  whoever  is  born  of  God,  whatever  person  is  born  again  through 
Christ,  overcomes  the  world.   The  world  in  which  Jesus  lived  was  a  world  in 
which  there  was  no  salvation,  no  release  from  the  darkness  ofl  death  and  sin. 
But  He  sacrificed  Himself  on  the  cross  and  this  overcame  the  curse  which  sin 
placed  on  mankind.  And  He  arose  from  the  grave  and  this  conquered  death. 
So  He  "Overcame"  or  changed  what  was  the  normal  events  which  took  place  for 
everyone  separated  from  God.   3o  then,  anyone  who  Kmur*  accepts  His  salvation 
also  overcomes  the  world,  as  well.  But  we  show  this  victory  by  the  way  we 
live.  amixxBBXKxfcisxiHshaxxBisBK*  An  illustration  from  Israel's  history  helps 
us  to  understand  what  John  is  saying  here.  God  spoke  to  J-shua  and  said  to 
him  as  we  read  from  the  book  of  Joshua  chapter  1,  verse  3,  "Every  place  that 
the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread  upon,  that  have  I  given  xra  unto  you, 
as  I  said  unto  Moses." 
But  God  promised  more  than  this  to  Joshua  and  he  explained  this  to  the  people. 
He  told  them  as  we  read  in  chapter  5,  verses  9-17,  (Read  these). 
We  see  from  this  it  is  one  thing  to  be  told  by  God  what  to  do,  but  it  is  quite 


-3- 

another  thing  to  act  upon  those  instructions  as  this  story  relates.  But  this 

is  faith  in  action  and  John  says  it  is  only  through  faith,  through  action  that 

the  the  victory  over  the  world  is  gained. 

So  now  John  sums  all  of  this  up  as  we  read  in  the  5th  verse:  "Who  is  he  that 
overcometh  the  world,  hut  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  bon  of  God?" 

Little  by  little  John  leads  the  hearer  and  reader  up  to  this  summation. 

Notice  the  progression  he  uses.   He  begins  by  saying  in  verse  4,  "For  whatso- 
ever is  born  of  God  overcometh  the  world." 
He  speaks  here  of  the  new  birth  for  the  believer.  Then  he  moves  on  to  the 

believers  experience  and  act  of  faith  as  he  concludes  the  4th  verse:  "And  this 
is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith." 

And  then  this  all  is  concluded  in  the  confession  of  faith  in  the  5th  verse; 
"Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Son  of  God?" 

There  it  is!   It  begins  in  God's  love  and  ends  up  in  the  believer  knowing  that 

love  and  resting  in  it. 

(Illustration  of  John  Todd,  and  God  waiting  for  his  aunt  as  she  waited  for  him) 
In  Vermont  in  the  early  1800' s  a  boy  named  John  Tood  was  born  into  a  family 
that  already  had  several  children.  At  an  early  age  both  of  John's  parents 
died.   The  relatives  didn't  know  what  to  do  with  the  children  and  decided 
they  would  parcel  them  out  to  different  families.   One  aunt  said  she  would 
take  little  John.  She  sent  a  buggy  driven  by  a  slave  to  get  him.  As  they 
traveled  he  asked,  "Will  she  be  there?" 
The  slave  replied,  *YBs,  she'll  be  there." 
"Will  I  like  living  with  her?" 
"Yes,  you  will  like  living  there." 
"Will  she  love  me?" 

"She  has  a  big  heart  and  will  certainly  love  you." 
"Will  I  have  my  own  room?   Will  she  let  me  have  a  puppy?" 
"She  has  everything  all  prepared  for  you.   I  think  she  has  some  surprises 
John." 

"Will  she  be  waiting  up  for  me?" 

"She'll  be  sure  to  wait  up  for  you.  Wait  til  we  get  out  of  these  woods  and 
you'll  see  her  candle  burning  in  the  window." 

When  they  got  to  the  clearing  sure  enough  the  candle  was  burning  as  the 
slave  had  said  and  she  was  standing  in  the  doorway  when  they  arrived  at  the 
house.   She  reached  down  and  kissed  him  and  said,  "Welcome  homel"   She  fed 
him  supper,  took  him  to  his  room  and  sat  with  him  until  he  fell  asleep. 
John  Todd  grew  up  to  be  a  Christian  minister.   But  he  always  thought  fondly 
and  kindly  of  his  aunt  and  how  she  became  a  second  mother  to  him.  She  had 
given  him  a  new  home  and  he  loved  her.   Many  years  later  his  anut  wrote  to 
him  and  told  him  she  thought  she  was  going  to  die  soon  and.  she  wondered  what 
was  to  become  of  her. 

He  wrote  to  her:  My  Sear  Aunt,   Years  ago  I  left  a  house  not  knowing  where 
I  was  going,  whether  anyone  cared,  whether  it  was  the  end  for  me.   The  ride 
was  long  but  the  slave  encouraged  me.   Binally,  he  pointed  out  your  candle 
to  me  and  there  we  were  in  the  yard  and  there  you  stood  embracing  me  and 
taking  me  by  the  hand  into  my  own  room  that  you  had  made  up.  After  all 
these  years  I  can't  believe  it,  how  you  did  all  that  for  me;  I  was  expected; 
I  felt  safe  in  that  room,  so  welcomed.   It  was  ray  room. 

Now  it's  your  turn  to  go  and  as  one  who  has  tried  it  out,  I'm  writing  to 
let  you  know,  someonw  is  waiting  up,  your  room  is  all  ready,  the  light  is 
on,  the  door  is  open,  and  as  you  ride  into  the  yard  —  don't  worry  , Auntie. 

You're  expected!   I  know.   I  once  saw  God  standing  in  your  doorway  long 

ago." 


This  is  xmraHfrxiwhat  John  is  saying  to  each  believer.   He  is  trying  to  explain 
riat  the  world  was  overcome  by  and.  through  Jesus  Christ  and  anyone  who  belongs 
to  Him  has  overcome  the  world  as  well.  But  it  is  *k*  faith  in  action  which 
brings  that  reality  home  to  the  believer.  And  every  believer  needs  to  know  that 
he  shares  all  that  God  has  for  all  of  Hie  children  "Jointly,"  SSf  that  the  vic- 
tory i»  complete.  <pQe  evidence  is  the  love  of  God, 


._ 


5T.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Third  Sunday  After  Epiphany     January  22,  1934 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Mr.  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
Mb.  Molly  Cochran, Flutist 
Traei  McMillin,  Amy  Vargo  -  Acolytes 


+  +  + 


+  +  +  «-  + 


+  + 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude         "Jesus  Only"  Wilson 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 
Prayer  Requests 

•Processional  Hymn  No.  608  "Guide  me,  0  Thou  great  Jehovah" 

•Ascription 

•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Almighty  and  Eternal  God, 
Whose  light  doth  shine  in  mortal  darkness;  reveal 
unto  us  thy  presence  in  our  souls,  and  thy  judgment 
of  all  our  actions,  thoughts,  and  words.  Manifest 
thyself  to  us  in  the  movements  of  this  present  time. 
Open  our  eyes  to  thy  glory  all  around  us.   Thou  art 
ever  coming  to  thy  children,  coming  in  manifold  ways; 
by  cherishing  our  serious  and  reverent  spirit  may  we 
prepare  ourselves  to  meet  our  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.   Amen." 

•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 

"Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


"Near  to  the  Heart  of  God" 


•Pastor: 
•People: 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  35 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor :   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 


> 


Offertory     "He  Touched  Me"   Gaither 

Roland  Thompson  -  Saxophone 

Doxolosy  No.  382 

Anthem:   No.  611   ''Precious  Lord,  Take  My  Hand" 

Scripture  1  John  5:6-12 

Sermon :     "Joint-Participation:   Three  Witnesses" 

Closing  Hymn  No.  631   "I  Know  Whom  I  Have  Believed" 

+  +■  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  *Csn&regation  Standing  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  en  the  Altar  have  beer,  placed  by 
Wrs.  Fern  Hinehart  to  the  "Glory  cf  Gad" 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  * Richard  Mangel,  Den 
Kingsley,  Steve  Vargo  and  Gary  Penar. 

This  attendance  last  Sunday  was  140  withll  Visiters. 

Mr.  A  Mrs.  Edward  Walker  will  street  the  Congr^gatic.n 
-it  the  dtor  this  morning. 

Hospitalize  J : 

Mike  Naaaruk  and  Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  thie  week  plus  a  shut  in  and  a  non-attending 
person. 

Please  take  time  to  make  out  nominations  en  a  slip  of 
paper  and  pat  them  in  the  offering  plate.   Next  week 
will  be  the  last  Sunday  tc  make  nominations  for  the 
coming  year. 

Each  Tuesday  from  7:30  to  9:00  at  Nazaruk's  -  Bible 
Study 

Monday  -  Hehoboth  Hall  has  bean  rented 

Tues.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehuboth  Hall;   Thurs,  -  Aerobics 

Thurs.  -  Pastor  and  Elders  (Fisherman'6  Group 
will  meet  in  the  Undercroft  art  7:00  PM, 

Get  your  information  in  for  the  fookHook  by  the  end 
of  the  month.  The  Activities  Com.  will  be  able  tc 
tell  if  you  would  like  to  have  a  cookbook  made  or  net. 
All  recip'eg  have  to  be  in  by  next  week* 

All  Church  School  information  has  to  be  in  by  next 
Sunday  -   so  that  the  Newsletter  for  Church  Schocl  can 
be  put  out*   If  yc-u,  have  anything  you  would  like  tc 
shire  fiet  it  ready  new  and  turn  it  into  your  teacher. 

Nefct  Sunday  is  open  for  Flowers  (Jan.  29)  -  please 
fill  in  the  chart.  Feb.  12  is  open  also-  perhaps  you 
would  like  to  have  them  because  they  are  near  Valen- 
tines Day* 

Next  Sunday  -  5:30  -  Congregational  Dinner  and  meeting. 

1 


<jomt-j-articipation:   Three   witnesses" 
Scripture:      .  1   John  5:6-1? 

This  pnfctin    Jcrip   J  use   word=  Witness   lform  nothr 

b       f,   so    10   times 

J    .ipel   out   Siistinc   ways=vps   6-P;then   Q-l? 
1      ilk  ?nd   lst,&  1st  ?nd=Biblicl=lst   last/last   1st 

Vs   9=Gr    ,Vitnes«MARTYT!IA=sevrl   form  this   word   th   scrii 

word   may  snd   familir   Bcuz   Enp,  MARTYR, cum  'mean  sural 

«ho  dy  4   faithjsuml  witnes, p-iv  visbl  witnea-teatijiom 

of   faith 
thie  vs=If  we  receiv  witnes=testmony, evidenc  &  J 
mak  oompar   tween  wat   evident;   oan/God   giv 
vs  9=If  hav  evidenc   men, God   evidenc    is   prter 

wat  man  can  do  nothin  wen  comr  ?wat  0  can  do 

;  Wat  duz  God  do?      Or  wat  has  G  dun? 
J  add  comp=.4this    is   the  witnes=evidenc    nf   r,  wh  He 
hath   testify   of   His   Ton 
Testify   at  end=nothr  form  HAOTYRIA 

J  say,G   giv   superior   witnes , testmony  than  man 
G   tesmony  on  record   in  work, lif , persn    Js   Xp  &  all 
far  surpas   evidenc   any  nortl  may  hav  pivn 
Hav  mad  comp,J  now  spk  tesmonty  G  &  efect   indiv   persi 
vs   10a=Elief    Js   Xp  can/wilB  show  in  indi^idul 

but  Elief   ty  w/furthr  blief  &  sa^  this   rest  vs 
vs  10b=.Pasic   J  say   Elief  ty  up  Blief   both  F,5   S-Js  Xj 

if  U  Eliev   in  1,0  mus   Bliev  othr 
But   if   only  profes   Blief   l,then  mak  6  as   liar 
J  specif  adres   self  2hertic=Cerinthus   &  thoz   led   awa; 

Cerinthus   tautsJs   ordnary  human  &  r.pirit  G  cum  PHim* 

wen  baptiz   &  that   Xp-etay  with  til  end,lv   E4  deth 
S'   J  teach   T^eo/Doctrin  in  opositin  hersy  cans   probs 
Vt   ll=word= RECORD  Bgrin  vs=MAHTYRIA='\'itnes 

agin  J  pt  basic  doctrin  wen  pprsn  Bliev  L  Js   Xp  not 

only  hsv  t-givnes  sin  but   abl  particpat  felosbip, 

K0IK0NLA= common  th  w/G   made  posib  thru  G'S  8-Js   Xp 
vs   l?=orignal    8r  read=He   that  hath  Son  hath  THE  life 

def  articl-THE  pt   2partic   lif ;alif  wh/G  giv  ^thoz 

who  plac   their  faith   in  Ton 
But   notic   1st  part  vs    J  only  say=The  Ton 

no  identfy  aa   E  anythin  dif   any  othr  son 
but   ?nd   part   vs  =  He   that  hath  not  S   of  G,hath  not   lif 

^J  pt  basic  doctrin   Js   Xp  not   merely  a   eon, THE  SON 
o  tis   persn  has   Son, has   lif, lif  eternl/8-  revers 
persn  who  no  Eliev  apart   fr/G,is   not  G 's   child 
This   J  sum  up  matr   G's   testmony , witnes  ,reeord  4-all  2 
C  His   testmony , record, witnes   grtr  aktioj  anythin  aan 
i      I  piv 

But   lets   po  bak  ls-t   portin  scrip  wher    J  spk  5   Witnes 
vs  6a=dif   Bib  scholrs ,comtaters   giv  dif  meanings 
refer  OT   &  watr  purific   &  Blud   of   sacrifice 
l 


irob   mean=baptism  Fc  Katt-mus   fufil  riteousnes 
'    A_   Hesiah.One   of  G  do  wat   pud    Jew  wud  do 

Blud-sacrifc    self   cros    i  acord   OT   Law,ther   no  4?;iv 
w     jut  shed    of  bind 

jthis  prob  wat  vs   mean 
v-   Sb^notic  word=3pirit  cap  letra   &  mean   Deity/God 
J  spk  G   H  Sp  giv  witnes, evidenc, testmony  this  was 
a   from   G   Ecuz   it   truth 
H  Sp  gav  evidenc  wen   Je  hap  this   fr/G   Bcuz  dov  desc 
&  Voice=This    My   Elov   S,in  whom   I   wel   pleased 

.v„n   Js  dy   on  cros   Rom  C?nt   say=Truly  was   The  S   ofG 
lie   cudnt  made   statmen  ony  othr  way  cent   by  H  Sn 

Bcuz   he  no  Elievr 
vs   7=exj:l  no   Blong;no  erly  manscrip=lst   was  14th  C 
Erasmus   no   print   1516;theo  nuest   Ecuz   latin  manus 
sed   if  cud   produc  Gr  manu  wud  print ;produc   &  agin 
betr    Judp-,tru   Sword, print   15??   edltln 
whoevr  did, try  put  witnes  hvn  as  wel  as  erth  as   8 
vs  8= J  spk  peop  eithr   bin   Judaic   traditin/atil  wer 
they  awar  tempi/Tab nacl   &  in  both  3elraents   J  spk 
man  entr  outr  cort=Brazn   Altar=continu   burn  fire   S: 
here   fclud   shed   &  offr  made  4-sin 
Byon  Brazn  altar  stud   lavr-contain  watr  wh  priest 
aply  handp/feet  ?B  clens   outward   sins   life 
e   worshipr  direc   Pplac  wher  G  dwelt=IIoly  oe  Holies 
^o  we   C  blud-alasrjwatr=laver;Ppirit   sipfy=H  of  Holys 
■■  thez   held   rrt      i   nif  '*thoz  from   Judaism  or  knu   of  it 
J  say=Japree   in  lj^evideno    lif/minrtrv   Js  Xp  !    G  6o 
'+mankind 

n'it  wat   mean  ?avp  individul???? 
U    -us   I  incoln, Barrel   5.  wat  G  wanted  bim  ?do) 
rfhy  wud  G   work  mlracl  lik  this? 
Do  U  Ik  mesacr   J  o;iv   thez   peop  erly  oh  &  ouest  wat 
duz   say  2   U? 
Bo   U  feel  mayb  U  all  by  relf   &  who  renly  cares? 
jr°lli   G  cares ;G   luvs  U  R-  He  want   U  2kno  He   availbl 
3  V  on  persnl  basis 
G   always   has  dun  things    on  persnl   levl 
Wp   need  2kno   in  whom  we   Bliev  S  wat  He   wants   ?do 
5  wil  do   in  our   indiv  idul  livs 
Let   ur  rept   on  that  witnes  wh   pivn  Pus   on  pernnl 
basis   as    J  Pay,   by  G's   Holy  Spirit 


" Joint+Farticipation:  Three  Witnesses" 

Scripture:  1  John  5;£>-12 

In  this  portion  of  Scripture,  John  uses  the  word  "witness"  in  one  form  or 

another  ten  times.   John  spells  this  out  in  two  distinct  ways.   The  first 

illustration  he  gives  in  verses  6  through  8,  and  the  second  illustration 

he  delivers  in  verses  9  through  12.   I  would  like  for  us  to  look  at  the 

second  illustration  first  and  then  come  back  to  the  first  illustration 

last.   In  this  manner  you  might  say  we  are  going  to  fulfill  the  Biblical 

message  that  Jesus  gave  by  saying  "The  first  shall  be  last  and  the  last 

first." 

John  state  in  the  9th  verse,  "If  we  receive  the  witness  of  men,  the  witness 
of  God  is  greater:  for  this  is  the  witness  of  God  which  He  hath  testified 
of  His  Son." 

Now  as  we  begin  to  speak  of  "witness"  as  John  spells-  it  out  here  we  need  to 
understand  what  this  word  means.   In  Greek  the  word  is  "MARTYRIA"  and  sever- 
al forms  of  this  word  in  this  block  of  Scripture.  SfBHXHS^xTKEBqcHixE  the 
word  "MARTYRIA"  may  shbxi±x:£hbi±  ha*e  a  familiar  ring  to  it,  because  it  is 
from  this  oord  that  we  derive  our  English  word  "l-lartyr."  This  word  has 
come  to  mean  for  us  someone  who  dies  for  his  faith.   It  is  in  effect  someone 
who  witnesses  to  his  faith  by  giving  a  visible  witness  by  dyiup:  being  will- 
ing to  die,  but  it  is  also  a  testimony  of  the  person's  faith. 
So  John  is  using  this  word  in  several  forms  and  tkBxwsrrixx  we  will  see  *ia± 
ifeaxwHriiXHiKaHS  just  how  he  uses  the  word  and  its  meanings  at  that  point. 
In  this  9th  verse  John  says,  "If  we  receive  the  witness  of  men,"  and  here 
"witness"  means  x  testimony,  or  evidence,   John  is  making  a  comparison  be- 
tween what  evidence  man  gives  and  the  evidence  God  gives.   So  what  he 
actually  says  in  this  9th  verse  is,  "If  we  have  the  evidence  of  men,  the 
evidence  of  God  is  greater,"   John  is  saying  that  what  man  can  do  is  nothing 
when  it  is  compared  to  what  God  can  do.   And  what  does  God  do?   Or  what  has 
God  done?   He  adds  to  this  comparison,  "For  this  is  the  witness,  or  ^exi^H 
"evidence"  of  God  which  He  hath  testified  of  His  Son."   And  the  word  "testi- 
fied" at  the  end  of  this  verse  is  another  form  of  the  word  "MARTYRIA." 
So  John  is  saying  that  what  hkxxIihxb  God  has  given  superior  witness  or  testi 
mony  than  man.   God's  testimony  is  on  record  in  the  work,  the  life,  and  the 
person  of  Jesus  Christ  and  all  of  this  far  surpasses  the  evidence  which  any 
mwere  mortal  may  have  given. 

Having  made  that  comparison,  John  now  speaks  of  this  testimony  of  God  and 
how  it  effects  the  individual  person.  First  he  says,  "He  that  believeth  on 
the  Son  of  God  hath  the  witness  in  himself,"  He  says  that  belief  in  Jesus 
Christ  can  and  will  be  shown  in  the  individual.   Rut  that  belief  is  tied 

together  with  a  further  belief  which  is  what  he  is  sayinp-  in  the  remainder 
of  this  verse.   John  says,  "He  that  believeth  not  God',  hath  made  Him  a  liar; 


-2- 

because  he  believeth  not  the  record  that  God  pave  of  His  Fori." 
Basically  John  is  saying  that  belief  is  tied  up  in  belief  both  in  the  Father 
and  in  the  Son  Jesus  Cvrist.   If  you  believe  x)eb  in  One,  you  must  believe  in 
the  other.   But  if  you  only  profess  a  belief  in  One  ahen  you  are  making  God 
out  as  a  liar.   John  was  specifically  addressing  himself  to  a  heretic  named 
Oerinthus  and  the  followers  he  had  cleaned  from  the  early  Church,   This  man 
as  we  said  before  ksSxtfeKxfcg  taught  that  Jesus  was  only  partially  Divine. 
He  was  an  ordinary  human  being  in  every  way.   But  when  God  's  Spirit  came  in- 
to Him  He  was  able  to  do  miraculous  things.  SMtxtteix&pixiixxHKxixkRHxxxH*] 
MxExwk-KHxfiKxwas  That  Spirit  of  God  came  into  the  human  man  Jesus  when  He 
was  baptized  and  this  was  shown  by  the  dove  descending  upon  Him.   TJiis  was 
then  the  CHRIST.   But  at  the  end  the  Christ  departed  from  Him  and  it  was 
only  the  man  Jesus  who  was  crucified  and  later  resurrected.   So  once  again 
John  is  teaching  Doctrine  and  Theology  in  opposition  to  the  heresy  which  was 
causing  problems  in  the  early  church. 

So  continuing  along  this  line  John  adds  in  verse  11,  "And  this  is  the  recofld 
that  God  hath  given  to  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  His  Son." 

The  word  ""Record"  at  the  beginning  of  this  verse  is  again  the  Greek  word 

"Martyria,"  or  "witness".   And  again,  John  is  pointing  out  basic  Doctrine 

in  that  when  the  person  believes  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  not  only  has 

the  forgiveness  of  sin,  but  he  is  able  to  participate  in  the  fellowship. 
or  common  things  H* 

that  KOINSGIA,  with  God  made  possible  through  God  's  "on,  Jesus  Christ. 

Now  John  concludes  his  message  in  this  block  of  Scripture  with  the  words: 

"He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life;  and  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath 
not  life." 

2iratxBfxKii  In  the  original  Greek  the  verse  reads,  "He  that  the  ron.  hath 
THE  life."  ' 

The  definite  article  "the"  is  there  pointing  to  a  particular  life;  a  life 
which  God  gives  to  those  who  place  their  faith  in  the  Son. 

But  notice  that  in  the  first  part  of  the  verse  John  only  says "the  Son."  He 
doesn't  identify  Kim  as  being  anything  different  from  any  other  son.   But 
look  what  he  ssgys  in  the  isi±arx?iax  Fecond  part  of  the  verse.   He  says, 
"And  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  of  GOD  hath  not  life."   John  is  pointing  out 
the  basic  doctrine  that  Jesus  Christ  was  not  merely  a  son,  but  was  THE  SON 
of  GOD.   So  it  is  that  the  person  who  has  the  Son,  has  EHB  life,  life  etern- 
al.  But  he  that  doesn't  have  this  Ton,  The  ron  of  God,  doesn't  have  THE 
life.   The  person  who  doesn't  believe  is  apart  from  God,  is  not  one  of  God's 
children.   This  is  how  John  sums  up  the  matter  of  God's  tesitmony,  or 
"Witness"  for  all  to  see  that  His  "Witness"  or  "Record"  or  "Testimony"  is 
much,  much  greater  than  anything  man  could  give  as  "Witness  .record,  or  testi- 
mony." 


-3- 

B-ut  let's  go  back  to  the  first  portion  of  this  Scripture  where  John  speaks 

of  "Three  Witnesses."   John  states,  "This  is  He  that  came  by  water  and 
blood,  even  Jesus  Christ;  not  by  water  only,  but  by  water  and  blood." 

Different  Biblical  commentators  and  interpreters  have  tried  to  give  this  yr*! 
verse  different  meanings.   Tvere  are  those  who  believe  that  this  verse  refers 
back^to  the  Oil  Testament  which  ppeaks  of  the  water  of  purification  and  the 
blood  of  the  sacrifice.   Then  there  are  those  who  take  this  to  mean  that 
when  Jesus  died  on  the  cross  ±fea  a.  Roman  soldier  pierced  His  side  and  out 
flowed  water  and  blood. 

But  the  probable  meaning  has  to  do  with  the  baptism  of  Jesis  with  water. 
W>,en  this  took  place  as  recorded  by  Matthew,  Jesus  said  that  this  was  ne- 
cessary to  fulfill  all  righteousness .  He  meant  that  in  order  to  be  the  ONE 
the  Jewish  people  were  looking  for,  He  had  to  fulfill  the  requirements  as  a 
Good  Jew.   And  then  the  blood  has  to  do  with  the  sacrificing  of  Himself  upon 
the  cross;  the  shedding  of  Eis  blood.   And  we  know  also  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, from  the  Law,  that  without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  was  no  for- 
giveness.  This  is  in  all  lkilihood  what  this  verse  means. 

And  then  John  adds,  "And  it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness,  because  the 
3pi±it  is  truth." 

Notice  that  the  word  "Spirit"  is  in  capital  letters.  This  means  that  it 

applies  to  diety,  or  to  Go&«   John  is  speakine  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  giving 

witness,  and  here  is  that  Greek  word  KARTYRIA  again;  God's  Holy  Spirit 

giving  testimony,  or  evidence  that  this  was  and  is  from  God,  because  it  la 

truth,   Tx,e  Holy  Spirit  gave  evidence  that  when  Jesus  was  baptised  this  was 

*  *  <•.       .■•_       ,     ,  from  heaven         „m  . 

from  God  because  the  dove  descended  and  a  voice  was  heard  saying   ivas  is 

My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased." 

T,  en  when  Jesus  died  on  the  cross  and  His  blood  had  been  shed,  the  Roman 

Centurion  standing  by  the  cross  when  he  had  seen  all  of  the  evidence;  all  of 

the  supernatural  events  which  took  place,  earthauake,  thunder,  lightning, 

dotal  darkness  in  mid-af ternoonj  axxxnxxtiiKXK  he  was  moved  to  say,  "T-puly 

this  was  The  Son  of  God."  He  couldn't  have  made  that  statement  in  any  other 

way  except  it  was  given  to  him  by  God's  Holy  Spirit,  teecause  he  was  not  a 

believer. 

Then  John  says,  "For  there  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father, 
the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Spirit:  and  these  three  are  one." 

This  verse  does  not  appear  in  any  of  the  very  earliest  manuscripts.   It  has 

been  added  by  an  unknown  author  and  appears  first  in  a  14th  century  manuscri] 

How  it  has  gotten  into  the  Bible  came  about  in  this  way:  the  first  Greek 

Testament  was  published  in  1516  by  a  man  named  Erasmus.  He  was  a  great 

scholar  and  because  he  didn't  put  it  in  his  first  text,  he  was  criticized. 

Some  of  the  Theologians  pointed  to  a  Latin  version  which  had  it  included. 

His  answer  was  that  if  anyone  could  produce  a  Greek  manuscript  with  that 


-4- 
verse  in  it,  he  would  print  the  verse  in  his  next  edition.  Someone  did  come 
upon  a  manuscript  with  the  verse  written  in  it  and  so  Erasmus,  against  his 
better  judgment,  bu  true  to  his  word  published  it  in  the  idition  of  1522. 
Almost  all  newer  translation  do  not  include fthis  verse  because  it  was  not 
in  the  original  manuscripts.   But  whoever  placed  in  in  a  manuscript  probably 
did  so  to  make  the  witness,  or  the  record  of  the  Three  witnesses  not  only- 
operative  on  earth  as  the  8th  verse  has,  but  also  in  heaven. 
But  let  'a  look  at  the  8th  verse  which  was  in  all  of  the  original  manuscripts 

John  says:  "And  there  are  three  that  bear  witness  in  earth,  the  Spirit, 
and  the  water,  and  the  blood:  and  these  three  agree  in  one," 

John  was  speaking  to  people  who  either  had  been  a  part  of  the  Judaic  tradi- 
tions, or  who  knew  of  them.  These  people  were  aware  of  the  Temple  and  the 
earlier  Tabernacle.  In  both  the  Temple  and  the  Tabernacle  there  were  three 
vital  elements  which  John  speaks  of  here.  As  a  man  entered  the  outer  court 
the  first  thing  he  saw  was  the  brazen  altar.  This  altar  had  the  continuosly 
burning  fire  and  here  the  blood  was  shed  and  the  offering  was  made  for  sin. 
Then  beyond  the  brazen  altar  stood  the  laver ,   Thi?  vessel  contained  water 

which  the  priests  applied  to  their  hands  and  feet  to  be  cleansed  from  the 

sins 
daily  outward  signs  of  life.   Then  the  worshiper  was  directed  to  the  place 

where  God  dwelt,  the  Holy  of  Holies.   Fo  we  see  in  this  then  that  the  blood, 

as  signified  by  the  aisctK  altar,  the  water  as  signified  by  the  laver,  and 

the  Spirit  as  signified  by  God  in  the  Holiest  place,  held  great  significance 

for  those  who  came  out  of  Judaism  and  those  who  knew  about  it, 

John  says  that  each  of  these  three  agree  in  One.  The  Three  are  evidenced 

in  the  life  and  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ  and  God  did  this  for  mankind.   But 

what  does  this  really  mean  to  the  average  individual? 

(Illustration  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  God's  provision  for  him) 

On  the  front  porch  of  their  store  in  Illinois,  Abraham  -Lincoln  and  his 
party^a  man  named  Berry  stood  rather  aadly.   Business  was  all  gone  and 
Berry  asked,  "Fow  much  longer  do  you  think  we  can  go  on?" 
Lincoln  saidm  "Ij.  looks  like  our  business  is  ended."  "But  you  know,"  he 
said,  "I  wouldn't  mind  it  so  much  if  I  could  do  gust  what  I  want  to  do. 
I  want  to  study  law.   And  I  wouldn't  mind  so  much  if  we  could  seil  all  tka- 
that  we  have  and  have  enough  leftover  for  me  to  buy  one  book,  "Blackstone 't 
Commentary  on  English  LawV  bu*  I  puess  that  isn't  possible." 
Shortly  thereafter  a  strange  looking  wagon  came  up  the  road.   The  driver 
pulled  up  close  to  the  porch  where  Lincoln  and  Berry  were  and  said,  "I'm 
moving  my  family  out  west  and  I'm  out  of  money.   I've  got  a  good  barrel 
here  I'll  sell  for  fifty  cents." 

Abraham  Lincoln  looked  at  the  man,  at  his  wagon,  and  then  he  spied  the 
thin  emaciated  wife  of  the  man  who  seemed  to  look  pleadingly  at  him  and  he 
said,  "I  reckon  I  could  use  a  good  barrel."  And  he  reached  into  his  pock- 
et and  pulled  out  what  he  said  later  was  his  last  fifty  cents.   All  day 
long  that  barrel  sat  on  that  porch  and  Berry  kept  teasing  him  about  it. 
Late  that  evening,  Lincoln  walked  out  and  looked  into  the  barrel,   He  saw 
some  papers  down  at  the  bottom  and  he  reached  in  to  get  them.   As  he  did, 
his  hand  touched  something  solid.   He  picked  it  out  of  the  barrel  and 


-5- 

stood  petrified  as  he  looked  at  a  copy  of  T,  e  Commentary  On  English  L?w, 
by  Blacks  tone. 

Later,  Lincoln  said,  "I  stood  there  holding  the  book,  looking  up  toward 
heaven.  There  came  upon  me  a  deep  impression  that  God  had  something  for 
me  to  do  and  He  was  showing  me  now  that  I  had  to  get  ready  for  it.   Why 
else  this  miracle?" 

*:Ry±Bgx*HX*":£xxi^xsEBpiBX±ra£kKxeaEixxKtaraKfexH 

a^BBBIHHKHXtBXXtlCXXSHtxtkBXIDKSSHgBXtBHtxaMxWBIliSXiBXiKipKltXtBXBaBkxilliiXirKX 

±dui4xiaxth2 

2b  Why  would  God  work  a  miracle  such  as  this?   Do  you  look  at  a  message 
such  as  John  was  trying  to  rive  to  these  people  in  the  early  church  and 
question  just  what  it  has  to  say  to  you?  Do  you  feel  that  maybe  you  are 
all  by  yourself  and  who  really  cares?  Well  God  cares.  God  loves  you  and 
He  wants  you  to  know  that  He  is  available  to  you  on  a  personal  basis. 
God  always  has  done  thinpe  on  a  personal  level.iDMtxtBBXB±±HaxwBX±BBkxH± 

ikXERBXiBBmxtfeBXKiCBKSBBin* 

tf*  need  to  know  in  whom  we   believe  and   what  He  wants  to  do  and  will  do  in 
our   individual    lives.      Let   us   rest   on   the   witness   which   la    given   to  us 
on  a  personal  basis   by  God's   Holy  Spirit, 


I 

ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fourth  Sunday  After  Epiphany        January  29,  1934 
The  Rev,  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Trael  McMillln,  Amy  Vargo  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +■  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude         "Streams  In  the  Desert"     Wilson 
Announc  ementa 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  557  "Christ  Is  Made  the  Sure  Foundation" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  Lord  Jesus  Christ  who  didst 
give  Thy  life  for  us  that  we  might  receive  pardon  and 
peace,  mercifully  cleanse  us  from  ail  sin*  and  evermore 
keep  us  in  Thy  favor  and  lov^,  who  livest  and  reignest 
with  the  Father,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  ever  one  Gud, 
world  without  end.  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  56    "God  Will  Take  Care  of  You" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

offertory  "In  Faith  I  Quiet  Wait"  Bach 

Doxology   No.  382 

Anthem:        "Share  Hi3  Love"  Reynolds 

Scripture:       1  John  5:13-15 
Sermon:     "Joint-Participation:  Two  Assurances" 

I   sing  Hymn  Ncieo  "And  Can  It  Be  That  I  Should  Gain?" 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Betty  Jaillet,  Richard  Dalley  and  Marie  Henry  in 

Loving  Memory  of  Their  Mother. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  'Alvin  Tait,  Hike  Nazaruk, 

Gottlob  Kradel  and  James  McClymonds. 
Mr.  &   Mrs.  Howard  Jaillet  will  great  the  Congregation 

at  the  dcor  this  morning* 

Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Michelle  Henry 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

Visiting  the  Hospital  this  week  -  plus  a  shut-in  and 

an  non-attending  person. 

-  Hospitalized:  Martin  Henry,  Jessica  Dell en 

~ Tonight  -  5:30  -  Congrtgational  Dinner  and  Meeting. 
Year  Books  will  be  given  out.   Bring  enough  tureens 
for  your  family.  Dessert  will  be  furnished. 
-WE  MEED  HEN  TO  SET  UP  TABLES  RIGHT  AFTER  THE  SERVICE. 

Mon.  -  7:00  -  Benov.  and  Welfare  Meeting 

Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 

Wed.  -  7:00  -  Council  meeting  in  the  Undercroft 

Soup  and  Salad  Day  -  February  14th.  Tickets  are  now  on 
sale  at  Si:. 50  -  Childs  tickets  are  $1.00.  Set  Circle 
Chairman  or  Evie  Kennedy.  Valentines  Day  items 
should  sell  well  at  the  bar.aar  table.   We  need  shoe 
boxes. 

February  12  is  open  for  Flowers  -  fill  in  the  chart  In 
the  Narthex  If  ycu  would  like  to  have  these  for  this 
particular  Sunday  -  S15.00 

-  Today  is  your  last  chance  to  get  your  information  in 

for  the  Cook  Book.   The  Activities  Committee  will 
determine  if  we  have  enoughyy  to  make  a  book  or  not. 
^  Today  is  the  last  opportunity  to  make  your  selections 
fur  Elders  and  Deacons.   Just  write  the  names  on'  a 
slip  of  paper  -  they  do  not  have  to  be  contacted  first. 
We  will  notify  them  later. 

Across  the  fields  of  yesterday  He  scmetimes  cemtts  to  me, 
A  little  lad  just  back  from  play — The  lad  I  ust-d  to  be. 
And  yet  he  smiles  bo  wistfully  Once  he  has  crept  within 
I  wonder  if  he  hopes  to  see  The  man  I  might  have  been. 


About  95S  of  the  advice  I  set  is  no  gced,  but  I  have  to 
listen  u  all  of  it  to  get  tha  5%   that'?  worth  havir-?. 


"Joint-Participation:    Two   Assurances" 
Scripture         1    John  5:13-19 
(Illustration  3±r  Isaac    Newton  ft.  raodl   univers) 

Ian       fr/this   arpurnen  rais  creatin  vs   evolutin 
J  saw  modi   lik  this, no   kno  wher  but   modi   convey  2me 
intricat  workins   all  this  ft  convinc   me   no   Big  Bang, 
o:     txplosin  cans   all  ?cum  2gethr;2C  sun  at  center  & 

(no   all   revolv  rnd   includ    erth  boKpl   mind 
fr/this  can  C  God  provid   Assur  His    luv  4  His   creatin 
Bcuz  thus   far, only  planet  hav   lif 
Ik   this    Scrip   C    J  striv    impart   2    Assurances    PpeopCH 

rs   lja=wat   R  thez   Thing's   J  writ  bout?    if   lef  ?think 
thru, wud  prob   say   J  refer  2entir   letr   writ  thus  far 

3ut   this   no  corect;Wat   J  writ  bout  C's   testmony.or 

»itnes   vss   9-12   shar   las   wk  &.  this   was   ?as?sur   Elievrs 

spite  all   herd, bin  subjec  ?  by  fals  teachrs,ther  asur 

?est  G's  trsniony, record  ,witnes  {as  word  Vitnes  is) 
Hertics  striv  pul  Elievrs  fr/church  w/fals  teach  ft 
Blievrs  tol  by  J  ?rest  in  G 'a  witnes  ,testmony 

i  wat  was  major  thrust  testmony /witnes?  Js  Xp  Son  ofG. 
He  was  God  in  the  Flesh 

Now  J  add  lrg  Assuranc  2conclud  va  but  as  las  wk  we  R 

^oinp  21k  othr  vss  ,n«  cum  bak  ?this  latr 
I  Bliev  import  this  need  mor  emphasis  than  othr  vsa 

ja   14=J  use   interst  word=Conf  idence=Gr=r-ARRHESIA 
openes ,franknes,B  abl   spk  boldly  &  best  way  describ 

it  mean  Freedom  of   Speech 

J  say= Blievr  can  cum  2  G  complet   openes ,franknes, & 

w/fredom  spech  Bcuz  we  cum  2  One  who  listn/hear 
Now  how   is   Blievr   2cum   2  God    in  prayr?=Vs   WB 

Not   say  rauF    1st  kno  G's   wil   B4  can  pray, but   say  prayr 

sh-'    3  pray  as    Js   taut=Acording  2   Thy  wil 
m.  J  lern  2cum  B4  G,ask  His   wil/not   our  B  dun 

But   also  want   Blievr  kno   G  hears 
ien  pray, shud  hav   faith  G  hear  prayr, &  wil  anser  it 
acord  2  His   wil  &  that  may  mean  no   get  wat  specific 
ask  4;sumtim  our  wat  /way  ask  no  gud  4us  ft  G  kno  this 
To  wilB  wat  He  wants   tus .wat  best  4us 

vs   15«J  add  furthr  asur   &  reinforc  wat   sed  preced   vs 
Main  thing-G   wil  hear, wil    anser   acord   His    wil   ft  we 
hav  fredoo   spech  spk  bout   anyth  want   or  need 

positiv    examp=2   Chron  20;21-?2 
Koab  invad   land;K   Jehoshaphat/all   peop  pray  4deliver 
Levite=Jabaziel   inspir  by  G   spk  kinp,tel  G  wud  delivi 

Jehoshaphat   complet   confid   G   herd/wud   delivr=vs-21-22 

Thi     complet   asur    J  striv   irapar  2evr  Blievr  that  G 

not   .snly  hears  but  wil  anser   acord  ?  His   wil, 
But  this    Asuranc    J  giv  vss    14-15   only   posib   Bcuz 
specil  relatship  wh/Blievr  has  w/God   &  this  relatshi; 

main   Asuranc    J  want   Elievr   2hav 


JunaersT;   mus   go    can     cna  part   vs    n=,ii,iiu  d/ 

,-,'ho  duz   J  xt-k±  say  B   1  's  who  shud   kno  bdut   this? 
lie  use   pers.     '  onal  pronoun  YE, or  U  as  we   say 

It   Js   U  the   l's   who  hav   acpt    Js    5fp  ae  L  &  FAviour 
I      ,fccuz    Js  dy  on  cros  eternty  bot   &  pd  4  ea   Blievr 
Persn  has   th/relatship  w/Js  Xp  shud   Jump  4Joy  2kno 
wa+    J   impart   here=    LOOK   WAT  HE  slAYS   IN  THIS   VERSE 
TE      '  YE    KAY   KNOW  THAT   YE   HAVE  ETERNAL  LIFE 
word  Have=pres   tens   ",-.  that   mean  U  no  hav   wait   til  U 
dy  2hav   etern  lif ,H  hav   it  wen  cum  2Xp=It   Bgin  then 

It  Urs   simply  Bcuz   that   Blief ,i  continu   on  w/Blievr 

from  this   lif  2  the   next=canot   B  takn  away=it   YOURS 
But   how   many  peop  no  complet  underst  this, hav  doubtr- 
bout    sailvatin?    Betr  yet,    how  many  peop  wud   rathr   argu 
bout   salvatin  &  eternty, rathr  rest   in  wat  G  sed/dun? 
Let  me   ask=no  respond   by  rais   hands, rais  hands  Ur  own 
hart, inner  self=How  many  fcathr  bear  wondrfl   luv  God? 

How  many  rathr  hear  wrath  of  God? 
1  feel  confident   most   us   sneer  want   hear  luv  of  God 

But   how   many   herd/or   evn   U   sed-no  dif   wat   Bliev,wat 

Ch   go  2, we   all   striv   same  plao   or  sumthin   simlar  2it 
It  duz   matr  wat   Bliev, wher   go  church; 

if  we   preach  that  thoz  who   no  kno  G  thru    Js   Xp  R  flra 
doom  2hell,everlast  punsihnent  we   acus   of   mak  G   ocre 
or  tryrant.an  unloving, uncaring  God 
But    J  striv  giv   Asuranc  G   luvs, cares   bout   His  peop 
1   spk  this   as   wel=let   all   Ik   our   Bibles=Choir  ,lites  ! 
Horn  1:19=READ=P  ?ay  no  excus  anyl  say  no  Bliev   in  God 
All  has  2do  is   Ik  at   self  ft  realiz  wonderfl  made; our 
day  med   science   sho/pruv=hart  pump  times/gallons   70yr 

How  this   cum  bout?   our  efforts?  Who  lik  U  in  worl? 
we    lik  snoflake.evr   1  dif , no  2alik=how  happen?   Accid? 
P      ny   this   vs    19B-G  reveal   man  uniones   2any  ft-   all 
peup  2pruv  self 

vs  ?Ot=wen  persn  study  creatincanot  help  B  convinc  an 
sum  Grt   Powr   Bhin  all'itimus  also  conclud   here  BEING 
w/out  enual=A  BEIHG  powrful  and  mighty- no  othr   lik 
Vs    20B=No   1   has   excua  4   no   Bliev   in  G   ft  G  reveal   wen 
persn  quest   bout  Him,&  Ee   direct  persn  ?.   Gospl   &.  salv 
Acts   l?:24-31=giv  us   examp  of  thia-(T   preach  Kara   HI1 
ft   spk  statu*   2  unknown  ?od;mus  kno  ther  wrath  G  mete 
out   thoz  refus   Bliev, acpt  revelatin  piv  thru   Js    Xp) 

(Illus  dog  chas  train  ft  wat  wud  do   if   evr  caut   it) 
much  lik  dog, we   chas  material  things; all  eforts   fet 
bigr   hous,nswer/betr   car,mor  mony,mor  leisur   etc, etc 

But  wat  wil  do  wen  catch  them?   Wat  plac  eternty  wil 
nu      ir  hav?   or  binx  hous?  Or  lots   money?   U  C  thez 
things   not   all   that   import!    Sur  we   need  necestys  but 

no  need   surrlus   we  desir   2catch .   T^e  ONE  Asuranc  we 

shud   all   poses    Is-TO   KNOW   THAT  U   HAV   HT^RNL  LP?   &  JS 

SED   ONLY    PC- -'.IP   THRU   HI^NO   I-AN   CUHETH   ^THE  FATHER   BUT 


1 

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complet   Assurance   through    Him 

*- 

Do  U  kno   this   for  a   certainty? 

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"Joint -Participation:  Two  Assurances'* 

Scripture:  1  John  5*13-15 

(Illustration  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  and  model  of  Universe  and  who  made  it) 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  the  renowned  scientist  possessed  an  exauisitely  made 
model  of  the  universe.   A  friend  saw  it  and  asked  who  made  it, 
Newton  answered,  "Nobody."   The  man  responded, , "Nobody f  You  must  think 
I'm  a  fool.   Of  course  somebody  made  it  and  he  is  a  genius!"   Newton 
replied,  "I  tell  you  nobody  made  it.   All  of  those  balls  and  gears  and 
cops  just  happened  to  come  tog-ether  and,  wonder  of  wonders,  suddenly 
they  began  revolving  in  their  set  order  with  perfect  timing  I"   The  man 
saw  Newton's  point.   Creation  tells  us  there  is  a  creator/ 

We  can  see  from  this  the  argument  that  is  raised  about  Creation  versus 

evolution.   I  saw  a  model  of  this,  I  don't  remember  where,  but  that  model 

conveyed  to  me  that  no  sudden  explosion  in  outer '-space  caused  all  of  this 

iniverse  to  fall  into  motion.   To  see  the  sun  at  the  center  and  all  of  the 

planets  including  the  earth  revolving  around  the  sun,  keeping  a  perfect 

orbit  and  never  falling  from  it  is  mind  boggling.   From  this  we  can  see  that 

God  has  provided  us  with  an  assurance  of  His  love  for  His  creation  because 

so  far  it  has  been  determined  that  this  is  the  only  planet  on  which  there 

is  human  life.   As  we  look  at  this  Scripture  we  can  see  that  John  is  striving 

to  impart  "Two  Assurances"  to  the  people  in  the  church.  To  believers. 

Axa£x:?JHXfccxxxHKxri±dx4xHixKRB:kx 

John  begins  by  saying,  "These  things  have  I  written  unto  you  that  believe 
on  the  name  of  the  Fon  of  God." 

Now  what  are  ±ka  "These  things"  John  is  writing  about?  left  to  think  this 

through  we  would  probably  conclude  that  it  John  xiBxaxxiiiH  was  referring  to 

the  entire  letter  which  he  had  written  thus  far.   But  this  if  not  correct. 

What  John  had  just  written  about  God's  testimony,  or  witness  in  verses  9 

through  12  which  we  shared  last  week  was  to  assure  believers  that  in  spite 

of  everything  they  had  heard,  or  been  subjected  to  by  false  teachers,  ±k* 

kKXEii^HxsHEkxn^tintiHEKxtisBKxfxiiHxjtiLKxEiuarEiiix  their  assurance  rests  on  tins 

God's  testimony,  or  record,  or  witness.   We  had  said  the  word  "witness" 

meant  these  things.  Herectis  were  striving  to  pull  the  believers  from  the 

church  with  their  false  teachings  and  the  believers  were  told  by  John  to 

rest  in  God's  witness  of  Himself.  And  what  was  the  major  thrust  of  that 

witness,  or  testimony?  That  Jesus  C"rist  was  indeed  the   Son  of  God.  That 

Ke  was  God  in  the  flesh.   And  then  John  adds  a  very  large  "Assurance"  to 

conclude  this  verse.   But  as  we  did  last  week,  we  are  going  to  look  at  the 

other  verses  and  come  back  to  this  verse  later.   I  believe  the  import  of 

verse  13B  is  so  great  that  it  needs  to  be  emphasized  more  fully  than  the 

other  verses. 

So  let  us  look  at  verses  14  and  15.   Ubhn  writes  in  verse  14,  "And  this  is 
the  confidence  we  have  in  Him." 

John  uses  an  interesting  word  which  is  translated  "Confidence."   The  word  in 

Greek  is  "PARRHESIA."   It  means  an  openness,  a  frankness,  being  able  to 

speak  boldly.   Perhaps  the  best  way  to  describe  it  is  to  say  that  it  means, 


-2- 

"Freedom  of  speech."   John  Is  sayincr  that  a  believer  can  come  to  God  in  com- 
plete openness,  complete  frankness,  with  freedom  of  speech  because  we  are 
coming  to  One  who  will  listen;  who  will  hear. 

Now  how  is  the  believer  to  come  to  God  in  prayer? 

John  adds:  "That,  if  we  ask  any  thing:  according  to  His  will,  He  heareth  us 

Wow  John  is  not  saying  that  we  must  first  of  all  know  God's  will  before  we 

can  pray.   He  is  saying  that  our  prayers  should  be  prayed  as  Jesus  taught, 

"According  to  Thy  will."  We  must  learn  to  come  before  God  asking  that  His 

will  may  be  done,  not  ours.  But  John  also  wants  the  believer  to  know  that 

"God  heareth  us."  When  we  pray,  we  should  have  the  faith  that  God  is  hearing 

our  prayer  and  that  Ke  will  answer  it  according  to  His  will.   That  may  mean 

that  we  will  not  get  what  we  specifically  ask  for,  Eut  He  will  answer,  and 

it  will  be  according  to  what  He  wants  for  us. 

To  add  further  "Assurance"  to  what  he  has  said,  John  continues  in  the  15th 

verse  by  saying,  "And  if  we  know  that  He  hear  us,  whatsoever  we  ask,  we 
know  that  we  have  the  petitions  that  we  desired  of  Him." 

John  is  merely  reinforcing  what  he  has  said  in  the  preceding  verse.   T,  e  mai] 

thing  for  the  believer  to  remember  is  that  God  will  hear  us  and  answer  us 

according  to  His  will,  not  ours;  and  we  have  the  "freedom  of  speech,"  to 

speak  to  Him  about  anything  we  want  or  need,  j^gfec ^y^x^ss^v&Sss^xViWSJS& 

!$&EidS$?Pi^xwMx:fax*±Exi):^^ 

jftaam±ers:t33^x±i±sx:rax*aH:&;^^ 

A  very  positive  example  of  this  1p   found  in  the  Old  Testament  as  recorded  in 
2  Chronicles,  chapterc20,  verses  2Q  and  22.      Moab  had  invaded  the  land  and 
King  Jehoshaphat  iixi   along  with  all  of  the  people  had  prayed  to  God  for 
deliverance.   A  Levite  named  Jahaziel  was  inspired  by  God  to  speak  to  the 
king  and  to  tell  Him  that  God  would  deliver  Judah  from  Moab.   Jehoshaphat, 
in  complete  faith  that  God  had  beard  them  and  answered  them  spoke  to  the  peo> 
pie  as  we  read  in  verses  20  and  21,  (read  these).   This  is  the  complete 
"Assurance"  that  John  is  trying  to  impart  ot  every  believer  that  God  not 
only  hears,  but  will  answer  according  to  His  will.  But  this  "Assurance"  ix 
which  John  gives  in  the  14th  and  15th  verses  of  this  Scripture  is  only  pos- 
sible because  of  a  special  relationship  which  the  believer  has  with  God. 
And  this  relationship  is  the  main  "Assurance"  John  wants  believers  to  have. 
To  understand  this  we  need  to  go  back  tovthe  second  part  of  the  15th  verse. 

John  says,  "That  ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  tha$  ye  may 
believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God." 

Who  does  John  say  are  the  ones  who  should  know  about  this?  He  uses  the 
personal  pronoun  "Ye,"  or  "You,"  as  we  say.   It  is  "You",  the  ones  who  have 
accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  £Srviour.   It  i-  because  Jesus  died  on  the 


-3- 

cross  that  eternity  has  been  bought  and  paid  for  each  believer.   The  person 

who  has  this  relationship  with  Jesus  Christ  should  tjump  for  JOY  to  know  what 

John  is  seeking  to  impart  here.  Look  what  John  says;  "That  ye  may  know, 

THAT  YE  HAVE  ETERNAL  LIFE."   The  word  is  "HAVE"  which  is  present  tense.   Tha- 

means  that  you  don't  have  to  wait  until  you  die  to  begin  eternal  life.   You 

have  it  now  if  you  have  come  to  Christ.   It  is  yours  simply  because  of  that 

acceptance,  that  belief.   And  it  continues  on  with  the  believer  from  this 

life  to  the  next.   But  how  many  believers  don't  completely  understand  this 

and  have  doubts  about  their  salvation?  Better  yet,  how  many  people  want  to 

argue  about  kBM  salvation  ixxxaxxKtx  and  eternity?   Let  me  ask  a  couple 

questions.   I  don't  want  you  to  respond  by  raising  your  hand.   Just  raise 

your  hand  in  your  own  heart,  in  your  inner  self.   How  many  of  us  want  to 

hear  about  the  ±»  wonderful  love  of  God?  How  many  of  us  would  rather  hear 

about  the  wrath  of  God?   Row  I  feel  confident  that  most  of  you  answered  to 

yourself  that  you  would  rather  hear  of  the  wonderful  love  of  God. 

How  many  of  you  have  heard  people  say  or  maybe  have  said  it  yourself,  "It 

really  doesn't  matter  what  you  believe,  or  what  church  you  go  to  we  are  all 

going  to  the  same  place?"  Or  perhaps  you  have  heard  things  similar  to  this. 

It  does  matter  what  you  believe  and  it  does  matter  what  church  you  go  to. 

If  we  say  that  there  are  people  who  are  doomed  to  God's  eternal  punishment 

kKKHHXKxttoRx  even  though  they  have  never  heard  the  Gospel,  there  are  those 

who  think  God  is  some  sort  of  ogre;  an  uncaring,  unloving  God.   To  better 

understand  artesi  the  "Assurance"  John  was  trying  to  inpart  to  believers  let's 

look  at  a  Scripture  in  which  Paul  is  speaking  of  this.  Let's  everyone  open 

our  ^ibles  to  the  book  of  Romans.  Come  on  Choir,  let's  get  the  Bibles  out 

and  turn  the  lights  back  on.  Romans  the  first  chapter.   Let's  look  at  the 

18th  verse,  (read  this). 

Then  in  the  19th  verse  he  says :  "Because  that  which  may  be  known  of  God  is 

manifest  in  them." 
In  other  words,  there  is  no  excuse  for  anyone  saying  he  does  not  believe  in 

God.   All  he  has  to  do  is  look  at  himself  and  realize  that  he  was  wonderfull; 
made.  How  did  that  come  about?  By  his  own  efforts?  Who  else  in  the  world 
is  exactly  like  him?  He  is  unique.   Like  a  snowflake,  there  isn't  another 
one  like  him.   And  Paul  concludes  that  lQth  verse  by  saying,  "For  God  hath 
showed  it  unto  them."  God  has  revealed  man's  uniqueness  to  any  and  all  peo- 
ple to  prove  Himself.   laul  then  continues  in  the  20th  verse,  (read  this) 

God  has  given  His  creation  to  prove  first  that  there  is  a  God,  "For  the  in- 
visible things  of  Him  from  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly  seen, 
being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made." 

Then  creation  also  tells  us  that  God  is  a  God  of  power  and  perfection: 
"Even  His  etenal  power  and  Godhead," 

When  a  person  studies  creation  he  cannot  help  but  be  convinced  that  some 

great  power  is  behind  all  of  it,  but  he  must  also  conclude  that  here  is  a 

being  without  equal.   A  being  powerful  and  mighty. 


_4_ 

And  then  l-'„ul  concludes  the  verse  by  stating,  "So  that  they  ar&  without 
excuse . " 

Mo  one  has  an  excuse  for  not  believing:  in  God.   But  God  also  reveals  that 

when  one  questions  about  God,  that  person  will  be  directed  to  God's  Gospel 

to  gain  salvation. 

Acts  17,  verses  24  to  Jl  imply  this.   Paul  was  preaching  on  Mars  Hill  and 

speaking  about  the  statue  raised  to  "The  unknown  God."  So  we  must  be  aware 

that  there  is  the  wrath  of  God  and  this  will  be  meted  out  to  all  unbelievers 

and  those  who  have  refused  to  accept  the  revelation  He  has  given  through 

Jesus  Christ. 

(Illustration  of  dog  chasine  One  o'clock  train  every  day.) 

In  a  town  there  was  a  dog  who  lived  at  the  local  train  station.   Each 
day  when  the  One  o'clock  tr  in  pulled  out,  the  dog  would  chase  after  it. 
One  day  as  two  men  from  the  town  watched  the  dog  running  after  the  train 
one  of  them  remarked,  "I  wonder  what  that  dog  would  do  with  the  train 
if  he  ever  caught  it ! " 

Much  like  this  dog  chasing  a  train,  believers  chase  through  life  after  the 

material  things.   All  efforts  are  made  to  get  a  newer  car,  a  better  house, 

more  money,  more  furniture,  more  leisure  and  on  and  on.  But  what  will  we 

do  with  these  things  when  we  catch  them?  What  place  in  eternity  will  a  new 

car  have?  Or  a  bigger  house?  Or  lots  of  money?  You  see,  these cthings  are 

not  really  that  inportant.   3ure  we  need  the  necessities,  but  we  don't  need 

all  of  the  surplus  we  seek  to  catch.   TVe  one  "Assurance"  we  should  all 

possess  is  "To  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life."   Jesus  said  this  is  only 

possible  through  Him.   "No  man  comfcfch  to  the  Father,  but  by  Ke . "   There  is 

not  other  way  and  our  complete  Joy  should  be  that  complete  Assurance  through 

Him.  Do  you  know  this  for  a  certainty?  Do  you  have  this  Assurance? 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fifth  Sunday  After  Epiphany       February  5,  19B4 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs,  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel,  Megan  Hewis,  Acolytes 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ■!-  +  +  +■  +  + 

OHDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude     "King  of  Love  My  Shepherd  Is"    Shelly 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Few 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
"Processional  Hymn  No.  238  "Jesus  Shall  Reign  Khere'er  the  Sun" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Almighty  God,  by  your  power  is 
Christ  raised  from  death  to  rule  this  world  with  love. 
Vie  confess  that  we  have  not  believed  in  Him,  but  fall 
into  doubt  and  fear.  Gladness  has  r.o  Euxne  in  our 
hearts,  and  gratitude  is  slight.  Forgive  our  dread  of 
dying,  our  hopelessness,  and  set  us  free  for  joy  in  the 
victory  of  Jesus  Christ  who  was  dead  but  lives,  and  will 
put  down  every  power  that  hurts  or  destroys,  when  your 
promised  kingdom  comes.   Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  443   "I  Need  Thee  Every  Hour" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory     "Litany"  Schubert 

Doxology     No.  382 

Anthem:         "Peace  Like  A  River  "  Charles  Kirby 

Spiritual  arrangement 


>"■ 


> 


Scripture:        1  John  5:16*19 

Sermon:      "Joint-Participation:  The  Test  of  Truth" 

Clsolng  Hymn  No.  409   "who  Is  on  the  Lord's  Side?" 

Benediction 

Postlude 

+++++++  •Congregation  Standing  +++*+++++ 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  Howard  McLaren  in  memory  of  hie  "Brother" 

Fred  McLaren. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   'Art  Carney,  Dan  Boskc, 

Dave  McMillin 
Elder  Art  Snydar  will  graet  the  Congregation  at  tho 

doer  this  morning.  thf**S  &**>*•&     77///- 

[capitalized:  Mrs.  Norma  Kniuer^   Xr^'*-e.  AsfjSp&t^ 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis,  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

visiting  the  Hospital  this  week.  They  will  also  visit 

a  shut-in  and  an  non-attendinq  person. 
Mrs.  Debbie  Christie  will  have  charge  of  the  Nursery 

today . 
Year  Books  are  available  -  please  pick  yours  up  today 

in  the  back  of  the  Church. 
Monday  -  7:00  -  Pastors  and  Elders  Meeting  in  Undercreft. 
Monday  -  Hall  has  been  rented. 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 
Thurs.  -  7:30-9:00  -  Spiritual  Study  -  There  is  still 

room  for  more.  A'oKJ     f    Of? ' l*f '.'  c*,f  »/#Mff  A*". 
Coming  up  Feb.  18  at  6:30  -  Butler  Area  Laymen's  Dinner 

at  St.  John's  Reformed  Church  of  Butler  Township. 

J.  Walter  Harmon  has  tickets. 
Tues.  FEb.  14  -  Soup  and  Salad  Day.   Tickets  are  avail- 
able today  at  $2.50  (Child  at  SI .00) .   See  Evie. 

Kennedy  or  Circle  Chairman,  we  need  shoe  boxes 

(for  carry  outs)  and  bazaar  items. 
The  Communion  schedule  for  Lent  will  consist  of  three 

different  services.  Each  service  will  be  different  and 

will  begin  at  7-.30  P.M.   The  Ash  Wednesday  service  will 

be  held  in  the  sanctuary  with  Altar  Communion  on  March 

7th.   We  will  tell  you  about  the  other  services  closer 

to  the  time. 

he  Activities  Committee  is  still  accepting  your  best 

recipes  for  the  Cook  Bf-.k  that  they  would  like  to  put 

out  if  they  get  enougt).  co  put  in  it. 


joinc- 1  anticipation ;     i  ue    icsi    *-j±     i^-u^ii 
|   ocrlpi   1   John  5:16-19 

Apos    J  inters   hav  ch   mems   kno   wat    shud   kno   &   shud    Bll 

t:      relat  how  let   all  this   sho  4th  daily  livs 
1  pi   J  strong;  on  wag   TRUTH 
Ex=J's   Gospl    Js   W   lilate   ft   spk  truth   of  truth, 

I      ate   ask,    "Wat   Is  Truth?"   Gud  auest!    Wat   is   truth 

ati  relates  to  the   Bliever? 
(Illus  buiicher  cheat  w/one  chicken) 
def  duznt   illus  truth  &  honesty 
(Illus   girl   bite   nose   of   brother) 

Ther  Truth!    No  complet   en,}oybl  4mothr ,especil  bros 
hut   It  nevertheless   truth 

kf   Ik  this    aerip  Ik  wat  arnt  real=Test   Of  Truth 
vs   16=sevrl   interps  thi?  vs   &  dificult  kno  exae   inter 

wat   J  try  2f iv 
Bsaic   say=anyl   kno   sural   sin,shud    pray   2  C  t  C   wiW-giv 

&-  continu  grant  etern  lif  as   long  as   no  sin  un?  deth 
2x=4mer  drunk, adict , thief  ete;bin   conver,acpt  Xp  & 
receiv  clens/4givnes=  Salvatin 

then  go  bak  &  do  same   sins    '.Vet  hapens?  Lose  salvatin 
lnce   persn  sav,G  no  remov   salvatin  fr/him;G  duznt    lik 
persn  bakslide ,sin,&   not   His   wil,but  G  prom  2keep  2 
uteriuost   &.  wil  keep  rroirtis 

persn  may  aetul  dy  Bcuz  return  sin=ruin  livr,body, 

£  bring  on  deth, but  this  not   sin  un?  deth  J  spk  of 
Lk  wat    J  say  vs    16   Bgin=Brother=mean   Blievr, &  we    ? 
pray  4  Brothre   wen  kno  sin,&  r.   stil  giv  eternty 

Lk  wat    J  say  end   vs   16»2underst   raws  bakup  2nd   chap 
vs   19= J  spk   antiXps   £  thez  peop  depar  Bcuz   nevr  comp 

Blievrs;by  very  departur  fr/ch  prov   nevr  aetul   Blong 
vs  ^^Ask  ouest   &  identfy=He  antiXp  deny  F  &   3on 

t     s   sin  wh/J  pt  wh/sin  un?  deth  &  this  denial    Js   is 
the   Xp,the    Incarnat  S  of  G 

This   sevr  yersn  fr/Him,Js  Xp  who   is   Life   itself 
Thoz  deny  Deity  Js   Xp.deny  He  8   in  flesh  wer   1  "s   who 
comit   Sin  un2  Deth 

Apos   1   writ   Roms   10:9-10=P  say  w/mouth    Js   The   Xp 
&.  w/hart   man  Bliev   this   &   then  w/Blief    of  hart, 
conf    of   mouth    man  receiv   salvatin 
&  this   is    life=but  conversly   is  deth=sp  deth  &  this 
wat   J  spk   of 

But    J  say.lk  vs    1?=THE  life^hav   it   Bcuz    3on=Ja   Xp 
vs   16b=wen   J  say  this ,he   say  sin  If  refusl   2Bliev 

acpt   Js  Xp  as  THE  S   of   G- incarnat in, G   in  flesh 

1    J  say  w/this    sill   no  pray  for   it 
'    pan  pray  G  chang  harden  hart  but    J  say  ther  thoz 
iiLjsolutlv  refus   Bliev   evidenc   Bt-   ther  eyes   &  that 
sp  deth>"thez    peop    J  refer   2   &  whom  cal    AntiXps   wer 
peop  deny  incarn   Js   &  yet   many  profes   SB  Xpians 
L 


U   »»j=»ub)    unBav,no   ::orn-apin=thev  sp  ded  py 

vs    17=ther        nay  bin  sum  peop  in  ch  pres  Aeep   of 
sin  in?  ma t1or /minor  catgory 

r~op  who   Blievrs  knu   Xpiac  try  Premain  fr/sin 
V     '1-'  tel-sin   is   rin  whthr   big/litl;all  wrongdoing 

vs-   18-19=cDnolud  this   serin  w/sevrl   thots 
1        two  certintys=vs   18A=tru   Blievr   ptriv   liv  free 
fr/3in;wil  comit, but  no  do  delib  Bcuz  child  of  G 
ys   19=mean  Blievr  has   certinty  he  S   of  G,Bcuz  relatsb 
w/Js    Xp;thex   things   R  certintys 

But    J  also   hav   ?othr   certintys : 
vs   18B=persn  who  Child   of  G  try  keep  self  fr/sin, but 

by  turn  fr /world, Satan  who   wicked   one  canot  touch 

Bcuz   that   persn   Blrnr   2  God   now 
vs   19=We  kno  we   R  of  God=turn  fr/worl  2  sp  things 

turn  fr/worl  rul  by  Satan,?  sp  things  rul  by  God 
vs   19£=intir  worl  apart   fr/G  wrap  up  wickednes ,sin 

unritnes   &  worl  rul   by  princ  darknes=ratan 
But  real  Test   of   Truth  wh/J  plac   m  ea   Blievr  fnd 
Bgin  vs    lS^READ 

Basic  &  simply  mean=Tru   test  of  T„uth  is  Conduct 
A  sinfl   lif  is   in  disagrement   w/lif   givn  by  God 
(Illus    Alexander  Grt  and  disobedient   soldier) 
Tvis  wat   Blievr  has  dun 

has  chang  conduct  fr/liv  £  do  worldly  things  ?striv 

21iv  4   Jp   Xp 
5  Elievr  has  chang  name  as  wel 

lnce   cal   name  of  world, cal   non-Blievr  &  wen  turn  ? 

God   thru    Js  Xo,tak  on  name   of   Xpian 
The   Test   Of  Truth  is  how  Blievr  livs   his   life 
Tru  Blievr   striv  31iv  as   sin  free   as   can, but   persn 
wb      perhap  nonrnal   "nian, perhaps  nevr  made   comit  2   Xp, 
conducts   lif    in  worldly   manner. 

The   Test  Of   Truth  is  evidenced  by  the   life. 


"Joint-Participation:    The   Test   Of   Truth" 

Scripture:    1    John  5:16-19 

The   Apostle    John  was   interested    in  having  the   members   of   the   church   know 

just  what  they  should  know  and  what   they  should  believe.      And   then,   he  tried 

to  relate   to  them  how  to  let  all  of  this   show  forth  in  their  daily  lives. 

One  point   John  was   strong  on  was    "truth."     You  may  recall   in   John's   Gospel 

how  he  wrote   of  the   trial    of    Jesus   and   an  incident  which  happened  before 

the  Roman  Governor,    Pontius   Pilate.      Jesus  had  been  asked  by  Pilate   if  He  wa 

a  king.      And   Jesur  had  replied  that  He  was   indeed  a  king  and  to  this   end  was 

He   come    into  the   world  and   all   of   this  was   to  bear  witness   to   the   truth. 

And  He   said,    "Every  one  who   is   of  the   truth  heareth  My  voice."     To  which 

Pilate   asked,    "What   is   truth?"      Which  is   a  good   question.      What   is   truth  as 

it  relates   to  the   believer? 

(Illustration  of  bujcher  and  cheating  with  one  chicken) 

A  woman  walked   into  a  butcher   shop   and   asked  for  a  nice  roasting  chicken, 
the  butcher   only  had  one   chicken  in  the   showcase   and  he   showed   itvto  the 
lady  and   she   asked  him  to  weich  it.      He   put   it   on  the   scale   and  said, 
"It  weighs   five  pounds."      The   lady  said,    "T^at   is  a  nice   looking  chicken 
but    I'd   like   one  a  little  bigger."     He  put  the   chicken  back  in  the   show- 
case  while   she  watched,    and   periled   the    same   chicken  out   again,    placed   it 
on  the   scale   and  pushed  down  so   it  would  register  more   and  said,    "This   one 
weighs    seven  pounds."      To  which  the    lady  said,    "Good,    I'll  "fake   both   of 
them. " 

There    is   a  case  which  definitely  doesn't   illustrate   truth  and  honesty. 

(Illustration  of   little  p-irl  biting  her  brother's   nose) 

A  little   girl   had    just   bitten  her   brother's   nose    in  an  argument. 
He  mother   said   to  her,    "It's  the  devil  who  made   you  mad." 
"No,"  the   girl  said,    "the  devil  does   get   me   mad   every  now  and   again, 
but   biting   my  bother's   nose   was   all  my   idea." 

Now  there   is   truth,   perhaps   not  completely  enjoyable   for  the   mother,   and 

especially   not   for  the   brother,   but   nevertheless    it   is    truth. 

So  as   we    look  at   this   portion  of   Scripture   we   are   looking   at   what   amounts   to 

the  feal    "Test   of  Truth." 

John  begins   by  Ftating,    "If  any  man  see   his   brother   sin  a   sin  which  is   not 
unto  death,   he   shall   ask,    and  He   shall  give   him   life   for  them  that   sin 
not  unto  death.      There   is   a  sin  unto  death:    I  do  not   say  that   he  shall 
pray  for  it . 

Wow  there  are  several  jrayxxSBxiswkxaixwfcxi  interpretations  of  this  verse  and 
it  is  difficult  to  know  which  is  the  exact  interpretation  John  was  trying  to 
give.  John  was  basically  saying  that  if  anyone  who  knows  of  someone  who  is 
sinning,  that  person  should  pray  to  God  and  God  will  forgive  and  continue  to 
grant  eternal  life  to  the  sinning  person  as  lonsr  as  it  isn't  "sin  unto  death 
as  John  states  it.  %*xm&$x%^m£itm$ilMK^fe&Mx%m%%x&Zx%%hL%mj&M%xM 
xfefcJt*3^Xji«R8M£x1^£xxx$MxM£S#Kte 
SM^x*saxx^*x8j^x^SM£Sx*fe#x&&XxXie^ 

fiteriafcr   Let's   look  at  a  hypothetical   example.      Suppose   a  person  was   a  drunk- 
ard,   or   addicted  to  drugs,    or  a  thief,    or  asjrxBife**   involved    in  any   other 


-2- 
type  of  a±:n±H£  sinning.   But  that  person  has  been  converted,  has  accepted 
Christ  and  received  His  cleansing,  His  forgiveness.  Salvation  in  other 
words.  But  then  that  person  slips  and  goes  back  into  sinning.   What  happens 
to  that  person?  ^oes  he  lose  his  salvation?  T~e  answer  is  that  once  a  per- 
son has  salvation  from  God,  God  does  not  remove  that  salvation  from  him. 
That  person  may  sin,  backslide,  but  he  still  haw  God's  Salvation.  God  doesa 
n't  like  a  believer  to  do  this  and  is  certainly  isn't  His  will  for  that  per- 
son, but  God  has  promised  to  save  him  to  the  uttermost  and  He  will  keep  that 
promise.   Now  that  pkisbmxx  person  may  actually  die  because  of  his  return  to 
his  sinful  life.   A  case  in  point,  a  drug  addict  returning  to  his  habit  and 
destroying  his  body;  or  a  drunkard  destroying  his  liver;  or  any  number  of 
things  we  could  point  out.   That  person  will  die,  and  perhaps  brings  on  his 
own  death  sooner  than  it  should  occur.  T,  at  is  not  the  death  John  is  speak- 
ing of  here.  Co  John  is  saying,  "If  a  person  sees  his  brother  sin,  or  sin- 
ning, perhaps  the  only  thing  he  can  do  is  to  pray  to  God,  and  ±±   that  person 
is  a  believer,  which  is  what  is  his  identification  by  the  word  "Brother." 

And  that  "brother's"  sin  is  not  a  sin  unto  death,  God  will  hear  and  will 

grant  that  person  eternal  life  as  He  promised," 

Then  3ffHkaxH!ii;xxz±xtiisxK2i]4xB£xifc«xxHi:SH  look  what  John  adds  at  the  end  of 

the  verse:  "There  is  a  sin  unto  death:  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall'pray  for 
it  * " 

To  understand  this  we  must  back  up  to  some  things  that  John  had  written 

prior  to  this.   look  back  to  the  2nd  chapter  of  this  letter.   In  verse  19, 

look  at  what  John  says:  "Tfaey  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us;  for 
if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued  with  is:  but 
they  went  out,  that  they  might  be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all  of 
us." 

John  is  speaking  of  those  whom  he  called  "Antichrists."  These  were  people 
who  departed  because  they  never  were  complete  believers.  By  their  very 
departure  from  the  church  they  proved  that  they  never  actually  belonged. 
And  then  look  at  verse  22  of  this  2nd  chapter.   John  asks  a  question,  "Who 
is  a  liar  but  he  that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?"   And  then  John  id- 
entifies him  by  saying,  "He  is  antichrist  that  denieth  the  Father  and  the 
Son."  This  i?  the  sin  that  John  is  pointing  out  which  is  ain  unto  death 
and  that  is, namely,  the  denial  that  Jesus  is  the  cftrist,  the  incarnate  Son 
of  God.   This  severs  a  person  from  Him,  Jesus  Christ  who  is  life  itself. 
Those  who  denied  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  denied  that  He  was  God  in 
the  flesh,  were  the  ones  who  Emnz  committed  the  sin  unto  death.  The  Apostle 
Paul  writing  to  the  church  in  Rome  writes  in  his  letter  in  the  10th  chapter 

verses  9  and  10,  "That  if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised  Kim  from  the  dead 
thou  shalt  be  saved.   For  tfltli  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness; 
and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation." 


-5- 

Now  what  Faul  is  saying  is  that  it  is  with  the  mouth  that  Jesus  is  THE 
Christ,  and  it  is  with  the  heart  that  man  believes  this,  then  with  the 
belief  of  the  heart  and  with  the  confession  by  mouth  man  receives  salvation. 
And  this  ±p   life  and  conversely  to  not  confess  with  the  mouth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ,  and  to  not  believe  it  in  the  heart  leads  to  death,  spiritual 
death  and  this  then  becomes  the  sin  unto  death  that  John  is  speaking  of. 
Going  back  again  to  what  John  said  earlier  in  this  chapter,  look  at  the  12th 
verse.   John  states,  "He  that  hath  the  Son  hath,  (and  we  paid  that  in  the 
original  Greek  the  definite  article  "the"  is  there),  and  so  it  Steads ,  "He 
that  hath  THE  Son  hath  life;  and  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not 
THE  life." 

So  when  John  closes  verse  16  with  the  words,  "There  is  a  sin  unto  death," 
he  is  saying  that  this  sin  is  the  refusal  to  believe  in  and  accept  Jesus 
Christ  as  THE  Son  of  God,  as  the  Incarnation,  or  God  in  the  flesh.   And 
with  this  sin,  John  says,  "I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it."  You 
can  pray  that  God  will  change  a  hardened  heart,  but  John  is  saying  that  ther« 
are  thoee  who  absolutely  refuse  to  believe  the  evidence  before  their  eyes 
and  there  is  no  use  praying  for  this  person  because  he  has  doomed  himself 
to  spiritual  death.   These  people  John  was  referring  to  and  whom  he  called 
antichrists,  were  people  who  denied  the  incarnation  of  JesuF  and  yet  many  of 
them  were  professing  themselves  to  be  Christians.   John  is  saying  that  they 
are  unsaved,  not  born-again  and  were  spiritually  dead. 

Next  John  deals  with  sin  in  general  by  stating  in  verse  17,  "All  unrighteous- 
ness is  sin:  and  there  is  a  sin  not  unto  death."  There  may  have  been  some 
people  in  the  church  who  were  pressing  for  a  separation  of  sins  into  minor 
or  major  categories.   The  people  being  believers  knew  that  a  Christian  was 
to  try  to  remain  away  from  sin.   But  John  is  merely  telling  them  that  a  sin 
is  a  sin  whether  it  is  cheating  someone  out  of  money  or  killing  someone. 
All  wrongdoing  is  sin,  even  when  it  is  done  by  children  of  God,  but  not  all 
sin  results  in  death. 
John  now  concludes  this  portion  of  Scripture  with  several  thoughts  in  the  i$i 

18th  and  19th  verses.   He  states:  "We  know  that  whosoever  is  born  of  God 
sinneth  not;  but  he  that  is  begotten  of  God  keepfcfch  himself  and  that 
wicked  one  toucheth  him  not.   And  we  know  that  we  are  of  God,  and  the 
whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness." 

John  first  of  all  gives  two  certainties  in  these  verses.   First,  he  says, 

"We  know  that  whosoever  is  born  of  God  sinneth  not."  The  true  believer 

atrives  to  live  his  life  free  from  sin.  He  will  commit  sin,  but  he  doesn't 

deliberately  do  it,  because  he  is  a  child  of  God, 

T*en  John  states  in  the  19th  verse,  "And  we  know  that  we  are  of  God."   This 

means  that  the  believer  has  that  certainty  that  he  is  a  son  of  God  because 

of  his  relationship  with  Jesus  Christ.   These  things  are  certainties. 


-4- 

But  John  also  has  two  other  certainties  here  and  he  points  out  in  the  18th 

verse,  "He  that  is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself,  and  that  wicked  one 
toueheth  him  not." 

A  person  who  is  a  child  of  God  tries  to  keep  himself  from  sin,  but  by  the 

very  fact  that  he  has  turned  from  the  world,  Satan,  who  is  the  wicked  one 

spoken  of  here  by  John,  cannot  touch  him.   In  other  words  once  a  person 

comes  to  be  a  child  of  God,  he  has  come  into  a  spiritual  life  from  the 

wordly  life,  he  has  left  the  realm  which  is  ruled  by  Satan  and  has  entered 

the  realm  which  is  ruled  by  God .   And  this  is  what  Jofcm  is  saying  in  the 

end  of  the  19th  verse.   He  says,  "And  we  know  that  we  are  of  God,"  meaning 

that  the  believers  are  all  children  of  God,  and  he  concludes  his  remarks  by 

adding,  "And  the  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness."  The  entire  world  apart 

from  God  is  wrapped  up  in  wickedness,  sin,  unrighteousness.   And  the  world 

is  ruled  by  the  prince  of  this  world  and  that  is  Satan. 

But  the  teal  test  of  the  truth  which  John  places  before  each  believer  is 

found  in  the  beginning  of  the  18th  verse.   It  is  there  that  John  says,  "We 

know  that  whosoever  is  born  of  God  sinneth  not."   Basically  and  simply  this 

means  that  the  true  "Test  Of  The  Truth,"  is  conduct.   A  sinful  life  is  in 

disagreement  with  6he  life  p-iven  by  God. 

(Illustration  of  Alexander  the  Great  and  a  disobedient  soldier) 

«JMBX^EX3S»iiWKXtSBX^BKtXXXXXHiXfciKXEKHkXB±X|!HKKE5dQKXfElffp:ill:xfca[4iiKS 

k±SXtKHB^SX^BMgtotXBH13ayxfeH*iiHBXtkEHHXkEHtxtkHXBaXirHimX5raxi±XXx£H±xkH 

teS!iX2JKkiSX2LEHyXSXyHM3!tKXSBili±RXXWiTBXWXXX 

Several  centuries  before  Christ,  Alexander  the  Great  came  out  of  Macedonia 
and  Greece  to  conquer  the  Mediteranean  world.   On  one  of  his  campaigns, 
Alexander  received  a  message  that  one  of  his  soldiers  was  continuously 
and  deliberately  misbehaving,  and  this  was  shedding  a  bad  light  on  the 
character  of  all  the  Greek  troops.   Alexander  sent  for  the  soldier  to  be 
brought  to  his  tent,   When  he  was  ushered  into  the  tent  Alexander  asked 
him,  "What  do  you  have  to  say  for  yourself  soldier?"   The  young  man  replied 
" I.'othing  3iri"  Alexander  then  told  him  of  the  charges  which  had  been 
brought  against  him  and  then  he  asked,  "What  is  your  name  soldier?" 
The  young  man  standing  before  him  at  rigid  attention  answered,  "Alexander 
Sir!"  At  this  Alexander  .lumped  to  his  feet  and  in  anger  asked,  "What  is 
your  name?"   And  the  fx±jt  now  frightened  soldier  answered  again,  "Alexan- 
der Sir!"   To  this  Alexander  answered,  "Foldier,  wither  change  your  con- 
duct, or  change  your  name"" 

Tvis  is  what  the  believer  has  done.   He  has  changed  his  conduct  from  living 

and  doing  the  worldly  things,  to  striving  to  live  for  Jesus  Christ.   And  the 

believer  has  changed  his  name  as  well.   'Where  once  he  was  called  by  the 

name  of  the  world,  and  was  a  non-believer,  when  he  turns  to  God  through 

Jesus  Cvrist,  he  takes  the  name  of  Christian.  The  Test  Of  Truth  is  how  the 

believer  lives  his  life.   The  true  believer  strives  to  live  as  sin  free  as 

he  can,  but  the  person  who  is  only  a  nominal  Christian,  or  perhaps  never 

has  made  the  commitment  to  Christ  conducts  his  life  in  a  worldly  manner. 

The  Test  Of  Truth  is  evidenced  in  the  life. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler T  Pennsylvania 
Sixth  Sunday  After  Epiphany        February  12,  1984 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C,  Li«Kt  Pastor 
Mrs,  Kitty  Federt  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel,  Megan  HewiB,  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude  "Largo"  Handel 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
^Processional  Hymn  No.  240   "Fairest  Lord  Jesus" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Lord  God,  our  Saviour,  you 
have  been  faithful  in  your  promise  to  deliver  ue  from 
the  guilt  of  our  sins,  and  make  us  acceptable  to  you 
and  your  kingdom.   Rut  too  often  I  have  not  been  faithful 
in  following  my  promise  to  obey  your  will,  ind  I  have  not 
loved  rny  neighbors  and  enemius.   1  humbly  ask  forgiveness 
Lord,   In  Jesus'  name.   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

^Assurance  of  Pardon 
•praise 

•Pastor!   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  Mo.  458      "Take  Hy  Life,  and  Let  It  Be  Consecrated" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:  Let  ub  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory         "Largo  Expressive"        Chopin 
□oxology   No*  382 

Anthem  435      "The  Savior  Is  Waiting" 
Scripture:      1  John  5:20-21 
Sermon:       irJoint-PartIcapation;   Conclusions" 


i 

"Closing  Hymn  No.  235   "Jesus  Is  Lord  of  All" 
Benediction 
Postlude 

++++++++  "Congregation  Standing  ++++++++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs-  Margaret  McClymonds  to  the  "Glory  of  God" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  "Dutch  Bowsc-r,  Barb  Vargo, 
Jean  Pflugh,  Diane  Hollefreund 

Mr.  &  Mrs*  George  Pflugh  will  greet  the  Congregation 
at  the  door  this  morning. 
-Hospitalized:  William  Winters,  Hugh  Pale,  May  Dutter, 
Pam  Tait  and  Diane  Hollefreund  will  be  vYsftTng  T$ie 

Hospital  this  week,  plus  a  nan-attend  person  and 

a  shut-in. 
Elaine  Wogan  will  be  in  Nursery  this  Sunday. 
Year  Books  are  available  -  please  pick  ycurs/ln  the 

Narthex  of  the  Church  today. 
h Tuesday  -  Soup  and  Salad  Day  -  Feb.  14,  Treat  your 

sweetheart  to  vegetable  soup  on  Valtntines  Day. 

Come  for  lunch  or  dinner.  See  Evie  Kennedy  today  for 

tickets  or  get  them  at  the  door.  Htlp  is  needed  Man- 
morning  in  the  kitchen.    Children's  tickets  are 

available  at  $1.00 
Thurs.  -  Feb.  16  at  6:30.  Butler  Area  Laymen's 

Dinner  at  St.  John's  Reformed  Church  of  Butler  Twp. 

J*  waiter  Harmon  has  tickets. 
Recipes  are  still  being  accepted  for  the  Cook  Book 

Please  let  the  ladies  on  the  Activities  Committee 

know  if  you  will  be  turning  in  any  recipes  for  this 

Cock  Book. 
Thure.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 
The  attendance  was  144  on  Sunday,  with  6  Visitors. 
Don't  forget  to  bring  your  bazaar  items  in  on  MOnday 

evening. 
The  Spiritual  Study  has  grown  to  over  30  now.  There 

are  still  4  study  bookB  left  if  you  would  like  to  be 

in  this  class. 

*■  +  +  +  +  +  + 

A  Faithful  Church  Membership  Requires:  That  I  attend 

its  services  regularly,  contribute  to  its  support  and 

that  I  make  daily  supplication  for  it  in  my  prayers. 

That  I  uive  the  best  1  have  to  it,  not  of  giftsanci  sf 
ice  only,  but  also  of  lave  and  personal  helpfulness. 


f'cripture  :  1   John  5:20-21 

lcarnal  rul  4pub   spk,nevr  remark  &  now   in  concluptn, 
unles   U  p;o?   conclud  very  brief   time 
all  kno/herd   spkrs   sed=Now  concl   £  cotrtinu   lone;  time 
(Illus   Ions;  wind   spk  8c  gavel   thro  at  him) 
Bi*      2relat   wat    Apos    J  hav   say  thez   vss ,mup   spk   of 
oo,.^lusins   from  very  Bpinjso   In  Concluain   let   Ik  vs?0 
vs  ?OA=this  reitratin  wat    J  say  thruout   lettr 
if  recal,sed   J  fits   fals   teachrs /teaching:  tak  place 
erly  eh  &.  thez   peop  wer  teaoh/pr  hersys 
Ex=Js   only  human  B  &  giv  powr  by  G  4   erthly  life 

J  want  readr/hearer  ?kno   Js  was    Xp, Anoint   of   G  &  he , 
John,walk/talk/liv  w/Js  &  knu  he  tel   truth 
thruout   letr    J  use   Iword    ovr/ovr,can   U  pik  out? 
KNCW=Gr=GIJ!OSKO  &  sed=rich  word   in  mean  &  raeant, 
2comprehend,recogniz,underf;t  ,cum  2ino 

But  truest , richest   interp-Knowledpe  thru   experience 
so  wat    J  ment   throut  was   Blievr  had  cum  2knowl  bout 
Js   thru  exper,but  also  analys  evrth  kno  of   Him 
Know   is   use   extensivly  thruout   letr 
Let's   lk-vs    13(expl),vs   lS,va   lB.vs   19,   &■  vs   20 
■tie  kno   Js   is  cum-no  doubt  bout   It.G  cam   in2  worl   in 
persn  Js    Xr   &  Blievr  need    2kno  this    ,-Joy 
lif   no   loner  w/out   mean  4-thoz  who  P   in  Js   Xp, 

"  has  purp  &  Blievr "knows"  G   fulfil  plan  redeem 
mankind   thru   Jf  Xp  -«,,.,«« 

vs  20B-JU3   wat   is   this  underst'.Ja   Xp  givn  PBlievrs  1  .' 
Gr=DIAJ10IA=.intelig,enc,thot, mind, mentl  perceptin 
means=knowledp   g/ain  thru   exper   of   kno    Js    Xp  was   G    in 
Flesh, the    incarnatin  also  giv  mentl  perceptin  2 
u^derst   complet  wat   mean 

ievr   can  now  kno  thru   Js   all  pin  4givn  &  Blievr 
bin  sp  born  agin, is  child    of  G,&  has   prom  etern   lif 
All   this   know  2Elievr   H   J  add=V3  200 
'.•/ho  is  the  HIM   J  spk  of  here???? 

if  read    on   in  vs  discovr  anser=Vs   ?0D=J  apk  of  GOD 
The   knovledg  that   Js   came   in  flesh, as  B   of  G.giv  us 
an  underst, mentl  perceptin  we  may  kno  G  who  is  true 
True  means, He  God   if   trustworthy, G   no  play   .lokes   & 
has  provid   all  ?ed  wud,&  we  rest   this   truth, or 
trustworthines   In  Js  Xn. 
Vs  20E=agin   J  sav  G   complet  trustworthy  &  it  thru 
His   fulfilment   of  plan  thru    Js  Xp,all  that   cum  2 
Him  hav  eternal   life;a  lif   Byon  this.nevr  spe   fr/G 
vs   21=  In  Conclusin  &  here    J  use   endear  term  use  "ny 

times-My  Bloved.thoz   who  specil   2me 
vs   21B=eonfus  statment   since   last   statement  he  write 
Y.EEI   TODSELVES   FROM   IDOLS-wat   stransr  way   2end 


Ke   usual    J   nan   specu    resau  »i-i«    «u.i.«  w 

It   in  Eph   J  write   lettrs   &  it    in  Eph 
one   of   7wondrs   of  worl  exist=Temple   of  Diana 

magnif   structur  had  lrg  substructur   2surort   Bcuz       | 

swamp 

&  ?day  tol   Ire  rectangle   &   it   swamp  agin 

(Ve-y  apropriat  considr  wat  tempi  was  6  how  used; 

3  i.    iius  distinctina   tempi   had  wh/prompt    J  writ  words 

Tempi  use  4imoral  rites ; tempi  prostates   6  worship 
comit   imoral  acts  w/them 

Philos   Heraclitus  cftl  Weeping:  Philosopher  Bcuz  nevr 

,kcla!mmreasn  no  smil  Bcuz   inhabs  Eph  fit   only  SB  drom 

St  how  cud   anyl  smil   in  face  such  vile   uncleanes  . 
iNaturly,4any  Xpian  ?hav  contac  w /tempi  was   2B  part   oi 
;this   imoralty, uncleanes 

Temple   had   the  riifcht   of  asylum  __,. 

any  crimnal  reach  tempi   safe  cud   no  B  touch 
As   result  .tempi  haunt   of  crimnals  So  naturly  nnsa.e 
nlace   2associate  with 
Fo  2hav  contac  w /tempi   of   Diana  was  2B  asoeiate  with 
drep-s   of  society, the   low   lifes  .. 

Temple  was   centr  4sale   cf   shrines  .statues   godes  Mana 
,Kay  recal  F  atack  Bcuz  endanrx   silvr   merchant  tousnes 

|bstatue^ironFnS/char»s  amulets   sold  tenpl  supos  2 
bring  °-ud   luk  5  ward   off  evil  spirits   for  wearer 
So  can  C  why   J  say=Keer.  Yourselves  From  Idols 
Anyl  who  Xpian  has  no  need   4gud   luk  charms ,rab  feet, 
astro  leasts, peop   lik   Jean  Dixon  etc, 
Anytning%bsoiutely, anything  wh/cah  or  cud   B  an  idol, 
musB  dun  away  w/for   the   Blievr 

T       onlv   thinP"   need  4   all   of   lif   is   GOB 
So   Ja  Conclusin  lnce   apin.mus   sumup   J  a   lettr 

.    Ther  many  thinps  wh/talk  &  covr  as   Ik  bk  v     by  vs 

i  Basic    J  trv  impres  ea  Blievr  knowledp:  rest   S  s  fel- 
ahiTi  &  -?umthin  all  shar  2cethr,    or   Jointly 
SBut  underly  note   all  this  wh/spk  PBlievr  &  plac  upon 

I    him  burdn   of   his   Xpianty 
(Illus   Eliza  Doolittle   in  My  Fair   lady) 
this   perhaps;    ovrsimplify  wat    J  say  2  ea   Blievr 
*£ VWSs   Js   Xp  is  ur  L  &  Sav  &  B  kno  he  has  4giv 

Ur  sins,&  U  kno  G  has  £es?™  ^tV^n^HIK     nowi 

Then  way  2do   sumthin  bout   it   is   2   SHOrf  HIK,   HWWj 

It   i=   mor  than  lip  servient   livinr  servic   by  words, 

"actins^Eo   at    lonP   l„t-IH  CONCLUF I",^in  f^^*    Js 

Xp  &  let  ua   SHOW  it  by  our   Joint  -Tart  icipation   i. 

i  all  that  G  has  dun  4us . 


" Joint-Participation:  Conclusions " 

Scripture:  1  John  5:20-21 

OnB  of  the  cardinal  rules  of  public  speaking  is  to  never  make  the  remark, 

"And  now  in  conclusion,"  unless  you  are  actually  going  to  conclude  in  a  very 

brief  time.   We  have  all  known  or  heard  speakers  who  have  said,  "And  now  in 

conclusion,"  who  then  continued  on  for  gn  extremely  long  period  of  time. 

(Illustration  of  long  winded  speaker  and  gavel  thrown  at  him) 

There  was  a  speaker  who  was  known  for  saying  he  would  only  speak  for  a 
certain  length  of  time,  but  always  exceeded  that  time  by  Quite  a  few 
minutes.   He  was  invited  to  speak  at  a  certain  gather ing_with  the  provi- 
sion that  he  would  only  talk  for  ?0  minutes,  no  more.   ;,7.  en  he  had  talked 
for  20  minutes  he  kept  right  on  going.   He  talked  for  50  minutes,  40,  50, 
60  minutes.   The  chairman  was  getting  angrier  by  the  minute,   '."/hen  he  had 
reached  the  hour  and  a  half  mark  the  chairman  decided  to  throw  the  gavel 
at  him  to  get  his  attention.   So  he  threw  it  as  hard  as  he  could  but  his 
aim  was  bad  and  the  gavel  sailed  out  into  the  audience  and  hit  a  bald 
headed  man  in  the  second  row.   As  the  man  passed  out  from  the  blow  he  was 
hollered  in  a  loud  voise,  "Hit  me  again  -  I'm  still  hearing." 

But  in  order  to  relate  what  the  Apostle  John  has  to  say  we  must  speak  of 
"Cpnclusions"  from  the  very  beginning.   So  in  "Conclusion"  let  us  look  at 
the  20th  verse.   John  says,  "And  we  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come." 
This  is  a  reiteration  of  what  John  has  tried  to  say  throughout  this  letter. 
If  you  recall,  we  have  said  several  time3  that  John  was  fighting  the  false 
teachers,  and  false  teachin"  that  was  taking  place  in  the  early  church. 
These  people  were  teaching  and  preaching  heresies  and  chirf  among  them  was 
that  Jesus  was"  only  another  human  being  given  special  powers  by  God  for 
Pis  earthly  life.   But  John  wants  his  listeners  and  readers  to  know  that 
Jesus  was  The  Christ?  that  He  was  The  Anointed  One  of  God;  and  that  He  lived 
and  walked  aiiiixfc  with  Jesus  and  knew  what  he  was  telling  was  the  truth. 
Throughout  this  letter  John  has  used  a  certain  word  over  and  over  again. 
Have  you  picked  it  out  in  this  verse?   It  is  the  word  "Know."   In  Greek 
we  had  said  this  word  was  "GINOSK0M.a^x±kx±xx±fcsx*KHS5ixxsxEx±±xH]«x:E±x 
#3Lnfl»XH!i£HxfctozEH£faxKx;|jE:riHJiKEXT'   This  word  is  a  very  rich  word  in  its  mean- 
ing.  It  meant,  "to  comprehend,  recognize,  understand,  come  to  know."   But 
im  its  truest  and  richest  sikhb±bkx±1:  interpretation  it  meant,  "Knowledge 
through  experience."   And  so  what  John  meant  throughout  this  letter  was 
that  the  believer  had  come  to  this  "knowledge"  about  Jesus  through  experience 
but  also  from  analysing  everything  that  was  known  of  Him.   The  word  "know"is 
used  extensively  throughout  this  letter.   But  just  look  at  what  John  says 
is  "known"  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ  in  several  verses  of  this  5th  chapter. 
Look  at  verse  13,  "That  ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,"  this  is  the 
promise  of  eternity  through  Jesus  Christ.   Verse  15,  "If  we  know  that  He, 

(God),  hear  us  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the  petitions  we  de- 
sired of  Him."  God  hears  and  will  answer  and  we  can  know  this. 


-2- 
Verse  18,  "We  know  that  whosoever  is  horn  of  God  sinneth  not."  The  believer 
is  aware  that  he  is  to  keep  from  sin,  he  knows  this  and  seeks  to  avoid  it. 
Verse  19,  "And  we  know  that  we  are  of  God."  The  believer  ±a  has  turned  to 
the  spiritual  things  and  turned  his  b^ck  on  the  fcfeixqcs  worldly  life  and  the 
believer  belongs  to  God. 

And  then  verse  20,  "And  we  know  that  fche  f'on  of  God  is  come."  There  is  no 
doubt  about  this  I   God  came  to  the  world  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  believer  needs  to  know  *ka*  this  mxkES  joy,      life  is  no  longer  without 
meaning  for  those  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus .   life  has  purpose  and  the  believe] 
"Knows"  that  God  fulfilled  His  plan  tovredeem  mankind  through  Jesus  Christ. 
But  John  wants  to  add  to  this  knowledge  and  he  says,  "And  hath  given  us  an 
understanding."  And  just  what  is  this  understanding  that  Jesus  Christ  has 
given  to  believers?  The  Greek  word  for  understanding  is  "DIANOIA"  and  it 
means,  "Intelligence,  thought,  midd ,  mental  perception,"  Tvis  means  that 
the  "knowledge  gained  through  the  experience  of  knowing  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  God  in  the  flesh,  the  incarnation  also  gives  us  the  mental  perception 
to  understand  completely  what  this  means.  The  believer  can  now  know  that 
throueh  Jesus  Christ  all  sin  is  forgiven  and  that  believer  has  been  spirit- 
ually born  again,  is  a  child  of  God,  and  has  the  promise  of  eternal  life 
with  the  Father,   All  of  this  is  known  to  the  believer  and  John  adds,  "That 
we  may  know  Him  that  is  true."  Who  is  the  "Him"  John  speaks  of  here?   If 
we  read  on  in  this  verse  we  discover  that  answer,  "And  we  are  in  Him  that 
is  true,  even  in  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,"   John  is  speaking  of  God  here. 
Tve  knowledge  that  Jesus  came  in  the  flesh,  as  the  Son  of  God,  gives  us  an 
understanding,  a  mental  perception  that  we  may  know  God  who  is  true.  And 
true  means  that  He,  God,  is  trustworthy,  that  God  does  not  play  jokes  and 
has  provided  all  that  He  said  He  would  and  we  rest  in  this  truth,  or  trust- 
worthiness in  Jesus  Christ. 

And  then  John  ends  this  verse  with  the  words,  "This  is  the  true  God,  and 
eternal  life."   Again,  John  is  saying  that  God  is  completely  trustworthy 
and  it  is  through  His  fulfillment  of  His  plan  through  Jesus  Christ,  all  that 
come  to  Him  have  eternal  life.   A  life  beyond  this  in  which  the  believer 
will  never  be  separated  from  God. 

So  in  Conclusion,  John  says  in  verse  21,  "Little  children,  keep  yourselves 
from  idols.   Amen," 

Here  he  uses  that  endearing  term  he  used  many  times  in  this  letterl.   It  is 
"little  children,  my  beloved,  those  who  are  special  to  me."   But  his  con- 
cluding statement  is  rather  confusing  especially  because  it  is  the  very  last 
thing  which  he  writes.   He  states,  "Keep  yourselves  from  idols."   What  a 
strange  way  to  end  his  letter.   But  as  usual  John  had  a  specific  reason  for 
writing  this.   It  was  in  Kphesus  that  John  wrote  his  letters  and  it  was  in 


-3- 

Ephesus  that  one  of  the  great  wonders  of  the  ancient  world  and  that  was 
the  Temple  of  Diana.   This  large  magnificent  structure  was  uninue  because  it 
had  a  larp-e  substructure  under  it  to  support  it,  because  it  was  built  on 
swampy  ground.   Today  we  are  told  that  the  only  thine-  remaining  is  a  large 
rectangular  area  which  is  pointed  out  as  the  site  of  the  temple  and  it  is 
once  again  nothing  but  a  swamp.   Very  appropriately  too  considering  what  the 
temple  was  and  how  it  was  used. 

There  are  three  dubious  distinctions  the  temple  had  which  is  probably  what 
prompted  John  to  write  these  closing  words  . 

The  first  was  that  the  temple  was  used  for  immoral  rites.   There  were  temple 
prostitutes  and  the  worshipers  committed  their  immoral  acts  with  them. 
A.  philosopher  named  Heraclitus  was  called  the  weeping  philosopher  because 
he  had  never  been  known  to  smile.   He  claimed  the  reason  he  never  smiled  was 
because  the  inhabitants  of  Ephesus  were  fit  only  to  be  drowned  and  how  could 
anyone  smile  in  the  face  of  such  vile  uncleanness ,   So  naturally,  £or  any 
Christian  to  have  contact  with  the  temple  was  to  be  a  part  of  this  immoralit; 
and  uncleanness. 

The  second  xssssx  distinction  the  temple  had  was  that  it  had  the  right  ofi 
asylum.   Any  criminal  who  could  reach  the  temple  of  Diana  was  safe  and  could 
not  be  touched.   As  a  result,  the  temrle  was  the  haunt  of  criminals  and  nat- 
urally, it  was  an  unsafe  place  to  associate  with.   So  to  have  contact  with 
the  temple  of  Diana  was  to  be  associated  with  the  dregs  of  society,  the  low 
lifes. 

The  third  distinction  was  that  the  temple  was  the  center  for  the  sale  of 
shrines  and  statues  to  the  goddess  Diana.   You  may  recall  that  Paul  was 
attacked  in  Ephesus  because  he  was  endangering  the  silver  merchants  business 
by  his  preaching.  The  statues  along  with  the  charms  and  amulets  which  were 
sold  in  the  temple  were  supposed  to  bring  rood  luck  and  to  ward  off  all 
sorts  of  evil  from  the  wearer  or  user. 

So  then  we  can  see  why  John  says,  "Keep  yourselves  from  idols."   Anyone  who 
is  a  Christian  has  no  need  for  good  luck  charms,  rabbits  feet,  astrological 
forecasts,  people  like  Jean  Dixon  and  so  on.   Anything,  absolutely  anything 
which  can  or  could  be  an  idol  must  be  done  away  with  for  the  believer. 
The  only  ^iaae  thing  we  need  for  all  of  life  is  God . 

So  in  "Conclusion"  once  again,  we  need  to  rum  up  John's  letter.   There  are 
many  things  which  we  have  talked  about  and  covered  as  we  have  looked  at  this 
book  iterse  by  verre .   Basically,  John  was  trying  to  impress  upon  each  be- 
liever the  knowledge  that  he  rests  in  God's  fellowship  and  it  is  something 
we  all  share  together,  or  "Jointly."   But  there  is  an  underlying  note  to  all 
of  this  which  speaks  to  the  believer  and  places  upon  him  the  burden  of  his 
Christianity. 


-4- 

(Illustration   of  words    of   Eliza,    in   V.j  Farfc   Lady) 

In  the   Broadway  musical,    "My  Fair   Lady,"   Eliza   Doolittle    is   beinc 
courted   by  Freddie   who  professes   his   love    for  her.      But   Eliza  cries 
out   in  frustration: 

Words!    Words!      I'm  so  sick  of  words! 

Don't   talk  of   stars 

Burning   above , 

If  you're   in  love, 

Show   me ! 

Don't  talk  of  love  lasting  through  time. 
Make  me  no  undying  vow 
Show  me  now ! 

This  perhaps  in  oversimplified  form  is  what  John  is  saying  to  each  believer. 
If  you  profess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  your  Lord  and  SAyiour;  and  you  know  that 
He  has  forgiven  yours  sins;  and  you  know  that  God  has  reserved  a  place  in 
eternity  for  you;  the  way  to  do  something  about  it,  is  to  "Show  Him,  f.ow! 
It  is  more  than  just  lip  servdde .   It  is  living  service  by  words  and  actions, 
So  at  long  last,  "In  Conclusion,"  begin  to  live  for  Jesus  Christ  and  let  us 
show  it  by  our  " Joint-Iarticipation"  in  all  that  God  has  for  us. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF   CHRIST 

Butler,  Pennsylvania  / 

Seventh  Sunday  After  Epiphany         February  19,  19B4 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
David  Andrews,  and  Sally  Vensel  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

DR0EP  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude        "CavatinaH  Raff 

Announce  ments 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  545  ■"  Love  Your  Kingdom,  Lord*' 
♦Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Lord  God,  our  Saviour,  you 
have  been  faithful  in  your  promise  to  deliver  us  from 
the  guilt  of  our  sins,  and  make  us  acceptable  to  you 
and  your  Kingdom.   But  too  often  I  have  not  been 
faithful  in  following  my   promise  to  obey  your  will*  and 
I  have  not  loved  my  neighbors  and  enemies*   I  humbly  ask 
forgiveness  Lord.   In  Jesus'  name.  Amen." 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  NOi  466    "What  a  Friend  We  Have  in  Jesus" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People;   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pasto&r:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory    "Christ,  My  Heart's  Delight"    Bach 
Doxology   No.  382 
Anthem:  No*  430   "Reach  Out  to  Jesus" 
Scripture :        2  John  1-3 
Sermon;       "Christian  Truth:   Prologue" 


"I  Love  to  Tell  the  Story" 


Closing  Hymn  No.  619 

Benediction 

Postlude 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  *  *Congregation  Standing  ♦■  +  +  +  ♦+  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Ann  Williams  in  memory  of  "Loved  Ones'1 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Hab  Vinroe,  Robert 

Dellen.  Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carl  Vinroe  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 

Visitors  at  the  door  this  morntng_j_  J/  rl/,^  £*-*.,-  ,v 
Hospitalized:   Mrs.  Hay  Dutter^Jir^  Gottlob  Kradel , 

Mrs.  Zoa  Morrison  •  Mrs.  Judy  Bowser.  ODiurM/   M/ctfeiAJ- 
Bruce  Fencil  and  Lloyd  Link  nil!  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week  plus  a  shut-in  and  a  non-attending 

person. 
Year  Books  are  available  in  the  Narthex  -  please  pick 

yours  up  today. 
Monday  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hal]  (Spang  women) 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 

'hurs.  -  7:30  -  9  -  Spiritual  Study  Group  in  Undercroft. 
There  will  be  a  CookBook  -  however ,  we  still  need 

other  articles (recipes)  for  in  it.  Please  set  them 

in  now  to  the  committee. 
A  New  UsherB  list  is  now  being  made  up  -  If  you  would 

like  to  help  with  the  Men's  Ushering  (once  a  month)  - 

Please  let  Art  Carney,  Chr.  of  Ushering  Committee  know 

now  of  let  Bea  Tait  know  in  the  office. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  tcday 
The  Daily  Bread  booklets  are  in  the  Narthex. 
Coming  up  March  7,  The  Women  In  the  Church  will  have 

another  special  day  of  fellowship.  We  will  meet  in 

Rehoboth  Hall  at  10:00  to  make  trey  favors  for  Greenville 

Home.  At  noon  we  will  hold  a  salad  luncheon.   Bring 

a  small  salad,  scissors,  yourself  and  join  in  the  fun* 

Bring  in  your  old  nylons  and  scraps  of  yarn  so  we  will 

deliver  what  we  have  when  we  take  the  tray  favors  to 

Greenville. 

The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  156  with  9  Visitors. 

Sheets  are  available  for  Easter  Eggs  -  Sec  Dick  Man^q] 

today  for  extra  copies. 


"Christian  Truth: 
Scripture : 


p    John  1-3 


rfra  ohakBap=The   Tempest=wrot ;  V/at    la   Past   is   Prologue" 

me     pwat   ponby  ,dun/ovr  raerly  Bgin, start  wot  yet   'cuir 
As   M,'in  unravl  threds  wat  cal=2nd    J,Bfrln  apreciate 
truth  that   statment 

)3  papyrus   sheet=8xl0(typwrit   rapr)ft  on  1  thez 

Iter  ."in   2nd    J  cud   B  writn 
this    letr  only  13vss,yet   amaz   much  writ  fr/dif   anples 
"1ueets=who  writ;why  writ  ;wen;writ  ;real  mean  of   it???? 

rathr  po   in?   theorys ,s4f ic   '"'say:  J  author, seme   as 

wrot   Gospl, 1st  ,3rd    J  &  Rev 

Jn  las   surviv   Discip  §    now   old   man;?theoriz ,try  dispr 
author , date  ,reaen  writ  etc   is   ?B  part   prob   J  wrot  bou- 

Thea  Pletra   wrot  unElief,fals   teach/teschrs , doctrine 
As  examin  letr  lets   Ik  directin  n-aifl   of  G  want  us  hav 

Why  did  G  inspir   J  2writ?    Itfhy  motivat    J  writ, wat 

were  real   meanings   thingp  he   said??? 
lets   arm  felvs    serch  4  truth  as   lk*\'Tiian   Truth :Prolop 
vs   l=The   Klder=r,r=lR3iByTER0H=  older,  illder 

in   sens   aply   J  Pold  age/othr  sens   persn  hold   office 

in  loci  ch  of  auth  &  leadership 
!  Naithr  thez   terra  aply   J'a   ocasin  4writ 
lst=J  aped, no   need  remind  peop  of   it 
?M=eldFhip  in   loci   ch  5:  no  exten  Byon  bounds   th/cb 

Ho  eld  eve   ordain   Icong,?-  abl  serv   othr  cone 
3rd=J  res  pec   ldr/man,thots   opins   hily  ralu  Boua    Js 

wat  sed   cary  wait   any  core;  ft  so   J  say- 1   JN  '''HO  HAD 
FERBi:]  1?  tf/ffl  BAt  THIS  ft  then  continu===== 

va   lB=here   agrin  Pposibiltys 

firsts  J  actul  writ  woman  ft  her  children:  J  met   widow 
0    childrn.gTo  luv  dearly, ft  so  this   Xpian  luv   letr 

1  i=J  writ    (plan  Ch  &  do  so  veil/hidn  manr   so  no 
cans   membra  harm  wen  persecutin  aris   futur 

So  hide   mean  Bhin  wat   apear   luv  letr, help  Xpiansm 
but  kept   mean  fr/thoz   optios  2  Ch 
This   2nd   mos   lofsicl  anser  &  1  wh   no  rais   100  quests 
Intrest   Bhin  theory  of  widowGr-Elect    k  mean  Chosn   1 
Lady=KURIA=fem  of   KURIOn  wh/mean= lord .Faster 

KURIA-name   4 Martha  ft  mean-WISTRESR 
evident    J's    writs, morl   teach   hav   no   Kistres 
If  womc  name    Martha  why  wud  cal-Chosen  One?'.  ?? 
Why   her   abuv   all   othrs? 
tfud  1  woman  w/in  Kpian  Ch  be  THE  Chosen  One???? 
Anser   obvius,J  writ   2   Xpian  Ch,Bcua   Ch   a  way  refer 

2  -in  femnin  sens=She   is   Bride   of  Xp, 

mo      specif=rH5,the  Ch=Chosen  One  by  G  xtkji  2B  Hia 
rep   on  erth  til   Js   cum  Pclaim  His   Bride 


ft  childrn   J  refr  ?  R  indiv  membr   of   CD  2/ 

,   so  tak   interp    J  writ   Apian   Ch   nex   writ 

Vs    lC=Wat    J  try  say  here?=Combin  luv  ft  truth 

he  -ay  rdrs,thoz  hear   letr    S  in  truth  &  mean  they 
re     n  ultimat   truth  wh/Js    yp  as   Hess-G's    anoint   One 
He  G   incarnat=G   in  flesh  &  Bcnz   they  knt?  truth  bout 
ntm  R  recips  G's   luv   in  comunty  of  faith=wh/Ch 

ii.    Jh  lern  of  £  liv  in   luv  ft  say  this  ,  J  pt    out  unique 

relatship  shareby  Ch  peop  as   opos  wat  hertics  hav 
Thoz   teach   falsly  no  hav   truth  ft   no  share  truth /lire 
which  truth  bring1  4-th 

vs  2= J  furthr  expl  wat   Ch  has   offr  B]ievr 

w/in  Ch   Blievr  had  cum  ?kno  truth=ft  th  who   Js  was 
ea  lthem   luv  truth  they  receiv   3:  kno  th/specil 

2sho  specilnes    J  say=Bweleth  in  us=Gr+Dwelleth=MENO 

[•;eans=2remain,?stay  injoft  use  Gospl  apk  1  as   liv  as 
pest   in  home   of  anothr 

4"Xplan  truth   in  harts   lik  weleom  rest  wil  stay  w/us 

for  all  time   &  eternity=Kevr  lv  us=We  G's  thru   Xp  4ev 

vs    5=J  end    prolog, wh/end    saltatin 
J  no  piv   saltatin   lik  Paul  f.    Peter  who  usul  aay= 

Grace  S.  Peace  be  with  You . 
Insted  his   greet   in  form  of  kno=Grac , Mercy, Peace 
J  mak   it   promis   &   not   wish, ft  this    prom  ours    if  re- 
main  G's    truth  &.  luv 

(Illus   orphan  boy  fed   by  soldier) 

sum  Strang  way  boy  pot   idea  3  rav  things   2   thoz   needy 
This   tru  reflect  in  of   G  ft  part  of  wat   J  say 

He  try  say  G  pav  Grace   thru    Js   Xp=it  G's    gift 

Ghow  Kercy=ft  no  need   to  do  so 

Through  thez  thinrs  He  piv  peace, His  peace  to  all 

I    Blievrs 

pave,G  pives  ft  we  can  experienc  thru   His   Truth 
and   Love 


"Christian  Truth:  KrolOgtte" 

Scripture:  2    John  1-3 

In  his  play  entitled  "The  Tempest,"  William  Shakespeare  wrote  the  classic 
line,  "What  is  past  is  prologue."  He  meant  that  what  has  pone  by,  what  is 
done  and  over  with  is  merely  the  beginning,  or  the  start  of  what  is  yet  to 
come.   As  we  begin  to  unravel  the  threads  of  what  is  called  "Second  John," 
we  can  begin  to  appreciate  the  truth  of  that  statement.   A  standard  papyrus 
sheet  measured  8  by  10  inches.   On  one  of  these  sheets,  a  letter  the  size  of 
2nd  £x£x%x&    John  could  be  written.   This  letter,  2nd  John  contains  only  13 
verses,  yet  it  is  amazing  how  much  has  been  written  about  this  letter  from 
many  different  angles.   The  authorship  of  it  is  conjectured,  as  well  as  to 
whom  it  was  written;  why  it  was  written;  the  time  of  its  writing;  and  the 
real  meaning  of  what  was  written.  But  rather  than  go  into  all  the  theories 
surrounding  the  letter,  suffice  it  to  say  that  the  author  was  the  Apostle 
John,  the  same  author  of  the  Gospel  of  John,  1st  and  3rd  John  as  well,  and 
the  book  of  Revelation.   John  was  the  last  surviving  Disciple  and  was  now  an 
old  man.   To  theorize  about  this  letter  and  try  to  disprove  the  author,  the 
date,  the  reason  for  writing,  and  all  other  arguments,  seems  to  me  to  be 
a  part  of  the  problem  which  John  writes  and  speaks  about  in  tfe±x  both  2nd  and 
3rd  John.   In  these  two  short  letters,  John  writes  about  unbelief,  false 
teaching  and  teachers,  and  error  in  doctrine.   SO  as  we  examine  this  2nd  iE±t 
letter  let  us  look  at  it  from  the  direction  of  the  guidance  God  wants  us  to 
have  from  it.   The  question  we  must  ask  is  "Why  did  God  inspire  John  to  write 
thir  letter?"   And  we  must  also  ask  that  of  the  ?rd  letter  when  we  come  to 
it.   Just  why  did  God  motivate  John  to  write?   What  were  the  real  meanings 
of  the  things  he  said?   So  armed  with  the  Intent  of  searching  for  truth,  let 
us  look  at  these  betinning  verses,  Or  as  we  have  entitled  this  seried, 
"Christian  Truth,"  of  which  verses  1  through  3  are  the  Prologue. 
John  begins  by  saying,  "The  elder."   The  word  John  uses  in  the  Greek  is 
"IRESBYTEROS"  which  means,  "older,"  or  "elder."   Wow  in  one  sense  it  applied 
to  John  because  of  hip  advanced  age.   But  in  the  other  sense  of  the  term, 
"elder,"  It  applied  to  a  person  who  held  an  office  in  the  local  church  of 
authority  and  leadership.  But  neither  of  these  terms  actually  apolies  to 
John's  occasion  for  writing.   First,  John  was  aged  and  everyone  knew  that 
and  so  he  had  no  need  to  remind  them  of  it.   Second,  his^  eldership  in  a  local 
congregation  did  not  extend  beyond  the  boundaries  of  that  congregation.   Bo 
elder  is  ever  ordained  in  one  congregation  and  is  able  to  administer  that 
office  in  another  congregation.   It  was  just  as  true  in  the  church  of  John'x* 
day  as  it  It  is  today.   So  then  there  is  a  third  and  more  plausible  answer 
to  what  John  is  striving  to  impart  to  his  readers  and  hearers.   That  explana- 
tion is  that  John  was  a  highly  respected  man,  whone  thoughts  and  opinions 
were  highly  valued  because  of  his  association  with  Jesus.  So  what  he  said 


-?- 

carried  weight  whether  it  was  in  his  own  individual  congregation  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  but  also  in  neighboring  congregations  as  we&l.   So  John  is  say- 
ing, "I  John,  who  ira  had  a  personal  relationship  with  Jesus,  say  this,"  and 
then  he  continues.   "Unto  the  elect  lady  and  her  children,"  verse  IB. 
Here  again  we  are  faced  with  two  possibilities.   The  first  is  that  John  was 
actually  writing  to  a  woman  and  her  children.  There  is  some  conjecture  that 
John  had  met  a  widow  with  children  and  had  grown  to  love  her  very  dearly. 
There  are  those  who  have  said  that  this  2nd  letter  is  nothing  more  than  a 
Christian  love  letter. 

The  second  theory  is  that  John  was  writing  to  the  Christian  church  and  lie  was 
doing  it  in  a  veiled  or  hidden  manner  so  as  not  to  cause  the  members  harm 
when  persecution  would  arise  in  the  future.   So  therefore,  hiding  the  true 
meaning  behind  what  appears  to  be  a  mere  love  letter  helped  the  Christians 
but  kept  the  meaning  from  those  opposed  to  the  Church.   Now  this  is  the  most 
logical  answer  and  one  which  doesn't  raise  hundreds  of  other  questions  with 
it.  But  it  is  interesting  to  follow  briefly  the  reasoning  behind  the  other 
theory  of  a  widow  that  John  is  writing  a  love  letter  to.   In  the  Greek  of 
this  text  the  wcrd  "Elect"  actually  means,  "the  chosen  one."   The  word  "lady" 
is  "KURIA"  which  is  the  feminine  form  of  "KURIOS"  which  means  "Lord,  or  tes- 
ter."  In  the  feminine  form  "KURIA"  bmmxx  is  the  name  for  MAHTHA,  and  the 
meaning  of  the  name  Mart ha  is,  "Mistress."   Now  it  is  evident  from  John's 
moral  teachings  and  writings  that  he  didn't  have  a  mistress.   And  if  this 
woman  named  Martha  is  the  one  to  whom  he  is  writing,  why  would  he  cali  her 
"the  chosen  one?"  Why  her  above  all  others?  Would  one  woman  within  the 
Christian  Church  be  khexke  THE  chosen  one?   The  answers  appear  rather  ob- 
vious that  Fohn  was  writing  to  the  Christian  Church.  The  Church  is  always 
referred  to  in  the  feminine  sense  because  "SHE"  is  the  Bride  of  Christ.   But 
more  specifically  "Fhe",  the  Church  is  "The  Chosen  One"  by  God  to  be  His 
representative  on  earth  until  Jesus  comes  to  claim  His  bride. 

2BXfcKkiKKX*kHX±:irt8XKX»fc3S**»KXXfeHfcXTJBkKX±XXWXX^ 

histxln5MKxfBffi±MSgxsBKKxrsxtkxtwxwkKtxfeKXHHxsxMZ±tssxxxS^kHirx3xisrjtsxiRxifeexx 
tKHkk^x»MSxH®txixEjat^xxkMtxaisHx*kK^xHitxtkKyxtkakxk^KKxkaB«BxttaExtKKtkxx 

And  the  "children"  John  refers  to  in  this  letter  are  the  individual  members 
of  the  Church. 

Bo  taking  the  interpretation  that  John  is  writing  to  the  Christian  Church 
his  true  feelings  come  forth  in  what  he  next  writes.   "Whom  I  love  in  the 
truth;  and  not  only  I,  but  also  all  they  that  have  known  the  truth."   Now 
just  what  was  John  trying  to  say  here?   He  combines  love  and  truth.   He  is 
saying  that  his  readers  or  those  who  may  hear  this  letter  read,  are  in  the 
truth.   He  means  by  this  that  they  have  reached  the  ultimate  truth  which  is 
the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Messiah,  God'?  anointe  One.   Th^t  He 


-3- 

was  God  incarnate,  God  in  the  flesh  and  that  because  they  know  this  Truth  afeai 

about  Him,  they  iaxM  are  the  recipients  of  God's  love  in  the  community  of 

faith,   which  of  course  is  the  Church.   It  is  in  the  Church  that  we  learn  of 

and  live  in  love.   In  saying  this,  John  is  pointing  out  that  this  is  the 

unique  relationship  they  share  in  as  opposed  to  what  the  heretics  have.   Those 

who  were  teaching-  falsely  didn't  have  this  truth  and  not  having  the  truth 

they  also  didn't  have  and  share  in  the  love  which  the  truth  brings  forth. 

And  so  to  further  explain  what  the  Church  hap  to  offer  the  believer,  Holm 

says  in  verse  2,  "Ft  the  truth's  sake,  which  dwelleth  in  us,  and  shall  be 

with  us  for  ever."   Within  the  8hurch  the  believers  had  come  to  know  the 

truth,  which  as  we  said  was  who  Jesus  was.   He  is  saying  that  each  one  of 

them  loved  the  truth  they  had  received  and  knowing:  this  was  something  special 

for  tiisx  eaeh  of  them  in  their  lives.   To  impart  the  spceialnens  of  this 

knowledge  they  had,  John  uses  the  w»x£  phrase,  "Dwelleth  in  us."  The  Greek 

word  used  for  "dwelleth"  is  "MEND"  and  it  means  "to  remain,  or  to  stay  in." 

It  is  often  used  in  the  Gospels  to  speak  of  one  living  as  a  guest  in  the  home 

of  another.   Bo  for  the  Christian,  the  truth  is  a  welcome  guest  in  his  heart. 

And  John  says,  this  truth  is  in  our  hearts  like  a  welcome  guest  that  will 

stay  with  us  for  all  time  and  eternity.   It  will  never  leave  us.   We  are  God  '£ 

through  Christ,  forever. 

In  verse  3,  John  ends  this  Prologue  which  Is  the  end  of  his  salutation  with 

the  words,  "Grace  be  with  you,  mercy  and  peace,  from  God  the  Father,  and  from 

the  lord  Jesus  Chrirt,  the  Con  of  the  Father,  in  truth  and  love."   John  is 

not  giving  a  greeting  like  Paul  and  Peter  usually  pave  which  pimply  said, 

"Grace  and  peace  be  with  you."   Instead,  his  greeting  is  in  the  form  ±ka  of 

knowing  thir  Grace,  Mercy  and  Peace  will  be  with  the  believer .anixtfaat 

John  makes  it  a  promise,  not  a  wish.   This  promise  is  our?  if  we  remain  in 

God's  truth  and  love, 

(Illustration  of  soldier  in  World  Warll  and  buying  some  food  for  an  orphan) 
After  the  close  of  World  War  II,  one  of  the  saddest  sights  to  be  seen 
was  the  orphans  in  the   ar  torn  cities  trying  to  survive  as  best  they 
could.   In  London  an  American  soldier  told  of  driving  a  jeep  through 
streets  where  everything  was  a  shambles.   The  buildings  were  all  gutted 
and  blown  apart.   Here  and  there  were  little  stores  and  buildings  which 
had  somehow  survived.  ks   he  turned  a  corner  he  came  to  a  small  restaur- 
ant.  A  small  boy  in  tattered  clothes  had  his  nose  pressed  apainst  the 
glass,  intently  watching  the  cook  inside  making  breakfast,  SBXsxxii 
The  soldier  stopped  his  jeep,  walked  up  to  the  boy  and  asked,  "Son,  would 
you  like  something  to  eat?"  The  boy  startled  said,  "Yes,  I  wouldi"  'he 
soldier  went  inside  and  got  an  order  of  ham  and  eggs  for  the  boy  and 
walked  back  outside  to  where  the  toy  was  and  handed  him  the  plate.   He 
said,  "Here  you  are  son,  I  hope  you  enjoy  it!"   But  as  he  started  to  walk 
away  he  felt  a  tug  on  hir  coat.   He  looked  fcxEx  down  at  the  boy  and  the 
boy  asked,  "Mr Are  you  God?" 

In  some  strange  way,  the  boy  had  gotten  the  idea  that  God  gave  things  to 


ST.    PAUL'S  UNITED  CHUBCH   OF   CHRIST 
Butler,   Pennsylvania 
Eighth  Sunday  After  Epiphany  February  26,   1984 

The  ftsv.   Ralph  C.   Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.    Kitty   Feder,    Organist 
David  Andrews,   and  Sally  Vensel  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude         "A  Winter  Sketch"        Price 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  338  "We  Sing  the  Greatness  of  Our  God" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "  Our  Father,  we  confess  before 
you  that  our  lives  are  not  what  they  should  be.  We 
do  undesired  sin,  and  we  permit  temptations  to  overcome 
us.  But  we  know  there  is  forgiveness  with  you  when  we 
do  confess.  So  as  we  humbly  seek  forgiveness,  we  ask 
for  new  strength  to  lead  a  more  Godly  life,  for  we  pray 
in  the  Master's  name.  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
"Praise 

•Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  439    "Sweet  Hour  of  Prayer" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
PPastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory  "Poem"  Flbich 

Doxology  No.  38Z 

Anthem:     "Peace!  Be  Still"  Palmer 

Scripture :  2  John  4-6 

■mon:     "Christian  Truth"  Practiced" 


'"cuing  Hymn  No.  455   "I  Am  Thine,  0  Lord" 

Benediction 

Postlude 

♦♦+++++  •Congregation  Standing  *++++++++< 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
Mrs.  Roy  Pflugh  in  loving  memory  of  her  "Husband" 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   Richard  Mangel,  Don 
Kingsley,  Gary  Penar  and  Edward  Walker. 

Mr.  A  Mrs.  Edward  Walker  will  greet  the  Congregation 
~"^and  Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning.      /?/y  ^ 
^^Hospitalized:  Mrs.  Judy  Bowser,   Mrs.  Morrison,   '   ^^v, 
«*Mrs.  dl   H*  mencaas  died  and  the  funeral  was  yesterday.  * 

Dan  Bosko,  Carl  Vinroe  and  Art  Carney  will  be  visiting 
the  Hospital  this  week. 

Our  thanks  to  Rick  Vinroe    for  serving  as  Sound  man 
every  Sunday. 

Easter  Egir  Forms  are  still  available.   The  Congregation 
can  place  their  orders  with  anyone  who  has  a  form 
or  with  Ginny  Mangel. 
~^  World  Day  of  Prayer  -  March  2  -  Salvation  Army 
— -^Next  Sunday  After  Church  we  will  have  someons  in  to 

give  a  refresher  first  aid?5RE  tfieuEl§  of  our  oxygen 
tanks.   All  Ushers  men  and  women  and  the  Council  are 
expected  to  attend.   Anyone  who  is  interested  in  this 
project  -  please  let  Bea  know  today  so  that  arrangements 
can  be  made.  We  will  also  have  light  refreshments  and 
coffee  during  this  hour  of  fellowship  right  after  the 
Service  next  Sunday.   All  heads  of  each  Ushering  Group 
\^  is  expected  to  call  everyone  on  the  list. 
^-^*The  Ash  Wednesday  Service  will  be  in  the  Sanctuary. 
Holy  Communion  will  be  given  at  the  Altar. 

Coming  up  March  7,  The  Women  in  the  Church  will  have 
another  special  day  of  fellowship.  We  will  meet  in 
Rehoboth  Hall  at  10:00  to  make  tray  favors  for 
Greenville  Home.   At  noon  we  will  hold  a  salad  luncheon. 
Bring  a  small  salad,  scissors,  yourself  and  join  In 
the  fun.  Bring  in  your  old  nylons  and  scraps  of  yarn 
so  we  will  deliver  what  we  have  when  we  take  the  tray 
favors  to  Greenville. 

The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  154  with  IS  Visitors 

Year  Books  are  In  the  Narthex. 


'■unnsTian  ■iTutn:   iraE-cicea- 
i,  Scripture  :   2   John  4-6 

(I?      B    girl   vi^it   aunt, dine    ■'■  dollar) 

Ceri,±n  we   1?  awar  parents  expec   childrn  act  cert  way 

that  purp  teach  them,but   many  time  no  do  that 

I  ■'   U   pictur  erly  Ch  n.s   B  sumwat   lik  gro  child, 
p      fan  can  apreciat  wat  tak  plao  within   it 
Jn  only   surviv  Bis  bin  bout  estab  Ch   2ph  wher  write 

membr   conp  also   >:  so   lik  luv  Fathr   Ik  ovr  childrn, 
■in   fine-    they   no   act    lik   shud 
.'.umtim  tween  65-7"   J  mov  fr   Jer  ?  Erb  w/!">ary=  explain 
70  Tempi  ctertroy;J  writ   85-95  4  95  exil  PatmOB-Rev. 

As  time  mov  on  J  Span  ?C  othrs  teach/preach  wat 

abrolutly  contrary  Tundys    of   faith 
Saw  thru  out   1st   letr  how  fot  apin  thoz  who  wud   under. 
mine, or  seek  destroy  truth   Ch  wh  was   £  is    Js   Xp 

SO    °nd    letr   actul   continuatin   1st   letr, but   tol   dif 
vs  4= J  say  herd   bout   certin  peop  w/in   Ch 

■■  :■;    letr   ^dres^lect    Lady+we   sed   was    Ch 

Put   ilno  adre-    letr=Lady's  childrn  as   veil  &  bo  ment 
wen  snk  childrn-individ   membra   of   Xpian     'b 

But  not  all  news  actios   me^ibs   Hh  welcum  news 
"    J  receiv  sum  news  wh  encouraf  6   J  fnd   "elf  in 
positin  lik  cert  woman  in  cong: 
(Illus  poor  woman  (blankets   "■■   Hallelujah) 
This   situatin   J  fnd   pelf   in:not  hapy  w/much.  turn  of 
events   of  erly  Ch 

but  ther  wer  sum  postiv  sines   wh/cud  wax  eloouent 

bout    ":  he  did 
vs  4A=talk  bout   thoz   liv/act  as   shud    in  Ch 
Sotic-I  ^nd   tf  Thy   Ohildrn-8    actul  OF  THY  duznt   mean 

r-1l  them=o«ly  mean  sum  S   this   Sr  construct  this  een' 
E.      tho   many, many  wer  no   liv   X'pian  lif  as  taut  sum 
were   &  howevr   many  were   enuf   ?  mak   J  re,iaice 
vs  *BJJn  say  thez   peop  conduc   livs   acord   G's   Word   & 

acord   as   Xpian  shudv 
vs   5=Por   J  comandment  ripk  of   irattr  extrem  import 
Lk  how  Erin  vs=Beseecn.Gr=ER0TA0=2a3k,reoue"t ,be ■-, 

entreat , beseech 
lnce  apin  this  reaues, ask, bep, beseech   is   of  lady 

This  pt   Bcum  evident   if   this   luv   letr  as   sum  sa£, 

&  J  writ  very  dear  widow  Trend, wud   he  be  bee-  that 
"They  love   one   another?" 

Wudnt  stan  ?reasn  if   luv   letr, J  wud   insted   acknowledi 
tb-r  luv  4ea   othr  6  not  ask  4  that   luv? 

..dent,    Lady  spok  of  here   is   CH  &   CH  herd   comand 
21uv   lnothr   from  be  pinning 

&  wher  was   Bgining?  «    -'.'en  Js   spok  as   minster   on 
erth. 


J  recod    in  Gospl   that    Js    sed    it 
I'h-t  was   Bpin.Bcuz  that  comand  dif  fr  wat   B  practic 
b-      irpaniz   relipin    Js  day=.^crib,":  harness  ,  Jews 
it  was   Ey  4    Ey, Tooth  4   Tooth.do   B»   dun   2   U 
Js  sed  =  luv  inated   hate,do  ^ud    ^othrs^urn  othr   cheek 
Put    J  nay   this   no   nu   comand    Sc  he  rite   Bcua  comand 
tut/preach  aprox  60  yrs   in  Ch  at  this   time 
vs  6= J  cum  bak  complet  brkdwn  thin  comandment 

lnce   arin   oricrnal   Gr  def  articl  prom  1st  part  vs 
Shod   read-fi   This    Is   THS  luv 

w/THF   in  vs,Bcum  npecil   luv  apart  fr  all    othrs 
&  wat    is    specil   luv?«That   we   walk  aftr   Mir    comand s 
Whoa   comands?»^omands   of    Js   who  sed=luv  enemies-  etc 
&  then   J  refr  bak  2  the  bepin,to  start  thez  teach  as 
cum  fr  One    !    only  Pr   reaceTOne  demonstrat   complet 
luv  4mank  by  sacriflc   self  4them 
Here   is   Kpian  Truth, but   it  Truth  wh  Practiced 
Truth  that   is   lived 
Truth  that   is   seen  by  all  &  helps    othrs   ?identfy 
wat   Xpianty  all  bout 
(lllus   B    Sunday  &   man=T'ite    on   Corner   wher  D   are) 
He   may   no  hav   corect   titl,but   that    jus   wat  Xpian   is 
:  out 
J  advocat   fite   the   fite   v/aerevr  TI  hapn  2B 

1  that   fite   involv   sho  luv  we  comand   ?hav  4ea 
othr  5  4world 
Xpian  Truth  that   is   rracticed   wilB  evidenc  by  TUV 


"Christian  Truth:  Practiced" 

Scripture :  ?  John  4—6 

(Illustration  little  girl  visitin  her  aunt  and  choice  of  dime  or  dollar) 
A  little  girl  was  visitng  her  aunt  and  was  told  by  the  aunt  that  she 
had  a  gift  for  her.   che  placed  a  dime  and  a  dollar  bill  on  the  table 
and  said,  "You  may  take  your  choice."   The  little  girl  looked  at  the 
money  for  a  while  and  then  she  paid,  "Mother  always  taupht  me  to  take 
the  smaller,  so  I'll  take  this,"  and  she  reached  for  the  dime.   Then 
she  added,  "And  just  so  I  don't  lose  the  d  iire ,  I'll  wrap  it  up  in  this 
KXKEHxjaqGEExi  piece  of  preen  paper." 

I  am  certain  that  we  are  all  aware  that  parents  eSpect  their  children  to 
act  in  a  certain  way.   That  is  the  purpose  of  teaching  them.   But  many  times 
the  child  does  not  act  in  the  expected  manner.   Now  if  you  will  picture  the 
early  Church  as  being  somewhat  like  a  prowing  child,  perhaps  we  can  apprec- 
iate what  was  taking-  place  within  it.   Johij,  the  only  surviving  disciple 
had"  been  about  the  work  of  establishing  the  churchi  in  Kphesus  where  he  was 
writing  this  letter.   He  not  only  was  working:  at  seeing  that  the  church  was 
properly  established  ,  but  he  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  congregations  in 
-Ephesus.   So  like  a  loving  father,  looking  over  his  young  children,  John 
had  begin  to  find  that  the  children  were  not  always  actinr  in  the  manner 
they  had  been  taught.   Sometime  between  65  and  70  A.D.  John  moved  from  Jer- 
usalem to  -3rhesus.   In  70  A.D.  the  Temple  was  destroyed  as  Jesus  had  pre- 
_  dieted  and  John  had  moved  before  that  took  place.   He  had  been  given  the 

responsibility  to  taking  care  of  Kary,  Jesus'  earthly  mother  and  so  she  moved 
to  £phesus  with  him.   This  second  letter  was  written  sometime  between  85  and 
and  °5  A.D.   Around  £§  the  year  95  John  was  exiled  to  the  island  of  tatmos 
where  he  wrote  the  book  of  Revelation.   So  as  the  one  who  was  looked  up  to 
and  could  be  considered  an  authority  on  what  the  church  should  be,  John  had 
the  task  of  seeking  to  keep  the  church  clean  and  pure. 

But  as  time  moved  on  John  besran  to  see  that  others  within  the  church  were 
teaching  and  preaching  things  which  were  absolutely  contrary  to  th  funda- 
mentals of  the  faith.   Vie  saw  throughout  the  1st  letter  of  John  how  he 
fought  against  and  attacked  those  who  would  undermine,  or  seek  to  destroy  the 
truth  of  the  Cimnch  which  was  and  is  Jesus  Christ.   So  this  2nd  letter  is 
actually  a  continuation  of  that  1st  letter  but  written  and  told  in  a  differ- 
ent way.  So  it  is  that  we  read  in  the  4-th  verse  that  John  remarks: 

"I  rejoiced  preatly  that  I  found  of  thy  children  walking  in  truth,  as  we 
have  received  a  commandment  from  the  Father." 

John  is  sayinp;  that  he  has  heard  about  certain  people  within  the  church. 

You  may  recall  that  he  bersn  his  letter  by  addressing  it  to  "the  elect  lady," 

and  we  identified  that  lady  as  being  the  "Church."   But  he  also  addressed  his 

leter  to  the  "lady's  children"  as  well,  ^o   this  meant  that  when  he  speaks 

pf  children  he  is  speaking  of  the  individual  memberr  of  the  Chriptian  Church. 


_?_ 

Not  all  of  the  news  of  the  meicii  actions  of  the  members  of  the  church  was 

welcome  news.  But  John  had  received  some  news  which  was  encouraging  to  him. 

John  found  himself  in  the  position  like  a  certain  very  poor  woman  in  a  cert- 

x±af  tain  congregation. 

(Illustration  of  poor  woman  and  blank'**  fJ-iven  to  her) 

In  a  certain  conpregationthere  was  a  very  poor  woman.  The  congregation  was 
rather  formal  and  stiff.  This  woman  had  the  habit  of  shouting" "Hallelujah" 
when  ever  something  in  the  service  happened  which  she  approved  of.  Unfort- 
unately, this  disturbed  the  church  officials.  To  the  elders  came  to  her 
with  tkKxpBX|!i!saixtirat  a  proposition  and  said  to  her,  "If  you  will  not  dis- 
turb the  peace  of  our  church  service  by  shouting  "Hallelujah",  we  will  give 
you  two  large,  warm  blankets." 

.  ince  she  was  very  poor  and  needed  the  blankets  she  agreed.   But  the  foll- 
owing Junday  she  was  able  to  restrain  herself  up  to  the  sermon.   And  when 
the  ^astor  began  to  preach,  out  came  a  loud  "Hallelujah."  Two  of  the  eld- 
ers seated  near  her,  gave  her  a  stern  look.   Then  for  a  few  minutes  she 
was  quiet,  but  another  truth  that  needed  punctuation  came  forth  and  she 
had  all  to  do  to  keep  nuiet,  hut  she  did.   Another  five  minutes  went  by 
and  then  the  preacher  said  something  that  thrilled  her  soul  and  she  stood 
up  and  said,  "Blankets  or  no  blankets,  praise  the  lord  and  Hallelujah." 

This  is  the  situation  John  found  himself  in.   He  was  not  happy  with  much  of 
the  turn  of  events  of  the  ear^  Church.   But  there  were  some  positive  sipns 
which  he  could  wax  enthusiastic  about  and  he  did.   So  he  says,  "I  rejoiced 
greatly"  about  those  who  are  living  and  acting  as  they  should  in  the  church. 
_  Notice  that  it  say3  "T  found  of  thy  children"  and  actually  the  term  "Of  thy" 
doesn't  mean  all  of  the  members.   It  only  means  some  of  the  members  and  this 
is  the  Greek  construction  of  this  sentence.   Even  though  there  were  many, 
many  members  who  were  not  living  the  Cvristian  life  as  taught,  some  of  them 
were  and  that  sum  of  femcxioxxy  however  many  there  were  was  enough  to  make  John 
rejoice.   And  when  he  states  "as  we  have  received  a  commandment  from  the 
Father,"  John  is  saying  that  these  people  were  conducting  their  lives  accord- 
ing to  God's  </ord  ,   They  were  conducting  their  lives  as  a  Christian  should. 

Then  John  explains  himself  further  by  stating:  "And  now  I  beseech  thee  lady, 
not  as  though  I  wrote  a  new  commandment  unto  thee,  but  that  which  we 
had  from  the  beginning,  that  we  love  one  another." 

For  John  the  comandment  he  is  speaking-  of  is  a  matter  of  extreme  importance. 

Look  at  how  he  begins  this  verse i   pe  uses  the  word  "beseech"  which  is  ERSKAO 

in  Greek.   This  word  means,  "to  ask,  request,  entreat,  beg,  beseech." 

And  once  again  this  renuest,  or  asking,  or  begping  and  beseeching  is  of 

the  "Lady."   How  at  this  point  it  becomes  somewhat  evident  that  if  this  is 

a  love  letter  as  some  suggest  that  John  was  v/ritinr  to  a  very  dear  widow 

friend  would  he  be  bee-ging  that  they  "love  one  another?"   Wouldn't  it  stand 

to  reason  that  if  this  were  a  love  letter,  John  would  instead  be  acknowledpinj 

their  love  for  each  other  and  not  asking  for  that  love?   The  "lady"  spoken  of 

here  is  the  Church.   And  the  Church  had  heard  the  commandment  to  love  one 

another  from  the  very  beginning.   And  where  was  the  very  beginning?   When 


-5- 

Jesus  spoke  it  as  He  was  ministerinc  on  earth,   John  recorded  it  in  his  jOs- 
pel  that  Jesus  said  it.   Tvat  was  the  beginning,  because  that  command  roe  nt 
was  different  from  what  was  beinp  practiced  by  the  organized  religion  of 
Jesus'  day  as  evidenced  by  the  ccribes  and  the  Pharisees  and  the  Jews. 
It  was  an  eye  for  an  eye,  dop  eat  dopr,  do  unto  others  as  they  did  unto   ou . 
But  Jesus  spoke  of  love  instead  of  hate;  doing  pood  even  when  evil  is  done 
against  you.   A  new  concept  indeed.   But  John  says  here  it  is  not  a  new  com- 
mandment that  he  is  giving  to  the  church  and  he  is  xEzjctofc  right ,  because  the 
commanment  was  taught  and  preached  for  a  pproximately  60  years  in  the  church 
at  this  time. 
And  now  John  comes  back  to  the  complete  breakdown  of  this  commandment  as  he 

states  in  verse  6:  "And  this  is  love,  that  we  walk  after  His  commandments. 
This  is  the  commandment,  that,  as  ye  have  heard  from  the  beginning,  ye 
should  walk  in  it." 

How  once  again  in  the  original  "reek  the  definite  article  is  prominent  in  the 
first  part  of  this  verse.   It  should  read,  "And  thir  is  THE  love."   With  "THE1 
in  the  verne  it  becomes  a  special  love  apart  from  all  other? .   And  what  is 
this  special  love?   It  is "that  we  walk  after  His  commandments."    Whose  com- 
mandment? are  we  to  walk  in?  The  commandments  of  Jesus  who  said,  "Love  your 
enemies,  turn  the  other  cheek,  etc."   And  John  refers  -exkxxl   once  again  back 
"to  the  beginning, "  to  the  start  of  these  teachings  as  they  came  from  the 
One  and  only  Irince  of  peace,  the  One  who  demonstrated  His  love  for  all  man- 
kind by  His  sacrifice  for  them.   Here  is "Christian  T^uth,"  but  it  is  truth 
which  is  "Practiced;"  truth  that  is  lived;  truth  that  is  seen  by  all  and 
helps  others  to  identify  what  Christianity  is  all  about. 

(Illustration  of  Silly  Sunday  and  man  singinp,  "Fight  on  the  corner  where  you 
are  "  ) 

Billy  Sunday  was  an  evangelist  whone  ministry  ended  in  1935  at  his  death. 
Ee  was  preaching  in  Cleveland  and  each  night  et  the  services  there  was 
a  man  who  sat  in  the  front  row  and  who  seemed  to  enter  into  the  service 
with  a  preat  deal  of  enthusiasm.   '"specially,  did  he  enter  into  the  sing- 
ing.  He  was  there  every  night  for  a  week.  ^ixtiHXEiBHHXHfxt^sxiast 
One  Hymn  that  was  sung  each  night  was  one  which  was  very  popular  then 
and  it  was  entitled  ,  XKiy&rtxftBxXkMx&toiiSBx.xySBXTx    "Brighten  The  Corner 
>/here  You  .Are."   On  the  last  night  H±xthK  at  the  close  of  the  service, 
Billy  Sunday  was  determined  to  speak  to  this  enthusiastic  man.   He  walk- 
ed up  to  him  and  asked  him  why  he  didn't  respond  to  the  invitation.   The 
man  who  was  Italian  and  spoke  broken  engli^h  said  he  came  for  the  singing, 
Mr  Sunday  asked  him  what  was  so  special  about  the  singing.   And  the  man 
answered  he  liked  the  song  they  sang  night  after  night.   Mr.  Sunday  ask- 
ed him  what  song  that  was.   The  man^said,  "Hipht  On' The  Corner  .'/here  You 
Are."   And  then  he  added,  I  like  a  good  fight"!" 

He  may  not  have  had  the  correct  title,  hut  that  is  just  what  a  Christian  is 

to  be  about.   John  was  advocating,  fighting  the  fight  whereever  you  happen  to 

be.   And  that  fight  involves  showing  the  love  we  are  commanded  to  have  for 

each  other,  and  for  the  world.   Christian  Truth  that  is  Practiced,  will  be 

evidenced  by  love. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHHIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Last  Sunday  before  Lent  March  4,  1934 

The  RBv.  Ralph  C,  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs,  Kitty  Fader,  Organist 
Sally  Vensel.  Kelly  Mangel  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  -I-  +  +  *  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  *  +  +  ,.  +  t  +  +  +  t 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude        "Arioso"  Handel 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  (Jo.  29  "Sing  them  over  again  to  me" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  God,  you  know  how  we  are  exposed 
to  the  world's  temptations,  but  you  also  know  that  we 
would  like  to  be  righteous.   Grant  us  the  strength  to 
follow  our  Master  down  the  road  of  disciplesbip,  even 
though  we  know  we  shall  surely  meet  the  cross  at  the 
end  of  that  road.   Forgive  us  for  all  sin  that  prevents 
us  from  following  Him  rightly,  through  the  same  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

"Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  Oodl 
"People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  467  "Take  Thou  Our  Minds,  Dear  Lord" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory       "BereeuBe"  lljinsky 

Doxology  No.  382 

Anthem:         "There  is  Power  in  the  Blood" 
i   ipture:    2  John  7-11 


Sermon:     "Christian  Truth:   Protected" 

Closing  Hymn  No.  92     "The  Solid  Rock" 

Benediction 

Postlude 

+  +  +  <.  +  +  +  *Ctngregation  Standing  ♦*♦  +  »  +  +  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Richard  Mangel  in  memory  of  "Uncle"  Jimmy  Stewart. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   'Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko, 

Martin  Henry  and  Dave  MeKillin. 
Eldsr  and  Mrs.  Mike  Nazaruk  will  greet  the  congregation 

>at  the  door  this  morning. 
Hospitalized:  Mrs.  Zoa  Morrison,  Mrs.  Ethel  Campbell -fa^ 
and  Mr.  Harvey  Campbell. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Tracy  Johnston. 
Bob  Dellen  and  Dick  Manuel  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week  -  Plus  a  Bhut-in  and  a  non-attendi  ne. 
person. 
~—y,   Right  after  the  Church  Service  today  -  Refresher  course 
^/   in  First-Aid  and  use  of  oxygen  tanks   Reservations 
have  been  made  and  a  light  lunch  will  be  provided, 
A  remind*  to  return  the  Easter  Egg  Forms  by  next  Sunday. 
Get  out  there  and  really  get  them  signed  up  this  week 
and  return  to  Ginny  next  Sunday. 
Monday  -  Basketball  and  Volleyball  -  Rehoboth  Hall  - 

has  been  rented. 
Monday  -  7:00  -  Property  Committee  meeting  with  Contrac- 
tor. 
Tues.  -  7  -  Aerobics;  Thurs.  S-S  Aerobics 
Wed.  10:00  A.M.  -  Women's  Fellowship  (all (women  of  the 
Church)  will  have  a  special  day  of  fellowship  -  10:00. 

>BT*ig  a  small  salad,  scissors,  and  yiurse  f, 
Wed.  -  7:30  P.M.  -  Ash  Wednesday  Service  and  Holy 
Communion  at  the  Altar. 
Wed.  -  Right  after  the  SErvice  -  Council  Meeting  - 
Thurs.  -  6:45  -  Activities  Committee  meeting  here 
w^  in  the  Undercroft. 

—-^Constitution  By-Laws  Revision  Committee  meeting  here 
at  the  Church  (Undercroft)  at  7:00  P.M.  HA^-"     f^ 
Material  is  being  collected  for  the  second  Gazette 
for  Church  School  -  See  Brian  Hollefreund,  Julee  Vargo 
and  Any  Vargo  -  or  the  Supt.  -  Pea  Nazaruk. 


I 


^Christian  Truth:    Protected" 
Scripture:  3   John  7-11 

und      ly  all   J  writ   2nd    lefcr   ia  knowledg   wat   now  tak 
rlac  w/in  Ch ;  evident  bin  c-.ont.ic    many   men-3  ^oh^e    "rph 
prob  travl  thruout   city   '■'■  discovr   ^id/bad  newf 
(Illus   sports   car,frrnd    canyon^l-Q  miles   to   galloi 
gt      news=rtrrtb, truth   exist    in   Fost    of   corif- 
bad   news=thoz  cur  miflst  preach/teach   fals  docts  ,thinp: 

contrary  ?   truth  of   '(pianity 
Itinerant , travl  misnarjs   nov   Ch   2   Ch-Houe   Ch  ?  Hous   C 

teach, then   nov   n   nex   comunty   or  city 
"a  conr  hav   peop   study ,lern,ccmis    '    ™   out  -^her  truth 
&  thir    re'-pec    lix    Atop    7  ,but   sun  thez    pr /teach   contr 
to  faith   6  espoas  heresy 
they  teach   name   of  Xp  docts   F-ubversiv   cf    'plan  fait 
t   it   thez  peop   J  spk, teach  agia  this   -nortin  2nd   letr 
vs   7A.PLA:iO  :=Gr=deceivrs  =  a   Dceivr  ,  mislead  , lead   Perror 
it.   use    contex   wandr   varbond  , tramp, impostr=f als    teach 
leading   othrs    into  heresy 
J  say=niany  thez   irtpcstrs  ,vapbond  ,tramos  hav  wandered 
into  their  worl,into  their  sphere   thiiira,1:   wat  do??' 
Vs   7B=deny  very  Vasic   elmect    ICpian   faith    '    that   is= 
Js    Xp    is    G   Incarnate=V,!as   G,&  S   tuk   on   human   form   P 
fulfil   plan  redemptin  for   mankind 

Confes-GB=HOMOL0SE0-2agr«e  w/ffuml  elee,2say  same  thin 
th  deceivrs   cud   not  say  was   that    Js   mor  than  mortl 
man* He  was   GOD 
Vs   7C=oldr  enp  trans  read   A  -r-    An=orir   Gr  mor  definit 
,  hav  def   articl=T"  "  '     Pbe) 

in  vs   identfy  thoz   who   B  not   Tpian 
that    identy   is   perm  deny    Incarnatin.or   Divlnty    Js 
a   one   who  wil   lead  many  astray  &  that  persn   is 
LXp    .j    spok   1st    letr 
This   only  begin  wat    J  say  on  sub,j,n-  wil   "   latr     en 
vs   8A=wat  H  thoz   thinT    Blievrs  wrot^    J  riv  advic   Ik 

Pther   liv?   wat  work  ?rethr  4   &  thoz   things  were  : 
fundy^-   of   faith;2present    Js    Xp  as   Inaarn  r ,  3av   of  wor 
?<  up  Pea   Elievr  reak  mr  not   only  rtan  fundys   that 
f oundatin.but    insur   all   riievrs    ,tus    as    firm   planted 
vs   8B=J  no   imply  los   saivatin,that   no  po=ibl 
sav=by  no  keep  faith  as   shud;by  not   B  faithfl  work 
4  lord   ■     '+furthr   His    Ch   car   5    wil   lose   rewards 
Blievra   wil   IdayxiMix  stan  B4  G   S    wilB   judg  by  Him 
But   judf  4   Elievr  not   same   as  unBlievr 
UnT""Xevr= judf  4  Sin.no   ac  |    as  by       wilB 

d-Jj  eternly  2   :-'ell 
Blievr=stan  E4  G     -.  B  e-ivn  rewards, or  hav  rewards  takt 
fr  Beuz  wat   did/didnot  do  "    ■"        r        CTh 

M:lci-12=elaborate   this=  (Explain  versed 


|Th  tel  G  wil  rewar  thoz   hav  labor  1    Hita  vinyard   of  ?_/ 
world   5  authr  Heb  urg/coax  readrs   not  Lazy  in 

!rir      .'.'-<  1>, but   imtate   Elievrs   labor   E4,  Bcuz   all 

-op  wil  receiv   rewar  G  has  H   then 
Intre.at   note    J  keep  bild  case   identfy  thoz  w/in 
■-.'Ork  Ch  who   not     'Tians 

-Aotic   Trans;.  re3  =  "  vp'ti"   go   "yon  limit   tru  doctrii 
i: -persn     duz   no   Bliev    Js   was   G    Incarn,ro   Byon 
limit   this  doct  &  that   persn   not   only  duznt  kno   Js 
as   L.but   no   hav   G  as  Fatnr  cithr 
?B  chil  G, persn  raus   acpt    Js    Xp   as   I    "    Sav   "•■  only   posil 
wen  persn  Bliev   Js   SCp  C    in  flea"". , cum  Perth  sav  mank 
so   i1  riv   both   aeg/pos   aspec  th   as   C  end  va===  = 
ow  hav   aed   this    J  add  vs    10+++== 
Vs   10='Vat    J  say^persn   mus    ident   thoz    cum   in?   midrt   as 
2wher   they   stand 
cults   natin  eto  rapid  pace   &  unfortunat  atrao    {piaw 
1    frorr    Ch    of    Ji      "d 
(Illus  Theodore   Epp  from   Jests   Of   life,    pa^e   111) 
en  we   confr  by  thez   peop   on  street  ,or   curr  pound   door 
conf   w/nuest='.,at  do   D    Bliev   !  out 

ther   anser   giv   way=if  say="e   rrt  man,nothr  proph,ptc 
J  say=Do    not   receiv   them    into   your   house=dont    invit    i: 
word    irrrlv=keep   out   indiv   felship   Blievrs  =  home/church 
aiav3  Ike  welcun  is    same  as   invit   Satan  Bit 

at  table  with  us 
Sun  say=Ur.'{pian  do  this   r    contrary  wst   Js  'vud  hav  do 
Granted=sound  urt-ipian,but  musE  careful  how  handl  or 
we   E!  dangr  watr  dwn  faith  S  let  them  giv  substitute 
for    Xp   and    Christianity 
U  may  no   B  awar  of   it, but   posib  we   ministr   ?  Buddhist 
not  gdiatant   nast=Di  we   chanc  wat   preach': 

t      t   persn  herd   Gospl    ^r   Xp  w/out  comp   or  apolop-y 
But  we  didnt  giv  equal  time   hear/lietn   Budhian  did   we 
Ther  dangr  Bliev, no  mattr  wat  we  Fliev  as  sum  say, 
"Just  so  we    Bliev   in   God'Ws   p>ed=Evn  devils   Bliev   tha 
J  say=!:o  receiv  ,neithr  bid   God    npeed   f-  d9nrr=nor 
can  B   so   Bcruil  ,persuasiv    cud   caus    Blievr  acpt   ther 
' lief s   "    turn   fron   the   truth   of  Xpianty 
Vs   llethia   how   J  sum  up  this   portin   "crip 

in   underat   wat    J  say, they  no  read  bocks, papers 
s   can  read   bout    J         ;nee, Moras ,HoeleBS .etc   B   de- 
term  they  not   Xpian,but   fals  teacbrs /Blievrs 
J'a  da?   they   cum  town  seek   lod^   Blievrs   bous,only  2 
pr/tBach  contrary  docts    '■-  nul  fr/Ch    '    Js    Xp 
I:      >rtant  we   kno  "ho   Bliev ,wat   Bliev, *■   why   Bliav   it 
(  Iliu"   chapel    '     fe     reach   Chr3 

J  want  rdrs   ?kno   in  whom  Bliev,1''   on  wi  -and 

Ve   3  his  modern  rdrs    &   impertiv  we   kno  who   H    fal- 
thoz   seek  Plead   us   astray 


This   why   rrus   kno  fundys    of   faith  wh/root        gr&n    in 
-    alone 
All   othr  colts ,Isns,&  reli?:ins   R   fala   &  foreign   2 

Xp 
We   Bras    tak   our   ".tand   on   Je^us   Christ 
We   mus   preach  Him, teach  Him,   Know  Hint,   and    accept 
Him  as   the   caviour   crucify  personly  '+   ea   of  ua 

Only  this  way  can  we  stan  a^in  the  Deeivrs  &  the 

anti^ps   this  world   has   to   offer. 


"Christian  Truth:  Protected" 
Scripture:  2    John  7-11 

Underlying  all  that  John  is  writing  in  his  second  letter  is  his  knowledge 
of  what  is  now  taking  ol^ce  within  the  Church.  He  has  evidently  been  in 
contact  with  many  of  the  membera  not  only  of  hir  local  congregation  but  with 
members  of  the  many  congregation^  scattered  throughout  the  city  of  Ephesus, 
xe  John  had  probably  taken  the  opportunity  to  travel  throughout  the  city 
and  in  his  visits  has  dicvoered  that  there  are  °ok  very  good  si^ns  of 
strength  and  truth  of  the  those  congregations.   Put  he  is  hearing  of  those 
who  have  come  into  their  midst  who  are  preaching  and  teaching  false  doctrines 
or  things  which  are  absolutely  contrary  tovthe  truth  of  Christianity, 
It  had  become  a  comiron  practice  for  itinerant  or  traveling  missionaries  to 
move  from  church  to  church,  or  as  it  were  house  church  to  house  church. 
They  shared  their  tearchings  and  then  moved  on  to  the  next  community  or  city. 
Zach  congregation  had  people  who  studied  and  learned  all  about  Christianity, 
its  beliefs  and  doctrines,  and  then  these  men  were  commissioned  to  ko  and  to 
share  these  truths  with  other  congregations,  often  in  far  off  cities.   In 
this  respect  thpy  were  very   much  like  the  Apostle  Paul.   But  the  problem  had 
now  arisen  within  the  church  in  Ephesus  that  many  of  these  so  called,  "Teach 
ers"  and  "preachers"  were  not  teaching  the  truth,  but  instead,  were  preach- 
ing; and  teaching  that  which  was  contrary  to  the  faith.   They  were  espousing 
heresy.   3t^x±ixx«xtk«xHX^«B^iKx*hHix^Hk3ax±axxyKakixxxa?raixx*xiBxt]aiax^s}XJtxB3 
BfxiklxxxSKBx&xxKttBXx:  Thwy  were  teaching  in  the  name  of  Christ,  doctrines 
which  were  subversive  x-e  of  the  Christian  faith.   These  are  the  people  John 
is  speaking  and  teaching  against  in  this  portion  of  his  second  letter, 

ip   begin  readin  at  this  7th  verse:  "Cor  many  deceivers  are  entered  into  the 
world , " 

The  word  for  deceivers  is  "PIANOS"  and  it  is  one  who  is  a  deceiver,  a  mis- 
leading, or  leading  into  error.   It  is  used  in  the  context  here  of  one  who 
is  a  wan&ring  vagabond,  a  tramp,  an  imposter,  and  thus  a  false  teacher  lead- 
ing others  into  heresies.   So  John  is  saying  that  many  of  these  imposters, 
vagabonds,  tramps,  whx&wxkxx  have  wandered  into  their  world.   In  other  words 
their  own  little  sphere  of  thinrs .   \nd  what  are  they  doing? 
John  says,  "Who  confess  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh," 
They  are  denying  the  very  basic  element  of  the  Christian  faith  and  that  id 
the  belief  that  Jesus  Christ  was  God  incarnate.   He  was  God,  and  God  took  on 
the  form  of  a  flesh  and  blood  human  being  to  ±st±±   fulfill  His  plan  for  man- 
kind,  "he  word  used  for"Confess"  is,  "HOM010GEO*'  and  it  means,  "to  agree 
with  someone  else,  to  say  the  same  thing."   The  thing  these  deceivers  could 
not  say  alone*  with  the  others  within  the  Church,  was  that  Jesus  was  more 
than  a  mere  mortal.   That  He  was  Cod. 


-?- 

Then   John  concludes   this  verse   with  the   words,    "This    is   a  deceiver  and    an 
antichrist . " 

£«xE»rxHHK3t3:sk>rtraHX±HtlEE   The    older    English   translations   we  read    "this    is 

A  deceiver   and   AH  antichrist."      In   the    original  Creek   it    is    more   definite 

and    has   the   definite   article   THE.        In  many  of   the   newer   translations    such 

as   the    New   International   Version   and   the    New   American   standard   Version  the 

definite    article    is    found    in  this  verse.      Tith   the   use    of   the   word    THE  in 

that  verse    it  toecomes    an   identity   of   those   that   are    not   Christian.     ifiiKs 

tfeBXHHsyiHXXK?!rKitKxJb"i3ttxxiii[HTCKia4iKx»ia±TEiixaK»x*XH»s±iiiia?:xMBrHxaTaS;xiiiBrBxiEXEarx 
raii»Hxs»»jraaKiix7)nsMxx*fe«^wH^*»xlariSx*£x*}wyv 

a:n£iEX^±3Jxxixx:fcB::Hskx:fcHHXcpcxxxHi^KB^^ 

i£xal2xthExxsa»xxHxxBfxtfeHKxixx±fcH±xx'HxwaxxsiiBi;fcRxxxxE^teF'fcxxi!ExaxxBs^xjcan 

That   identity   is   that   the   person  who  denies   the    Incarnation,    or  the    Divinity 

of    Jesus    Christ,    is   THE   one   who  will   lead   many  astray  and    that   person   is 

THE  antichrist   of   whom    "ohn   spoke   and   wrote    in  his    first   letter.      This    is 

only   the   beginning   of   what    John  has   to   say   on  this    sub.ject   and   will   add   to 

it   later   on   in  our   Scripture    ^or  this   morning. 

How  he   gives   the   advice,    "look  to  yourselves,   that   we    lose   not   those   things 
which  we    have   wrought." 

What   are   those   things   which  the   believers   had  wrought?      John  was   giving  the 

advice   of   looking  to  their   Hues   at  what   they  had   worked  together  for. 

Those   things    they  had   worked    together   for  were   the   fundamentals    of  the   faith. 

To   present    Jeeus   Christ   as   the    Incarnate   God,    the   ^aviour   of  the   world.      And 

it   was  up   to  each  believer   to   make    sure   that   he  was   not   only   standinr   on 

those    fundamentals,    that   foundation,   hut   to   insure   that   all  believers   were 

just   as   firmly  planted   on  tkes   that    foundation.      And    John  further   cautions: 
"But   that  we   receive   a   full  reward." 

John  was    not    implying   that   we   could    or  would   lose    our  Salvation.      That    is 
not   possible.      But   he   was    saying  that   by  not   keeping   the   faith  as  we    should, 
by  not  bein-   faithful   to  working   for   the   Lord   and    the   furthering   of    : [j 
Church,    we   can  and   will  lose  rewards .      The   believer  will   one   day   stand   before 
God  and   be    judged   by  Him.      But   not   the    same    .judgement    as   that   of   the   unbe- 
liever.     The  unbeliever  will   be    Judged   on  his   unwillingness   to  accept   Jesus 
Bftrist   as   lord   and    I'aviour   and    for   this   will  be   damned   eternally   in  hell. 
But   the   believer  will   stand   before   God    and   be   given  rewards,    or   have   rewards 
taken  from  him  because    of   what   he  did    or  did   not  do   for   Jesup    Christ   and    His 
Church,      '"v.e   author   of   Hebrews   elaborates    on  this   a    little   more   fully  as   we 
read   in  Hebrews   10:10-1?,    (read  this).      (Explain  this   as  well).      This  tfcx 
tells   that   God  will   reward   thoce   who  have   labored    for   Him   in  the   vineyard    of 
the   world.      And    the    author   of  Hebrews    is    urging   and    coaxing  his   readers    not 

to  be  lazy  in  his  Christian  walk,  but  to  imitate  those  believers  who  have 
labored  before  them,  for  all  such  people  will  receive  the  rewards  God  has 
for  them. 


-3- 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  John  keeps  buildinr  his  case  to  identify  those 

within  the  framework  of  the  Church  who  are  not  Christian.   Notice  how  he 

eords  thir  in  the  9th  verse:  x'JdrasEiraxE  "'•■'hosoever  fcraBSgresseth."   John 

Ufes  the  word  "transpresseth"  which  means  in  thir  context  to  e*o  beyond  the 

limits  of  true  doctrine.   So  he  says,  "-(/hosoever  trrsnsegresseth  ±ks.   and 

abideth  not  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath  not  God."   The  person  who  does 

not  believe  that  Jesus  was  God  incarnate,  (roes  beyond  the  limits  of  this 

doctrine  and  that  person  not  only  doesn't  know  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord,  but  thai 

does  not  have  God  as  hid  father  either.   To  be  a  child  of  Cod,  a  person  must 

accept  Jesus  Christ  as  lord  and  Saviour  and  this  is  only  possible  when  a  per-l 

son  believes  that  Jesus  Christ  is  7nd  in  the  flesh,  come  to  earth  to  save 

mankind.   And  so  John  rives  both  the  negative  and  the  positive  aspect  of 

this  as  we  see  hir  ending  of  this  verse.   "He  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Con." 

Having  thus  said  this,  John  now  adds  ir  verse  10,  "If  there  come  any  unto 
you,  and  brinp  not  this  doctrine,  receive  him  not  into  your  house,  neither 
bid  him  God  speed." 

'Vhat  John  is  rayinp  is  that  a  person  muet  identify  those  who  come  into  out 

midst  as  to  where  they  stand.   The  cults  in  our  nation  are  prowin£  at  a  very 

raoid  pace.   And  unfortunately  they  are  attractinr  Christians  and  pulling 

them  from  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

(Illustration  of  Theodore  F.rv   from  Tests  of  life,  studies  in  John's  letters) 
(pajre  111) 
"From  II  John  the  Christian  can  learn  what  his  attitude  toward  false 
teachers  should  be.   Possibly  at  no  other  time  in  the  history  of  the 
Church  have  there  been  so  many  religious  leaders  pretend  inr.  to  follow 
the  Scriptures.   In  reality,  they  are  mortal  enemies  of  the  idble  and 
of  Christ." 

When  we  are  confronted  by  these  people  on  the  street,  or  they  come  pounding 
on  our  doors,  we  need  to  confront  them  with  the  nuestion,  "What  <fto  you  be- 
lieve about  Jesus  Christ?"   Their  answer  will  soon  pive  them  away.   If  they 
say,  "He  was  a  preat  man,"  or  "He  was  another  prophet,"  or  somethinr  along 
these  lines,  John  says,  do  not  receive  them  into  your  house.   Don't  invite 
them  in.   The  wording  here  also  implies  that  we  keep  them  out  of  the  indiv- 
idual fellowship  of  believers.   To  invite  them  in  and  make  them  welcome  is 
the  same  as  inviting  Satan  to  sit  at  table  with  us.   Now  there  are  those 
vrho  say  this  is  un-Christian  and  contrary  to  what  Jesus  would  have  us  do. 
Granted,  it  sounds  un-Christian,   Hut  we  must  be  careful  how  we  handle  this 
or  we  are  in  d^n^er  of  watering  down  our  faith  and  letting  them  pive  us  a 
substitute  for  Christ  and  Christianity,   You  m^y  not  be  aware  of  it,  but 
there  is  a  Rood  possibility  that  we  ministered  to  a  Buddhist  in  the  not  too 
recent  past.   And  since  manv,  or  most  of  you  were  not  aware  of  it,  it  is 
obvious  that  we  didn't  change  what  we  were  preachinp  or  teach inr  did  we? 
Phat  person  heard  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  without  compromise  and  without 


-4- 
apolopy.   But  we  didn't  give  eoual  time  to  listen  or  hear  what  a  Buddhist 
believes,  did  we?   There  is  a  danger  in  strivirg  to  believe  that  it  doesn't 
matter  what  we  believe,  ,iust  so  we  believe  in  sooe  kind  of  God.  &s  this  is 
actually  what  John  is  saying  when  he  says  ,  "Receive  him  not  into  your  house 
neither  bid  him  "od  speed/'   The  danper  is  that  the  non-Christian,  the  un- 
believer can  be  so  beguiling,  so  persuasive  that  their  explanations  of 
their  beliefs  causes  us  to  come  to  accept  those  beliefs  at  the  expense  of 
losing  what  is  the  actual  truth.   This  is  how  John  sums  up  this  portion  of 

Scripture  as  we  read  from  the  11th  verse,  ""For  he  that  biddetb  him  God  soeed 
is  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds." 

We  can  understand  John's  thinking  about  this  because  they  didn't  have  the 

printed  page  as  we  do  today.   '-:e  can  read  about  the  Jehovah's  Witnesses  and 

the  Mormons,  the  Buddh£sts  and  Moslems  and  so  on  and  determine  that  they  are 

not  Christian,  but  are  false  teachers  and  false  believers.   In  John's  day 

people  such  as  this  could  come  into  a  town  and  seek  lodging-  in  a  believers 

house  only  to  preach  and  teach  contrary  doctrines  and  null  them  away  from 

the  Chnndh  and  Jesus  Christ.   It  is  important  that  we   know  who  we  believe, 

what  we  believe  and  why  we  believe  it. 

(Illustration  of  chapel  in  English  village  5  arch  with  "We  preach  Christ 
Crucified") 

There  is  a  story  that  in  an  ^nc-lish  village  there  was  a  chapel 
which  had  inscribed  BxxtfeKxjiKfezfitra  in  stone  on  the  arch  at  the 
entrance,  "We  breach  Christ  Crucified."  7or  years  godly  men 
preached  there  and  they  presented  a  crucified  Caviour  as  the  oily 
means  of  salvation.   But  as  the  generation  of  rodly  preachers 
passed,  a  generation  arose  that  considered  the  cross  and  its 
message  antinuated  and  reoulsive.   They  began  to  preach  salvation 
by  Christ's  example  lather  than  by  Bis  blood.   They  did  not  see 
the  necessity  of  ':i-  sacrifice.   But  as  the  years  went  by,  ivy  had 
started  to  grow  up  the  side  of  the  arch  and  soon  it  covered  the 
last  word  in  the  inscription  so  that  it  was  now  hidden  from  view. 
Now  the  inscription  read,  "We  I  reach  Christ,"  and  so  they  did, 
but  not  Christ  crucified.   Then  the  church  decided  that  its  mesa- 
apes  need  not  be  confined  just  to  Christ  and  the  Bible.   To  the 
preachers  began  to  rive  discourses  on  social  issues,  politics, 
philosophy,  and  whatever  else  happened  to  spark  interest.   The  ivy 
continued  to  ptow  across  the  arch  and  now  covered  the  next  to  last 
word  of  the  inscription.   Then  the  inscription  simply  read,  "We 
Preach."   And  this  is  all  they  did,  but  it  was  not  the  message  of 
Jesus  Christ  unto  salvation. 

John  wanted  his  readers  to  know  in  whom  they  believed  and  on  what  they 

took  their  rtand.   ';'*  are  his  modern  day  readers  and  it  is  imperative  that 

we  know  those  who  are  false  and  those  who  seek  to  lead  us  astray.   This  is 

whay  we  need  to  know  the  fundamentals  of  the  £x±lria  Christian  faith  which  is 

rooted  and  grounded  in  Jesus  Christ  alone,   \nd  all  other  cults,  and.  "isms" 

and  religions  are  false  and  foreign  to  Christ.   i'e  must  take  our  stand  on 

Jesus  Christ.   We  must  preach  Hin,  teach  Him,  know  Him,  and  accept  Him  as 

the  Saviour  crucified  personally  for  each  of  us.  \n&    only  in  this  way  can 

we  stand  against  the  deceivers  and  the  antichrists  this  world  has  to  offer. 


ST,  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
First  Sunday  in  Lent  March  11,  1984 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Sally  Vensel,  Kelly  Mangel  -  Acolytes 
+  T  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  *  +  +  +  +  +  +  -'  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Preludu         "Passiontide"  Higgins 

♦Processional  Hymn  6   "This  is  My  Father's  World" 
♦Ascription 
"Exhortation 

•Prayer  of  Confession  (In  Unison)  0  God,  you  know  how  we  are 
exposed  to  the  world's  temptations,  but  you  also  know 
that  we  would  like  to  he  righteous.   Grant  us  the 
strength  to  follow  our  Master  down  the  roaa  of  discipleship, 
even  though  we  know  we  shall  surely  meet  the  cross  at  the 
end  of  that  road.   Forgive  us  for  all  sin  that  prevents 
us  from  following  Him  rightly,  through  the  same  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.   Amen." 
♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Fardcn 
•Flag  Ceremony 

Pledge  of  Allegiance 
Hymn  635  -  My  Country  Tis  of  Thee 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spilrit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory      "Theme  from  Finlandia"      Siebelius 

•Doxology 

Anthem  677   "They'll  Know  We  Are  Christians" 

Scripture:      2  John  1£-13 

Sermon:      "Christian  Truth:  Postscript" 
•Hymn  16     "Tell  Me  the  old,  Old  Story" 
•Benediction 
•Postlude 


^ 


> 


> 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Girl  Scout  Troop  451  from  McQuistion  School. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Alta  Kradel, 

Je3n  Pflugh,  Joan  Campbell  and  Dutch  Bolam. 
Martin  Henry  will  greet  the  Congregation  this  morning 
as  well  as  our  Visitors. 

capitalized:  Mrs.  Zoa  Morrison,  Mr.  Harvey  Campbell, 
Valjean  Nicholas  -  McGee  Women's  Hosp. 
Paul  Campbell  and  Art  Snyder  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week.  They  will  also  be  visiting  a 
shut-in  and  an  non-attending  person. 
Monday  -  Rehoboth  Hall  is  rented 
Monday  -  "4i-«ra  meeting  and  Pastor 
Tuesday  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  -  Hall  is  Rented 
Thurs.  -  Mary  Martha  Circle  Meeting  here  at  the  Church. 
Art  Carney  would  like  to  thank  everyone  who  showed  up 
for  the  First  Aid  program.  He  would  like  to  thank  Bea 
and  the  Women  that  helped  with  the  Lunch. 
ALL  EASTER  EGG  FORMS  ARE  DUE  INTO  GINNY  TODAY.   IF  YOU 
DO  HOT  HAVE  YOUR  ORDER,  CALL  GINNY  BY  4:00  WITH  TOTAL 
EGGS  SOLD  IN  EACH  KIND. 
Monday  (March  19)  -  7:00  -  Constitution  &  By-Laws 

Revision  Committee. 
Material  is  being  collected  for  the  second  Gazette  for 
Church  School  -  See  Brian  Kollef reund ,  Julee  Vargo  and 
limy  VarRO  -  or  the  Supt.  of  Ch.  Schcol  -  Peg  Nazaruk. 
Renee  Brown  will  be  in  the  Nursery  this  morning. 
The  Attendance  last  Sunday  was  168  with  13  Visitors. 
The  Love  Loaves  are  available  in  the  Narthex  of  the 
Church.  Please  pick  them  up  this  morning,  only  If  you 
want  to  use  one  for  its  intended  use. 
My  Flag 
"I  feel  quite  safe  and  have  no  fear 
Whene'er  my  country's  fla?  waves  near, 
Because  I  know  its  colors  stand 
For  right  and  truth  on  sea  and  land. 

"I  wave  it  proudly,  shout  and  cheer 
My  country's  flag,  so  dear,  so  dear 
And  to  its  red  and  white  and  blue 
I  promise  ever  to  be  true." 


-i    I'rutfi:    rsssorrpTT' 

I     .iCriptur^  :    ?    John    IP-l7- 

Villus   parents,   mtn   in     urope,?:  pstscrip  of   letr) 
l  f      -^fie   this    no  luv   postserip,but  expres  writr  feels 
■jj'ip  fr/man  cBl=.*postl   of   Luv 
>->oth   letrs  hav   red, study ,&  seen  evid    J'a   luv  shine 
if   evid   evn  thr  writ   of  thoz 

J  had   deep, Jeep   luv   'J-   F.av   Ja    Xp   &    only   way  cud   trans 
th/luv,try  ''tel  wat   need   kno  of  Bin  r.:   how  'Cpian  Ch 
trus   oprate   2B  trulv    Cpiaii 
J  comuncet  th/wel  1st   letr,<i  dun   so  thir-    letr 
Low  cum  clos   &  sunup  w/wat  cal=Pstsorip  of   ''pian  Trut! 
v8   12A»0  tel  peop  watevT  eonp-  letr  mayB  red   in, in   iph 
ther  oiajiy,itianT,mor  th  want  2  tel  them 
He    end    ">ospl   chap   21,   vs   ?5=READ  TWIG 
wen  compar  writ   U  can   C  r-imlnrtj   J's   thinking 
in   ""icspl  ppk  ther  noB  enuf  suae  realy  record    =ed/did 
'.    ''nd    letr   asur   Ch  many , many ,mor  th  wud    lik  writ/she: 

=sevrl  reasnr    J  no  wish  writ   furtbr 
Ones  J  sbl   circulit   anions  conga   '    no  C  peed   ?comit 
evrthinr-   2  writinr 
oanB  cert   J  nevr  dream  day  wen  2H  yra   latr,peop 
read.   S    Ik   at   his   writinps 
J    lik   all   --postl   think    Js    cum   ?ak   short   period    of   timi 
iwo=hnd  ?do  w/wat  writinr  entail 
p.?pyrus  =  S:QO, reeds  crushed  ,pres   Pgethr   *-il   dry 

dificu.3  t   2  write   on 
pen=!nsde    split   reeds 
ink=soot  8   watr  thikened  w/gun 
To  U  C  writ  wasnt  ea^y   th   2do 
teal     eaeon-0  acutly  awar   letr  had    2B  writ  extrem  car' 

sad    sur"thin  always  dangr   miainterp   8    writr.  word 
o      ilia  out    li'         "        word 
J  mos   likly  nu  wat  hapn  apostl   7   in  ninetry  St  especil 
writ  2   Ch  in  Corinth 
P  writ   ther  &  wat   wrot   held    cootemp   "■    agin   P  himself 
made  remark  bout  phys   statur  S   look?    in  renl 
C  uircription    Faul   from   Acts    1  aitl    And    Jhecla) 
Head   ?   Cor   10:8-11-REAE    PHIS 

J  kno   this    "    no  want  tak  char.c   B   misunderstud 
by  wat   wrote, no   chos   4-go   writ    in   favr   fao/fac   confro 
J  also   knu   ^mir^hsrt   2  hart   talk  compl   cpn, candid  wud 
no   B  tfieuinderstud 

Face  2   Face=Gr=^outh  to   P'outh=3pk   intirac"  re"uir 
nersnl   appeiranc   °peor   ?gethr  *   clearest   meaning 
Vs   i?  end=Joy   MayB  ful=rpk  fulfil   wh/cur  "'""lievrs   as 

pi      ?Fiethr  luv  &  understanding  in  Church 
Va  13=This   clor   letr 


a   ietr,u  no  writ  i^pecii  womn  whom  luv  as?/ 

-.nos 
Inrted,  writ   2  Ch  S   idon1;''-  ai       lect   lady 

th4~   way jiaembrs   ou   maintain   anon-.Tnitv   £    no   stlffr    ^^r- 
se      bin  0-  ther   faitt 
■~o  wat   tak   plac   here    J  -irrit   ''specif   con-   8    rend 
;  n  wh/be    meinbr 
-tul  read=  T  U 

(Illua   old  T5  ■  doll    S    litl   --iris   favrite) 
: 
Uo  mattr  who  we   8, or   wat   we   hav, or  wat   we  do 
Jp     Ip  luvs  us   ea  the   Fame 

Lv  ?peop  of  Ch   includ   U 
J  wrot   of  that   luv  &.  wat   shud   win   2\J8   "■   do   'us 
ol   lit.ory   tru   mean  of  faith 
But   he   cam  ?plac  wher   Bliev  bettr  spk  hart/hart 
than  ,?writ   of  that  faith 
■    so  it  is  w/us 

Pace   to  face  with,  our  Saviour   Js   vp 
He    is    seek  us   hart   to  hart 
Wat  do   we   luv  best? 
Is    it   thinga    this   life? 
Or  is   it   things   of   His     ''  oj  o 
jple? 
Our   fellow  believers? 
Is   it  ultmatly  the     av  who   Beam   torn   5   bled    'i   us'1 


"Christian  Truth:  :o-tscrirt" 

Scripture:  ?    John  12-13 

(Illustration  of  parents  on  trio  and  write  to  college  son,  "Wish  vou  were 
here " ) 

\  nan  and  his  wife  took  a  European  vacation.   They  had  raised  three 
children  and  the  youngest  was  a  senior  in  college.   They  had  had  the 
usual  problem?  raising  their  children  but  the  non  who  was  now  in 
college  had  caused  them  all  sorts  of  anpuish.   On  their  tour  they 

ifeizxxBXEHXBxjoHXKntx  climbed  a  historic  mountain  and  were  told  by  the 
tour  cruide  that  some  parents  in  earlier  times  sacrificed  their  children 
by  throwing  them  over  the  edge.   Tat  night  the  mother  wrote  a  letter 
to  her  college  son  telling  him  of  their  travels.   'The  wrote ,  "Today 
we  visted  some  historic  places.   One  of  them  is  a  famous  mountain 
which  ha?  ouite  a  bit  of  history  connected  to  it.   While  we  were  there 
I  was  thinkinp  of  you."   Then  she  sirrned  it,  but  added  a  postscript, 
"Wish  you  were  here," 

Now  of  course  that  wasn't  a  typical  lovinr  postscript,  but  es#ressed 

the  writers  feelings.   We  are  lookiny  at  a  Pestscript  from  a  man  who  was 

called,  "The  Apostle  of  love."   In  both  of  the  two  letters  we  have  read 

and  studied  we  hive  s°en  the  evidence  of  John's  love  shining  forth  even 

from  those  passages  which  rroke  of  problems  within  the  Christian  Church. 

John  had  a  deep,  very  deep  love  for  His  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 

and  the  only  way  he  could  transmit  this  love  to  others  was  to  try  to  tell 

them  what  they  needed  to  know  of  Elm  and  how  the  Christian  Church  must 

operate  to  be  truly  Christian.   John  communicate'  this  very  well  in  his 

first  letter  and  he  has  done  hsth  so  in  this  very  brief  second  letter. 

But  now  he  comes  to  the  close  of  this  letter  and  he  :rums  it  up  with  what 

we  can  appropriately  call,  "Postscript"  of  "Christian  Truth." 

3o  we  read  in  the  12th  verse,  "Raving  many,  things  to  write  unto  you,"  12A, 

John  is  telling  the  people  in  whatever  congregation  this  letter  may  be 

read  in,  in  the  city  of  Ephesus ,  that  there  are  many,  many,  more  things  he 

wantedcto  tell  them.   John  ended  hie  Gospel  xitkxiiKxwsx-stxxxxx  with  verse 

25  of  chapter  21  with  these  words,  "And  there  are  also  many  other  things 
which  Jesus  did,  the  which,  if  they  should  be  written  every  one,  I 
suppose  that  even  the  world  itself  could  not  contain  bhe  books  that 
should  be  written.   Amen." 

./  when  you  compare  the  writing  you  can  see  the  similarity  of  John's 

thinkinr.   In  his  Gospel  he  speaks  of  there  not  bein^  enough  space  to 

really  record  all  that  Jesus  said  and  did.   Tlrien  in  hi»  ?nd  letter  he  wants 

to  assure  the  church  that  there  are  so  many,  many,  more  thinps  he  would 

like  to  write  and  share  with  the  members  of  the  Church. 

But  then  John  adds  one  reason  why  he  will  not  write,  or  add  more  to  this 

letter  as  we  learn  fro"1  the  remainder  of  this  verse.   He  says,  "I  would  not 
write  with  paper  and  ink:  but  I  trust  to  come  unto  you,  and  speak  face 
to  face,  that  our  joy  may  he  full." 

There  ^re  several  reasons  for  John  not  wishing  to  write  further.   One  of 
them  had  to  do  with  the  fact  that  John  was  able  to  circulate  among  the 


-2- 

con^ree-ations  and  probably  didn't  see  the  ne^-d  to  commit  everything  to 
writinr.   We  can  be  certain  that  John  never  dreamed  that  one  day,  ^ome 
?O00  years  later  people  would  be  lookinc-  at  his  writings,   John,  like  all 
of  the  ipoatles  believed  that  the  Second  Coming  of  Jesus  Christ  was  roinr 

to  take  ^lqce  in  a  relative  short  period  of  time. 

Lnother  reason  why  John  didn't  "e  the  necessity  of  writinr  had  to  do  with 

the  problem  that  writinr  pntailed.  xlaKfcxwKsxws-itteBxwaK  The  writing  took 

place  on  papyrus  which  was  made  of  reeds  beaten  to  a  pulp  and  placed  layer 

upon  layer  until  dry.   These  papryrus  were  about  8  by  10,  much  like  a  sheet 

of  typewriter  paper.   Tkey  were  difficult  to  write  on  and  not  only  that, 

but  the  pen  and  ink  were  problem?  as  well.   Fens  were  made  of  split  reeds. 

Ink  was  made  of  soot  and  water  which  was  thickened  with  rum.   So  you  can  set 

that  it  wsxK^txtkHxKHSiHKtxtfcinsqxtB  writing  wasn't  the  easiest  thing  to  do. 

But  the  real  reason  why  John  didn't  want  to  write  had  to  do  with  another 

difficulty  of  writing.   John  was  acutely  aware  that  writing  a  letter  had  to 

be  done  with  extrere  care  due  to  the  fact  that  the  written  wrd  doesn't 

always  come  out  like  th^  spoken  word,   in  reading  something  tbere  is  always 

the  danger  of  misinterpretation.   John  was  most  likely  aware  of  what  had 

happened  to  the  Apostle  Taul  in  his  Binistry,  especially  his  ministry  to 

the  church  at  Corinth.   Paul  had  written  to  the  church  there  and  what  he 

had  written  was  held  in  contempt  a*-  vp]1  as  the  ^embers  holding  contempt 

asrainst  laul  himself.  IJhey   had  made  remarks  about  his  physical  rtature 

which  was  not  too  great.   au3  was  not  tall  and  stately  in  his  bearing. 

From  the  accounts  we  have  of  his  physical  stature  he  was  rather  short, 

and  not-an  imposing  figure  of  a  man.  frESrczxxHBBit^XEBntMrjrxEEiiBtEZBHXBjS 

IsxEEiisxMExiearBxx   From  a  second  century  book  entitled,  "The  Acts  Of  laul 

xnsxit®IS$iwas  And  Thee  la  we  read  this  description  of  Taul,  "A  man  of  little 
stature,  thin-haired  upon  the  head,  crooked  in  the  legs,  of  pood  state 
of  body,  with  eyebrows  meeting,  and  with  nose  somewhat  hooked,  full  of 
grace,  for  sometimes  he  appeared  like  a  man  and  sometimes  he  had  the 
face  of  an  angel." 

So  it  is  we  read  in  Paul's  second  letter  to  the  Corinthian  church,  chapter 
10,  verses  8  through  11,  of  Taul's  defense  of  himself  and  hir  authority  in 
the  church,  (read  this). 

Eow  John  knowing  of  this  wanted  to  take  no  chances  of  beintr  misunderstood 
by  what  he  wrote,  and  so  he  chose  to  forego  writing  in  favor  of  a  face  to 
face  confrontation,   "But  John  also  knew  that  a  five  minute,  heart  to  heart 
talk  can  be  completely  open  and  candid  and  would  not  be  misunderstood. 
The  phrase  in  this  verse,  "Face  to  face,"  literally  is  found  in  the  Creek 
as  "Mouth  to  mouth."   It  speaks  of  an  intimacy  that  requires  a  personal 
appearance  of  two  people  together  for  the  clearest  meaning. 
The  end  of  this  verse,  "That  our  ,ioy  may  be  full,"  speaks  of  the  fulfill- 
ment which  comes  to  believers  as  they  grow  together  in  love  and  under- 


-3- 

standinp-   in  the  church. 

rr    now    John  cloese   this    letter  with   the   words,    "The   children  of   thy  elect 
sister   preet   thee.      Amen." 

As   we    said    at   the   very  beginning   of   this    letter,    John  was   not   writinc  to 
one   special  woman  whom  he    loved    as   some    run-nosed .      But    instead,    he   was 
writing  to  the    Church,    identyf ying  the    Church   as   the   Elect   Lady.      In  this 
way,    the    members   could   maintain  a   sense    of    anonymity  and   not   suffer   per- 
secution for  their  faith.      To  what  fcExxxxxx?ra»KxfcKXK   is   taking  place  here 
is   that    John   is  writing   to   a   specific   congregation  and   he   rends    greetings 
from  the   congregation  in  which  he    is   a   member.      It  would   actually  read, 

"The    members    of   the    Church   of    Jesus    Christ   preet   you."      lmen«      -  ,    -, 

and  special 

(Illustration  of  old  rag  doll  as  the  little  girl's  favorite)  event, 

A  father  told  of  how  almost  each  Christmas  his  little  girl  had  gotten 

some  new  dolls.  She  was  no-'.*  ten  years  old  and  he  wondered  just  which  one 
was  her  favorite.   She  had  dolls  that  talked  and  walked,  were  able  to 
drink  and  wink,  cry,  sigh,  burp,  slurp,  wet  itself,  and  get  diaper  rash. 
To  he  asked  her  to  show  him  her  favorite  of  all  of  them.   To  his  sur- 
prise she  trotted  out  an  old  ran-  doll  she  had  rotten  for  her  third 
birthday.   To  her  the  ra^-  doll  was  the  only  real  one,  and  she  loved  it 
just  the  way  it  was.   It  had  the  scars  of  love  about  it.   Its  hair  was 
almost  rone,  its  eyes  were  missing,  and  the  clothes  were  soiled  and 
torn.  Put  with  all  of  there  missing  parts  and  being:  old  and  worn, 
this  doll  was  still  what  it  had  always  been,  -  itself.   All  of  the 
others  regardless  of  how  new,  or  what  they  could  do  didn't  hold  that 
special  place  in  a  child'0  heart. 

This  is  somewhat  like  the  Church.   It  matters  not  who  we  are,  or  what  we 

have,  or  what  we  do.   Jesus  Cvrist  loves  each  of  the  same.   He  gave  John 

the  message  to  rive  to  the  people  of  the  Church,  including  you  and  me. 

John  wrote  of  that  love  and  what  it  should  mean  to  us  and  do  to  us.   He 

told  the  story  tan  of  the  true  meaning  of  our  faith.   'Rut  he  came  to  the 

place  where  he  believed  it  was  better  to  speak  heart  to  heart,  than  to 

write  of  that  faith.   And  so  it  is  with  us,   tfe  are  face  to  face  with  out 

oaviour  Jesus  Christ.   He  is  seeking  us  heart  to  heart.   What  do  we  love 

the  best?   la  it  the  things  of  this  life?   Or  is  it  K±EXxxxxx±:fc  the  things 

of  His  Church?  His  people"   Our  fellow  believers?   Is  it  ultimately  the 

'""aviour  who  became  torn,  and  who  bled  for  us? 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Second  Sunday  in  Lent  March  IB,  1984 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Jason  Fencil  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  4-  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDfiR  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Announce man t a 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  454   "Trust  and  Obey1' 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "Have  mercy  upon  us,  0.  God, 
according  to  thy  loving-kindness ;;  according  to  the 
multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot  out  our  trans- 
gressions, and  our  sin  is  ever  before  us.   Purge  us  and 
we  shall  be  clean;  wash  us  and  we  shall  be  whit*-1"  than 
snow.   Create  in  us  clean  hearts  t   0  God,  and  renews  a 
right   spirit  within  us.   Cast  us  not  away  froni  thy 
presence,  and  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  us.   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

* Assurance  of  Pardon 
*Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


>_ 


Sermon:    "Walking  in  Truth:   Conception" 
•Closing  Hymn  No,  46£   "Living  for  Jesus" 
Benediction 
Postlude: 

++++++++  *Congregation  Standing  +++++4++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Ellen  Bauer 'in  memory  of  ,JLoved  Ones" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  *Rob  Vinroe,  Robert  Dellen, 

Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy. 
-Hospitalised:  Mrs*  Martha  Derewecki 
Mike  Naaaruk  and  Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week  -  plus  a  shut  in. 
Nancy  Dellen  will  be  in  charge  of  Nursery  today. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Paul  Riemer  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 
the  door  today. 

Monday  -  7:30  -  Fidelity  Bible  Claes  meeting 
Monday  -  7:00  -  Constitution  By-Laws  Revision  Committee 

Meeting 
■^nday  -  Volleyball  -  Hall  is  Rented 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Wed*  -  7:30  -  Golden  Circle  Meeting  and  Bible  Study 
^Our  deepest  Sympathy  to  Mrs.  Harvey  Campbell  in  the 

passing  of  her  "Hua.b*ndir  and  to  Paul  Campbell  and  Joan 

and  their  Family  and  Friends  -  our  sincere  sympathy* 

hurE.   -  Spiritual  Study 
The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  126  with  12   Visitors 


•Pastor: 
■•People: 
*Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  ZZZ 

Call  to  Prayer 
Pastor: 
People i 
Pastor: 

Prayer 

Offering 

Offertory 

Doxology   No* 

Anthem: 
"iptures 


'Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


No  matter  what  others  are  doing  my  friend. 
Or  what  they  are  leaving  undone. 
God's  counting  on  you  to  keep  on  with  the  jtbt' 
■Til  the  very  last  battle  is  won. 
He's  counting  on  you  to  be  faithful; 
He's  counting  on  you  to  be  true. 
Yes ,  others  may  work,  or  others  may  shirk, 
But^remercber  — _God^3_cQunting  on  you^ 

~(tear~QfT~and~dfcp  Tn"of ferine  plate 
Donated  by       In  memory  of        Lilies  £4*50 

each 


Leave  for  Shut  in 


or  Take  Home  with  you, 
(      ) 


Z'-l 


"Walking   In  Truth:   concertion- 
iture  '.  5    John   1-4 


5-Jn  cum  2al2gethr  dif  lettr 
1.       J-ren  letr  orig  4congs  Eph,latr  star  who   XpianCh 
ona    J_ren  letr?   writ   conrr    Eph   in  S  leguls  'veil   lang 
I    both   letrs   receiv   lrg  circu latin  Xplan   ta 

bv     ^rd   J-persnl  |>ettr  4  only  rbilmon/^rd    J  perrnl 
J  writ   Paan   name=GAIUr 
Ird-J  hair   14-VS8   &  sumatin   of   letr   wud    E=.,'rit   by   J, 

2a  pud   guy,urg  °sho  horpitlty  ?nothr  mid   sruy   in  a 

Cong  wh/domnat   by  bad    ruy 
J  writ   Gains   in   Eph  cong  ft  urp;  ?continu   walk  in  TYut 
4  wh/Gaiup   had   =Conceptin,or   idea   of   wat   truth  was 

J  Bgin=vs   l=here  as   in  2-J  refr  2self   as   =  Elder 
Ho   spk  offic   hold   cong,butspk  as   las   remain   Apsetl 
had  unique  exper  liv  i.    B  w/Js  dur  erthly  minptry 
J  exper   Xpiac  walk  g    faith  S   want  pas    on?  everl-Ch 

Goius:J  cal=Bloved   4time    thir    letr, why   so   speeil? 

No  kno  4sur,but  prob  persnly  led  ?  lord, &   J's  convert 
3men  nam  Gaius    KT;this   mos   poplar   nmae   1st  century 

This    laius   in  *rd   J  not   any  name    NT   E4 

Gaius=Gr  4   Rom=Caius 
He  sed   by   J='.flaom   I  luv   in  the   truth, undr   c   s   persnl 
guid/instructin  acpt   Js   Kp  as   1  S;  "av  B  iraxxtxn*io 

herd  truth, lern  truth   !    truth  pet   free   fr/sin  bondage 

this  world 
in  turn  gon  out   nothr  cong  shar/pho  that   truth 

vs   2-lnce  agin  cal  Blov   &  th/endesr  term  expres   that 
Gaius   held   hi-e^teem 

in  salutatin  of  letr   J  no  upe=Graee  &  J eace  as   most 

othrs  did   &   in  th/vs    J  expre      thots  concern  ml   wist 

4      \1  being  of   Gains 
a     read  vs,mite  think  Gaius   not  wel   physical=not  fo 

Wat   J  sav=wish  G'a  nhvs  helth  as  rtrong  as   sp  helth 
How  many  Kpiana   B  of   puch  strong  Sp  helth  suml  ex- 

BT63  desir  mayB  as  helthy  phys  as  sp? 
Yet.th/kind   stuf   evr   Xpian  shud  B  made   of 

vs   ;=tfpian  wrkrs   50   out   fr/con*  Eph   of  whA  activ 
membr.a  go   othr  cong  Eph  on  work/preach  missinr 
word=CAME=in  Gr  mean  continus   actin  5-  so   thez  peop 
cum  &  ko   h   J  hear  bout   othr  congs   wat   go  on 
J  say=Reooic   Grtly=he   fil  w/hapnes   tol  wat   .jaius  do 
Brethrn^plural  &  mean   many  came  &  tol  sam  story 
2hey  spok  1st   of   mesag  3aius  gav  by  way  liv/act 
&  by  everth  did   knu  Truth  was   in  him 

'consist  way  wh/Gaius   shar  trutb.it  aparent  he 
walking   in  truth 


vs  4=for   J  no  grtr  demonstratin  that  felo   Blievrs?/ 
had   propr        Conceptin   of   truth   than   Phear   thoz 
Blievrs  wer  sho  it   in  evry  maner  of   lif 

rm  J  use   is   persnl   natur,he   say=My  childrn 
Thez    l's    J  persnly  led   2   lord, they  his   converts 
lsadest   trapdys   4   any  pastor/Xpian  workr    is   PC  thoz 

1   bin  hrot   ?   Lord    in   their   minstry,turn  bak  2 
tulnga   of   the  world 
I  Bliev   1  mos   fit   illus   Js  evr  tol=parbl  lower 
I  dont  think  can  evr  hear   interp  enuf  ,shud   mak  us 
awar  wat  shud   B  about   in   our   livs 
READ= Matthew    13:19-25 
J  herd    .Is   teach  this   &  mos   impres  by  teachings 
&  so   J  intent   on  evr   Bliev  walk  in  truth 
also  want  evr   Blievr  hav  Conceptin  of  that  truth 
Bis   frend   Gaius  had    it   &  desir  4all  Blievrs 
James   sum   up= 1*2?= READ 
we   H  2B  bout  work  of  Beinp   ■Crian 
(Illus  minster   &  parlyz   man  on  plane  &  feed  him) 
How  many  us  cud  E  c  1  by  1st   eentry  00m  name=Gaius? 
How  many  us  evr  reach  statur   this  man? 
How  many  hav  enuf   of  Conceptin  of   Truth   it  evdent 
our   daily   walk? 
Tber   peop   all   rnd   up    cripl  by   things   th/lif   &  no   1 
feed  them  truth  that  cud   set  free 

Js  ask  Teter   if  he   luv   Him  &  wen  Teter  sed   he  did, 
Js   sed=Feed   My   3heep 
I  Bliev  not   only  thru  G 's   Word  &  writn  words   of   J, 
but   that   Jesus   Himpelf  wud   say  ?ea   us   'day-I  hav  no 
ertr   Joy   than  2hear  that   Ky  childrn  walk  in  truth 

5    John  4 


"Walking  In  Truth:  Conception" 
Scripture :  3  John  1-4- 

As  we  look  at  3rd  John  we  come  to  an  altogether  different  letter.   John's 
first  letter  was  a  general  letter  written  tExtiraxEsrHgxBjcx  originally  to 
the  congregations  of  the  Church  in  Bphesus.   later,  the  letter  was  circulatec 
and  read  throughout  all  of  the  Christian  Church.   John's  second  letter  was 
likewise  a  general  letter  to  the  congregations  in  Ephesus  and  written  in  a 
somewhat  veiled  or  hidden  manner.   Tvis  letter  also  received  the  larger 
circulation  throughout  the  Christain  Church.   But  now  John's  third  letter 
is  a  personal  one.   It  was  written  to  a  Christian  man  named  Gaius .   3rd  John 
and  Thilemon  are  the  only  two  personal  letters  found  in  the  entire  New  Testa^ 
ment . 

This  3rd  letter  contains  exactly  one  more  verse  than  tfohn'r  second  letter. 
A  short  summation  of  this  letter  would  be  that  it  was  written  by  John  as 
the  other  two  were  and  it  was  written  to  a  good  guy,  urging  him  to  show 
hospitality  to  another  good  guy  in  a  congregation  which  was  dominated  by  a 
bad  guy.   John  is  writing  to  this  man  named  Gaius  in  this  Ephesian  congrega- 
tion and  continuing  to  urge  him  to  walk  in  the  truth  for  which  Gaius  had 
the  "Conception"  or  the  idea  of  what  that  truth  was. 

So  John  begins  this  letter  by  writing,  "The  elder  unto  the  well-beloved 
Gaius,  whom  I  love  in  the  truth." 

Here  again,  as  in  ?nd  John,  the  Apostle  John  refers  to  himself  as  the 

"Elder."   And  as  in  that  other  letter  John  is  not  speaking  of  the  office  of 

Elder  which  he  held  in  *kK  a  congregation  in  tkBxEyiwsiaBxalaiDEEii  Ephesus, 

Instead,  he  is  speaking  of  himself  as  the  last  remaining  Apostle,  a  man  who 

had  the  unique  experience  of  living  and  beinr  with  Jesus  Christ  during  His 

earthly  ministry.   The  man  who  was  experienced  in  the  Christain  walk  and 

faith  and  wanting  to  pass  that  on  to  everyone  within  the  Christian  Church. 

xTsifeiixz&ixBBKHXxkiHXKixxiiExiE  ^"o  John  writes,  "the  elder  unto  the  well-beloved 

Gaius."  On  four  different  occasions  in  this  brief  letter,  John  calls  Gaius 

"Beloved."   Just  who  is  this  man  #ho  appears  to  be  so  special  to  John? 

There  are  three  men  named  Gaius  in  the  New  Testament.   We  are  told  that  the 

name  Gaius  was  the  most  common  name  given  to  male  children  at  this  time. 

And  Gaius  is  the  Greek  form  of  the  Roman  name  "Caius"  spelled  exactly  the 

same  except  beginning  with  a  "C".   This  Gaius  wascalled  by  John  well-beloved 

and  John  said,  "Whom  I  love  in  the  truth."   Although  his  actual  identity  fcs 

not  known,  this  Gaius  was  most  probably  a  man  whom  John  had  personally  led 

to  the  Lord.  Under  John's  personal  guidance  and  instruction,  this  man  had 

accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  his  Lord  and  Saviour  and  this  in  itself  made  him 

"well-beloved."   And  it  was  this  very  "Christian  love"  which  John  expressed 

to  Gaius,  that  Gaius  in  turn  expressed  in  the  congregation  of  which  he  was 

a  member.   That  is  precisely  what  John  means  by  "Whom  I  love  in  the  truth." 


-?- 

Gaius  heard  the  truth,  he  knew  the  "Truth",  and  the  Truth  had  set  him  free 

from  sin  and  bondage  to  the  god  of  this  world.   And  in  turn  he  had  pone  out 

to  another  congregation  and  was  sharing  and  showing  that  "Truth"  as  well. 

Fo  John  continuing  to  address  Gaius ,  tells  him  in  verse  2: 
"Beloved,  I  wish  above  all  things  that  thou  mayest  prosper  and  be  in  health 
even  as  thy  soul  prospereth." 

Once  again  John  calls  him  "Beloved."   This  endearing  term  was  to  express 
that  he,  Gaius,  was  held  in  high  esteem.   Now  in  the  saluatation  of  this 
letter  John  did  not  use  the  usual  greeting  of  "grace  and  peace,"  as  most 
other  salutations  had.  But  here  in  this  second  verse  John  expresses  his 
thoughts  concerning  his  well  wishes  for  the  well-being  of  Gaius.   As  we  read 
this  verse  it  is  quite  easy  for  us  to  assume  that  perhaps  Gaius  was  not  well 
and  had  some  physical  ailments.   But  this  is  not  the  case.   The  wishes  ex- 
pressed by  John  were  common  to  those  writing  to  dear  friends.  What  John  is 
actually  saying  is  that  his  wish  is  that  Gaius 's  physical  health  may  be  as 
strong  as  his  spiritual  health  was.  jSBlBBXxxx^ixtiMaixixlBXEiMxtxiissBxiiBEx 
XMefc£x±kH±x±fe±KxMx±±±r?;  Row  many  Christians  are  of  such  strong  spiritual 
health  that  someone  expresses  the  desire  that  they  may  be  as  healthy  phys- 
ically as  they  are  spiritually?  Yet,  this  is  keb±xbxbex  the  kind  of  stuff 
every  Christian  should  be  made  of. 

John  proceeds  to  elaborate  on  this  statement  as  we  learn  from  verse  3: 
"For  I  rejoiced  greatly,  when  the  brethren  came  and  testified  of  the 
truth  that  is  in  thee,  even  as  though  walkest  in  the  truth." 

Christian  workers  were  always  going  out  from  the  congregation  in  ©phesus  of 
which  John  was  an  active  member,  to  the  other  congregations  on  working  and 
preaching  missions.   The  word  "came"  in  this  verse,  in  the  Greek  means  con- 
tinuous action.   To  John  is  saying  that  he  was  happy,  he  "Rejoiced  greatly," 
he  was  filled  with  happiness  when  tBBXEBHtBBrx  these  workers  came  back  and 
told  what  Gaius  was  doing.   The  word  "brethren"  is  naturally  plural  and  so 
it  means  that  there  were  many  who  came  and  all  told  the  same  story  of  Gaius. 
T>,ey  spoke  first  of  the  message  that  John  had  by  the  very  living  of  his  life 
By  the  way  he  lived  and  acted  they  knew  of  "the  truth  that  was  in  him." 
And  by  the  consistent  way  in  which  Gaius  shared  the  "truth"  it  was  apparent 
that  Gaius  was  "Walkingin  Truth." 

And  then  John  finishes  this  segment  of  his  letter  with  the  words: 
"I  have  no  greater  Joy  than  to  hear  that  my  children  walk  in  truth." 

For  John  there  was  no  greater  demonstration  that  fellow  believers  had  the 
proper  "Conception"  of  the  truth  than  to  hear  that  those  believers  were 
showing  it  always  in  every  manner  of  their  life.   The  term  John  uses  here 
ir  of  a  personal  nature.   He  says,  "My  children."   These  were  the  ones  John 
had  personally  led    to  the  lord;  they  were  his  converts.   One  of  the  saddest 
tragedies  of  any  fastor  or  Christian  worker  is  to  see  those  who  have  been 
brought  to  the  lord  in  that  ministry  turn  back  to  the  things  of  the  world. 


-3-. 

illustrations 

I  believe  that  one  of  the  most  fitting;  xtfixins  Jesus  ever  told  is  the  siiBy 
Bfxt^E  parable  of  the  Sower.   I  don't  think  we  can  ever  hear  the  interpret- 
ation of  it  enough  to  make  ourselves  aware  of  what  we  should  be  about. 
It  is  found  in  Matthew  15;  19-23,  (Head  this  ""cripture), 

John  is  naturally  paying  that  the  last  part  of  Jesus '  explaaation  fits  the 
"children"  he  was  able  to  lead  to  the  Lord.   John  had  heard  Jesus  teach  this 
and  other  parables  and  was  most  certainly  impressed  by  thore  teaching!  . 
So  we  can  see  that  John  who  was  intent  upon  every  believer  "Walking  In  The 
Truth,"  wanted  every  believer  to  have  the  same  "Conception"  of  that  truth 
as  his  beloved  friend  Gaius .   James  perhaps  summed  this  up  more  graphically 
in  his  letter  by  saying,  "But  be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only, 
deceiving  your  own  selves,"   James  1:22. 

(Illustration  of  minister  feeding  paralyzed  man  on  plane) 

How  many  of  up  could  be  called  by  the  Apostle  John  by  the  very  common  first 
century  name  of  Gaius?   How  many  of  us  axa  have  enough  of  a  "Conception"  of 
the  truth  that  it  is  evident  in  our  daily  walk?   T^ere  are  people  all  around 
us  crippled  by  the  things  of  this  life  and  no  one  is  feeding  them  the  Truth 
that  could  set  them  free.   Jesus  *e2£  asked  Peter  if  he  loved  Kim,  and  when 
Peter  told  Jesus  he  did,  Jesus  responded  with,  "Peed  My  sheep."   I  believe 
that  not  only  through  "od  's  ,'ord  and  the  written  words  of  John,  but  Jesus 
Christ  would  say  to  each  of  us,  today,  "I  have  no  greater  joy  than  to  hear 
that  Ky  children  walk  in  truth,"  3  John  4. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Third  Sunday  in  Lent  March  25,  1984 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Jason  Feneil  -  Acolyte 
4-*  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +   *  +  +  +  +  *  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude  '1Come  Unto  Him"  Maunder 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  In  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
"•Processional  Hymn  No.  330  "It  is  Good  to  Sing  Thy  Praisee" 
♦Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Almighty  God,  by  your  power  is 
Christ  raised  from  death  to  rule  this  world  with  love. 
We  confess  that  we  have  not  believed  in  Him,  but  fall 
into  doubt  and  fear.  Gladness  has  no  home  in  our 
hearts,  and  gratitude  is  slight.  Forgive  cur  dread  of 
dying,  our  hopelessness,  and  set  us  free  for  joy  In'-the 
victory  of  Jesus  Christ  who  was  dead  but  lives,  and  will 
put  down  every  power  that  hurts  or  destroys,  when  your 
promised  kingdom  comes.  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor*   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God"        - 
•PeoplI:  And  blesstd  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 

•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  458  "Take  My  Life  and  Let  it  Be 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 

People:  And  with  thy  spirit 

Pastor;  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 

Doxology     No.  382 
■-.them:     408      "I  Surrender  All 
.eripture       3  John  5-8 


Sermon:      "Walking  In  Truth":  Consideration" 
•CloBing  Hymn  Ho.  40?    "0  Jesus,  1  Have  Promised" 
Benediction 
Postlude 

++++++++*  *Congregation  Standing  +++++++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Genevieve  Wohach  and  Daughter  in  loving  memory  of 

"Husband"  and  "Father"  Nick  Nohach. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  •Richnrd  Mangel,  Don  Kingeley 

Ed  Walker  and  Gary  Penar 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  Pflugh  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 

the  door  this  morning. 

Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs.  Sue  Gamble. 
We  wish  to  thank  Mrs.  Elaine  Wogan  for  serving  as 

Chairman  of  the  Nursery  Committee  for  the  past  year* 
Mrs,  Sue  Gamble  212-4325  will  be  the  new  Chairman  - 

please  offer  to  help  her..  Offer  to  help  her  and  accept 
■^   if  called. 

^^Hospitalized:  Mr.  William  Winters;   Mrs.  Martha  Dereweeki 
Bill  Thompson  and  Marty  Henry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week  and  also  a  shut-in. 
The  attendance  last  weak  was  151  with  12  Visitors 
-^  Mon,  Tues  and  Thurs.  the  Hall  is  rented. 
^^  Palm  Sunday  -  new  members  will  be  taken  into  the  Church. 

If  you  know  of  anyone  who  might  bee  interested  in  Join- 
ing the  Church  -  put  a  slip  of  paper  in  the  offering 

plate  and  they  will  be  contacted. 
Thurs.  (Maunday  Thurs.)  Service  will  be  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 
Reception  for  New  and  Congregation  will  follow.  The 

new  Confirmands  will  also  attend, 
Eood  Friday  Breakfast  for  Men  -  YMCA  -  Jake  Harmon  and 

>Ken  Weitzel  have  tickets 
Easter  Sunrise  Service  here  in  Rehoboth  Hall  at  6:30 
P.m.  Followed  by  Breakfast  Reservation  need  to  be 
made  to  Helen  Riemer  or  Ginny  Mangel  by  April  16th. 
There  will  be  a  free  will  offering  taken.  Men  are  goinp 
to  da  the  cooking.   If  you  would  like  to  help  call 
Dlck_Mangel._ 

Ttear  off  and  drop  in  offering  plate 
Donated  by  In  memory  of     Lilies  $5.00 

(nicer  ones) 


I  '■ 


■JaiKing    in    iruiu ; 
cripture :   3    John  5-8 


IjUIIBiliBlO  UlUd 


(I"  'us   ?   Texann   brag   lrgBt   ranch  etc) 

Th—   trend   many  walk   llf;ther  ?many  peep  eiuat   slices 

only   on  basis=How  Pip?, or   if  hav   much   mor  anyl  el^e 

u^fortunat   spil   ovr  in  Church   Js  Xp 
Gt     ipo^ib  Gains  was  pastor   in  conp  of   Eph  &  from  wat 
Ik   las  wk   J  tel  Gaius  do  pud    job  partic  conr 
al  prob   peop  B  ad   ?   Ch  B--  aliv.vitl  6   gro  con? 
But  supos   Gaius   had  aces  2  pub  rel  &  adv   peop   lik 
we  hav  round   u--   2day 
(Ilus   ads    ■:..-  bilbords) 
(Ilus  rehearsal   for  runday  service) 
Wbs    J  writ    ?Gaius   Eeuz   had   bipes   >,    bes    Oh    in   town? 
I.owher  read  that  ;1..  ius    sinpl  ro  bout   busnes  pr /teach 
&  bild   up  body    (p  entrus   ?him 
Gpok  las  wk    J  writ  afectinatly  Gains  had   Ccnceptm.or 
idea   of    Wlk    in  Truth  &  now    Ik  §nd    Scrip  discovr    J  fiv 
credit  4=Consideratin  has   &  sho  in  cong  serv 
vs   5= J  cal  Gaius=Blov   &  mean  suml  realy  dear 
J  spk  Gaius   actins   in  conp  &   J  herd   of  this 
that   report  was   of  hosptalty  in   Ch  &  ?fold 
lat=sho  hosptalty  ?brothrs=f elo   \pians  &   prob   cum  fr 
conF    J  was   2   pr/teach   Gaius  '   ch 
mos   likly   J  send   bimeslf  &  G  receiv   cordily  made  x«i 
feel  at  home=nfaar  homes    ,food   etc 
?nd=receiv   stranrrs  &  made  welcum 
mos   likly  cam  dif  parts   worl  &  eithr  wandr   in?  Oft 
or   stop   on  w?v   ^othr  destinatin 
Gaius   rat  undr   3  rains try  &.  herd    of   Js   fceach-I   p-trsnfi 
&  U  tuk  me    in;hunc;ry;thirsty;naked  etc, 

r    fx  basic  teach    J  pas   oh  6   Gaius   practic  wat   lern 
A^b  prob  read  Heb   13:2-A»galB  unawarea-Ja  Himself 

Etc   complain  2inany  extra  plates  ;potry  Pwash.or  cook 
Irepar  extra   Matzso  bread   &  Cefilde  fish  I     "hare 
Vs  6= J  spk  report   herd   fr/brethrn  bin  'Gaius  ch  & 

now  return 
Returnees   tol   of   Gaius   Luv-&  th/wat   charity  means 
It   is   AGAPE  luv    Js   spok   of.sed   ahud  hav  4   one  nothr 
k  hav  4   strangrs=It  real   luv, real  care, concern 
J  also  ^iv  aditinal  advic-Vs  6B=he   mean  Ftranprs/pilgr 
in  midst, wen  redy   ?depart  they  sent   off   godly   manner 
&  Gaius   has   dun  wat  G  want   dun 
He   say  Gaiun   2giv   ^enrosty  worthy  of   1  of  G'a   !=ervs 
serv/giv   in  name    Js   Xp   is   wBt    J  striv   stres   2  Gaius 
So        .;   J   tol    Saiua  wat  herd  of  him,&  how   shud   contimi 
2aci,   ^thoz   cum  ?his  ch,he  shar  reaen  4do  so  as   lern- 
vs   7*Thoz  who  cam  did   f.o  4nane  of    Js    vr 
whol   purpos   2honor, glorify  name   of    Js    <p 


4this  reasn  didnt  tak  anythin.no  rewara.no  money       2/ 
fr/thoz   ?whon  preached   &  who  wer  unconvr  ■   erted 

reasn=no   want   mak  apear   they   ael   Gospl        of    Js    Xp 
(e      npl   magician/Peter   in  book  of   Acts; 


vs   o=sinc   thez   faithfl  pr/teachrs  wil  po   out   i  work 
4-   lord, J  tel   Gaius  how  shudB  receiv 
*    ry  fact  thez   pr/teachrs   no  Ik  4, nor  receiv   help 
.    /thoa  who  unconvert.lay  specil   obliratin  upon 
thoz  who  Xpian  Phelp   them 
They  did   this   1  sho  this  help  by  extend  hosptalty 
wherevr/wenever   posib 
Now  wat   kinf  man  duz   Gaius   rnd   lik  ">  U7 
hid    he   rank  w/prtest    in    >Tpindom? 
\'$a.o  wud   U  say  was   prtest   man  who  evr   Hv? 
;  Lincoln,  ./ash  .othrs? 

Do   U  kno  who    3a   red    grtest? 
Matthew  11:7-11-READ  8  share   this   Scripture 

Now  do   U   mean   ?tel    me   that   a  wild    locust   chewing, 
honey  eatinp,camel 'r   hair  dressed  son  wildernes   man 
ie    rrtest   evr   liv? 
That  wat   Js   say  &   no  arru  w/His  choic.but  idcxpoxtBEz 
look  postscript=Va    11B 
othr  word   Js   say  puy  least   thot   of , labor  >i   lord   may 
jus   wel   B   the    one    G   considr   as    E   rrtp:-f 
It   not   how  bip   minFtry .how  ±rp   conp   or   any   othr 
criteria  man  setup  4evaluat  efectiv  minstry 
Insted-it  wat   E  dun   2furthr   Ch   Js   Xp  by  faithfl  pr  & 
teach   of  Him  as   l  •     Javiour. 
(Ilus   girl  help  boy  w/out    one   ivm   in  VBS) 
Thats   wat   tsks   ?mak  Ch  of   Js    Xp; 
thats  wat  taks   ?mak  any  conp  w/in  Ch 
it   taks   ea   ua   put    our   hands   2frethr;put    our   livs 
ethr  Pmak  Ch  of   Js 
taka   comon  ordnary  peop  lik  Gaiua   ■    thousands    of 
othrs    jus   lik  him   2mak  the   Ch  that    Js   sed  He  wud  bild 
Felo   Xpiana ,   xistxxrakextk 
lets   put  our  livs   r'srethr  .put  our  harts   ?£ethr, 
lets  put   our  hands   Jirethr ,    "lets   make   the   church 
2gethr! 


"Walking  In  Truth:  Consideration" 
Scripture :  3  John  5-8 

(Illustration  cf  two  Texans  bragging  about  how  big  their  ranches  were) 
Two  Texans  were  trying  to  impress  one  another  with  the  size  of  their 
ranches.   One  asked  the  other,  ".-/hat's  the  name  of  your  ranch?"  He 
replied,  "The  Rocking  H,  ABC,  Flying  Wt  Circle  C,  Bar  U,  Staple  Four, 
Box  D,  Rolling  M,  Rainbow'?  End,  Silver  Spur  Ranch."   The  questioner 
was  much  impressed  and  exclaimed,  ".'.'hew!  That  's  sure  some  name!   How 
many  head  of  cattle  do  you  have?"   The  rancher  answered,  "Not  too  many. 
Very  few  survive  ikx  being  branded." 

This  is  the  trend  HKXHXXHiraiKXjr  in  many  walks  of  life.   There  are  too  many 

people  who  enuate  success  only  on  the  basis  of  kEsxfcXK  "How  big"  or  "if  it 

has  much,  much  more  than  someone  else  has."    '\nd  unfortunately,  this  has 

spilled  over  in  the  Christian  Church.  Shxhxxhm  It  is  a  good  possibility 

that  the  man  named  Gaius,  to  whom  John  was  writing  this  3rd  letter,  was  the 

pastor  of  a  congregation  in  Ephesus.   From  what  we  shared  last  week  we  have 

some  knowledge  that  John  was  telling  Gaius  that  he  was  doing  a  good  job  in 

that  particular  cbngregation.   In  all  probability  people  were  being  added  to 

the  church  as  members  and  it  was  a  vital, alive,  and  growing  congEegation. 

But  gust  suppose  for  a  minute  that  Gaius  had  access  to  the  public  relations, 

and  advertising  people  we  have  around  us  today. 

Throughout  Ephesus  there  would  have  been  billboards  and  signs  advertising 

this  particular  church.   One  such  sign  might  read,  "Come  and  hear  Gaius  the 

Great  speaking  at  the  First  Mainline  Church  of  Ephesus."  Perhaps  another 

would  state;  "Corae  and  worship  at  the  First  Mainline  Church  in  Ephesus. 
First  Mainline  is  ilaKxitHr^BxixEfcHXKiixxB  not  only  the  largest  tent  church 
of  all  Christendom,  but  can  seat  many  hundreds  comfortably  in  the  newly 
renovated  and  air-conditioned  sanctuary.   Many  ushers  are  interspersed 
throughout  the  congregation  waving  iaisrex^Hiii  specially  imported  large 
palm  branches  during  the  service .   We  have  a  large  parking  area  where  you 
may  safely  tether  your  donkey  or  camel  and  our  attendants  will  feed  and 
water  your  animal  while  ifcfeKXxarK  Jrou  are  at  worship." 

Or  picture  perhaps  a  rehearsal  taking  place  on  Saturday  for  the  Sunday  ser- 
vices. Oil  lamps  with  reflectors  behind  them  have  been  strategically  placed 
to  spotlight  the  platform  on  which  Gaius  is  now  stationed.   As  he  begins  the 
opening  lines  a  director  interrupts  him,  "How  many  times  do  I  have  to  tell 
you  to  put  some  emphasis  into  it  Gaius?  Watch,  I'll  show  you  again.  You 
begin  like  this,  "This  IS  the  day  the  Lord  hath  made,"  and  be  sure  to  be 
dramatic."   13  this  why  Jotm  was  sending  his  well  wishes  and  praises  to  Gaius 
Was  it  because  he  hadtthe  biggest  and  the  best  church  in  town?   No  where  do 
we  read  that.   Gaius  was  simply  going  about  the  business  of  preaching  and 
tf aching  and  building  up  the  body  of  Christ  which  had  been  entrusted  to  him, 
;!e   spoke  last  week  of  Bonn  writing  affectionately  that  Gaius  had  the  "Con- 
ception" or  proper  idea  of  "Walking  In  Truth."   Now  aa  we  look  at  this  2nd 
section  of  Scripture  we  discover  that  John  is  giving  Gaius  credit  for  the 
"Consideration"  he  has  and  is  showing  in  the  congregation  which  he  serves. 


-2- 

John  begins  this  portion  of  Scripture  by  statins::  "Beloved,  thou  doest  faith- 
fully whatsoever  thou  doest  to  the  brethren  and  to  strangers. " 

Once  again  John  calls  Gaius,  "Beloved,"  meaning  of  course  someone  who  is  ijery 
dear  to  him.   And  once  again  John  tells  of  what  he  has  been  told  concerning 
Gaius  '  actions  within  the  congregation  he  nerved  .   That  report  had  to  do  with 
Gaius  showing  hospitality  in  his  church.   That  hospitality  was  twofold. 
First,  he  showed  hospitality  to  those  who  were  "Brothers."  S3b±k  These  "Bro- 
thers" were  fellow  Christian;?  who  probably  came  from  the  congregation  in 
which  John  was,  to  preach  and  teach  in  Gaius1  church.   They  were  most  likely 
sent  by  John  himself .   And  Gaius  received  them  cordially  and  made  them  feel 
at  home. 

But  secondly,  Gaius  made  strangers  welcome  in  his  church.   This  most  likely 
was  people  who  came  from  different  areas  and  either  wandered  into  the  church, 
or  stopped  over  on  their  way  to  xio^nwkssn   some  other  destination.   If  Gaius 
sat  under  the  teaching  of  John  for  any  length  of  time  he  most  likely  heard  of 
John  telling  how  Jesus  spoke  of  ministering  in  Ms  name.   He  had  said,  "I  was 
a  stranger  and  you  took  Me  in,  I  was  hungry  and  you  fed  Me,  I  was  naked  and 
you  clothed  Me."  These  are  the  basic  teachings  John  would  have  passed  on, 
and  Sains  was  such  a  good  pupil,  he  not  only  learned  the  lessons,  he  practicec 
them.   But  a  part  of  that  teaching  and  instruction  given  to  Gaius  and  others 
may  have  contained  the  words  of  the  author  of  the  book  of  Hebrews  which  in 
chapter  13,  verseS  ?,  states:  Be  not  forgetful  to  entertain  strangers;  for 
thereby  some  have  entertained  angels  unawares."   The  teaching  is  that  the 
stranger  is  to  be  treated  like  he  is  a  heavenly  visiter  and  it  is  just  possi- 
ble Jesus  Christ  may  be  the  one  xx&kt±-&±-bx&   being  entertained  by  the  workers 
within  the  church. 
Then  John  goes  on  to  elaborate  what  he  has  heard  of  Gaius  as  we  read  in  verse 

6:  Which  have  borne  witness  of  thy  charity  before  the  church:  whom  if  thou 
bring  forwar*  on  their  journey  after  a  podly  sort,  thou  rhalt  do  well." 

John  is  speaking  of  the  report  he  has  received  from  "brethren"  who  had  been 

to  Gaius1  church  and  returaed.   And  it  is  these  returnees  who  have  told  of 

Gaius'  love,  and  that  is  what  the  word  charity  means.   The  love  that  is  being 

spoken  of  here  is  that  "Agape"  love  which  Jesus  said  they  should  have  for  one 

anouher;  that  real,actuall,  caring  for  each  other  and  for  strangers. 

But  John  also  gives  a  small  bit  of  additional  advice  to  Gaius  when  he  says, 

"Whom  if  thou  bring  forward  on  their  journey,  after  a  godly  sort,  thou  shalt 
dowell. 

He  means  that  when  the  strangers  or  pilgrims  in  their  midst  are  ready  to  dep 

part,  they  are  sent  off  in  a  godly  manner,  Gaius  would  have  done  what  God 

wants  done.   He  is  saying  that  Gaius  is  to  give  the  generosity  that  is  worthy 

of  one  of  G'od's  servants.   Serving  and  giving  in  the  name  rf  Jesus  Christ  is 

what  John  is  striving  to  stress  to  Gaius, 


-3- 

^o  now  that  John  has  told  Gaius  what  he  has  heard  of  him,  and  how  he  should 

continue  to  act  to  those  who  come  to  his  church,  he  shares  the  reason  for 

<   doing-  so  as  we  learn  from  the  7th  verse:  "Because  that  for  His  name's  sake 
they  went  forth,  taking-  nothing  of  the  Gentiles." 

Those  who  came  to  Gaius'  church,  did  so  for  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,   But 

their  whole  purpose  was  to  honor  and  Glorify  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  ?or 

this  reason  they  didn't  take  anything,  any  reward,  any  money  from  those  to 

whom  they  preached  and  were  unconverted.   The  reason  being  that  they  didnl&t 

want  it  to  appear  that  they  were  selling  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

And  since  these  faithful  preachers  and  teachers  were  willing  to  go  out  and 

work  for  the  Lord,  John  tells  Gaius  how  they  should  be  received  in  verseS: 

"We  therefore  ought  to  received-such,  that  we  might  be  fellowhelpers  tB   the 
truth." 

The  very  fact  that  these  preachers  and  teachers  didn't  look  for,  nor  receive 
help  from  those  who  were  not  converted,  laid  a  special  obligation  upon  those 
who  were  Christians  to  help  them.  They  did  this  and  showed  this  help  by  ex- 
tending hospitality  whereever  and  whenever  possible. 

Now  what  kind  of  man  does  Gaius  -ound  like  to  you?  Would  he  rank  with  the 
greatest  of  Christendom?   Itfho  do  you  suppose  was  the  greatest  man  who  ever 
lived?   Some  people  would  say  Abraham  Tincoln,  others  perhaps  George  Wash- 
ington, or  others  perhaps  ^ome  of  the  great  military  men  of  history.   Do  you 
know  who  Jesus  said  was  the  greatest9   Tn  the  Gospel  of  Katthew  chapter  11, 
the  7th  verse  begins  to  tell  of  Jesus'  choice  as  the  world's  greatest  man. 
(Read  verses  7  through  11a).   Now  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  a  wild  locust 
chewing,  honey  eating,  camel's  hair  dressed  wilderness  man  is  the  greatest 
man  who  ever  lived?   That's  what  Jesus  said  and  we  can't  very  well  argue  with 

His  choice.   But  look  at  what  Jesus  said  at  the  end  of  the  11th  verse:  "Not- 
withstanding he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he." 

In  other  words,  Jesus  is  saying  the  guy  least  thought  of  laboring  for  the  Lore 

may  just  well  be  the  one  whom  God  considers  as  being  the  greatest.   It  isn't 

how  big  the  ministry,  or  how  large  the  congregation,  or  any  of  the  other 

criteria  man  sets  up  ^SxifcE  for  the  evaluation  of  an  effective  ministry. 

Instead,  it  is  what  is  being  done  to  further  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  by 

the  faithful  preaching  and  teaching  of  Him  as  lord  and  Saviour. 

(Illustration  of  little  girl  helping  armless  boy  make  the  church) 
2Bx^t®rHBEHDfxfecKi8nesx±k±Kx?!as  In  Vacation  Bible  School  in  Florence,  Oregon 
this  past  summer  a  woman  tells  of  something  that  happened  in  her  class. 
About  an  hour  before  dismissal  on  the  Wednesday  of  that  week  a  new  student 
was  brought  in.   The  little  boy  had  one  arm  missing.   Since  she  didn't  have 
a  chance  to  get  to  know  him  she  didn't  know  anything  about  him  and  she  was 
worried  that  one  of  the  other  children  would  comment  on  his  handicap  and 
embarrass  him.   There  wasn't  a  chance  for  her  to  caution  the  class  about 
asking  the  boy  about  his  arm  and  so  the  only  thing  she  could  do  was  to  play 
it  by  ear.   Aw  the  class  neared  its  close  she  began  to  relax  because  nothin; 
had  happened.   Go  she  asked  the  class  to  join  in  the  usual  ceremony  at  the 
end . 


She  said,  "Let's  make  our  churches.  Here's  the  church  and  here's  the 
steeple,  open  the  doors  and  there's  . ..."  And  the  awful  truth  of  her 
actions  struck  her.  The  very  thine;  she  had  feared  the  children  would 
do,  she  had  done. 

As  she  stood  there  speechless  and  not  knowing  what  to  do,  the  little 
girl  sitting  next  to  the  boy  reached  over  with  her  left  hand  and  placed 
it  next  to  his  right  hand  and  said,  "Davey,  let's  make  the  church  to- 
gether. " 

[That's  what  it  take  to  make  the  Church*,  to  make  any  congregation.   It  takes 
each  of  us  putting  our  hands  together,  our  lives  together,  our  hearts  to- 
gether to  make  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.    It  takes  common  ordinary  people 
like  Gaius  and  thousands  of  others  Just  like  him  to  make  the  church  that 
Jesus  said  He  would  build.   Fellow  Christians,  "Let's  make  the  church  to- 
gether, " 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fourth  Sunday  in  Lent  April  1,  1934 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis  and  Bally  Vensel  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ♦  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude  "PrayBr"  Wagner 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  360  "You  Servants  of  God11 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Have  mercy  upon  us,  0  Sod, 
according  to  thy  loving-kindness;  according  to  the 
multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot  out  our  trans- 
gressions, and  our  sin  is  ever  before  ua.  Purge  us  and  - 
we  shall  be  clean;  wash  us  and  we  shall  be  whiter  than 
snow.  Create  in  us  clean  heartB,  0  God,  and  renew  a 
right  spirit  within  us.  Cast  us  not  away  from  thy 
presence,  and  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  us.   Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  411    "Am  I  a  Soldier  of  the  Cross?" 
''all  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxology 
Anthem 
S-^lpture : 


No.  382 

"He  Touche  'w  • 
3  John  9-10 


Sermon;       "Walking  In  Truth:  Condemnation" 
•Closing  Hymn  No.  466  "What  A  Friend  We  Have  in  Jesus" 
Beneduction 
Postlude 

+  *  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  *  'Congregation  standing  ♦  +  +  ♦  +  + 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  olaced  by 

Mr.  Charles  Penar  in  loving  memory  of  "Wife"  Luis  Penar, 
Serving  as  Ushere  today  are:*Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko, 

Martin  Henry,  and  Dave  McMillin 
^Hospitalized:  Mrs.  Martha  Derwecki,  Mr.  William  Winters, 

Mr.  Howard  Jaillet  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Christy. 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Leu  Davis  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

visiting  the  Hospital  this  week. 
Mon  -  7:30  -  Women's  Mary  Prugh  Circle  meeting  at  Church 
Hon  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Tues  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Wed.  -  7:00  -  Council  Meeting  in  Undercroft 
Bake  Sale  -  Fri.  night,  April  13  and  Sat.  Apr.  14  at 

Butler  Mall  sponsored  by  Activities  Committee.  If  you 

would  like  to  donate  a  pie  contact  Phyllis.  Tait  or 

Sandy  Sheppeck. 
VWCA  -  7:30  -  Goad  Fri  Break  -  for  Women  -  Reservations 

must  be  made  by  Apr.  16  -  Rev.  Lisa  UbhtlDhde,  Pastor-, 

Speaker* 
YMCA  -  Good  Fri.  Breakfast  for  Men  -  Jake  Harmon  and  Ken 

Weitzel  have  tickets. 
Easter  Sunrise  Service  here  in  Rehoboth  Hall  at  6:30 

A.M.  Followed  by  Breakfast.  Reservations  need  to  be 

made  to  Helen  Riemer  or  Ginny  Mangel  by  April  16th. 

There  will  be  a  free  will  offering  taken.  Men  are  joine 

to  do  the  cooking.  If  ycu  would  like  to  help  call  Dick 

Mangel , 
>Palm  Sunday  -  April  15th  -  New  Members  will  be  taken  into 
s         the  Church.  If  you  know  of  anyone  who  is  interested  in 

joining  the  Church  -  put  a  slip  of  paper  in  the  offering 

plate  and  they  will  be  contacted. 
Maunday  Thurs.  Service  will  be  in  Rehoboth  Hall.  Recep- 
tion for  New  Members  and  Congregation  will  follow. 
Visitation  Committee  -  Mike  Nazaruk,  Chr.  293-3964  are 

recruiting  new  members  at  all  times.  They  will  also 

be  visiting  the  shut-ins. 
Contact  Bea  for  Easter  Lily  -  S5.00  now. 

&6-1  J      < 


.-  U  T75  a. 


"waiKing  in  Trutn: 
Scrip:  3  John  9-10 


uonaemnation 


*g(0 


(Illus  techr/clas   litl  birds   fly,Jny   Si  bad 
exp     sin-lbad  apl  spoils   the   barrel 

tins  room  we  go  21k  1  bad   apl   in  cong  in   Pph 
realy  no   kno  much  bout   man  excep  wat    J  writ   letr 
"  't  wat   litl  do  kno,jriv   fair  irud   charac   study  man 
It     .^r  mak  mov/play  bout  wud   oast   as   ol  time  vilsin 

U   all  G  charactr=Eian  dres  blak,blak  cape, top  hat, 
blak  sharp  pt  g oate .handlbar  mustach 
Rol   eys    side, twirl   mustache   &   plot   devius   deeds 
usualy  cal= Dastardly  Dan  &   if  cud   giv  man  name   in  ±et: 
Licrip  wudB=Dastardly   Dan    Diotrephes ,the   blot   of   the 

church   in  Ephesus 
Kay  recal   las   ?mesag   J  prais  Gaius  41if/minstry  cnnp 
wh/serv   as   pas  t  or 

demonstrat   lif/lif styl=Walk  in  Truth   !s  pleas   J, also 

eampl  othr  congs   of  Eph  ?emulate 
J's    letr   this   pt   spk  prob   w/in  cong  Gaius=prob   DIOTRE 
vs    9=underst    J  wrot   prev    letr   adres    2   Ch   ?<   cong   Gaius 

sumhow  Dio  lnterecp  &  destroy /wibhold  fr/cong 
Dio   ldr   conf,prob  Eldr  St  grt  deal  authorty 

J  (ret   word   Dio  want   2B=Topdogcong  &  use   word=Tre-em 
PHILE0»luv:PR0T0C>=fir3t:Dio  luv  2B   #1   &  go  bout   cert 

way  harm  witnes  cong 
J  fnd  out  thru  Xpian  ldrs  go/return; no  hosp  lik  Gaius 

so  return  home  cong  unabl  pr/teach  cone-  sent=Gaius 
Dio  prob   a    'pian,but   no  did   lik  mos   othr   Sr    Cpians 

custmary  Chang  papn  nsme   &  tak  Xpian  name  wen  bapt 
Quit   oft   name  descriptiv   of  character 

:  RADITI  '=cbarrring,£:  he   was    charminr-   Kpian 
Dio=  Zeus -nursed  ;Seus   chief    god    of   greeks 

T      ev  by   actins,he   lean  ?ward  Gnostics  his   Bliefs 
Gnostics   brot  hersys    in?   Ch  &  thip  why   J  writ   Ephesus 

if  Dio  Gnostic ,wud  not  B  agrement  w/Apoattlic  author 
(Illus    Dr,    Rober?tson,writ  denom  papr    artic    on    Dio  8 

25  Deacons   cancel  subscrip=Bcuz  resent  persnl  atak) 
must  hav  hit  home  2othrs   lik  Dio 
vs   10A=J  no  mak  proms  wild    cum, he   say* IT   I  Gura 

aged   man   arnd   90  &  mak  no  def  prom, but   tel  Gaius    jus 

wat  wud  tfEKKi  do  wen  get  ther  &  isoues  wil  deal  with 
By  wat  J  say  Beg  th/vs,very  clear  wil  exercis  Apostol 
authorty   in  Gains '   cong 

may  seem  Strang  altho  Gaius  pastr,nay  hav  no  kno 

complet  wat  tak  plac   cong  Sc  prob   Bcuz   Pio  do  Bhinbak 
3eoT-et  work  plans  eitnr  usurp  Gaius   positin,or  g=3in 
po      ;in  authorty  in  cong 

But   any  event.no   act    in   Xpian  manner 
So   J  now  spk  ?flold  probs  which  Dio  has   caused 
vs   lOB-Gosip  malicusly  bout    J  &  itinerant   Bibl  teactir 
J  send   th/cong;try   tear   dwn  repS    &  nak   self   mainman 


vs   lOU-Dio  did  not/wud  not   sho  same  hosp  Gaius   &  2/ L 

his   conf  sho  2ward  visit  preschrs=2nd   issue   J  face 
vs   10D=lik  many  othr  dictatrs  apear  time/time    in 

"   ian  Ch  sot  impos  wil   upon  all  of  cong 
ft   c   othrs   ?B  inhosp  St  is  no  do, put  out   of   Ch 
eithr-do  as   I  r=ay,or  out   U  go 
*'  is    time    w/in   .(pian   Ch  ultra    Pauline    party  which 
1,-s    anti-Jewish; lean  hvy  things    of   P  ?<:   away  fr/Jewi; 
othr   apostls    Jewish  &  thez  peon  opos   wat  wrot/sec 
sine   Dio  had   Gnostic   leans   prob  th/skul  of  thot 
th/rrp  4runer   lattr  grp  eal»MABCIOHS  who  folo  radio: 
hertic    1'iarcion   excomun   Bcuz   radcl  hatred    anyth    Jewiel 

^o  U  can  C   serius   prob    in  Ch  wh/Jn  seek  2corect 
letr  this  time   was=Condemnatin  of  Diotrephes 
P  wrote   Rom  8sl»KBAI) 
this  didnt   hoi   tru  of   Dio, he   may  bin  in  Sp   Js , 
but  walk  aftr  flesh   6   not  by  Spirit   &  ther  distinct 
difference   between  the  two 
.Boil  dwn   lnce    agin  ?one   who   seek   2B   1st   &   4-inost    in  xbj 
cong  of   Ja   Xp 
Dio  prob   cud    ldr,nualtys   etc, but  use   wrongly  S    for 
xxxxxxx  wrong  purposes 
iLas   wk  talk  bout  grtest   man  evr  liv=anser  giv   Ja   & 
[ Ke   say=  Jn  Bap  &  then  ad   least   persn  grtr   Jn  Bap 
',    Wei   21k  at  authr  5.  finishr  of  our   faith  need  21k  at 
Him  slitly  dif   seting-Lk  9:46 
partic   pt   minstry  had   shar  P,Jam,J   1  transfig 
othr  dis  no   includ   S   jealus   so  read=Vs  46=READ 

this   anser  very   simlar   wat    J  sed  bout    Jn  Bap=the   one 
least   likely  ends  up  being  grtest   in   sight   of   "od 
(Illus   nurse ,  Sn^land ,  x   God  knows  You   Are   Uoirth   It) 
thi«!   one   part  wat   Jh   try   pet  cros   2discips   LV  ther 
qu      t    ?B   number    one 

vss  4-9-50a'Phis   same   Apos    J  who  writ   letr  Gaius  &  spk 
agin   Dio 
J  lern   leans   wel  fr/min  othr   Kastr  teachr   Jesus 
:  pruf  wat   Js  taut   Oiscipls 
that   truth  givn  livs   thoz   claim  ?B  folowers    Js 
they  sho  by  word /deed /act ins  w/in  Ch  whthr  they 
wer  4   or   agin   Him 
Act ins   Dastardly  Dan  Diotrephes   of   rphesus   made   it 
evident  he  was   walk  in  flesh   1  wat  he   do  &  say  was 
hurt   Ch  of   Js  Xp  &  not  bildinp-  it  up 
(.,  oem  bout   Church=I  think   I   shall   nevr  C  etc) 
I  Tt,is  wat    Js  want  fr/us;isnt  ask  us  2manuvr/manipulat 
or   ,-joekev  2B  ,<ft   in  cong;isnt   ask  ?B  only  1  in  Ch  ha3 
al]      ntjers.    But    is   ask  us  2B  bout   busnes   &  2walk,not 
in  tne  flesh,  hut   in  His  "pirit. 


" '.talking  In  Turth:  Condemnation" 

Scripture:  3  John  9-10 

(Illustration  of  teacher  and  class  pretending  to  be  birds  flying  &  Johnny 
who  wouldn't  try  to  fly) 

"Now  children,"  said  the  young-  teacher  after  she  had  taught  them  a 
nature  lesson,  "I've  told  you  how  little  bitds  learn  to  fly.   So  let's 
pretend  we  are  little  birds  learning  to  fly.   I'll  play  the  piano 
and  you  imitate  little  birds."   She  began  to  play  the  piano  and  the 
children  began  waving  their  arms  energetically  like  they  were  flying. 
All  of  them  that  is,  except  one  little  boy. 

"Com  on  Johnny,  coaxed  the  teacher,  "don't  you  want  to  imitate  a  little 
baby  bird?" 
"Aw,"  said  Johnny,  "I  ain't  hatched  yet.   I'm  a  bad  egg." 

I  am  sure  that  we  have  all  heard  the  expression,  "one  rotten  apple  spoils 
the  barrel,"   This  morning  we  are  p-oing  to  look  at  one  bad  apple  in  a  cer- 
tain congregation  in  the  city  of  Ephesis.   We  really  don't  know  much  about 
this  man  other  than  what  John  writes  concerning  him  in  this  letter.   But 
what  little  we  do  know  gives  a  fairly  good  character  study  of  fcxEi  what  kind 
of  man  he  was . 

Now  if  I  were  to  try  to  do  a  movie  or  play  about  him,  I  would  cast  him  as 
an  old  time  villain.   You've  probably  seen  the  character.  k   man  dressed  in 
black  with  a  cape  and  top  hat.   He  has  a  sharp  pointed  goatee  and  a  handle- 
bar mustache.   He  stands  off  to  the  side  and  rolls  his  eyes  as  he  twirls  his 
mustache  and  thinks  of  new  ways  in  which  he  can  do  dastardly  deeds.   In  fact 
that  is  the  name  given  to  him  in  those  old  movies.   The  man  we  are  going  to 
look  at  this  morning  is  named  Motrepehs.   And  if  I  were  to  give  him  a  first 
name  it  would  be  "Ban,"   You  might  say  he  could  be  named,  "Dastardly  Dan 
Diotrephes,"  the  blot  of  the  church  in  Sphesus. 

You  may  recall  in  our  last  two  messages  we  spoke  of  John  praising  Gaius  for 
his  life  and  m initry  in  the  congregation  which  he  was  serving  as  a  pastor. 
Gaius  was  demonstrating  by  his  life  and  lifestyle  that  he  was  "Walking  In 
Truth"  which  was  not  only  pleasing  to  John,  but  an  example  for  the  other 
congregations  in  rphesus  to  emulate.   John's  letter  at  this  particular 
point  speaks  of  a  problem  »f  within  the  congregation  of  Gaius  in  the  person 
of  a  man  named  Diotrephes . 

John  states,  "I  wrote  unto  the  church,  but  Diotrephes,  who  lovetb  to  have 
the  pre-eminence  among  them,  receiveth  us  not." 

vie   can  understand  from  this  that  Jo^n  had  written  a  previous  letter  which 
was  simply  addressed  to  the  church,  the  congregation  of  which  Gaius  was 
pastor.   But  somehow,  Diotrephes  had  intercepted  that  letter  and  either  de- 
stroyed it,  or  withheld  it  from  the  congregation.   Diotrephes  was  a  leader 
of  this  congregation.   In  allpx  probability  he  was  an  elder,  and  in  that 
position  had  a  great  deal  of  authroity.   But  John  had  gotten  word  that 
Diotrephes  wanted  to  be  "top  dog"  of  the  congregation.   He  uses  the  word 
"pre-eminent"  and  this  word  is  made  ap  of  two  Greek  words.   It  is  "FHILEO" 

which  means  "love."   And  'TR0T0-  which  means  "first."  3o  this  man    ,    , 

lua"    (over) 


Diot^phes  loved  to  be  number  one  in  the  congregation  and  he  was  going  abo^t 
it  iii  such  a  way  that  he  was  harminp-  the  witness  of  the  congregation  in  thai; 
part  of  the  city.   In  all  probability  John  found  out  about  it  by  the  reports 
brought  back  from  Gaius-  '  church  from  the  visiting  Christians  who  had  been 
sent  there  from  John's  congregation.   These  people  were  not  made  welcome 
and  the  hospitality  which  Gaius  had  always  shown  was  not  extended  to  them 
by  Diotrephes, 

(On  to  page  2) 


Fo  they  returned  to  their  home  congregation  unable  to  preach  and  teach  in 
the  congregation  to  which  they  were  sent,  and  they  reported  this  to  John 
The  man  Diotrephes  was  in  all  probability  a  Christian.   But  when  he  became 
a  Christian  he  didn't  do  as  most  Christian  Greeks  did.   It  was  customary  for 
a  Greek  to  discard  his  pagan  name  and  take  a  Christian  name  when  he  was  bap- 
tized,  ^uite  often,  this  name  was  discriptlve  of  his  character.   Epaphrod- 
ditis  is  a  good  example.   His  name  means  "charming"  and  that  is  what  he  was, 
a  charming  Christian.   Diotrephes '  name  in  Greek  meant,  "Zeus-nursed." 
Zeus  was  the  chief  jtb*  of  the  gods  of  the  Greeks .   XEXHXKXinMxihai  Some 
Biblical  scholars  believe  that  by  his  actions  he  gave  evidence  of  being 
in  sympathy  with  the  Gnostics  which  as  we  said  before  was  a  group  of  people 
brought  heresies  into  the  Christian  Church  and  this  ±sx$m.e&±x±±$   was  one  of 
John's  reasons  for  writing  to  the  congregations  in  Ephesiis.   And  since  John 
wrote  to  lash  out  against  the  heresy,  or  any  teaching  which  would  pervert 
the  Christian  Church,  Diotrephes  would  not  be  in  agreement  with  the  Apostoli< 
authority  which  John  represented. 

Dr.  Archibald  Robertson  who  was  a  noted  ftssxk  authority  on  New  Testament 
Greek  once  wrote  an  article  for  a  denominational  paper  on  the  character  of 
this  man  Diotrephes  and  his  leadership  role  within  the  Church.   After  the 
article  appeared  twenty-five  deacons  cancelled  their  subscription  to  the 
paper  and  their  reason  was  that  they  resented  being  personally  attacked. 
Evidently  Robertson's  article  must  have  hit  home  to  others  just  like  k± 
Diotrephes . 

Having  pointed  out  the  problem  concerning  Diotrephfes  John  now  tells  of  the 
steps  that  he  will  possibly  take.   In  the  10th  verse  he  begins  by  saying: 

'"//here fore,  if  I  come,  I  will  remember  his  deeds  which  he  doeth." 
John  is  not  making  any  promises  that  he  would  get  to  visit  the  congreg  tion 
He  merely  says,  "If  I  come,"   John  was  an  aged  man,  possibly  about  90  years 
old.   And  so  he  isn't  making  a  definite  promise,  but  he  is  telling  Gaius 
just  what  he  would  do  when  he  gets  there  and  the  issues  he  will  be  dealing 
with.   By  what  John  says  in  the  beginning  of  this  verse  it  is  very  clear 
that  he  will  exercise  his  apostolic  authority  in  Gaius'  congregation.   It 
may  seem  a  little  strange  that  although  Caius  was  the  pastor,  he  may  not 
have  known  completely  what  was  taking  place  in  his  congregation.   This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  Diotrephes  was  doing  these  things  behind  Gaius1  back. 
Secretly  he  was  working  out  his  plans  either  for  the  purpose  of  usurping 
Gaius'  position  or  to  gain  the  position  of  authority  in  the  congregation. 
But  in  any  event  he  was  not  acting  in  a  Christian  manner. 
So  having  said  that  he  will  speak  to  the  issues  when  he  arrives,  John  now 
speaks  of  the  threefold  problems  which  Diotrephes  has  caused. 


-5- 

First  he  says,  "Prating  apainst  us  with  malicious  words." 

In  other  words,  Diotrephes-  was  gossiping  maliciously  about  John  and  the 

itinerant  Bible  teachers  John  was  sending  to  this  congregation.   He  was 

trying  to  tear  down  the  reputation  of  all  of  them  to  make  himself  the  main 

man  of  that  congregation. 

Then  John  adds,  "And  not  content  with  that,  neither  doth  he  himself  receive 
the  brethren." 

Diotrephes  did  not  and  would  not  show  the  same  hospitality  which  Gaius  and 

most  of  the  congregation  showed  toward  the  visiting  preachers.   This  was  the 

second  issue  John  would  sEKHk  address  when  he  arrived  in  Gaius  '  congregation 

And  the  third  is  tied  in  with  the  second  issue,   John  adds,  "And  forbiddeth 
them  that  would,  and  casteth  them  out  of  the  church." 

Like  many  other  dictators  who  have  appeared  from  time  to  time  in  the  Christ- 
ian church  he  sought  to  impose  his  will  upon  all  of  the  congregation.   He 
forced  other  members  to  be  inhospitable  and  if  they  didn't  act  in  this  man- 
ner he  had  the  members  put  out  of  the  church.   In  other  words  it  was  either 
do  sjcs  as  I  say,  or  out  you  go.   At  this  particular  time  within  the  early 
Christian  church  there  was  an  ultra-Pauline  party  which  was  anti- Jewish, 
In  other  words,  they  leaned  heavily  toward  the  things  of  Paul  and  away  from 
anything  that  was  Jewish.   John  and  the  other  Apostles  were  Jewish  writers 
and  so  these  people  opposed  what  they  said  and  wrote.  Since  Diotrephes 
had  Gnostic  leanings  he  was  probably  of  this  sbhool  of  thought.   This  parti- 
cular group  was  the  forerunner  of  a  latter  group  called  Marc  ions  who  be- 
came followers  of  a  radical  heretic  named  Marcion  who  was  excommunicated 
because  of  his  radical  hatred  for  Jews  and  anything  Jewish. 

So  we  can  see  from  all  of  this  that  there  was  a  serious  problem  in  the  cburcl 
which  John  was  seeking  to  correct.  His  letter  at  this  point  is  a  "Condemna- 
tion" of  Diotrephes,   The  Apostle  Paul  writing  to  the  Church  at  Rome  said, 

"There  is,  therefore,  now  no  condemnation  to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  ffiomans  8:1 

This  didn't  hold  true  of  Diotrephes.   He  may  have  been  in  Christ  Jesus,  but 
he  was  walking  after  the  flesh  and  not  by  the  Spirit  and  there  is  a  distinct 
difference  between  the  two.   It  all  boils  down  once  a^ain  to  one  who  was 
seeking  to  be  first  and  foremost  in  a  congregation  of  Jesus  Christ.   Dio- 
trephes was  probably  had  all  of  the  qualities  of  a  food  leader,  but  he  was 
using  them  wrongly  and  for  the  wrong  purposes.   Last  week  we  talked  about 
who  the  greatest  man  was  who  ever  lived.   Our  answer  was  given  by  Jesus 
Himself  that  it  was  John  the  Baptist.   But  Jesus  had  added  to  th-at  answer 
that  the  very  least  person  in  the  kingdom  of  God  was  far  greater  than  ^ohn 
the  Baptist. 

Well  looking  once  asrain  to  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith  we  need  to 
look  at  Him  in  a  slightly  different  setting-.   So  let  us  turn  to  the  {Compel 


-4- 

of  Luke  chapter  9,  verse  46,   At  this  particular  point  in  the  ministry  of 

Jesus  He  had  shared  with  Feter,  James,  and  John,  the  Transfiguration  of 

Himself  on  the  Mount.   The  other  disciples  had  not  been  included  in  that 

event.   3o  because  of  this  there  was  some  rivalry  and  Jealousy  among  them. 

Thus  we  read  in  the  46th  verse,  "Then  there  arose  a  reasoning  among  them, 
which  of  them  should  be  greatest.   And  Jesus, perceiving  the  thought  of 
their  heart,  took  a  child,  and  set  him  by  him,  and  said  unto  them, 
"Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child  in  My  name,  receiveth  me;  and  whosoever 
shall  receive  Me  receiveth  Him  that  sent  Me;  for  he  that  is  least  among 
you  all,  the  same  shall  be  great." 

The  answer  is  very  similar  to  what  XKxxsxst  Jesus  said  concerning  John  the 

Baptist.   The  one  who  seems  to  be  the  least  likely  to  be  great  ends  up  being 

the  greatest  in  the  sight  of  God. 

(Illustration  of  nurse  and  "God  knows  you  are  worth  it,") 

Years  ago  in  England  it  was  customary  for  nurses  to  serve  in  a  certain 
district  helping  doctors  with  their  patients.   A  certain  doctor  told  of 
a  very  dedicated  nurse  who  served  in  a  certain  tne  mile  area.   He  said 
that  she  never  refused  to  be  called  out  in  the  middle  of  the  night  or  at 
any  other  time.   She  was  always  available.   She  never  complained  or 
grumbled  even  though  she  was  grossly  underpaid.   This  doctor  told  of 
speaking  to  her  after  a  particularly  strenuous  day.   He  said,  "Hurse, 
why  don't  you  ask  them  to  pay  you  more  for  your  work.   God  knows  you  are 
warth  it."  And  she  replied,  "Well  if  God  knows  I'm  worth  it,  that's  all 
it  matters  to  me." 

Tifat  is  one  part  of  what  Jesus  was  Hxyixsc  trying  to  get  across  to  His  dis- 
ciples in  their  quest  to  be  number  one.   The  second  part  is  described  in 

verses  49  and  50.   'ie  read  there:  "And  John  answered,  and;  said ,  'Master ,  we 
saw  one  casting  out  devils  in  Thy  name;  and  we  forbad  him,  because  he 
followeth  not  with  us.' 

And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  'Forbid  him  not:  for  he  that  is  not  against  us 
is  for  us  .  '  " 

This  is  the  same  Apostle  John  who  was  writing  this  letter  to  Gaius  and 

speaking  agrinst  Diotrephes .   John  had  learned  his  lessons  well  from  none  E±k< 

other  than  the  Master  teacher  Jesus.   And  John  was  seeing  the  proof  of  what 

Jesus  had  taught  the  disciples.   That  truth  was  given  in  the  lives  of  those 

who/claimed  to  be  followers  of  Jesus.   They  showed  m±±   by  their  deeds  and 

actions  within  His  church  whether  they  were  for  Him  or  against  Him,   The 

actions  odT  Dastardly  Dan  Diotrephes  of  Ephesus  made  it  evident  that  he  was 

walking  after  the  flesh  and  what  he  was  doinf  and  saying  was  hurting  the 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  not  building  it  up. 

An  unknown  author  penned  the  following  lines  about  the  church: 

I  think  I  shall  never  see 

a  church  that's  all  it  ought  to  be: 
A  church  whose  members  never  stray 

beyond  the  straight  and  narrow  way. 
A  church  that  has  no  empty  pews, 

whose  I  aster  never  has  the  blues. 


_5- 

A  6hurch  whose  deacons  always  "Deak," 

and.  none  is  proud  and  all  are  meek. 
Fuch  perfect  Churches  there  may  be, 

but  none  of  them  are  known  to  me. 
But  still,  we  '11  work  and  pray  and  plan 

to  make  our  own  the  best  we  can. 

This  is  what  Jesus  wants  from  us.   He  isn't  asking  us  to  maneuver  and  mani- 
pulate or  jockey  to  be  number  one  in  the  congregation.  He  isn't  asking  us 
to  be  X.XBTM   the  only  one  in  the  church  who  has  all  of  the  answers.   But  He 
ia  asking  us  to  be  about  business  and  to  walk,  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  His 
Spirit. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHHIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fifth  Sunday  in  Lent  April  8,  1984 

The  Rev,  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis,  Sally  Vensel  -  Acolytes 


+  + 


+  + 


Higgins 


ORDER  Of  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 

Prelude         "The  penitent  Heart" 

Announcements 

Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  341  "Come,  Thou  Almighty  King" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 
•Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  Lord,  whose  way  is  perfect, 

help  us,  we  pray  thee,  always  to  trust  in  thy  goodness; 

that,  walking  with  thee  and  following  thee  in  all 

simplicity,  we  may  possess  quiet  and  contented  minds, 

and  may  cast  all  uur  care  upon  thee,  for  thou  carest 

for  us;   for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,   Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

Elessed  be  the  Lord  God! 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


.---"CI 


•Pastor: 
•People : 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  51 
Call  to  Prayer 
Pastor 
People: 
Pastor 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxology 


"I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


No.  382 


~5»»E 


Solo: 

Scripture 
Sermon: 


"What  A  Difference  You've  Made  In  My  Life" 
Cyndis  Sybert 
3  John  11-12 
"walking  In  Truth:   Commendation" 


^stf) 


•Closing  Hymn  No.  497  "Like  A  River  Glorious" 
Benediction 

Postlude 

+++++t+++  'Congregation  Standing  +  +  +  *   4  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
The  Riinbrw  Girlr.  f  M*  "01  cry  cf  Gcd" 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Mary  Lou  Davis,  Peg 
Nazaruk,  Sandy  Sheppeck  and  Gloria  Walker. 

Mr.  h   Mrs.  Harry  Davis  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 
Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning, 

■Hospitalized:  Mrs.  Irene  Holbein,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Christy. 
Nursery  will  be  provided.  Attendance  172,23  Visitors. 

Pam  Tait,  and  Diane  Hollefreund  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week  plus  a  shut-in. 

Men.  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 

Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 

April  10  -  7:00  -  Golden  Circle  will  meet  at  Sunnyview 
text  Sunday  —  New  Members  will  be  received  Into  the 

Church, 

Coming  -  Bake  Sale  -  Fri  night,  April  13  and  Sat.  Apr. 

14  at  Butler  Mall  sponsored  by  Activities  Committee. 

If  you  would  like  to  donate  a  pie  contact  Phyllis 
Tait  or  Sandy  Sheppeck. 

Women's  Good  Friday  Breakfast  -  VWCA  -  7:30  -  Reserva- 
tions must  be  made  by  Apr.  16 

YMCA  -  Men's  Good  Fri.  Breakfast  -  J,  Walter  Harmon 
and  Ken   Weitzel  have  tickets, 
aster  Sunrise  Service  here  in  Rehoboth  Hall  at  6:30 

A.M.  Followed  by  Breakfast.  Reservations  are  required* 
by  April  16  to  Helen  Riemer  or  Ginny  Mangel.  There 
will  be  a  free  will  offering  taken.  Men  are  going  to 
do  the  cocking.   If  you  would  like  to  help  call  Dick 
Mangel . 

Easter  Egps  are  all  ready.   Please  pick  up  yours  in  the 
kitchen  or  call  Ginny  Mangel .  We  do  have  lots  of 

jextre.  eggs.   Activities  Comm.  would  like  to  have  all 
:gg  money  in  by  April  ISth. 

"lr  annual  Easter  Egg  hunt  for  children  of  the  Easter 
Seal  Society  is  being  held  on  April  14th.  We  need 
cool  whip  bowls  to  make  candy  baskets  for  the  children. 
If  you  have  any  bring  to  kitchen  or  call  Ginny  Manpel . 


Dear   Willie , 

I  can't   tell   you   how   much  your   note 
meant  -to   me. 

I   am   in   my   eighties,    living   alone    in   a 
small  room,    cooking  my   own  meals   and, 
•.e   the   last   leaf   of   Fall,    lingerie 
behind.      You  will  be    interested   to 
know  that    I  taught   school   for   fifty 
years   and   yours    is   the   first   note   of 
appreciation   I   ever   received. 
It   came   on  a  blue   cold   morning  and   it 
cheered   me   as   nothing  has    in  years . 


Scripture:    5    'Tohn   11-1? 

I    (J1! us    man   writ    ?  teach?   ft.   lettr    in  respons) 

|   Jl      simpl   note   fratude  .apreciatin  &   Ik  fr 'Individ 

I  vu  point   fud    idee 

(lllus   me   St  His  a   Faushold  ft.  too  late) 
■    I      lo,do  now  whil  chanc  &  stil  aliv 

esentil   this  wat    J  do  3rd   letr,wrot  2suml   led   2   Lore 
man=Gaius  ,£■  specil   2   John 
Gaius  pastr  cohf  ft  bild  stronf  ,fud   conp  ft.   J  porud  hir 
J  jus  writ   serius  prob  conp-  of  Gaius   &  precip  by 
man  name   Hiotrephes 
If  recal, destroy   letr,n>isplac   ft  refus   sho  hosptalty 
2  visit   pr/teachrs    J  sendjrefus   let   ofchrs  do  so  & 
excoimmcate   if  do 

(lllus  Dr.  Hobertson.larticl  denom  papr-25  Deac  cane? 
Tbes  men  thot  wer  personl  atack  ft  articl  mus  hav  hit 
home  ft-  wer  like   Diotrephes 

:iow   J  had   warn,diree  thots  constr  ad  vie   G  ft.  cone 
vs   HA=Endear  tern  2thoz   specil   Phim-dear  fcend  C, 

no  folo  evil   ft.  evil  of  corse   lik  that  of   Diotrephes 
Folo-MIKEOMAI«lmitat, copy, act   lik  ft  froa  this  word 
pet=Mmic,Kioi»orraph   etc 

J's   advic   no   imtat.copy  that  wh/evil   insted   copy  thai 
wh/p-ud 

J  say  Individ  conduc   refiectin  of    -[pianty 
persn" ciaim    "B  folo    Js    "p  want   ?imitat   Him 
Js   personf icatin  evrth   pud=set   patern,examp   ft   sho  *5 
by  word /deed  wat   G  desir  fr /children 
vs   llB.measur  anyl   is  wat   th/persn  actins   R  evrday 
1      lif  , 

(T^lus  truk  drivr  ,unemploy  Chic, lost   lady  etc  J 

o  kno  whthr   Apian, but  kno  did   rud   ft  sumhow  can 
;    asum   kno   sumthin   at   least    of    "nfl 

Unemploy, ex-con  cud  dun  evil   &  circurr-ot^nc  lik  this 
oatan  use  2bring  out   evil  peop 
J  say=thozpeop  do  evil   not   seen  God.=no  lactul   C    -od 
&  prob  mean  they  havnt   Ecum  aquaint  w/Js    :<p  Bcuz   He 
sed=Hc  TIUT  HATH   S  ™EE 

vs   12-Bo  kno  who   Demetrius   is, but  wat   kno  is    J  com- 
mend 2  Gaius  ft.  his   conr 
probiltv   Dem  lthoz  travl  pr/teachrs    J  send   out 
ft  also"  probilty  Dem  was   ldeltvr  letr  2  Gaius   "•    cong 
!     But  Ik  wat   J  sed   of  Dem  wh/tnak  so  specil  : 
7irst=Evrl  knu   Dem  gav  gild  report   of  him 
r     mean  sinles  saint, but   duz   mean  man  whom  wvrl  cud 
t,   j  rud   things  bout  him 
Part  of   that  had  2do  w/The  Truth  Itself 
ft  wat  was   that   truth?- aa  alway  r?      tj  'P  in 

I      this   mane    life 

L 


sno  nao  truth  oy  way  nv  &  gav  acKnowieap  trutn?/ 
by   way    folo    J-r 
Jecotad=J  e-ic   stamp  aprovl 

t      5   word    simlar   2end    J's    p-ospl   21st   chap 
Fhuu    sho   J  wrot  both,but   snud  also  identfy  him   as    1 
who  wil   no  riv  aprovl  2 just  anyone 

op   of   Ch's    Sph  had  cum  2kno  ft,  rely  upon  complet 
i    Jth  wh   J  stud  upon 
ft   this   shown  ky  Bcuz    J  had   prov  w/lif   liv,by  "(pianty 
lern    lsthand  w/Js 
J  shar  w/them  sayings    of    Js,    lik: 
i    KHO  THEM,    ft 

D   TREE  CANNOT   BEAR   EVII    7RBIT,    IfEIIHFR   CAP 
EVU   TREE   BEAR    GOOD  FRUIT 
thez   simpl   sayd   fil  w/lopic   ft  wisdm  wat  bild  erly 
Ch  &   men  lik  Dem  cudB  comen  '+work   ft  ther   livs   Bcux 
they  had   bilt  them  upon  fundmentls   of   faith  ft  this 
wat   came  4th 

(lllus  footbal  team,promis   nu   cars, 6  =til  no  Chang) 
moral   of   cors   aply  2   the   church   as   well 
We  can  kno   al  ther   is   bout    Kpianty   But   if   no  liv   it. 
all  else   is  useless 

Jn  cud   comend    Demetrius   2  Gaius  Ecus  he   exemplified 
a   Cpian 
He   cud  comen  Gaius   2conp  he   serv.FcuZ  he  was  Xplan 
Idr  cong  needed 
But  had   2condem   DiotrephesijBcuz   evn  tho  had  talent; 
abiltys,he  use   them  2detriment   &  ruiratin  of  that 
cong 
It   isnt   how  much  enthusiasm  we  hav  4   Xrp,  but  wat  we 
do  with  the   lif  He  has  pivn  us  to  live 

) 


"Walking  In  Truth:  Commendation" 

Scripture :  3  John  11-12 

(Illus  of  man  writing  note  of  appreciation  to  his  teacher) 
A  man  who  was  very  successful  in  business  began  to  think  back  over  his 
life  and  pondered  those  people  who  had  helped  him  and  made  of  him  what  he 
was.   He  was  ateroat  at  the  mid-point  of  hi?  life.   Hor  the  sake  of  argu- 
ment let's  say  he  was  around  35*   ^s  ^e  thought  of  the  people  who  had 
helped  him  he  remembered  one  kindly  teacher  who  had  been  particularly 
helpful  in  his  formative  years.   He  remembered  that  he  had  never  told 
her  in  any  way  of  his  gratitude.   And  so  he  decided  to  get  in  touch  with 
her.   Re  contacted  the  sclio&l  and  learned  that  she  had  been  retired  for 
many  years.   3o  he  wrote  to  her  at  the  address  the  school  gave  him. 
Shortly  aftwr  this  he  received  a  letter  from  her.   It  read  as  follows: 
r.y  Dear  Willie , 

I  can't  tell  you  how  much  your  note  meant  to  me, 
I  am  in  my  eighties,  living  alone  in  a  small  room, 
cooking  my  own  meals  and,  like  the  last  leaf  of  Fall, 
lingering  behind.   You  will  be  interested  to  know  that 
I  taught  school  for  fifty  years  and  yours  is  the  first 
4ote  of  appreciation  I  ever  received.   It  came  on  a 
blue  cold  morning  and  it  cheered  me  as  nothing  has  in 
years. 

Just  a  simple  note  of  gratitude  and  appreciation.   Looking  at  it  from  the 
strictly  individual  viewpoint,  perhaps  it  might  be  a  good  idea  if  we  re- 
membered some  of  those  people  who  have  helped  make  our  lives  better,  to  send 
a  note  of  appreciation  to  let  them  know  while  they  are  still  alive. 
This  is  esrentially  what  the  Apeetle  John  was  doing  in  this  third  letter. 
John  was  writing  to  someone  that  he  had  led: to  the  lord,  the  man  called 
Gaius,  xm£  As  we  said  before  this  man  was  very  special  to  John.   He  dearly 
loved  him  because  he  not  only  was  a  committed  Christian,  but  his  life  in  the 
congregation  he  pastored  was  of  the  utmost  integrity  to  build  upon  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.   But  John  doesn't  just  lavish  all  of  his  praise  and 
appreciation  upon  Gaius ,  but  he  writes  to  Gaius  of  another  individual  who 
was  equally  as "Commendable . "   That  man  was  named  Demetrius. 
John  had  Just  completed  writing  ±u  about  a  very  serious  problem  which  had 
erupted  in  the  congregation  og  Gaius  and  it  was  precipitated  by  a  man  named 
Diotrephes.   If  you  recall  from  last  week  Diotrephes  had  either  destroyed  or 
conveniently  misplaced  a  letter  John  had  written  tovthat  church.   And  Dio- 
trephes had  refused  to  show  hospitality  to  any  of  the  visiting  preachers  and 
Bible  teachers  John  had  sent  there.   He  had  gone  to  the  extreme  of  also  re- 
fusing to  let  any  of  the  other  members  show  hospitality  as  well.   And  any 
who  did  were  excommunicated. 

An  interesting  sidelight  to  this  concerns  a  D„.  Archibald  Hobertson  who  was 
a  noted  authority  on  New  Testament  Greek.   Dr.  Robertson  once  wrote  an  arti 
icle  for  a  denominational  paper  on  the  character  of  this  man  Diotrephes  and 
his  leadership  role  is  within  the  church.   After  the  article  appeared, 
twenty  five  Deacons  cancelled  their  subscription  to  the  paper  and  their 


-2- 

reason  was  that  they  resented  beins-  personally  attacked.   Evidently,  Robert- 
son's article  must  have  hit  home  to  others  xjxix*  who  were  just  like  -^iotre- 
phes . 

But  now  that  John  has  spoken  to  Gaius  about  Diotrephes  and  has  given  the 
srarning  concerning:  him,  he  directs  his  thoughts  to  some  advice  which  can  be 
constructive  for  the  ongoing  ministry  of  Gaius  and  his  congregation. 

John  writes  in  the  11th  verse,  "Beloved,  follow  not  that  which  is  evil, 
but  that  which  is  good,"  11A. 

Once  again  we  read  that  endearing  term  John  used  for  those  who  were  very 
special  to  him.   Re  is  saying  my  very  dearest  and  best  friend  Gaius, 
John's  advice  is  to  not  follow  that  which  is  evil.   The  evil  of  course  was 
the  actions  of  people  like  Diotrephes.   The  word  "follow"  iincSrKEi:  is  from 
the  Greek  word  "MIMEOMAI"  and  it  means  toe "imitate ,  to  copy,  to  act  like." 
From  this-  word  we  derive  our  English  word  "mimic"  and  also  you  might  recog- 
nize the  derivation  of  "mimeograph, "  or  the  process  of  copying  something. 
So  John's  advice  is  to  not  imitate  or  copy  that  which  is  evil,  but  instead, 
to  copy  or  imitate  that  which  was  pood.   John  is  saying  that  an  individual's 
conduct  is  a  reflection  of  his  Christianity.   A  person  who  claims  to  be  a 
follower  of  Jesus  Christ  wants  to  mitate  Him.   Jesus  was  everything  that 
was  the  personification  of  good.   He  set  the  example;  He  gave  the  pattern; 
He  showed  by  word  and  deed  what  God  desires  from  TTis  children. 
TnUs  it  is  that  John's  further  advice  in  this  11th  verse  states: 
"He  that  doeth  good  is  of  God:  but  he  that  doeth  evil  hath  not  seen  God." 
The  measure  of  anyone  is  what  that  rersons  actions  are  in  their  everyday 
life.   This  past  week  I  heard  of  an  unemployed  truck  driver  who  is  an  ex- 
con  who  saw  a  woman  seated  on  a  parkbench  in  Chicago  shivering  with  out  a 
coat.   He  stopped  as  he  walked  by  and  asked  if  she  needed  help.   She  said 
she  didn't  know  where  she  lived.   She  only  knew  it  was  near  Gears.   THey 
got  on  a  bus  and  rode  to  the  nearest  Sears.   Then  got  in  a  cab  and  rode  up 

and  down  the  streets  of  Cicero  to  the  tune  of  |20.  ±Jb  All  to  no  avail. 
Then  he  looked  in  the  phone  book  when  the  woman  gave  him  what  sounded  like  a 
last  name.   Then  directory  assistance  until  finally  a  telephone  supervisor 
believed  hie  story  and  uncovered  an  unlisted  number  under  that  name,  placed 
the  call  and  the  woman's  very  distraught  and  upset  husband  was  relieved  to 
know  his  wife  was  still  hx±±ex  alive.   He  asked  the  man  to  bring  her  home 
and  he  did.   They  wanted  to  pay  him,  but  he  would  take  nothing.   He  said 
just  the  knowledge  that  they  were  happy  was  enough  for  him  and  he  walked 
away. 

We  don't  know  whether  that  man  xx  is  a  Christian.   But  one  thing  we  do  know, 
and  that  is,  he  did  good,  and  somehow  we  can  assume  that  he  knows  something 
at  least  of  God,  The  man  being  unemployed  and  an  ex -con  could  have  done  evil 
just  as  easily.  Because  it  is  when  circumstances  such  as  this  arise  that 
Satan  uses  his  methods  to  bring  out  the  evil  in  many  people.   John  says, 
those  persons  that  do  evil  have  not  seen  God.   No  one  has  actually  seen  Sod, 


-3- 

and  probably  what  he  means  is  that  they  have  not  become  acnuainted  with 

Jesu?  Christ,  because  He  said,  "He  that  hath  seen  Me,  hath  seen  the  Father." 

V_   Having  said  this,  John  ow  goes  on  to  tell  of  a  man  who  also  exemplifies 

these  qualities.   In  the  12th  verse  he  writes:  "Demetrius  hath  good  report 
of  all  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself:  yea,  and  we  also  bear  record; 
and  ye  know  that  our  record  is  true." 

We  don't  know  just  who  this  Demetrius  fellow  is.   But  what  we  do  know  is  thai 
John  "commends"  him  to  Gaius  and  hi?  congregation.   In  all  probability  De- 
metrius was  being  sent  by  John  as  one  of  those  traveling  preachers  and 
teachers.   And  also  in  all  probability,  Demetrius  was  the  one  delivering 
this  letter  to  Gaius  and  that  congregation  in  Ephesus, 

But  look  at  what  is  said  of  Demetrius  that  makes  him  so  special.  First, 
John  says  there  is  a  good  report  of  all  men.   Everyone  who  knew  Demetrius 
gave  a  rood  report  of  him.   That  doesn't  mean  he  was  a  sinless  Saint.   But 
it  does  mean  that  he  was  a  man  of  whom  everyone  could  say  good  things  about 
him.   A  part  of  that  good  report  had  to  do  with  "the  truth  itself."   And  wha^ 
was  that  truth?   As  always,  it  was  the  reality  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this  man's 
life.   He  showed  that  he  had  the  truth  by  the  way  he  lived  and  he  gave  ac- 
knowledgement to  that  truth  by  his  following  of  his  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
And  then  John  rives  his  stamp  of  approval  on  Demetrius  by  adding,  "Yea,  and 
-—   we  also  bear  record;  and  ye  know  that  our  record  is  true."   This  wording 
is  similar  to  the  endinr  which  John  gave  to  his  Gospel  in  the  21st  chapter 
of  that  book.   This  should  show  us  that  John  was  also  the  author  of  this 
letter.   But  it  should  al^o  identify  him  as  one  who  will  not  give  his  ap- 
proval to  xmxmmam   just  anyone.   And  the  people  of  the  churches  in  ^phesus 
had  come  to  know  and  rely  upon  the  complete  truth  xtacakx-xijBkiax-ztiiittS  upon, 
which  John  stood.   And  this  was  because  John  had  shown  them  by  his  own  life, 
by  his  own  witness  the  Christianity  he  had  learned  firsthand  from  Jesus 
Himself.   John  shared  with  them  how  Jesus  had  taught,  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them,"  and  "a  good  tree  cannot  bear  evil  fruit,  neither  can  an 
evil  tree  bear  good  fruit."   These  simple  sayings  filled  with  logic  and 
wisdom  was  what  was  building  the  early  church.   Men  like  Demetrius  could 
be  commander?  for  their  work  and  their  lives  because  they  had  built  them 
upon  the  basics, ax  the  fundamentals  of  the  faith  and  this  what  came  forth. 

(Illustration  of  football  team;  new  cars  and  still  no  change) 

In  a  xrcaxi  town  in  Oklahoma,  all  of  the  high  school  teams  were  winners. 
Not  all  of  them  were  championship  teams,  but  at  least  they  were  respect- 
able.  All  of  them  that  is,  except  one.   For  several  years  they  were 
not  only  winless,  but  losers  by  large  lopsided  scores'.   This?  had  its  toll 
on  the  players,  the  coaches,  all  of  the  students  and  in  general,  evervone 
in  that  area.   Finally,  a  wealthy  oilman  decided  he  would  give  them  an 
incentive  to  go  out  and  win  the  last  game  of  the  season.   He  asked  is  he 
could  speak  to  the  team  in  the  locker  room  after  they  had  lost  the  next 


-4- 

to  last  came.   The  coach  pave  permission  and  what  followed  was  the 
biggest  pep  talk  this  team  had  ever  heard.   He  said,  "Boys ,  I  know 
that  this  has  been  a  long  hard  season  for  all  of  you.   Losing  game  after 
game  isn't  fun,  especially  when  you  also  lose  year  after  year.   But  you 
have  one  more  game  to  play  and  you  can  make  this  season  respectable  by 
winning  this  last  game.   To  in  order  to  pive  you  an  incentive  to  win, 
something  to  shoot  for,  I  will  give  a  brand  new  convertible  to  every 
boy  on  this  team  and  to  each  coach  as  well  if  you  will  go  out  and  win. 
Tve  team  went  wild  with  joy.   They  shouted  and  cheered  and  patted  each 
other  on  the  backs.   For  seven  long  days  all  they  talked  about,  all  they 
dreamed  about  were  tho^e  new  cars.   "For  those  seven  long  days,  they  ate, 
drank,  and  breathed  football  and  the  win  they  were  going  to  have  over 
their  bitter  rival  in  the  final  game.   Ill  of  the  shcool  caught  the  fever 
and  they  were  at  fever  pitch  when  the  day  of  the  frame  finally  arrived. 
That  night  before  they  went  on  the  field  the  lockerroom  was  filled  with 
excitement.   The  coach  just  reminded  them  of  the  opportunity  they  had  to 
at  least  be  respectable  this  once  and  then  they  charged  onto  the  field. 
They  assembled  together  on  the  sidelines  and  gave  one  last  "rah,  rah  , 
rah"  together  and  then  the  frame  started.   That  night  they  played  like 
they  had  never  played  before.   And  when  the  game  was  over  they  dragged 
themselves  off  the  field,  with  the  final  score  38  to  0,  in  fa-for  of  their 
bitter  rivals.   Not  even  the  promise  of  a  special  gift  for  each  of  them 
could  change  the  truth.   They  xii^iy  may  have  had  the  "whoop-de-do" 
spirit,  but  they  lacked  the  skills  and  discipline  necessary  to  win. 

The  moral  of  course  applies  in  the  church  as  well.   We  can  know  all  there  is 
to  know  about  Christianity.   But  if  we  don't  live  it  all  else  is  useless. 
John  could  "Commend"  Demetrius  to  Caius  because  he  exemplified  a  Christian. 
He  could  "Commend"  Gaius  to  the  conrre^ation  he  served  because  he  was  the 
Christian  leader  the  congregation  needed.   But  he  had  to  condemn  Diotrephes 
because  even  though  he  had  talents  and  abilities,  he  was  using  them  to  the 
detriment  and  the  ruination  of  that  congregation.   It  isn't  how  much  en- 
thusiasm we  have  for  Christ,  but  what  we  do  with  the  life  He  has  given  us  to 
live . 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Rainbow  Girls  Service  April  3,  19B4 

The  Hev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP   7;30  P.M. 
Prelude 
"Call  to  Worship  -  (Becky) 

Great  is  the  Lord  and  moat  worthy  of  praise; 
His  greatness  no  one  can  fathom. 
The  Lord  is  near  to  all  who  call  upon  Him, 
to  all  who  call  on  Him  in  truth. 
He  fulfills  the  desires  of  those  who  fear  Him; 
He  hears  their  cry  and  saves  them. 
*prayer  of  Invocation  -  (Becky) 

Almighty  God.  we  beseech  You  this  night 
to  look  upon  us  in  Your  own  good  favor, 
to  bestow  upon  us  Your  loving  kindness; 
Assist  us  in  this  worship  and  in  your 
service,  so  that  our  loyalty  to  the  truth 
may  deepen.   Lead  us  safely  through  our 
lives  and  show  us  how  to  make  them  of 
eternal  worth.   May  this  worship  be  a  time 
in  which  we  give  to  You  the  honor  and  the 
glory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.   Amen. 
*Hymn    595  -  Lead  On  0  King  Eternal 
Scripture:    Genesis  9:8-17  -  {Michelle  -  see  enclosed  copy) 
Responsive  Reading  and  Hymn  528  -  God  of  Grace  And  God  Of 

Glory  -  (Robin) 
Blessed  are  they  whose  ways  are  blameless, 
who  walk  according  to  the  law  of  the  Lord. 
Blessed  are  they  who  keep  His  statutes  and 
seek  Him  with  all  their  heart. 

(first  stanza  #528) 
Teach  me  0  Lord*  to  follow  Your  decress; 
then  I  will  keep  them  to  the  end. 
Give  me  understanding,  and  t  will  keep 
Your  law  and  obey  it  with  all  my  heart. 
Response:   (second  stanza  #528) 


Leader: 


Response : 

Leader : 


Response 
Leader : 


Response 
Offering 
Doxology 
Scripture: 
Sermon: 
Prayer  and 
•Hymn   519 
"Benedictio 
Now  to 
accord  i 
to  God 

•Post  rude 


Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  your  heart 

And  lean  not  on  your  own  understanding; 

In  all  your  ways  acknowledge  Him, 

And  He  will  make  your  paths  straight. 
:  (third  stanza  #528) 

To  do  Your  will  0  my  God,  is  my  deslrej 

Your  law  is  within  my  heart. 

I  do  not  hide  Your  righteousness  in  my 

heart;  I  Speak  of  Year  faithfulness  and 

salvation. 

I  do  not  conceal  Your  love  and  Your  truth 

from  the  great  assembly. 
:   (fourth  stanza  #528) 


John  1:1-14  -  (Kelly  -  see  enclosed  copy) 
"A  Premise  Is  A  Promise'' 
Lord's  Prayer 

-  Savior  Again  To  Thy  Dear  Name  We  Raise 
n  -  (Becky) 

Him  who  shall  supply  all  your  needs 
ng  to  His  riches  in  glory; 
our  Father,  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 

Amen. 


"denotes  congregation  standing 

+  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
the  Rainbow  Girls  to  the  "Glory  of  God'* 

We  wish  to  thank  the:  Following  for  participating  in  the 
Service  thif:  evening: 

Michelle  Randolph 
Rebecca  Balint 
Rvbln  Gladd 
Kallie  Monks 


1 


"A  Promise  Is  A  Promise" 
3;  Gen  9:13!  John  1:14 
(IT   -a  promis  2   cum  2   church  if  had  trousers) 
Guo  jjramp  limit  prom  made  by  man 

Wen  think  proms  need  2think  G  2fuly  underst  proms  R 
Red  prom  in  OT,Ss  red  fulfil  prom  in  NT  as  Scrip  2aay 

Perhap  nevr  felt  they  relate  any  way, but  they  R 
Gen.  ?:15=G  say  set  Rbow  clouds  as  covenant 
Wen  C  Rbow,R  2remem  G  no  destory  i'lud  agin 
But  2  hav  Kbow  mus  hav  3  things 

FIRST: Cloud, &  aloud  bring  darknes  espec  if  2bring  Rbc 
Lrvs  peop  Is  they  wer  cloud  brot  darknes  gloom  21if 
givn  ovr  2sin  &  liv  complet  4self  &  away  from  G 
G  no  stan  depravty  &  destroy  by  flud 
But  prom  nevr  let  hap  agin  &  mak  cov/agrement  G  &  mar 
"  as  tim  go  on  He  saw  same  thing  hap  St  set  bout  2 
enter  worl  h   dispel  cloud  ft  this  fulfil  rea  Jn  1 
H"D :  Rain  need  2mak  Rbow 
Thru  watr  Rbow  form  S-.  thru  watr  find  can  trust  G  & 
tak  at  His  Word. 
Oft  friten  by  watr, pouring  rain 
G  fluds,read  bout  "•  alarm  if  rain  exten  periods 
If  liv  thru  flud  can  thank  G  givn  prom  &  keep 
(Illus  Hurricane  Agnes  &.   Sus  River  4ft, crest  32/33) 
But  G  in  control  &  no  permit  wipeout  even  tho  sin  & 
wickedness  increases 
Peop  tim  Apos  Jn  await  cum  delivr  fufll  G  prom  ethei 
Piw  gathr  clouds  &  knu  pour  rain  harts  &  livs  & 
3  seem  no  relief  in  site 
:o  wait,fi-.  wait  4-  G  2  fulfil  His  prom  2  them 
THIRD:  Sunshin  E:  it  wen  sunshin  whil  cloud  K-.  rain 
the  Rbow  colors  R  formed 
Thru  buty  prom  of  G  made  clear  2us 
But  can  G  buty  thru  Jn  1:14  (read) 
2underst  mus  C  relatship  tween  2, 
G  say  mak  cov  tween  self  &.   man  &   no  destroy  watr 
Continu  histry  ?c  C  man  sink  lowr,lowr ,sin  depravty 
3ut  duz  He  go  bak  on  prom?  No  duzn't  or  wudn't  B  God 
So  wat  duz  do?  Hntr  worl  only  way  0  &  I  relat  2  & 
that  human  form 
liv  unobtrusivly  30yr  &   burst  upon  worl  ray  sunliti 
in  midst  storm  ?<  sudenly  ea  pers  realiz  mntix  his 
worl  no  destroy  if  recogniz  ?.-.  cum  21cno  Son  shin  in 
midst  rain  of  lif  Be  dark  cloud  mak  individ  worlds 
2G  a  prom  is  a  prom, not  only  mak, but  keep  Si  this  comf 
Ss  *     ■   shud  hav  lif  as  discovr  agin  &  agin  thru  Him 
(£0^,11:  'Phe  Promises  of  God) 
Thank  G  4   .9  luv  in  so  many  ways, but  partic  4  His 

promises  which  never,  never  fail 


God.  hath  not  promised 

skies  always  blue, 
Flower  strewn  pathways 

all  our  lives  throurh; 
'O.l  hath  not  jrorrined 

without 'rain, 
Joy  without  sorrow, 
i  eace  without  pain. 

But  God  hath  promised 

strength  for  the  day, 
Re3t  for  the  labor, 

light  for  the  way, 
nrace  for  the  trie"  , 

help  frotn  above, 
Dnf ailing  sympathy, 

undyinr  love. 


Annie  Johnson  Flint 


■ 


"A  Promise  Is  A  Promise" 
Texts:  Genesis  9*13  and  John  1:14- 

(   lustration  of  promise  to  come  to  church  if  had  trousers) 

This  is  a  good  example  of  a  limited  promise  made  by  man.   But  when  we  think  of 
promises  we  need  to  think  of  God  to  fully  understand  what  promises  are  and 
should  be.  We  read  of  a  promise  by  God  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  we  read  of 
the  fulfillment  of  a  promise  in  the  Hew  Testament  as  our  Scriptures  for  today. 
Now  perhaps  you  may  never  have  felt  that  they  were  related  in  any  way,  but  they 
are. 

If  we  look  att  the  Old  Testament  text  which  is  the  'i^th  verse  of  the  yth  chapter 
of  Genesis,  we  see  recorded  the  statment  by  God  that  He  will  set  the  rainbow  in 
the  clouds  as  a  covenant  between  God  and  man.   This  means  that  when  we  see  a 
rainbow  we  are  to  remember  that  God  wri>ll  never  destroy  the  earth  by  flood  ag.qin. 
x^xxxxxxKxjsxnmiKSXXfrxixiakKSXHXXiaxxHXxXHHxxKaxxHKtxiHX 

In  order  to  have  a  rainbow  there  are  three  things  which  are  necessary.   First, 
__ere  must  be  a  cloud.   A  cloud  brings  darkness  especially  if  it  is  the  type 
of  cloud  to  produce  a  rainbow.   In  the  lives  of  the  people  of  Israel  they  were 
the  cloud  which  brought  darkness  and  gloom  to  life.   They  were  completely  given 
over  to  sin  and  living  completely  for  self  and  away  from  God.   God  couldn't 
stand  their  depravity  and  so  He  caused  them  to  be  destroyed  by  the  flood.   But 
He  promised  to  never  let  this  happen  again  and  thus  was  made  a  covenant  or  ag- 
reement between  God  and  man.   But  as  time  went  on  and  God  looked  over  the 
earth  He  saw  that  once  again  the  clouds  of  sin  and  disobedience  had  gathered  in 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  mankind  and  so  He  set  about  to  enter  into  the  world  and 
to  dispel  that  cloud,  ^nd  this  is  what  was  the  fulfillment  which  we  read  in 
John  1,  which  tells  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  second  thing  needed  to  make  a  rainbow  is  Rain.   It  is  through  the  water  that 
the  rainbow  is  formed  and  when  we  look  at  the  promise  of  God  we  can  see  that  is 
wrough  the  water  that  we  find  we  can  trust  God  and  take  uim  at  His  word.  How 
often  we  are  frightened  by  rain.   We  can  see  and  read  about  spring  floods  and 
the  damage  flooding  can  cause.   Therefore  we  are  alarmed  if  it  rains  for  ex- 


-ex- 
tended periods  of  tims.   If  you  have  ever  lived  through  a  flood  and  can  see 
f   st  band  the  hardship  and  problems  it  cause,  you  can  readily  thank  God  that 
He  has  given  a  promise  and  He  keeps  it. 

(Illustration  Hurricane  Agnes  and  Susquehannah  River,  4ft,  crest  at  32/?;)) 
But  we  see  and  know  that  God  is  in  control  when  He  does  not  permit  ttie  flooding 
to  destroy  mankind  even  though  the  wickedness  goes  on  and  increases.   The  peop- 
le of  the  time  of  the  Apostle  John  were  awaiting  the  completion  of  a  promise 
from  God  that  He  would  send  a  deliverer  to  them.  They  had  seen  tbe  gathering 
clouds  and  they  knew  the  pouring  of  rain  into  their  hearts  and  lives.   It  must 
have  seemed  as  though  for  them  there  was  no  relief  in  sight.  And  so  they  waited 
and  waited  for  God  to  fulfill  His  promise  to  them. 

The  third  thing  needed  to  make  a  rainbow  is  Sunshine.   It  is  when  the  sun  shines 
while  there  is  rain  and  rainclouds  that  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  are  formed. 
It  is  through  this  beauty  that  the  promise  of  God  is  made  evident  to  us.  But 
_^s  also  became  evident  to  the  people  awaiting  the  fulfillment  of  God's  promise 
when  God's  Sonshine  burst  forth  upon  the  world  as  John  tells  it  in  verse  14  of 
the  first  chapter  of  his  uospel,  (Read  this).  That  sunshine  is  spelled  '.Son 
shine. 

To  understand  this  we  need  to  see  the  relationship  between  the  two.   First,  God 
says  He  is  making  a  covenenat  between  Yimself  and  mnn  that  He  will  not  destroy 
the  world  with  water.    Then,  He  continues  in  the  history  of  mankind  only  to 
see  them  sink  lower  and  lower  into  sin  and  depravity.   But  does  He  go  back  on 
His  promise?  No,  He  doesn't  or  He  wouldn't  be  God.  So  what  does  He  do?,  He 
enters  the  world  in  the  only  way  that  you  and  I  can  relate  to  Him,  and  that  is 
in  the  form  of  another  human  being.  But  this  human  enters  rather  unobtrusively 
into  the  world  Rnd  lives  an  ordinary  life  for  30  years.   But  then  He  bursts  upon 
the  world  like  a  sudden  ray  of  sunlight  in  the  midst  of  a  storm.   Suddenly,  each 
j._i'son  can  realize  that  his  world  will  not  be  destroyed,  if  he  will  recognise 
and  come  to  know  the  Son,  shining  in  the  midst  of  the  rain  of  life,  and  the 
dark  clouds  which  make  up  our  own  individual  daily  worlds. 


To  God  A  Promise  Is  A  Promise.   He  not  only  makes  them,  but  He  keeps  them. 

is  is  the  comfort  and  the  joy  we  should  have  in  this  life  as  we  discover  it 
over  and  over  again  in  His  »/ord. 

A  poet,  Annie  Johnson  ±7lint  puts  it  in  this  light,  (Read,  The  Promises  of  God). 
Thank  God  for  His  love  as  shown  in  so  many  ways,  but  in  particular,  for  His 
promises  which  never,  never  fail. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Palm  Sunday  April  15,  1984 

The  Kev,  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
David  Andrews,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 
ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude     "Hosanna  to  the  Son"  Wilson 

•Processional  Hymn  249  "All  glory,  laud,  and  honor" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession:   Our  Father,  as  on  this  day  we  keep  the 
special  memory  of  our  Redeemer's  entry  into  the  city, 
so  grant,  0  Lord,  that  now  and  ever  He  may  triumph  in 
our  hearts.  Let  the  King  of  Grace  and  Glory  enter  in, 
and  let  us  lay  ourselves  and  all  we  are  in  full  and 
joyful  homage  before  Him;  through  the  same  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  Sod! 

People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever! 
•Gloria  Patrl 
Hymn  No,  212  "Tell  He  the  Stories  of  Jesus" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory         "Palms" 
Doxology 

The  Rite  of  Confirmation  -  The  Charge:  The  Vowbt 
•The  Apostles  Creed  -  Page  137  -  Congregation  and 

Confirmands 
The  Confirmation:  The  Confirmation  Prayer 
The  Reception  of  Adult  Members 

Anthem:    "Antiphonal  Hosanna"  Smith 

The  Scripture:         Luke  19:23-40 


Sermon:       "Have  You  Seen  The  King?" 
Prayer 
•Hymn  of  Dedication  24S  "Hosanna,  Loud  Hosanna" 

Benediction 
•POBtlude 
++++++++•  Congregation  Standing  ++++++++ 
the  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  St   Mrs.  George  Pflugh  in  loving  memory  of  their 

"Daughter"  Pamela  Jean  Pflugh. 
Serving  as  UsherB  today  are:   •Rob  Vinroe,  Robert 

Dellen,  Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy. 
Bruce  Fencil  and  Llciyd  Link  will  be  viBiting  the  Hospital 

this  week* 
Monday  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Tuesday  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
'Maundy  Thursday  -  7:30  -  Service  and  Holy  Communion  in 

Rehoboth  Hall.   Reception  for  New  Members  and  Congrega- 
tion will  be  in  the  Hall  afterwards. 
Good  Friday  Breakfasts  for  Men,  Women 
>Good  Friday  Service  here  at  St.  Paul's  at  7:30  -  and 

Holy  Communion. 
Easter  Sunday  6:30  -  Easter  Sunrise  Service 
6:30  -  Breakfast  will  follow  in  Rehoboth  Hall  - 
Reservations  must  be  made. 
Easter  Worship  at  11:00.  A.M. 
We  welcome  our  new  members  today : 
By  Confirmation  -  Chris  Andrews  and  Danny  Mangel. 
By  Letter  of  Transfer  -  Mrs.  Sara  Cubbison,  Darrell  ami 

Connie  LaMotte,  Darrell  LaMotte,  Jr.,  Emile  and  Jane 

Massart,  and  Mrs.  Elva  McCormick, 
By  Profession  of  Faith  -  Mr.  4  Mrs.  Richard  Dalley, 

(Alma);  and  Beth  Kocko. 

Deacon  Martin  Henry  will  greet  the  Congregation  at  the 
door  this  morning  as  well  as  those  visitlne  with  us. 

Visitation  Committee  is  recruiting  members  at  all  times 
telephone  Mike  Nazaruk. 

The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  183  with  17  Visitors, 
here  are  still  Easter  Eggs  left  contact  Ginny  Mangel . 

The  Women's  Fellowship  purchased  the  boutonnieres  for 
the  Confirmands. 


I 


ve    You  I5een  The    KJ.ng7,T 
cripture-      Luke    19:28-40 

Suml  wrot=l  Iuv   A  Tarid   wb   includ   mos   everl 

rad  draw  atentin  out   way  "'observ  watevr 

emphas iz=day /event /famus    peop 
ancient   hisfcry   parad=Alex   Grt,Ho«    i-.mps=powr   &  mite 
i  parad   lineup=slavs ;army;of icrs ;emp  &  bodygard 
rad  held   ohanp  oors   histry;it  delib  &  planed 

Js  reoof  as   Fesiah  fr/God   in    Jericho  £  plan  ro2    Jeru 
Anyl  cudtol  persnl  trapdy  2  Him   if  did   so;Cb  pr  & 
enemies   seek  way  2  stop  pr/teach  as  was 
vs   28=prov   delib   natur   this    actin 

Beth  N-2ni  fr/Jeru   piv  specif   inst   Pdicipls 
plan  work   out=pasword  &  so  read  po   lik  plan 
vs   J5=bad  prsmar=( story  preachr   S  hen=lay  or   ly) 

no   import  whthr    Js  set  ,sat  ,sited  =  irTiort   wat  go  ?do 
vss   36-3  7=  parad   Bgun  &  peop  aclaim  '(•   mitry  works   seen 

witnes=heal,rais  ded, pr/teach   lik  no   Scr lb/phar , out 

lik  one  with  authority 
vs   38.no   ordnary  parad, but   laclaim  man  as  sent  fr/!lod 

lie  cal   King    "   dif  Bcuz  donkey    r-  horse .explain 
Hxamps   of   3peop  questined   bout   Kir  — 

merchant  :seen   many    Mesiah  ,?elf-aclaini,proclai!r  jprob 

ded   by  weekend   by   Rome  4  treason  arin   Pome 

relisius  man:no  impres  ;pr/teach,s.leipht   hand   captive 

peop j How   lead  amray?= shepherds'   sheep  kil    BotDan*?3lBel 
nuest  ask+wh  preced    .tody  by  2K.7b.Bre  's   ^he   King's 

'llav  U  Seen  The      ing'         "roany   peopanser  was/wud  bin, 
'■'at    Finr" 

Bat   He  aclaim  long  ar-o  wud  cum  &   roses  tol   of  Him 

;kai.  cufi  a  ssip  out  of  Jacob,  tr  shall 

05    r   .    OUT  OF    .1  HE  THAT   SB 

. 
clearly  this  wat  G  promis 
Mhv  C   Feen  The    King?   Do  U  recopniz   as   G  's  mesengr 
sent  4-redemptin  mankind": 

event  that  r.pr  Gundy  prov  wat   G   sed  wud   do 
He  did   in  persn   Jn   Xp 
Eut   event   also   she  rein  tta/King  sent  by  0,alredy  Bpun 
B4   arivl  on  donky 

vs  59=othr  word,thez  wel  skul.wel  train  relir   ldrs , 
thez   grad.Jew  Theo  fen   of    Jeru   say.tel  Ur  folors   2 
knok  off   this  nonsense 
,-.at   tuk  plac   during    Js   minrtry?=doubt/criticism  Bcuz 
nevr   act    lik   thot   He   shud 
completly  unorth  8    opos  2wat  Bliev   Mes   shud  Be 
3c      ry  shutup  &  prov   He   not    one   sent  front    ^od 
vf  40=  Js   anser   '■   Bay  rev  S   in?   lif  mankind   cud  no  1 
lonpr  3  muzled  ft  hidden    :    if   peop  no  aclaim  Him, 
nta    themaelvs   wud  piv  evidenc   of  fact 


'    King  had  cum  '    quastin  B4   them  was.Hav   f       'een  King? 

Bat   no  only  cum  Perth  as   G'a   redeemer  but   Bpun 

re?"  as   proclaim  thru  Him  worl  cud  hav   lif,F4pivn, 
I   eternl  w/God 

Hav   D   ,'leen   King?-do  U   kno  thez  realtys   thru   Js   Xp? 
But   also  G  r.av  nothr  th/thru   kinp   5  that   K  wil  curaacii 
Lk     J:31-35=Js   in  Jerea, pr /teach jtol  pet  out   explain 
vs   35=duz   this   mean  wat  hapn     aim  iun?  =    No  this   not 

tb/2B  fuiur  timtabl  G   has   Bet    in  motin 
Wen   Js    Ascend^Act  l=anpl  sed=Ye   men  Gal  why  stand   Ye 
gas  up  in?hvn,this   same   Js     wh  takn  up  fr/U   in?hvn 
shal   so   cum   lik   raanr   as  ye    hav   seen   po   in?   hvn 

promis   wil  cum  bak  apin  as  went   in?  hvn 
present   liv  Ch  ,-.  entila   "    L  apear  cloud   '■■  rap 

nr   t-iV   Ch   out    of   worl;both    liv /ded   in   Tp   po   2B  w/Him 
7yrs   Tribulatin;many   Jew  redeem  ft.   Js  return  w/saints 

S   wil  rein   1*    peace;cum  bak  ?   Jeru  6  ther  wilB  aclain 
Blesed  is   He   that   cumeth  in  the   name   of  the   T  ord 
v  this   wilB  fulfil  of   thir    ^cth  vs 

(■T  scrip=K  they  wil  lk  uron  Him  whom  they  hav  pierced 
This  mean  Jews  recorniz  pierced  hand ,feet  ,nide  piercec 
on  ther   Bhalf.S-  wil  aclaim  as   ther  tessiah 

Vhol  univers  wil   aclaim  Him  8   all  thoz   ,:1f   wil  rein 

w/Rim 
Wil  D   B  w/Kin"   Bcuz   II   saw   Hira  whil   H   permit    liv   this 
erth^y    lif? 

Ullus   Mikey  &  parad   at  Difneyland) 
is at  this   lik  worl? 

most   of   it   po   on  merry  way,oblivius   Tact   it   lost   c    t 

out    of   plan   wh/G   has   4it 
Hav  U    Jeen  ?he   Kiag?»or   1  I'  s  part  of  parad   &  not 
ref'v  kno  wat   parad  all  about? 

A-      of   u^   lik  peop  who  stud    sideline   in   Jeru   on  1st 

lalm  "undy 
Ther  thoz   atrac  by  nois  6  stop  watch  wat  tak  plac   S 
Join  crowd  sheer  curofity,^  cheer  Bcuz   th/2do 

Thoz  herd  miracl  workr  8    no  sure  who  was/,   cheer  so 

they  w/in  crowd   jus   in  case  they  rite=covr  all  bases 
then  thoz  realy  Bliev  He  Mesiah  >'■■   ther  cheer  from 
depth  harts 
They  saw  Him  as   Redeemer    ■■  had  no  doubt  bout   it 
2  which   Erp  do   we    Blonp-  this    morn? 

Aftr  wei-vh    all   evidenc=Have    You   ."sen  The    "inp'' 


_ 


"Have  You  Seen  The  Kimx'.  " 

Scripture:  luke  19:28-40 

Someone  wrote  a  song  entitled,  "I  Love  A  Parade,"  which  iacludes  almost 
everyone,   A  parade  is  something  which  draws  attention  and  people  will  go  ou1 
of  their  way  to  observe  whatever  it  is  the  parade  is  emphasizing.   There  are 
all  sorts  of  parades  which  commemorate  special  days  and  events,  and  then 
there  are  parades  for  famous  people.   But  each  in  their  own  right  draw  at- 
tention to  something  or  someone.   Parades  had  their  start  hack  in  the  ancienl 
world  and  were  the  opportunity  for  a  comuering  hero  to  display  his  power 
and  might.   Alexander  the  Great,  the  Emperors  of  Some  and  others  like  them 
used  parades  all  the  time.   When  the  Ceasars  for  instance  were  off  on  a 
mission  of  conquest  a  parade  was  held  as  they  returaed  to  Some  which  gave  a 
complete  picture  of  that  conauest.   Heading  the  parade  would  be  those  who 
were  taken  captive  and  the  defeated  warriors.   These  would  be  followed  by 
the  different  divisions  of  the  army  and  then  would  come  the  officers  and 
finally,  the  Emperor  himself. 

But  approximately  2000  years  ago  there  was  a  parade  held  which  was  to  change 
and  alter  the  course  of  hirtory  as  no  other  parade  ever  did,  or  ever  would. 
This  parade  was  deliberate  and  planned.   Jesus,  the  one  who  was  recognized 
by  many  as  the  Messiah  sent  from  God  was  in  Jericho  xnxikjsxxjixxiBjcxEfxSkB 
and  when  He  departed  from  Jericho  He  had  definite  plans  to'- travel  to  Jeru- 
salem.  Anyone  would  have  told  Him  that  such  a  move  wehxi&xh»&  could  only  end 
in  personal  tragedy  for  Him,  since  the  Chief  priest  and  the  leaders  of  the 
Jews  werfe  seeking  a  means  by  which  they  could  stihp  Him  from  preaching  and 
teaching  as  He  was . 

To  say  this  was  deliberate  is  proved  by  verse  29,  (read  this).   So  oH   that 
Sunday  mronig  He  was  at  Bethany  which  was  about  1%   to  2  miles  from  Jeru- 
salem.  Prom  there  He  sent  two  of  His  disciples  with  specific  instructions 
that  they  would  find  a  cert--  in  donkey  tied  and  they  were  to  untie  him  and 
bring  that  donkey  back  with  them.   To  show  how  well  planned  this  excursion 
was,  Jesus  had  worked  out  a  sort  of  password  with  the  man  who  owned  the 
donkey.   So  we  can  surmise  this  episode  was  pre-arranged.   And  so  we  read  in 
this  Scripture  that  everything  worked  out  just  as  Jesus  had  said  it  would. 

So  we  read  in  the  35th  verse,  "And  they  brought  him  to  Jesus:  and  they  cast 
their  garments  upon  the  colt,  and  they  set  Jesus  thereon." 

J erhaps  the  grammar  of  this  verse  is  not  exactly  correct.   It  should  proba- 
bly read,  "And  they  sat  Jesus  thereon."   This  is  somewhat  like  the  story  of 
a  young  minister  who  was  being  considered  fErxaxBExfrais  to  become  the  pastoi 
of  a  certain  congregation.   The  people  in  the  conrregation  wanted  someone 
who  was  educated  and  used  good  grammar.  So  they  asked  him  the  question, 
"If  a  hen  is  seated  on  a  nest  would  you  say  she  was  sitting,  or  setting? " 
He  answered   "It  really  doesn't  make  much  difference,  what  is  more  imrort- 

nt^to^j^^,^  .f  Bhe   cackles        on  thl   JJ" 
Is  that  chicken  laying,  or  lyin- :  '  ' 


-2- 

So  it's  not  important  whether  Jesus  was  iHta*  seated,  or  set,  or  even  sitted 
upon  the  donkey.   The  important  thing  is  that  He  was  prepared  toride  de- 
liberately into  the  dity  where  His  enemies  awaited  His  arrival. 

So  we  read  in  verses   36  and  37,  "And  as  He  went,  they  spread  their  clothes 
in  the  way.   And  when  He  was  come  nigh,  even  now  at  the  descent  of  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  the  whole  multitude  of  the  disciples  began  to  rejoice  and 
praise  God  with  a  loud  voice  for  all  the  mighty  asix  works  they  had  seen." 

The  parade  had  begun  and  those  who  were  followers  of  Jesus  acclaimed  Him  we 

are  told  "for  all  the  righty  works  that  they  had  seen."  These  very  people 

had  witnesped  His  ministry  firsthand  for  approximately  three  years.   They 

had  seen  people  healed  of  all  kinds  of  diseases  and  medical  problems.   They 

had  seen  Him  raise  several  people  from  the  dead.   And  they  had  heard  T'im 

preach  and  teach  iikH  very  unlike  the  ^'cribes  and  teachers,  for  "He  taught 

them  as  one  with  authority."   They  recognized  Him  as  God's  Messiah.   So  they 

greeted  Him  with  a  paim  strewn  roadway  and  verse  38  says  they  proclaimed, 

"Saying,  Blessed  be  the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Eord :  peace  in 
heaven,  and  glory  in  the  highest." 

This  was  no  ordinary  parade,  but  a  parade  in  which  this  man  was  acclaimed  as 

the  one  who  came  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.   He  was  called  a  King.   But  there 

was  a  distinct  difference  between  Hi3  arrival  and  the  arrival  of  others  kings 

Ke  came  riding  on  a  lowly  donkey  which  meant  He  came  in  peace.   The  other 

kings  came  riding  white  horses  which  signalled  they  came  on  a  mission  of 

war  and  conaueft. 

If  it  would  have  been  possible  it  would  have  been  interesting  to  find  out 

from  a  few  of  these  people  what  their  reactions  were  to  this  grand  entrance 

made  by  Jesus.   Think  of  a  reporter  seeking  an  interview  from  several  of 

them.   Perhaps  a  merchant  along  the  way  would  have  been  questioned. 

"What  do  I  make  of  this  man  being  acclaimed  as  a  King?  Well  I'll  tell  you, 
if  He  is  a  King,  then  I'm  a  king  too.   I've  seen  these  self -acclaimed  and 
proclaimed  Messiahs  come  alonr-  for  nuite  a  few  years.   ^ach  one  of  them 
has  proven  to  be  a  fake  and  this  one  is  no  different.   I'd  be  willing  to 
say  that  Ke  will  be  lucky  if  He  lasts  out  the  week.   And  its  a  good  bet 
that  Ke  will  be  dead  before  the  week  is  over  at  the  hands  of  the  Romans 
for  trwason  against  Rome." 

Or  perhaps  one  of  the  religious  minded  men  of  Jerusalem  were  asked  what  he 

thought  of  all  of  this. 

"I'm  not  impressed  with  this  at  all.   T"is  fellow  comes  along  and  by  some 
fancy  preaching  and  sleight  of  hand  He  is  able  to  captivate  the  lot  of 
them.   They  believe  He  is  going  to  lead  them  against  the  Romans  and  they 
will  be  free.   What  will  he  use  as  His  leaders  in  this  revolt?  The  shep- 
herds as  His  officers  and  generals?   Wil  He  have  them  drive  a  million 
sheep  into  the  midst  of  the  Roman  legions  and  perhaps  the  Romans  will 
all  drop  dead,  perhaps  because  of  the  smell?   What  kind  of  a  King  could 
he  ever  be?  The  King  that  God  is  going  to  send  is  going  to  lead  a  vast 
army  of  Jews  to  overthrow  His  enemies. 


And  so  the  question  asked  in  that  ancient  world  and  which  preceded  the 

Wendy's  commercial  by  about  ?POO  years  was,  "Where's  the  King??   Have  You 

Seen  The  King?"  For  many  people  the  answer  was  and  would  have  been,  "What 

King?"   But  He  was  acclaimed  and  there  were  those  who  knew  that  He  THE  ORE 

God  had  promised  so  long  ago.   Back  during  the  time  of  their  father  Moses 

the  Jews  had  been  told,  "T.  ere  shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  scepter 
shall  rise  out  of  Israel  ...  out  of  Jacob  shall  come  He  that  shall  have 
dominion. " 

,nd  clearly  this  was  the  King  Cod  had  promised.   "Have  You  3£en  The  King?" 
Do  you  recognize  Him  as  God  's  me spencer  sent  for  the  redemption  of  mankind? 
This  event  in  Jerusalem  on  that  Spring  Sunday  proved  that  what  God  had  said 
He  would  do,  He  did  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ. 

But  this  event  also  shows  that  the  reign  of  this  King  sent  by  God  had  al- 
ready begun  before  Hip  arrival  on  the  donkey.   Verse  59  tells  us,  "And  some 
of  the  Pharisees  from  amonc  the  multitude  said  unto  Him,  "Master,  rebuke 

This  disciples." 

In  other  words,  these  religious  leaders,  these  well  versed  and  well  trained 

and  well  educated  men;  these  graduates  of  the  Jewish  Theological  Seminary  of 

Jerusalem  were  saying,  "Tpll  your  followers  to  knock  off  this  nonsense . " 

V/pat  took  place  all  throughout  the  ministry  of  Jesus?   It  was  doubt  and 

criticism  because  He  never  acted  as  they  thought  He  should.  His  methods  and 

His  manner  were  completely  unorthodox  and  opposed  to  what  they  believed  the 

Messiah  was  or  should  have  been.  So  they  tried  to  phut  ^im  up  and  to  prove 

that  He  was  not  the  promised  One  of  God.   But  look  what  Jesus  xxxxx  gives  as 

an  answer  in  verse  4-0,  "And  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  "I  tell  you  that 
if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out." 

Jesus  was  sayinr  that  no  longer  could  the  revelation  of  God  into  the  life  of 
mankind  be  hidden  or  muzzled.   If  the  people  themselves  would  not  acclaim 
Him  and  proclaim  that  He  was  King,  the  elements  themselves  would  give  evi- 
dence of  that  fact.   The  secret  was  out  J   God  was  in  their  midst!   T^e  King 
had  come  and  the  question  before  them  was,  "Have  You  seen  The  King?" 
But  not  only  sras  the  King  come  to  earth  as  God's  redeemer  of  mankind,  but 
He  had  begun  His  reign  as  He  proclaimed  that  tkn  through  Him  the  world  could 
have  life,  be  forgiven,  and  live  eternally  with  God.   "Have  You  Seen  The 
King?"  Do  you  know  those  realities  through  Jesus  Christ? 
But  there  is  one  other  thine-  which  God  gave  thuough  His  King  and  that  is 
the  King  will  come  again.   Prior  to  this  event  Jesus  was  preaching  and  He 
iBiii:xafxtfeKX!ias±ZMs4±BEX«fxtfeKx2KXiBiEximx^HrBsat±Bxi  was  told  by  the  Fharisees 
to  get  out  of  there  and  to  stop  His  preaching.   Let's  look  at  that  in  the 
ljth  chapter  of  this  Gospel  of  Luke.    We  be^in  reading  at  the  31st  verse. 
(Read  verses  31  to  34-,  and  explain).   Then  we  read  in  the  35th  verse,  (read 
this).   Is  this  what  was  taking  place  on  this  day  we  now  call  Falm  Sunday? 


_4« 

No  it  isn't!   This  is  to  be  a  part  of  a  future  timetable  which  God  presently 

has  in  motion.    '/hen  Jesus  ascended  and  the  disciples  continuted  to  look 

toward  heaven  an  angel  spoke  to  them  and  said  as  recorded  in  the  1st  chapter 

of  Acts.   The  angel  said,  "Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  into  hea- 

ven^   This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come 

Him 
in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  go  into  heaven."   The  promise  is  that  He  will 

come  back  again  in  the  same  manner  as  when  Ee  went  into  heaven. 

We  are  presently  living  in  what  is  known  as  the  Church  Age,  or  the  Age  of 

the  Gentiles.   When  God  has  completed  His  Church,  The  lord  is  to  appear  in 

the  clouds  and  rapture,  or  take  His  people  out  of  this  world,  hot  the  living 

and  the  dead  who  died  in  Christ.   .'/hen  the  Church  is  removed  from  the  world 

a  period  of  seven  years  of  what  is  called  "Tribulation"  will  take  place. 

During  that  time  of  extreme  hardship  many,  many  Jews  will  come  to  accept 

Jesus  Christ  as  their  Messiah.   At  the  end  of  that  seven  years,  Jesus  Christ 

will  personally,  physically  return  to  earth  with  all  of  His  saints  and  will 

once  again  appear  in  Jerusalem.   At  this  time  He  will  be  acclaimed  as  the 

King,  the  Messiah  of  God  and  as  Jesus  said,  the  Jews  will  acclaim  Him  by 

saying,  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."   This  is  when 

this  55th  verse  of  Luke  1?  will  be  fulfilled,   An  61d  Testament  Scripture 

also  tells  us,  "They  will  look  on  Him  whom  they  have  pierced."   Meaning  that 

the  Jewish  people  will  recognize  the  One  who  had  His  hands,  and  feet,  and 

side  pierced  on  their  behalf.   At  that  time  the  whole  universe  will  see  Him 

and  know  Him  as  the  Ting  of  Kings  who  will  reign  for  a  thousand  years  of 

peace  upon  the  earth.   All  of  those  who  are  His  will  reign  with  Him  as  well. 

"Have  You  Seen  The  King?"   .'ill  you  be  with  the  King  because  you  saw  Him 

while  you  were  permitted  to  live  this  earthly  life? 

(Illustration  of  little  Mikey  and  the  parade  at  Disneyland) 

A  grandmother  tells  of  taking  her  two  grandsons,  ages  four  and  six  to 
spend  a  day  at  Disneyland.   Durinr  the  course  of  the  day  she  ijEatse^ 
bought  each  of  them  a  little  little  fla^.   Several  times  during  the  day 
they  stopped  and  watched  the  marching  band  of  toy  soldiers.   Each  time' 
the  boys  were  spellbound  as  the  band  marched  by.   All  at  once  the  grand- 
mother realized  that  the  four  year  old  was  gon'e.   Che  began  to  search 
frantically  for  him,  but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.   She  sat  down  to 
think  this  over  and  decide  what  she  should  do.   As  she  sat  there  the 
looked  up  to  see  the  marching  band  of  toy  soldiers.   And  there  at  the  end 
of  the  line  smiling  merrily,  and  wavinsr  his  flag  was  little  Mikey,  having 
the  time  of  his  life,  completely  unaware  that  he  was  lost." 

And  isn't  this  like  the  world?   Most  of  it  foes  on  its  merry  way  oblivious 

to  the  fact  that  it  is  lost  and  out  of  the  plan  which  God  has  for  it. 

"Have  You  Seen  The  King?"  Or  are  you  a  part  of  the  parade  not  really  knowing 

what  the  parade  is  h±2h  all  about?   All  of  us  are  like  the  people  who  stood 

on  the  sidelines  in  Jerusalem  on  that  First  Palm  Sunday.   There  were  those 

who  were  attracted  by  the  noise  and  stopped  to  watch  what  was  taking  place 


c  do 

and  they  joined  the  crowd  in    ~J~   cheering  because  it  was  the  thing  to 
out  of  sheer  curiosity.   Then  there  were  those  who  had  heard  of  this  Kiracle 

worker  and  they  were  not  too  sure  just  who  He  was  so  they  cheered  along  with 

the  rest  so  they  wouldn't  appear  out  of  place.   They  were  covering  all  hases 

just  in  case  Fie  was  who  He  said  He  was. 

And  then  there  were  those  who  really  believed  He  was  God's  Messiah  and  their 

cheering  was  from  the  depths  of  their  hearts.  They  saw  Him  as  their  redeeme: 

and  had  no  doubts  about  it.   To  which  group  do  we  belong  this  morning? 

After  weighing  all  of  the  evidence,  "Have  You  Seen  The  King?" 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 

•Hymn  No.  292    "Because  He  Lives" 

Butler,  Pennsylvania 

•Benediction 

EASTER  SUNDAY                      April  22,  1984 

•Postlude 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  link,  Paster 

t+++++++  "Congregation  standing  +++*♦+++ 

Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  'Richard  Mangel, 

Danny  Mangel ,  David  Andrews  *-  Acolytes 

Don  Kingsley,  Edward  Walker  and  Gary  Penar, 

+  +  +*++++  +  +  4+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

Dan  Bosko,  Carl  Vinroe,  and  Art  Carney  will  be  visiting 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 

the  Hospital  this  week. 

Prelude 

Don't  forget  to  pick  up  your  Easter  Lily  after  the 

Call  to  Worship 

11:00  Service 

Paster:  Why  seek  Ye  the  living  among  the  dead? 

Monday  -  Volleyball           j/r  ^^ 

He  is  risen! 

Tuea.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics     j_ 

People:  He  is  risen  indeed! 

*^»  Hospitalized;  Mrs.  Emile  Maesart  and  Mrs.  Linda 

Pastor:   Let  us  worship  God! 

Sheppeck. 

•Processional  Hymn  289  "Christ  the  Lord  Is  Risen  Today" 

Mrs.  Sue  Davis  will  provide  the  Nursery  today. 

•Invocation:   (in  unison) 

Almighty  God,  we  know  that  this  is  the  day  of 

God  dispatched  an  angel  in 

resurrection;  the  day  which  completes  the  hope  of 

The  early  morning  light; 

immortality;  the  day  which  promises  our  own  resur- 

He rolled  away  the  great  stone 

rection.  May  we  worship  You  in  spirit  and  in  truth 

And  left  the  guards  in  fright. 

and  in  the  beauty  of  holiness.  Christ  is  triumphant ! 

let  us  triumph  because  we  abide  in  Him.  Christ  is 

The  Saviour  stepped  from  death  to  life, 

victor;  let  us  be  victors  because  we  are  His.   But 

His  graveclothes  laid  aside, 

most  especially  let  Him  whe  conquered  all  on  our  behalf. 

And  none  on  earth  could  hold  Him  fast — 

come  into  our  hemes,  our  church,  and  our  hearts  this 

No  matter  how  they  tried. 

glorious  day.  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  is  risen 

indeed  and  we  come  to  You  in  His  name.  Amen. 

The  Resurrection  and  the  Life 

•Praise 

He  opened  wide  the  door 

Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  Godl 

To  Heaven  and  eternal  life 

People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever! 

And  jcys  forevermore! 

•Gloria  Patri 

HALLELUJAH!  Ho  is  RISEN! 

Hymn  No.  299        "He  Lives" 

Georgia  B.  Mams 

Dedication  of  Love  Loaves 

Easter  Prayer 

Offering 

Offertory 

•Doxology 

Easter  Anthem    "Tell  It  Out:  He  Is  RiBcn" 

Scripture :      Matthew  2E : 1-10 

Sermon:     "Darkness  To  Light 

Prayer 

1 

ST,  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OT  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
taster  Sunrise  Service  April  22, 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C,  Linn,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Mr.  Richard  Mangel,  Liturgist 


+  +  + 


+  +  +  + 


EASTER  SUNRISE  SERVICE  -  6:30  A.M. 

Prelude 
•Hymn  Ho.  Z8S     Christ  the  Lord  1b  riaen  today 
♦Call  to  Worship 

Leader:   Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead, 

and  become  the  first  fruits  of  them 

that  slept. 

Thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us 

the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 

Christ. 

If  ye  then  be  risen  with  Christ, 

seek  those  sitteth  on  the  right 

hand  of  God. 
All:  Jesus  said,  "Fear  net,  I  am  the  first 

and  the  last:   I  am  He  that  liveth,  and 

was  dead;  and  behold,  I  am  alive  for 

evermore.11 
•Invocation 

-  them:       "Forth  He  Came  at  Easter" 

-  ayer 

Hymn  No.    293  "Christ  Arose 

Scripture:    Luke  24:1-12 

Sermon:    "Did  He,  Really?" 

Prayer 
•Hymn  292    "Because  He  Lives 
•Benediction 


People: 


Leader : 


"Did  He,    EWall:      ' 
Scripture:    Luke   2t:l-12 

(Illua  Kancy  ':■   God  in  her  heart) 

la   honest  doubt   &  nras   hav  bin  reactin  word   Bgin 
sp^-jO.    Js    Xp   risn  fr/tomb 
B^a  persn  wud  hav   ask=Did    He,    ^ealy?   &  w/nuest   may 
i     j  convinc .but  await   furthr  rruf  Pcun- 
rut  had  ask  relic  elite   reactin  wud   bay  bin  ^contrary 
,'ud  bin-Did    He,  BnP,yeah,Klad   ?hear;but   if 

want   ?>kno  truth  we   fix  irud   ro  wat  hear   imarinatin 
Ther  nothing  wrong  honest  doubt, serv  worthwhil   purp 
&  that   purp  2seek  truth   ■    wen  truth  kno  hones  doubt 
giv  way  2  faith  &  assurance 
Case   Nancy=as   child  no  underst.but  Bliev  wat  told    -,- 

now   kno  certinty  G  duz   liv  hart   Bcuz  acpt    Ja    Xt      av. 
AS  deal  arpec   Jtpianty,B«8ag   Js    ^prompt   ?tak  sides 

pectin   jus   1  pt,  but   main  one   25   rare 
eithr   Bliev, or  pas   off  as   sum  fairy  tale 
ioafip   giv  exafflpa  choices   peop  made  ^ 

Wfc.    Chan  28:  Joe   bury    Ja        BBS   day    On   pr, Thars   cum   Fll 

tol  wat    Js   sed  bout  rise   prave 
Ironic- no   Bliev   in  Him, hut   no  want   tak  chances 

A.sk  decree   seal  toab=grant    :    dun        &ax&    at  tomb 
fun  AH=erthnuak,anrl  descend   rol  stone   6  sards  durh 
Women  tol  f-o  tel   diacipa    •'-    risn    '    r-.njmet    Js 
tel  2  tel  di3cips   also 

CIllus   Ed   Karham  poem  bout  aoldier«REAJJ)EKD) 

mony  buv   anyth.but    no   buy   truths.    gards/detB   etc 

this   1st   atempt  deny  resur    Js    Ip.bwfc  no   stop  then 
(Ilua   1965=buk  Hugh    Schoril ield  =  T'asovr    Plot) 
(P     d    excerpt   from  book) 

th.j   lexampl   suml   try  disprov  resur   Js  S   mnin  reasn 
wat  G  did, no  posib  by  human   stnds 

but   1  thine-  ea  theory  poses  &  sumwat   lik  man  unln 
prob=(Illus    man  convinc   he   ded) 

this   uen  no  face  realty  S   this  exact  wat  tak  plac 

thoz   try  di.=  prov  resur 
but  evn  roidat  circl   frenda   ther  unBlief 
vs   B=(our     "crip)=women  Bliev 

but  Vf   ll=Unbelief  „  , „  __, 

But   J's   Cospl  tel  they  cum   2Bliev-Cbap  20:19-2^ 
Their  Blief=va   20B 

but   climax  Tvomas  no  w/them  &  no   Bliev   if  no  -  ee 
8day  latr    Ja  cum   agin  S   tel   Thomas   touch   &  L. 
vs   38=  Thomas   admision  ?,   Js  anser  vs   29 

(r    us    <in  Tanester  &  shout inr  on  T5aster)Js    Kp  arose 
fr,-rav!   &  run'  may  aalc-Dld   He ,  Realy?=Yes   He   Did   &  S 
has  show  in   His    Word    1  reveal  '+all  2kno   g    rilev 
through   Jesus   Christ  Himself 


Sunrise  Service  -  faster  Sunday  "iiril  11,  1993  - 
Comnunlty  Bible  Chureh  -  Sapanore,  Pa.  7:00  A.M. 

"♦elude 

^K  ee*rinps/Joys/AnnpuiicemeiitB 

Breakfast  after  service  -  no  charge,    free  will  offering 
Phureh  9:J0  A.M. 


'-all  to  Worship: 

ROM  IS  CHRIST  RISEN  FROM  THE  DEAD,  AND  SXCGH   I 
FIRST  FRUITS  OF  THEM  THAT  SLEPT. 
THANKS  BE  TO  BOB,  WHICH  GIVETH  US  THE  VICTORY 

THROUGH  OtR  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST. 
*  HYMN  sp© 

r ^ferine/Prayer 
•DOXOLOGT 

MORNING  PRATER 

HYMN 

SCRIPTURE:     LUFF  St-.l-U 

SERMON:     "DID  HE  BEALLY?"     ■ 
•Hymn  t?T-  ^ 

•Benediction 


:  /? 


I"  MAN  FIND  HARD  BLIEV  S   CAN   DO   IKPRSIBL  V  NOT  WANT  TO  ACPT  IT 
CT— «   MAN   BOSTON  WHC   WAS   CONVINCED  HE  WAS    DEAD) 
N       kCE  REALTY*-  THIS  VAT  TAK   PLAC  THOZ  NO  ACPT  RESUR 
¥S  8.01IR  SCRIP  -  WOKEN  BLIEVED,    BUT  WAT  OF  CTHRS???? 
*S  ii-apobti.es  NC  BLIEV, BUT  WAT  HAPPN  ???  -TT/J 

JN   ?0:19 
VS  20=THET  BLIEY 
VaS    2W9-READ  *.   EXPLAIN 

(ILUS  WM  SANGSTER  &   SHODT  ON  EASTER   MORN) 
J-    tt>  ARCS   PR/THE  GRAVE, 

»  SOTS  MAY   ASK    "DID  HE   HEALLY???" 

HE   DID,    t  GOD  HAS  SHOWN  IT  TO  US,    &  REVEALED  IT  FOB   ALL 
TO  KNOW  8,   BLIEV   THRO  JS    XP  HIKEELF 
HOW  TEPKIBl  TO  NOT  BE  ABL   TO  SHOUT  HE  IS  RISEN  TODAY, BCUZ  WE 
ttfff  n    ■  bv 
BUT  TAR   WORSE  TO  KNOW  IT  t.   BLIEV   IT,   t  NOT  WANT  10  SHOUT  IT 


Paul's,    Butler   K/t?./Wt    -6*50       !  SCRIP:      LE   Mtt-U   -   SERMON:      "DID  HS  REALLY?" 

(ILUS  NANCY  t.  15   IN  HER   HART   »   XEXB  "IS   HE   REALLY?") 

HONES   DOUBT  %,   EEACTIN   AS   WORD  CIHCU  BOUT  JS   B   ALIVE  %   RISE 

FR.      KB 
.jUESTIN   -   "DID  HE  REALLY???" 
FOLLOWRS   AWAIT  FURTHR  PBtTF  -  LIS  WE   DO,    FILM  AT  11 

LITE-  OH   SURE,   GLAD  TO  HEAR   THAT,    BUT   IF  WANT  KNC  TRUTH, 
WE  FIX   HIM   4GUD.S0  WAT  U   HEAR   WILD  IKAGNATTK 
HIS   FOLLOWRS 
NTH   WHOM  HONES   DCUB.SERV  PURPOS   OF  SEEK  TRUTH 
NANCY  NO  UNDRST  COMPL.BUT  2DAY  KNC  0   LIVS   HER  HART 
AS    EEAL  ASPECS   XFIANTY  C   MESAti  JS    XP   PROMPTS   ALL  2TAK  A   SIDE 
!,   HESUR  JUS   ONE  EXAMFL  -EITHR   BLIEV  OH   PAS    AS   FAIRY   TALE 
MT   INCLUD  SEVHL  THINGS   OTHRS   EXCLDS 
MT  27:62-*S«IR0NIC   TH07.  NO  3LIEV  WORRY   KATBIN   SUM  TRUTH   WAT  SEE 

EXPL  ROMAN   SEAL   OH   TOMB  -  WAX  6  STRING  BDT  WAT  HAPN'?? 
MT  28:2=G   OTOCUM  HAT   MAN   FEEBLT  TRY   TO  HIDE 
P  HARVT   SED  YESTHDAY.NOTIC  WHC   ANGL  TCL  BCUT  RESUR.VOKN  *   WORD 
WAS  SPRED  '^UIKLT 
VS   ll-ClLUS   EDWIN  HAHKHAM  t   POoTbY   ROMN   SOLDIER) 
MONET  CAN  BUY    ALMCS  ANTTH,BUT  NOT  TRUTH 
EXPL   PTLAT/ROMN   OEEICILS   MHSBIN  PAID  OFF  BCTJ7   SERItJSNES   SOLDIER 
SLEEP   ON   DUTY   -  ALL  EXCUTD  IF  ONLY   ONE  SLEEPS 
THIS  1ST  ATEMP  tiENT  RES8B  OF  JS  t  CCNTINU  2DAY 
(ILUS  HUGH  SCHCNFIELD.JEW  SCHOLAR  S,  PASSOVER    PLOT) 


iidwin  Karkham,  poem  about  Roman  soldier:  (end) 

"Years  have  I  wandered,  carrying  my  shame; 

How  let  the  tooth  of  time  eat  out  my  name. 
For  we,  who  all  the  wonder  might  have  told, 
Kept  silence,  for  out  mouths  were  stopped 
with  gold. 


Hugh  Schonfield:  book  "Passover  Flot"  1%5 

It  is  the  moment  before  sundown  in  Jerusalem. 
On  the  hill  Golgotha  three  bodies  are  suspeneded 
on  crosses. 
Two,  the  thieves  are  dead. 
The  third  appears  so. 
This  is  the  drugged  body  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
the  man  who  planned  His  own  crucifixion, 
who  contrived  to  be  Riven  a  soporific  potion 
to  put  Him  into  a  deathlike  trance. 
How  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  bearing  clean  linen 
and  spices,  approaches  an^  recovers  the  still 
form  of  Jesus. 
All  seems  to  be  proceeding  according  to  plan. 


Did  He,  Really?" 

•Scripture:  luke  ?4:1-1? 

(Illustration  of  "anoy  and  God  in  ber  heart) 

A  few  years  ago  when  our  daughter  Nancy  was  a  little  girl,  about  three  or 
four,  we  were  sitting  in  the  backyard  on  a  beautiful  summer  night.   It  was 
one  of  those  nights  when  there  wasn't  a  cloud  in  the  sky.   All  of  the  stars 
were  winking,  and  blinking,  and  noddinp-.   I  remarked  to  her  about  the 
beauty  of  the  sky  and  ouoted  Is  aim  19*1,  "The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of 
God  and  the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork."   Ghe  asked,  "Daddy,  is  God 
up  there  in  heaven?"   I  answered,  "Yes,  He  is!   But  do  you  really  xxuex 
kIjkxex  want  to  know  where  He  is?"  And  of  course  she  said  she  did,   1  pui 
pointed  and  said,  "He's  in  there!"   Her  eyes  got  as  big  as  half  dollars 
and  she  asked,  "Is  He  really?" 

Wow  this  is  honest  doubt  and  this  must  have  been  the  reaction  as  word  began 
to  circulate  that  Jesus  Christ  had  arisen  from  the  tomb.   The  average  person 
would  have  asked,  "Did  He,  Really?"   Arid  with  that  questioning  xsiiMxaxifcxirax: 
may  not  have  been  convinced  but  assumed  an  attitude  of  awaiting  further  proof 
But  had  you  asked  some  of  the  religious  elite  of  that  day  their  reaction 
would  have  been  one  to  the  contrary.   It  would  have  been,  "Did  He,  Really? 
Oh  yeah,  sure.   "lad  to  hear  that!   Put  if  you  really  want  to  know  the  truth, 
we  fixed  Him  Sot   pood,  so  what  you  are  hearing  is  ,iust  the  wild  imaginations 
of  some  of  His  followers."   There  is  nothin-  wron>^  with  honest  doubt,  in  fact 
it  serves  a  worthwhile  purpose  and  that  purpose  is  to  seek  the  truth.   And 
when  the  truth  Is  known,  honest  doubt  should  then  give  way  to  faith  and  as- 
surance.  In  the  case  of  Nancy,  she  didn't  completely  understand  what  I  told 
her  even  with  an  explanation.   But  she  believed  what  she  was  told  and  today 
she  knows  for  a  certainty  that  God  does  live  in  her  heart  because  she  has 
accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  her  lord  and  Savior.   And  as  we  deal  with  all  as- 
pects of  Christianity  we  see  that  the  message  of  Jesus  Christ  prompts  every- 
one to  take  a  side.   The  example  of  His  resurrection  is  just  one  point  on 
which  sides  are  chosen.   Either  it  is  believed  or  it  is  passed  off  as  some 
sort  of  fairy  tale.   Wg  can  read  in  Scripture  of  the  choices  which  the  people 
of  that  day  made . 

In  the  account  which  is  given  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  we  see  several  differs 
ent  things  which  Matthew  chooses  :to  include.   After  Joseph  had  buried  the 
body  of  Jesus  in  tfe  his  tomb,  Matthew  tells  us  that  the  next  day  the  chief 
priests  and  the  Pharisees  came  to  see  Pilate.   They  told  him  of  the  words  of 
Jesus  about  rising  again  on  the  third  day.   And  isn't  it  ironic  that  the  very 
ones  who  didn't  believe  in  Him,  were  the  same  ones  who  were  worried  that  there 
may  be  some  truth  in  what  He  had  said?   So  in  order  to  prevent  this  from  hap- 
pening, they  asked  Pilate  to  decree  that  the  tomb  be  sealed  with  the  official 
Homan  seal.   This  meant  that  wax  and  string  would  have  been  used  and  if  the 
string  were  broken  it  would  reveal  the  seal  had  been  pampered  with.   And  alonj 
with  thi»  a  guard  was  stationed  at  the  tomb.   Put  on  that  early  Sunday  morn 


-2- 

we  read  that  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  an  anerel  descended  from  heaven  and 

rolled  back  the  stone  and  the  guards  who  were  on  duty  were  stunned  and  were 

in  a  trance.   The  women  who  had  come  to  the  tomb  were  greeted  by  the  angel 

and  were  told  to  tell  the  disciples  that  Jesu3  had  arisen.   As  they  ran  ton 

their  happy  errand,  they  were  met  by  none  other  than  Jesus  himself.   After  He 

had  talked  to  them,  He  also  advised  them  to  go  and  tell  the  disicplee. 

At  this  point  then  we  read  in  the  ?$th  chapter,  -&im   beginning  at  the  11th 

verse:  "Now  when  they  were  going,  behold,  some  of  the  watch  came  into  the 

city,  and  shewed  unto  the  chief  priests  all  the  things  that  were  done, 
And  when  they  were  assembled  with  the  elders,  and  had  taken  counsel, 
they  gave  large  money  unto  the  soldiers,  saying,  "Say  ye,  His  dis- 
ciples came  by  night,  and  stole  Him  away  while  we  slept.   And  if  this 
come  to  the  governor's  ears,  we  will  persuade  him,  and  secure  you. 
So  they  took  the  noney ,  and  did  as  they  were  taught:  and  this  saying  is 
commonly  reported  amonr  the  Jews  until  this  day."" 

Edwin  Karkham  wrote  a  poem  about  one  of  the  soldiers  who  in  his  younger  y,ears 

kad  been  at  the  crucifixion  and  had  stood  guard  at  the  tomb.   Iiow  he  was  an 

b±£&  old  man  and  he  was  remembering  what  had  taken  place.   He  ends  his 

thoughts  with  the  words,  "Years  have  1  wandered,  carrying  my  shame; 

Tiow  let  the  tooth  of  time  eat  out  my  name. 
For  we,  who  all  the  wonder  si  might  have  told, 
Kept  silence,  for  our  mouths  were  sjjopped  with  gold, 

Money  can  buy  anything,  but  it  cannot  buy  truth.  To  analyze  this  incident 
briefly  we  must  see  the  absurdity  xfxtfcs  and  the  futility  of  the  actions  of 
these  Jewish  leaders.  In  order  to  keep  these  Roman  soldiers  from  being  ex- 
ecuted, Pilate  and  other  ?oman  officials  would  have  had  to  be  paid  off  also. 
If  one  of  those  guards  were  to  be  found  guilty  of  being  asleep  on  duty,  all 
of  them  would  have  been  executed.  That  is  how  seriously  the  Romans  thought 
about  negligence  of  duty. 

So  here  we  see  the  very  first  attempt  to  deny  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. 
But  those  attempts  didn't  die  ±axtteH  on  that  first  Raster  day,  they  have 
continued  right  down  to  our  own  present  day  and  age.   In  a  book  which  came 
out  around  1%5  a  Jewish  scholar  named  Hugh  "chonfield  tried  to  prove  that 
the  entire  episode  of  Jesus'  birth,  life,  death  and  resurrection  was  a  hoax. 

He  entitled  his  book,  "The  Passover  Plot."   Listen  to  what  he  writes: 
"It  is  the  moment  before  sundown  4n  Jerusalem.   On  the  hill  Golonotha 
three  bodies  are  suspended  on  crosses.   Two,  the  thieves  are  dead. 
The  third  appears  so.  This  is  the  drugged  body  of  Jesus  of  Kazareth, 
the  man  who  planned  his  own  crucifixion,  who  contrived  to  be  given  a 
soporific  potion  to  put  him  into  a  deathlike  trance.   Now  Joseph  of 
Arimathea,  bearing  clean  linen  and  spices,  approaches  and  recovers  the 
still  form  of  Jesus.   All  seems  to  be  prtceedin";  according  to  plan." 

low  this  is  only  one  example  of  someone  trying  to  disprove  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus.   The  main  reason  for  it  is  because  what  God  did  is  simply  not 

possible,  at  least  from  the  human  understanding  or  reasoning.   But  the  one 


-3- 

thing  each  of  these  theories  possess  is  womewhat  like  a  man  who  xtrs.   had  a  ver; 

unique  problem. 

(Illustration  of  man  who  was  convinced  he  was  dead) 

There  was  a ran  who  lived  in  Boston  iho  had  a  very  unique  problem.   He  was 
very  much  alive,  but  he  was  convinced  he  was  dead.   No  amount  of  per- 
suasion could  convince  him  otherwise.   Ho  he  went  around  saying  to  himself 
and  everyone  else,  "I'm  dead,  I'm  dead."  Hir  family  took  him  to  several 
doctors  and  then  finally  to  a  psychologist.   As  he  walked  into  the  psy- 
chologists office  he  muttered,  "I'm  dead,  I'm  dead."   The  pschologist" 
examined  him  and  told  him,  "I  want  you  to  go  around  all  this  week  repeat- 
ing this  phrase:  "Dead  men  don't  bleed  ....  dead  men  don't  bleed." 
The  man  left  the  office  and  all  week  long  he  repeated  the  phrase  and  came 
back  to  the  doctor's  office  tfeKXEEXjfc  for  his  visit,  still  repeating  the 
phrase,   "Good"  said  the  psychologist ,  "now  we're  Fretting  somewhere." 
So  he  sat  him  in  a  chair  and  told  him  he  was  goinr  to  perform  an  experi- 
ment on  him.   Taking  a  pin,  he  pricked  the  man's  finder  and  squeezed  it 
to  make  it  bleed  more  profusely.   "There,  you  pee,  you're  not  dead, 
you're  alive."   The  man  looked  down  at  his  finder  in  utter  astonishment 
and  then  replied,  "What  do  you  know  about  that?   Dead  men  do  bleed L" 

This  man  simply  would  not  face  reality  and  this  If  exactly  what  is  taking 

place  with  those  who  try  to  disprove  the  resurrection. 

But  even  in  the  midst  of  His  circle  of  friends  there  was  unbelief.   We  read 

in  our  Scripture  this  morning  of  the  women  coming  to  the  tomb  and  being  told 

He  had  arisen.   Go  we  read  of  them  in  the  8th  verse,  "And  they  remembered  His 
words,  and  returned  fromthe  sepulchre,  and  told  all  these  things  unto  the 
eleven,  and  to  all  the  rest." 

The  women  believed,  but  we  read  of  the  others  in  the  11th  verse,  "And  their 
words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales,  and  they  believed  them  not." 

But  their  unbelief  turned  to  belief  as  we  learn  from  John's  account  of  the 

resurrection  day  in  his  Gospel,   They  were  assembled  in  the  Upper  :?oom  with 

the  doors  locked  and  Jesus  stood  in  their  midst,  and  said,  "Peace  be  unto 
you.   And  when  He  had  said  so,  He  shewed  unto  them  His  hands  and  His  side. 
Then  were  the  disciples  glad,  when  they  saw  the  lord." 

But  the  climax  of  this  story  is  that  T~omas  was  not  with  them  and  when  they 

told  him,  he  said  that  unless  he  could  see  the  nail  prints  and  put  his  finger 

into  them  and  pit  his  hand  in  His  side,  he  would  not  believe.   Eight  days  latei 

Jesus  appeared  to  them  again  and  Jesus  invited  Thomas  to  touch  Him  and  put 

his  hand  in  His  side  in  order  to  believe.   And  we  read  of  Thomas  in  the  28th 

verse,  "And  Thomas  answered  and  said, "MI  lord  and  my  God."   Thomas'  belief 

was  brought  about  only  by  seeing  for  himself.   Jesus  said  to  him,  "Thomas, 

because  thou  hast  seen  He,  thou  hast  believed:  blessed  are  they  that  have  not 

seen,  end  yet  have  believed." 

lXxrKp±yX±HxikSXS*atK»EX!±^^ESKSx2^rXKtxiaxX^XK2nf^xttxskBMi^E^±XHIBXHxtkE 

^MHK±xEBxxi!x>±iix-KKxxitsa:xtyx*^:xfe-Ktxa:ES*Ka.± 

(Illustration  of  William  Gangster  and  shouting  on  Haster) 

William  Gangster  was  a  noted  Methodist  minister  in  England.   Follwoing 
;orld  War  II  he  headea  a  renewal  movement  in  England.   But  then  his  ministry 
except  for  prayer  was  ended  by  a  disease  which  progressively  paralyzed  his  * 


-4- 

body,  including  his  vocal  chords.   On  the  last  Egster  he  spent  on  earth 
he  painfully  printed  a  note  to  his  daughter.   But  still  barely  able  to 
move  his  fingers  he  wrote,  "How  terrible  to  wake  up  on  Easter  and  have 
no  voice  to  shout,  'He  is  risen! '   Far  worse,  to  have  a  voice  and  not 
want  to  shout." 

Jesus  Christ  arose  from  the  grave!   And  some  may  ask,  "Did  He,  Really*:" 
Yes  He  did,  and  God  has  shown  it  to  us  in  His  Word  nnd  revealed  it  for  all 
to  know  and  believe  through  Jesus  Christ  Himself 


Community  Bible  Church 
5afiamore,  Pa 


-  Faster   .Sunday   April    11,    1993  -  nPW9x«K 
9:W  A.M. 


Prelude 

Greetltifrs/Joys/AnnounemeiitB/Prayer  Pequeata 


■  St 


CALL   TO  WORSHIP: 

WHY  SBBC  YE  THE  LIVING   AMONG  THE   DEAD? 
HE  IS   HOT  HrRH,   BUT  IS  RISEN! 
HE   IS  RISEN  INDEED! 
LET  US  WORSHIP  ROD! 
"HYMN 

OFFERINe/TRAYES 
•  nCPLOGT 
PASTORAI  r^A^EF 

CHILDREN'S  PR03RAW 

TIlBEi    MUTTHEV   ?R:1-10 

K:      "DARKNESS  TO  LIGHT"     -  St,   Paul(a  Sutler  V?2/8'< 
•HYMN 

[cnoii 

•FOSTLUDE 


V/SFT  SUN    IN    JEM    "'-""   SAT  EVE.BABKHES    DESCF1S  S,  SAB  CPU   ?CL03E 
UM/SADNES  WH/BLAKNES  NITE  CAN  DO  HAFTS  FEOPL 
SM  GRP  FELT  BLAKNES   HABTS/LIVS   (■  WEP    CI5HART/DISCCUHAG/SAD, 
"   CERT   ITINRATE   PR   HAD  TOUCH  THER   LIVS 
EV:    »HAD  SHOWN/SHARD  W/THEH  NOW  SHATTRD  BCUZ  HE   DED.3URIED 

BAND   K3CIPS   SCATTH   I  HIDE, AFRAID  AUTHORTTS   U1K   <tT 
VSll=FROB  SLEEPLES   NTTE  i   CUM  PREP  BODY  IE  CUD  BCUZ  SAB  C'/R 

DAVN-C  AM  t,   CLOSE  TO   IT  AS   WOWS   ARBIV 
3S   J.STONE  NO  NEED  REMOV  *   JS   SCBM   CUT-ALHEDY   TAK  PLACE  B*    ERTH^ 

THIS   ^UAK   G  CMS    HAPS   SO  EMPTY   TOMB   CBEB 
VS    J-Dir  APEARANC  LIK  JS   WEN  TRANSE'CURD  B%   DISCIPS  ON   MT 

.    ASUK  HADIANC  OF  GLORY   FS/GCD,!-   FF/ftVN 
VS<t«SOLDIEHS    IN  TRANCE 

VS    ?=ANWL  ASSUR   WOMN   IT   OK  S,   WAT  HAB  TAKN   PLACE  WAS   FR/OCD 
tILUS  ANNOUNCER  fr  LOOK  OUT  FOR  EASTER) 
PERHAPS  HE  RITE  AFTR  AIL 
AT  THIS  PT  TO  TH/VOHN   IT  WAS   LOOK    OUT  FOR   EASTEH  BCUZ  LIE  WUD 
NEVER   B  TOE   SAKE   AGAIN  FOR   ANY   OF  THEM  &  FOR  THE  WORLD 
VSS  £-7-CAN  U  PICTDR  PEER  IN?  EMPTY  TOMS  t,  C  GRAVCLOTHES  STIL 

IN  SHAPE  OF  30DY  HAD  BIN  IN  THEM  -  LIK  COCOON 
VS    8-GUD  NEWS    TOO  OtID  TO  KEEP 
VS   9=SURPRIKE 

VS   10.WAT  DID  .  '?      GO  »   TEL  OTHHS 

LITE  HAD  3ROKN  FORTH  OUT  OF  DAHKNES  TH/OLUK  S-   DESPAIR  OF  NITE 
WAS  OVH 
JS    '.'AS    BAK   PR/THE  GRAVE 
(ILUS  OF  PREACHH  I.  RC3BEPS  Sr  ALMOST  LOSING  HIS  LITE) 
TH/SAME  TitTNG  HA1^  IN  ANCIENT  JEM  ON  FRIDAY  MR  ZK  YRE   AOO 

THOZ   IN   CBM    EKECWIN   LITRLY   BEAT  HIH   ?DETH 
(V      \        THCLOGIET  FH/MAYO  CLINIC   EXAMIN  RECRORDSft   DETERM  JS    DY 

FFl  H    nH'ITALTTY   OF  THE  GUARDS) 
YET  CAM   TO  LIE  3DAYS    LATK   t,  THREW   ARMF    AFND  US.ACPT  US  AS  WER 

t,  OFFR  US  CHANC   TO  LIV  FORMER  W/HIM 
S,   HE  CFFRS   PAME  TC   ANY  %  ALL  WHO  WIL  CUM  TO   HTM   IN   FAITH 
THIS   IS   THE  EASTER  MESAG   -DARFNES   HAS  BIN  OVFCUM  BY  LIGHT 
TH/DARKNES   OF  SIN  St  BETH  HAS  BIN    DEEEATD  BY  THAITE  OF  TH/rfORLD 
JS   IF   IS   KHI  RISEN  TODAY  «■    IS    ALIV   FOP   EVRMOP  FOR   U  t  ME 
THANKS   B  TO  GOD  FOR   HIS    tlNSrKABL  GIFT  JS   XP  OUR   RI3N  SAV  &   LOI 


"crip : 


"Darkness   To   1  i -M. ' 
Matthew  28:1-10 


«/set   of  sun  in   Jeru  on  cert  3at .   eve  darknes  descend 
an/    ;>abath  came   2olos 
w,   .arknes   came  gloom/sadnes  wh/blaknes   nite   can  do 
B"  wel   &   in  hartp/livp   atrial  grp  peop  bl-.knes   felt 
Tl    J  discouracdishart/sad   peop  Bcuz   cert   itinerant 
preachr  touch  ther  livs 
tol   wondrfl   proms, shar  butiful  hopes/dreams   S    now 
thoz   things  wer   nothin  raor  than  that=hope  /dream 
a  few  thea  peop  went   Prest  that   nite   thots   mision 
wud  fulfil  nex  day   in  fardn  tomb 

all   liklihud  ther  lit!  rest  4any   them 
smal  band   discif-   neater , afraid    authortys   luk  '+them 
<  nly  women  cud   rest   secur,if  rosibl 
Ther   Flov   frend    Js    of    !!az    was   ded 
sum  had   reen  deth  t  k   plac,othrs    in  hide   '•   herd   and 
"nen  ident-    ■  ?■  ■         ;,Marj   rothr    James  arcs   erly 
w/spic  2anoint  bod:? 
about   SAM   Ecuz  tol  dawn  Pward    1st  day  aftr  Tabath 
precis   moment  violent   erthquak,angl   ascend  rol   stone 
it   on   it 
He  dif   fr/othr  peopeVs   5=may  recal   Js   8    transfig 

face   shone       raiment  white   as    li 
Face /clothes   assurc  radianc   of  "lory  ,«-lorfy  W  discipi 
this  wat  an,  1  she=glory  fr/hvn,fr/G   7etbr/from  Glorj 
vs  4=soldiers  fear,intrance 

uagl  assur  women  OK 
|    stone   no  rol  way  Bcuz    let    Js   out, He  alredy  n-one 
He  arose   W   any  this   tuk  plac    &  noine   need   releas 
Bcuz  He  defeat  deth 
C   'us  look  out  for   Saster) 

pe^nap  rite   aftr  all=this  pt   livs   thez  women  it  was 
Luk  out   4   Eastr   St  wonderfl   surprir   had 
Can  II  pictur  peer  in2  empty  tom>  v   cloths 

stil   ly   ther   in  shape   of  body? 
Js   pas   out   them  lik  cocoon 
va   ?=instruct   Psprert    news    Js  aliv 
vs    8=reaction  to   this    news; it   rVud    2keap    80   rnn 

but  as  ran  suml  blok  path 
vs   §=&  How  did  they  kno   it   was   Him? 
read  held  Him  by  feet   and   saw  wounds   of   nails   in 
feet, 
recogniz  thoz  wounds   Fufr  4-them 
But    :ino   met    Js   wat   He   want   from  them? 
vs   10»His  advic   2shar     "ud    news   He   cum  bak  fr/rrav 
1J    %  brkn  4th   out   of   darknes;. -loom    '    despair   of 
lo-^t;  nite  was   ovt 

He   bak  amon:-   livinr  fror    the    -rave 


(Illus   preacher  St  robbers   v.  almost   losing  life 

"jame   thinr   hapn    ancient    Jem   on  Tri    POOOTr   aro 
Thoz   oharr  executin   literl  beat   -deth  on  cress 
^eti,came   bak   aftr   Jday   6   thru    arm  rnd    us,accpt 
js   way  we   wer        offr  chanc  8  51iv  4evr  w/Him 
■     He   offr   Paaj  St  all  who  wil  cum  "Him   in  faith, 
at   same   '+plvnes   &   triumph   ovr  deth 

"rends,   this    is    liastr   me 
Darknes  has  bin  overcum  by  tight 
The   darknes  :of   sin   &  deth  had  bin  beaten  by  the 
Light   Of   The    rforld 

Js   Xp  is   ffisn  Pday  8    B„    is   aliv  4evrmor,'tU  Si  *Me 
Thanks  Be   to     :od    .or   His  unspeakable   rift, 
Js    <p  our  Risen  Savior   And   Lord. 


"Darkness  To  Light" 
Scripture:  Matthew  28:1-10 

With  the  setting  of  the  sun  in  Jerusalem  on  a  certain  faturday  evening, 
darkness  descended  and  the  xxksexkxxehkih  Tabbath  came  to  a  close.   With 
that  darkness  came  the  rloom  and  sadness  which  the  blackness  o<5  night  can 
do  so  well.   In  the  hearts  and  lives  of  a  small  group  of  people  the  blackness 
was  felt  more  than  others.   These  were  the  discouraged,  diheartened  and  sad- 
dened people  whose  lives  a  Certain  itinerent  preacher  had  touched.   He  had 
told  them  wonderful  promises,  had  shared  beautiful  hopes  and  dreams  and  now 
all  of  those  things  were  nothing  more  than  that,  just  hopes  and  dreams. 
A  few  of  these -people  went  to  their  rest  that  nirht  with  fcks  thoughts  of  the 
mission  they  would  fulfill  that  next  day  in  a  garden  tomb.   In  all  liklihood 
there  was  little  rest  for  any  of  them.   The  small  band  of  disciples  were 
scattered,  afraid  that  the  authorities  may  be  out  looking  for  them.   Only 
the  women  could  rest  if  that  were  possible.   T,„eir  beloved  friend  Jesus  of 
Kazareth  was  dead.   rome  of  them  had  seen  that  death  take  place  but  for  the 
most  of  them  they  received  that  news  secondhand  where  they  were  hiding. 
So  it  was  that  the  women  identified  in  our  Scripture  as  F.ary  Fagdalene  and 
Fary  the  mother  of  Jomes  arose  early  and  came  with  their  spices  while  it  was 
still  dark  to  anoint  the  body  of  Jesus.   The  time  was  around  6:00  A.N.  be- 
cause we  are  told  that  it  began  to  dawn  toward  the  first  day,  in  the  end  of 
the  the  oabbath.   The  First  day  would  officially  begin  at  6:00  and  the  old 
day,  the  Sabbath  would  end.   And  at  this  precise  moment  there  was  a  violent 
earthquake  and  an  angel  of  the  lord  came  from  heaven  we  are  told  and  rolled 
the  huge  stone  back  and  sat  on  it. 

He  was  clearly  different  from  anyone  else  because  verse  3  tells  us  "His 
countenance  was  like  lightning  and  his  raiment  white  as  snow."  You  may 
recall  when  Jesus  was  up  on  the  mount  of  Transfiguration  with  Peter  and 
James  and  John,  his  face  shone  and  His  raiment  was  white  as  light.   At  that 
point  Jesus'body  and  clothing  assumed  the  radiance  of  Glory.   He  was  actuall; 
glorified  before  His  Disciples.   This  angel  shone  as  well  because  he  had 
ju^t  come  from  heaven,  from  God  the  Father,  from  "lory. 

Those  Roman  soldiers  who  were  left  there  to  guard  that  tomb  were  extremely 
frightened  and  shook  and  went  into  a  trance.  It  is  at  this  point  that  the 
equally  frightened  ivomen  are  addressed  by  the  angel  as  we  read  in  the  5th 

verse.   "And  the  angel  answered  and  said, unto  the  women,  "Fear  not  ye:  for 
I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which  was  crucified.   He  is  not  here:  for  He  is 
ri^en,  as  He  said.   Come,  see  the  place  where  the  lord  lay." 

The  stone  was  not  rolled  away  to  let  Jesus  out,  because  He  was  already  out 

of  that  tomb.   He  had  arisen  before  any  of  this  had  taken  place,  He  didn't 

need  someone  to  release  Fim  because  He  defeated  death. 


-2- 

( Illustration  of  new  radio  announcer  in  Cleveland  &  weather  report) 
A.  young  inexperienced  waxi  radio  announcer  on  a  Cleveland  radio 
station  xas  became  confused  as  he  tried  to  give  the  Easter  weather 
forecast.   He  was  supposed  to  say,  "The  outlook  for  Easter,"  hut 
instead  he  said,  "look  out  for  Easter." 

And  perhaps  he  was  right  after  all.   At  this  point  in  the  lives  of  these 

women  it  was  "look  out  for  Easter"  and  the  wonderful  surprise  they  had. 

Can  you  picture  them  peering  into  what  was  now  an  empty  tomh  and  seeing  the 

grave  clothes  lying  there  ax  still  wrapped  in  the  shape  of  a  body.   Jesus 

had  passed  out  of  those  wrappings  and  left  them  behind  like  an  empty  cocoon. 

So  they  were  instructed  to  spread  the  news  that  Jesus  was  alive  as  verse  7 

relates,  (read  this). 

And  what  was  theie  reaction?  In  verse  8  we  read,  "And  they  departed  quickly 
from  the  sepulchre  with  fear  and  great  joy;  and  did  run  to  bring  His  dis-" 
ciples  word." 

This  news  was  too  good  to  keep  and  so  they  ran  to  tell  it. 

But  as  they  ran  to  spread  the  news  they  were  met  by  someone  blocking  their 

path.   ./e  read,  "And  as  tiey  went  to  tell  Pis  disciples,  behold,  Jesus 
met  them,  saying,  "All  hail."   And  they  came  and  held  Him  by  the  feet, 
and  worshiped  Him."  verse  9 

Isn't  it  possible  that  they  had  made  a  mistake  and  it  wasn't  Jesus? 

How  did  they  know  it  was  Him? 

(Illustration  of  the  scarred  hands) 

An  orphan  boy  lived  with  his  grandmother.   One  night  their  house  caught 
fire  and  the  grandmother  died  tryinp-  to  rescue  the  sleeping  boy  up- 
stairs.  A  crowd  gathered  around  the  burning  home.   -he  boy's  cries  for 
help  were  heard  above  the  crackling  of  the  blaze.   No  one  seemed  to 
know  what  to  do,  because  the  front  of  the  house  was  completely  enveloped 
in  flames.   Suddenly  a  stranger  rushed  out  of  the  crowd  and  around  to 
the  back  of  the  house.   He  spotted  an  iron  pipe  that  reached  up  the 
house  near  an  upstairs  window.  He  disappeared  for  a  m inute ,  but  then 
was  seen  coming  down  the  iiH3!x?!iBKXK±±ii  hot  iron  pipe  with  the  boy 
hanging  on  to  his  neck.   The  crowd  cheered  because  the  boy  was  safe. 
Weeks  later  a  public  hearing  was  held  in  the  court  room  to  determined 
who  should  get  custody  of  the  little  boy  because  he  had  no  relatives. 
A  farmer  asked  to  have  him  because  he  said  he  had  lots  of  room  for  the 
boy  to  grow  in.   A  teacher  said  he  would  raise  him  and  give  him  a  good 
education.   The  richest  man  in  the  community  said  he  would  raise  the 
boy  and  give  him  the  advantage  of  everything  that  money  could  buy. 
.■. ould  anyone  else  like  to  say  a  word,  the  Judge  asked.   From  the  back 
of  the  room  a  stranger  rose  and  walked  to  the  front.   V-  he  stood  in 
front  of  the  bench,  for  the  first  time  the  little  boy  raised  his  eyes 
from  staring  at  the  floor.  He  looked  at  the  man  and  saw  him  pull  his 
hands  from  his  pockets.   Tv,ey  were  deeply  scarred  and  red  and  the 
little  boy  uttered  a  cry  of  recognition.   The  little  boy  jumped  into  the 
man's  arms  and  held  <  on  to  his  neck.   The  boy  wanted  to  be  raised  by  the 
one  who  had  risked  his  life  to  save  him. 

How  did  the  women  recognize  -ghat  the  one  standing  before  them  was  Jesus? 

They  saw  His  torn  hands  and  feet  from  the  nails.   They  recognized  that  those 

wounds  were  suffered  on  their  behalf. 

And  now  that  they  had  met  Jesus  again,  what  was  it  He  said  to  them?   In  the 


-3- 

10th  verse  we  read,  "Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  'Be  not  afraid:  go  tell  my 
brethren  that  they  go  into  Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  He.'" 

His  advice  was  to  share  the  pood  news  that  He  had  come  backofrom  the  grave. 

Light  had  broken  forth  our  of  darkness.   The  gloom  and  despair  of  the  E±^kfc 

long  night  were  over.   He  was  back  among  the  living  from  the  grave. 

(Illustration  of  preacher  and  robbers  and  almost  losing  his  life) 

About  45' years  ago  a  preacher  was  sitting  in  his  office  in  the  church. 
Unknown  to  him  several  blocks  away  a  robbery  was  taking  place.   Three 
young  men  were  robbing  the  local  bank.   In  their  attempt  to  get  away 
one  of  them  shot  and  killed  a  bank  teller.   Attempting  to  make  their 
get  away  their  car  broke  down  about  a  block  from  the  bank.   Leaving  their 
car  they  ran  down  the  street  and  entered  the  church.   Each  of  them  had 
mixed  emotions.   One  of  them  wanted  a  hostage,  one  hoped  for  some  help, 
and  the  other  didn't  know  what  he  wanted.   So  with  run  in  hand  they 
confronted  the  preacher.   He  tried  to  calm  the  intruders  and  as  he  talked 
to  them  the  phone  rang.  They  told  him  to  answer  it  and  for  some  unknown 
reason  while  he  was  on  the  phone  they  began  to  beat  him  with  their  fists 
and  gins.  Tie  fell  to  the  floor  unconscious  but  they  continued  to  beat 
him.   When  they  thought  he  was  dead,  they  decided  to  stuff  his  body  be- 
hind a  radiator  which  protruded  from  the  wall.   They  managed  to  get  him 
in  back  of  it,  all  but  his  head.   In  bj£kh  order  to  get  him  out  of  sight 
one  of  them  continued  to  hit  him  on  the  head  and  in  the  process  one  of 
bis  eyes  was  put  out.   '.'hen  they  realized  the1'  couldn't  budge  him  any 
further  behind  the  radiator  they  fled . 

Not  too  lor."™  afterward  police  arrived  and  seeing  the  evidence  of  a  strug- 
gle they  searched  for  the  body  and  found  it  wedged  behind  the  radiator! 
They  discovered  that  the  preacher  was  still  alive,  just  barely.   They 
rushed  him  to  the  hospital  and  while  underroinc-  surgery  he  died,   '•'hile 
the  doctors  were  filling  out  the  necessary  forms  they  had  placed  a  sheet 
over  the  body.   One  of  the  nurses  came  into  the  room  and  thought  she  de- 
tected movement  under  the  sheet.   They  invesl      3  and  somehow  the 
preacher  was  still  alive.   They  worked  on  him  and  stabilized  his  con- 
dition as  best  they  could. 

&  year  later  the  preacher  left  the  hospital  a  physically  broken  man.   He 
had  over  100  bone  breaks  now  mended  and  a  new  glass  eye.   His  face  had  to 

e  completely  done  over.   He  returned  to  his  church. 
The  three  robbers  had  been  caught.   The  one  who  had  shot  the  bank  teller 
was  sentenced  to  tfath  in  a  separate  trial.   The  other  two  also  tried  sepa- 
rately were  also  found  guilty.   On  the  day  of  the  sentencing  the  preacher 
asked  if  he  could  address  the  court.  Permission  was  granted  and  he  asked 
the  judge  to  release  the  men  into  his  custody  and  he  KBHiii  and  his  wife 
would  support  them  like  their  sons.   The  judge  was  reluctant,  but  he 
agreed  with  the  stipulation  that  if  they  got  into  any  other  trouble  it 
meant  an  immediate  jail  term. 

!  0  the  young  men  went  home  with  the  preacher  and  his  wife.   The  one  boy 
was  sullen  nnd  non-communicative  and  wouldn't  respond  to  the  love  being 
shown  to  him.   He  was  constantly  almost  into  trouble  and  finally  was  ar- 
rested and  sent  to  prison.   The  other  boy  was  also  sullen  and  non-communi- 
cative, but  the  pastor  continued  to  work  with  him,  with  what  seemed  like 
little  or  no  results.   Two  years  passed   and  one  afternoon  there  was  a 
knock  at  his  office  doer.   It  was  the  young  man  and  he  rushed  up  to  the 
desk  and  leaned  on  it  staring  at  the  preacher  and  he  said,  "You'll  never 
know  the  way  I  feel  every  time  I  look  at  you.   Don't  you  realize  it  was 
me  who  beat  you  on  the  head  and  put  out  your  eye?"   The  ^astor  replied, 
"Yes,  I  know  it  was  you.   I  was  looking  at  you  when  you  did  it."   The  man 
said,  "I  need  your  help!   I  can't  do  anything  for  you,  but  I  can  still 
help  other  people.   I  want  to  become  a  doctor  and  help  people  who  are 


-4- 

Blind.   ;ill  you  help  me?" 

The  preacher  stood  up  .  walked  around  the  desk  and  embraced  his  new  son, 

and  said,  "Of  course  I'll  help  you.   I'll  do  everything  I  can  to  help 

you  achieve  that  ^oal . 

Today  on  the  West  Coast  there  is  a  man  who  performs  surpery  to  aid  those 

who  are  visually  impaired.   The  reason  he  does  St>   is  because  40  years  ago 

he  took  away  from  another  man  the  most  precious  rift  that  man  possessed" 

not  just  his  sight  —  but  his  very  life.   Re  literally  beat  him  to  death. 

But  in  some  miraculous  fashion  that  man  came  back  from  the  dead  and 

offered  forgiveness,  and  love  and  the  chance  to  have  a  new  life. 

The  same  thing-  happened  in  ancient  Jerusalem  on  a  Friday  2000yyears  ago. 

T,_ose  in  charre  of  His  execution  literally  beat  Rim  to  death  on  a  Gross . 

Yet  He  came  back  after  3  days  and  threw  His  arms  around  us,  accepted  us  the 

way  we  were,  and  offered  us  the  chance  to  live  forever  with  Him.   And  He 

offers  to  any  and  all  who  will  come  to  Rim  in  faith  that  same  forgiveness 

and  triumph  over  death.   My  friends,  this  is  the  Raster  message!   Darkness 

has  been  overcome  by  light.   The  Darkness  of  sin  and  death  has  been  beaten 

by  the  Light  of  the  '.'orld,   Jesus  Christ  is  Risen  Today  and  Re  is  alive  for- 

evermore ,  for  you  and  for  me.   ^hanks  be  unto  God  for  His  unspeakable  gif  t , 

Jesus  Christ,  our  risen  Tavior  and  lord. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Penney lvania 
First  Sunday  After  Easter         April  29.  1964 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Betty  Huselton,  Organist 
Danny  Mangel  and  David  Andrews  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  **■  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ♦  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  595  11Lead  On,  0  King  Eternal" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  Lord,  whose  way  is  perfect, 
help  us,  we  pray  thee,  always  to  trust  in  thy  goodness; 
that,  walking  with  thee  and  following  thee  in  all 
simplicity,  we  may  possess  quiet  and  contented  minds, 
and  may  cast  all  cur  care  upon  thee,  for  thou  carest 
for  US5  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.   Amen," 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God I 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forevor 
•Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  607  "Where  He  Leads  Me" 
Call   to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxology     No.  3B2 


Scripture 
Sermon ! 

•Closing  Hymn  No. 


3  JOhn  13-15 
"WalWng  In  Truth; 
299    "He  Lives" 


Conclusion" 


Benediction 

Pestlude 

♦  +  +  1--I-  +  +  +  +  "Congregation  Standing  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed 
in  Loving  memory  of  Roy  Andrews  by  hie  "Wife" 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   "Alvin  Tait,  Mike 
Nasaruk,  Gottloh  Kradel  and  James  MeClymonde. 

Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Sue  Gamble. 
''Hospitalized  -  Mr.  Churok  Penar  -  V.A. 
CI  Vl>f      i-fAt-i/J H-  '"A  -  /3 u .■  Zc-'it. 

Robert  Dellen  and  Dick  Mangel  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week. 

The  Attendance  last  Sunday  137  -  17  visitors 

Monday  -  Volleyball 

Tuesday  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 

Wed.  -  7:00  -  Church  Council 

Thurs.  -  May  17th  at  6:30  P.M.  at  Grace  Church, 
Harmony,  Pa,   The  Butler  Area  Layman  announce  the  Spring 
Meeting  "Ladies  Night"  for  1964.  A  program  will 
folbw  the  dinner.   Come  and  enjoy  good  fellowship  with 
the  ladles  ar.d  Gentlemen  of  this  association. 
J.  Walter  Harmon  will  have  tickets. 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  + 

His  Plan  For  Me . 

Sometimes  the  puth  He  chose  for  me  has  led  through  pie-    to 
sant  ways. 

Through  peaceful  valley,    quiet  streams,   with  warm  and 

sunny  days . 

Sometimes  the  climb  is  steep  and  rcugh  with  darkness 

overhead, 
With  chilling  winds  and  fallling  stones,  but  still  the 

path  I  tread . 
I  know  this  path  was  planned  for  me  accoding  to  His  will 
I've  trusted  Him  throughout  the  past  and  I  will  trust 

Him  still. 
And  someday  He'll  reveal  to  me  the  wisdom  of  His  choice, 
Then  I'll  know  why  this  path  was  best  and  praise  Him, 

and  rejoice.  -  Copied 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Gottlob  Kradel  will  greet  the  Congregation 
and  Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning. 


Va   14C=He  merly  wish  peace   of    '      0  w/Ga   in  hi?  ' 

continu  Xpian  work  &  walk 
wen   Individ  rest   ear/keep   Almity   5   worl   canot  harm 
touch  rejrardles  circumstanc   of   life 
j.  this  wat   J  impart   2  Gaius 
Vs   1,4D»Ga  &  J  shar  mutul   frends/frendships    "    J  tel   Ga 
p     p  oonp    J  aembr  send   rreets/wel  wish  2  him 
Cl3J.ua  incont  &  r;pecil  frend    "ueen  Victoria) 

J  tel  Ga  he  has   thez   frends  hak  home  ch   &  all  them  H 
think/pray  4him  and   wil  not  4pet  him 

J  not   only  want   Ga  °kno  frends  talc  home   rend 
their  best   2him,but   Ga   Ifi   instructad- 
vs   14E=In   Saius   con":  many /many  peop  war  frends 
he  knu  all  by  name 
wernt    jus   colectiv     rrp   nanles  peop,insted  were  ysx 
persnly   kno   by  him 
Knu  ea   them  by  name 
i   striv   expres   self   only  way  he  knu 

nong  remov  fr/J  &  his   cong  by  distsnc  8  only 
way   posib  comuncate   eithr  letr  or   in  persn 
resort   method  of  writ 
situatin  sumwat   lik  litl  boy  want   expres  self  2  dad 
(Illus  boy  &  "Suet  had  to  do  aumthing  about   it) 
This   exact   wat   J  was  do 
reach   out   2  Ga   in  this  persnl  letr 

shar  hart   to  hart  things  want   Ga  2kno  bout 
Now  conclud   letr  £•  Spk  futur  time  wen  cud   spk  face   2 
face=hart    to  hart   in  per boh 
J  say=Gaius   I   luv  U  -in  the   lord   &  I've    jus   got  2do 
sumthin  about   it 
This  wat   G  wants  evr  raembr  His   Ch 

-  membr   shud   luv   1   nothr  &  reach   out  Pexpres   that 
J..J   Bcuz   that   luv  so   etrong,ws   mus  do  sunrthin  bout 
it 


'iaiian-    j.n    lunn:    -.onciu^ion' 
Scripture  :  j   John  1?-14 

Apos    Jn  oub   2end   bref   persnl    letr=But    is    it   the    end?'' 
p:     >   go  w/out  say  srenrl  rul  end  tnotin  picture  The   End 
But   saw  movie   no  end   th/way;no  remem  titl/pl6t=conclu 
at   end   instea    say=end=say=the  berin 

aint   way  end   movy   but    sura  instanc   aprop   if   portra 
lif  suml  did   spectacl   &  stil   liv  vibrant,   life  a    now 
that    event   prelud    2futur 
yltho    J*s    letr    no   end    th/way   nevrles    imply   as  will    C 
sed  many  time   B4   J  writ  dear  frend   Gaibus 
he   prob  pastr   lconp  in  Eph  ?.-  do  supr   Job  that  capac 
But  work   not   w/out  heHtache/probs ,but  also  hav 
wil  &  capbl  wrkrs   lik  Demetrius 
J  tol  Gaius  wat  want  tel   5:  now  brinr  letr   Pclos 
l?A=tel   G  only  bref  pontin  wat  want   2  writ/impart 
be   conclud    Sad   letr   much  saire   manr   if  U  recal 

=  in   2nd    letr  sed    no  writ  papr/ink  r.-  here=ink/pe 
pen  is  typcal  reed  pen   ■'■   wat   J  say  rathr  put  dwn  on 
papr,watevr  els  had    impart  2  Ga  wud  B  dun  persn 
&  wen  underst   Diotrephes   eitbr  destroy   letr,or  hide 
Bcum  clear  why   J  no  want  writ   furthr,prefr  delivr 
xkb.sk  uesaf  persnly 
J  no  tak  chanc  suml   lik  Diotrephes  caus   furthr  iura 
harm  that  litl  conp-  &  so  lik  2nd   letr  conclus= 
vs   14A«tlotic*J  no  say=I'll   B  ther,U   can  expec   me" 
J  eldly  man  as   sed    P4   Ss  knu   lif  G's  hands   &   not  up2 
him  set  times   &  seasons 

letr    James   circulat   6  prob   J  red   &  knu   contents 
James  4:14-15=  J  no   mak  proms  def  wudB   ther 
all  say=J  trus  wilB  ther.the  Lord  willing" 

'lis   how  we   shud   conduc   afairs  Bcuz  we   no  kno  wat 
^iflorro  brinr     ■  whethr   in  G's   providenc  we  can  do 
But   not   only  duz    J  say  he   plae   futur  days   I  's  hands, 
but   Ik  4ward  specil   joy  wudE  his    if   permit   C  Ga  agin 
Vs  14B=Gr   is   21itrl  spk= mouth/mouth 
convers-lip    lpersn  2  lip  otar  persn=he.rt  to  hart, or 
lovinrly  1  dear  frend  to   anothr  dear  fredn 
ment  'j  shar   intim.it   things   of  faith  w/Ga  &  cud   only 
B  dun  proprly   in  persn 
canot   emphasiz   enuf    J  Ik  Iward  2  this  very  eagerly 
no  suden  wim  2C  dear  frend  isx  1   last   time=mor  than 
it  utmos   import   2Jn  he   &  Ga  meet   lnoe   arin  2spk    ■ 
discus  thinrs   of  faith  &  continu   clos   relatstaip  had 
it   unfortunat  we  no  hav  furthr  info  re-ard   wat    J  &  >.>a 
ph:      ,4    that   concre;-atin  , 

(Il^us    C.8.    Lewi.-    £    freet    frend   Sheldon  VanaukenJ 
thin    Bumwftt    gist  wat    J  nay   2    Gaius; no    say   rudby.let 
futur  meet    in  S 'a   hands    i    3  wil  wil  meet   nrin  th/lif 
&   if   not, wil   meet   in  eternty 


"Walking  In  Truth:  Conclusion" 

Scripture :  3  John  13-14- 

The  Apostle  John  now  comes  to  the  end  of  this  brief  personal  letter.   But 
is  it  really  the  end?   It  probably  goes  without  saying:  that  the  general  rule 
for  ending  a  motion  picture  is  to  flash  on  the  screen  "THe  End"  at  its  con- 
clusion.  But  I  saw  a  movie  once  that  didn't  end  in  this  manner.   I  don't 
remember  tkHxsiBxxH  what  the  title  of  the  movie  was,  nor  do  I  remember  the 
plot;  the  only  thing  I  recall  it  is  its   conclusion.   At  the  very  end  of  it 
instead  of  the  words  "the  end"  appearing  on  the  screen,  the  words,  "The  be- 
ginning "HEXKxfitx2fcK&  appeared.   A  nuanit  way  to  end  a  movie,  but  in  some  in- 
stances a  more  appropriate  ending  that  what  has  been  the  norm  for  most 
films.   If  the  movie  rortrays  the  life  of  someone  who  did  something  spectacu 
lar,  or  made  world  news,  and  that  person  is  still  vibrant  and  alive  and  on 
the  move  in  life,  why  not  depict  the  past  action  as  merely  a  prelude  to  the 
future?   Although  John'r,  letter  does  not  end  in  this  manner,  nevertheless  it 
is  implied  as  we  shall  see. 

As  we  have  said  many  times  before,  John  was  writing  to  his  very  dear  friend 
in  the  Lord,  a  man  named  Gaius .   Gaius  was  in  all  probability  the  pastor  of 
one  of  the  congregations  in  Ephesua .   And  he  was  doin?:  a  super  Job  in  that 
capacity.   But  his  work  was  not  without  heartache  and  problems.   But  Gaius 
not  only  had  the  loving  support  of  the  Apostle  John  but  had  willing  and  able 
workers  in  the  church,  among  whom  was  a  man  named  JdKjcstxtEXMK  Demetrius. 
John  has  told  Gaius  the  things  he  wished  to  impart  in  this  letter  and  now  he 
brings  it  tc  a  close.   John  writes,  "I  had  many  things  to  write."  He  is 
telling  Gaius  that  this  letter  Is  only  a  brief  portion  of  the  things  he 
wanted  to  impart  to  him.   He  concluded  his  second  letter  in  much  the  same 

manner  if  you  recall.   In  this  13th  verse  he  adds,  "But  I  will  not  with  ink 
and  pen  write  unto  thee." 

In  his  second  letter  he  said  he  would  not  write  with  paper  and  ink  and  here 
he  states  that  he  would  not  write  with  ink  and  pen.   The  pen  John  is  refer- 
ring to  is  the  typical  reed  pen  which  was  used  to  write  letters.   But  what 
John  is  saying  is  that  rather  than  put  all  of  this  down  on  paper,  whatever 
else  he  had  to  impart  to  Gaius  would  be  done  in  person.   Mow  when  we  underp 
stand  that  somehow  or  other  Diotrephes  had  intercepted  a  previous  letter  and 
sittexEx  either  destroyed  It,  or  kept  it  from  the  rest  of  the  congregation, 
it  becomes  clear  why  John  didn't  want  to  write  further,  but  preferred  to 
deliver  his  messages  personally.   John  was  not  taking  chances  that  someone 
like  Diotrephes  could  cause  further  harm  in  that  little  congregation.  Thus, 
like  the  conclusion  of  his  second  letter,  John  writes  of  his  intention  to 
visit  the  congregation  of  Gaius,   \nd  he  says  this  in  the  14th  verse  by 

stating,  "But  I  trust  I  shall  xnxsx?  shortly  see  thee,  and  we  shall  speak 
face  to  face." 


-2- 
Notice,  John  doesn't  say  "1811  be  there  on  such  and  such  ad  day,"  or  "You 
can  expect  me  to  arrive  at  this  time."   John  was  an  elderly  man  as  we  have 
also  said  several  times.   He  knew  that  his  life  was  in  God's  hands  and  it 
wasn't  up  to  him  to  set  times  and  seasons.   The  letter  of  James  was  in  cir- 
culation at  this  time  and  it  is  a  khh*  possibility  that  John  had  seen  it  and 
knew  of  its  contents.   In  that  letter,  James  had  included  the  warning  in  the 

4th  chapter  and  the  iipikxxHTKHxxikKHKxwBriisxxx'  l'+th  and  15th  verses,  "Where- 
as ye  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  morrow.   For  what  is  your  life?   It 
is  even  a  vapor,  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth 
away.  For  that  ye  ought  to  say,  'If  the  lord  will,  we  shall  live  and  do 
this,  or  that. ' " 

John  was  not  making  promises  that  he  definitely  would  be  there.   All  that  he 
was  saying  was,  "I  trust  that  I  will  be  there,  the  Lord  willing."  T^is  is 
how  we  should  conduct  our  affairs  because  we  know  not  what  tomorrow  may 
bring  and  whther  wx   it  is  in  God's  providence   to  do  such  and  such  as  we  so 
often  promise. 

But  not  only  does  John  say  that  he  is  2sBk±nx  placing  his  future  days  in 
the  lord's  hands,  but  he  is  looking  forward  to  the  special  joy  that  would  be 
his  KksxxfeK  if  he  were  permitted  to  meet  Gaius  again.  That  joy  was,  "We 
shall  speak  face  to  face,"   The  Greek  of  this  is  to  literally  speak  "mouth 
to  mouth."   It  is  to  converse  from  the  lips  of  one  person  to  the  very  lips 
of  another.   It  is  also  to  speak  "heart  to  heart,"  or  lovingly  from  one  very 
dear  friend  to  another  very  dear  friend.   It  meant  that  John  sought  to  share 
the  intimate  things  of  the  faith  with  Gaius  and  it  could  only  be  done  prop- 
erly in  person.   v_  cannot  emphasize  enourv  that  John  was  looking  forward  to 
this  very  eagerly.   It  wasn't  just  a  sudden  whim  to  see  a  very  dear  friend 
for  one  last  time,  it  was  more  than  that.   It  was  of  utmost  importance  to 
John  that  he  and  Gaius  meet  once  arain  to  npeak  of  and  discuss  the  things 
of  the  faith  and  continue  the  close  friendship  they  had  together,  itexixx 
axx2±s  Its  rather  unfortunate  that  we  do  not  have  further  information  re- 
garding what  John  may  have  further  imparted  to  Gaius  and  hir  conrreration. 

(Illustration  of  C.S.  xkh  lewis  greeting  his  friend  Sheldon  Vanauken) 
"I  hope  to  see  you  soon,"  C.  S.  lewis  shouted  across  High  Street  in  Ox- 
ford to  his  young  friend  rheldon  Vanaukenv   "At  all  events,"  he  said 
with  a  cheerful  grin,  "We'll  certainly  meet  again,  here  or  there." 
We  shook  hands,  and  he  said,  "I  sha'nt  say  goodbye.   tfE'll  meet  again." 
Then  he  plunged  into  traffic.   I  stood  there  watching  him.   'vhen  he  reachi 
the  pavement  on  the  other  side,  he  turned  round  as  though  he  knew  somehow 
that  I  would  still  be  standing  there  in  front  of  the  Eastgate.   Then  he 
raised  his  voice  in  a  great  roar  that  easily  overcame  the  noise  of  carw 
and  buses.   Heads  turned  and  at  least  one  car  swerved,   "Besides,"  he 
bellowed  with  a  preat  grin,  "Christians  never  say  goodbye," 

Tvis  is  somewhat  the  gist  of  what  John  is  sayin^  to  Gaius.   He  doesn't 
actually  say  goodbye,  he  lets  their  future  meetin^  in  the  hands  of  God, 
and  God  willing  they  will  meet  again  in  this  life.   And  if  not,  they  will 
meet  in  eternity. 


-3- 

Now  John  gives  his  concludinr  pre e tins'  as  we  read  in  the  14th  verse,  "Teace 
be  to  thee." 

He  is  merely  wishing  the  peace  of  God  to  <?o   with  laius  in  his  continued 
Christian  work  and  walk.   :hen  an  individual  rests  in  the  care  and  keeping 
of  "od ,  the  world  cannot  harm  him  or  touch  him  regardless  of  the  circum- 
stances of  life.   Ind  this  is  what  John  is  imparting  to  Gaius. 
T^en  he  adds ,  "Our  friends  salute  thee . "   Gaius  and  John  shared  mutual 
friends  and  friendships  and  John  is  telling  Gains  that  the  people  in  the 
congregation  in  which  John  is  a  member  send  their  greetings  and  well  wishes 
to  him. 

(Illustration  of  Maria  Vincent  and  her  friends,  God  and  the  Oueen  of  England 
Dr.  Schofield  who  was  a  physician  in  England  tells  of  visiting  a  woman 
named  Maria  Vincent  who  was  very  poor  and  destitute,   -^he  had  no  coal  to 
heat  her  one  room  with,  she  had  no  clothing  except  what  she  iiH&xEn  wore 
and  she  had  very  little  food.   The  doctor  asked  her  about  her  health  and 
her  life  concerning  how  she  would  have  her  needs  met.   She  merely^anssered 
that  she  had  no  friends.  He  asked,  "Sot  even  one?"  She  said,  "W~ll,  I 
&o   have  one.  Hasn't  He  kept  me  alive  for  7?  years?"  The  doctor  agreed 
that  God  was  a  friend,  but  he  was  interested  in  earthly  friends.   The 
said  she  had  a  friend  once  bu  the  woman  had  forgotten  her  completely. 
>/hen  Dr.  Schofield  inquired  further,  Maria  answered ,  ""ueen  Victoria." 
Then  she  told  how  the  nueen  and  her  mother  frequently  went  rowing  on  the 
river  near  where  she  once  lived.   One  of  the  sailors  had  become  deathly 
sick  and  was  brought  to  the  nearest  house  for  help.   That  house  just  hap- 
pened to  be  Maria's.   She  took  him  in,  put  him  to  bed  and  nursed  him  til 
he  died.   As  a  reward  the  nueen  had  sent  her  a  beautiful  white  Indain 
shawl  with  the  instructions  that  if  she  ever  needed  anything  to  let  her 
know.   Dr.  Schofield  went  home  and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  oueen  telling  her 
of  this  incident  and  in  a  few  days  he  received  a  letter  from  the  queen 
saying  that  all  of  this  was  true  and  she  enclosed  a  letter  for  Karia. 
The  doctor  delivered  the  letter  to  Maria  and  as  she  read  it  she  began  to 
cry  and  she  said,  "She  didn't  forget  me  after  all."  But  the  doctor  had 
to  point  out  that  with  her  letter  was  a  postal  order  for  a  large  sum  of 
money.   So  Maria  was  taken  to  the  post  office  and  was  able  to  buy  every- 
thing she  needed  for  her  comfort.   Thus,  because  of  her  special  friend  she 
had  all  she  ever  needed  in  this  life,  until  she  left  it  to  be  with  her 
greatest  Friend  of  all. 

John  is  telling  ".aius  that  he  has  all  of  these  friends  back  in  his  home 

church  and  all  of  them  are  thinking  about  him  and  praying  for  him  and  will 

not  forget  him. 

But  John  ot  only  wants  Gaius  to  know  that  the  friends  back  home  send  their 

best  to  him,  but  Gaius  is  *BXprKH±x±fcExiBsiixxfrxEx^x  instructed,  "Greet  the 
friends  by  name , " 

In  Gaius  congregation  are  many,  many  people  who  were  friends  of  John  and  he 
knew  them  all  by  name.   They  weren't  Just  a  collective  group  of  nameless  peo- 
ple.  But  instead,  they  were  personally  known  by  John.   He  knew  each  of  them 
by  their  name.   John  was  striving  to  express  himself  in  the  only  way  that 
he  knew,   Gaius  and  his  congregation  were  removed  from  John  and  his  con- 
gregation by  distance  and  the  only  way  possible  to  communicate  was  either 


■ 


-4- 
by  letter  or  in  person.   And  John  had  to  resort  to  the  method  of  writing. 
His  situation  was  somewhat  like  the  little  hoy  who  wanted  to  express  him- 
self to  his  daddy  =  (Illustration  of  hoy  and  "I  had  to  do  something  about  it 
A.  man  was  trying  to  read  and  his  little  boy  kept  interrupting  him.   He 
would  lean  against  him  and  say,  "Daddy,  I  love  you."  The  riasit  father 
would  give  him  a  pat  on  the  head  and  say,  "Yes," son,  I  love  you  too,"  and 
he  would  give  him  a  little  nudge  to  get  away  so  he  could  keep  on  reading. 
But  this  didn't  satisfy  the  little  boy  and  finally  he  ran  to  his  father 
and  said,  "I  love  you  daddy,"  and  he  jumped  up  on  his  lap  and  threw  his 
arms  around  him  and  gave  him  a  big  squeeze  saying,  "And  I've  just  got  fo 
DO  something  about  it." 

Tvis  is  exactly  what  John  was  doing.   He  had  reached  out  to  Gaihus  in  this 
little  personal  letter.   He  had  shared  the  heart  to  heart  things  he  wanted 
Gaius  to  know  about.   Now  he  was  concluding  this  letter  and  speaking  of  a 
future  time  when  they  could  speak  face  to  face,  heart  to  heart  in  person. 
John  was  saying,  "Gaius  I  love  you  in  the  Lord,  and  I've  just  got  to  DO 
something  about  it,"   T_  is  is  what  Sod  wants  of  every  member  of  His  Church. 
Every  member  should  love  one  another  and  reach  out  to  express  that  love 
because  that  love  is  so  strong,  we  must  do  something  about  it. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
The  Third  Sunday  in  EASTERTIDE      May  6,  1934 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Betty  Huselton,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel  and  Dawn  Carney  -  Acolytes 


+  + 


+  +  + 


+  + 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 
PrEiyer  Requests 

'Processional  Hymn  No.  526  "Faith  of  Our  Fathers" 

♦Ascription 

♦Exhortation 

♦Confession  <In  Unison)"Lord  God,  our  Saviour,  you  have 
been  faithful  in  your  promise  to  deliver  us  from  the 
guilt  of  our  sins,  and  make  us  acceptable  to  you  and 
your  kingdom.  But  too  often  I  have  not  been  faithful 
in  following  my  promise  to  obey  your  will,  and  I  have 
not  loved  my  neighbors  and  enemies.   I  humbly  ask 
forgiveness,  Lord.  In  Jesus  name.  Amen." 

♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 

♦Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


'Tis  so  sweet  to  trust  in  J.sbus" 


♦pastor: 

♦People: 

♦Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.   91 

Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxology 
Scripture 
Sermon 
*   ising  Hymn  Wo 


(to.  332 

Jude  1 — -4 
"Defensive  Coaching:   On  Faith" 
71  "Faith  is  the  Victory" 


> 

> 


' 


Benediction 

Postlude 

+  +  +  +  +  +  ♦  +  +  *Congre$atian  Standing  *+  +  -»+■  +  ♦» 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Edward  Weiehey  in  Loving  Memory  of  their 
"Parents" 

ng  as  Ushers  today:  'Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko,  Martin 

HerUjiz—-necea3ed  Mrs.  Zoa  Morrison  Fri  -  buried  Sun. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs,  Elaine  Wofwi. 
Hospitalized:  Hugh  Pyle,  Clyde  wachsmuth,  Katheryn 

Bancroft  -BCMHj  Charles  Penar  -  VA  Hospital. 
Paul  Campbell  and  Art  Snyder  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  and  a  shut-in  this  week. 
Elders  and  Deacons  training  classes  will  begin  next  week 
during  the  Sunday  School  hours.  The  classes  will 
continue  for  five  consecutive  Sunday's  and  conclude  on 
Sunday  June  10.   Anyone  interested  in  being  a  part  of 
these  classes  is  invited  to  attend. 
Tuesday  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 
Thurs.  -  May  17th  at  6:30  P.M.  at  Grace  Church, 

Harmony,  Pa.  The  Butler  *  Area  Layman  announce  the 
Spring  Meeting  "Ladies  Nifjht"  fcr  1984.  A   prog-am  will 
follow  the  dinner.  Come  and  enjoy  good  fellowship  with 
the  ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  this  association.  J.  Walter 

Harmon  will  have  tickets. 
Thurs  -  May  10th,  7:30  P.M.  -  Spiritual  Study 
Wed.  -  Mother  and  Daughter  Dinner  -  All  the  Women  of 

Church  are  invited.   Meat  dessert  and  beverage  will  be 

furnished.  You  are  asked  to  bring  your  own  table 

serviceand  a  tureen.   The  Rinky  Dinks,  a  barbershop 
quartet,  will  entertain  and  door  prized  will  be  awarded. 
The  Golden  Circle  is  in  charge  of  kitchen, the  dining  room 
will  be  decorated  by  Mary  Martha  Circle  and  Women's  Mary 
Prugh  has  planned  the  program.   Lois  Stokes,  Evle  Kennedy, 
and  Karen  Link  will  give  the  toasts  to  grandmother,  mother 
and  daughter.   There  will  be  lots  of  good  food  and 
fellowship,  so  come  and  join  in  the  fun. 
Volunteers  Against  Abuse  Center  will  be  conducting  a 
Spring  volunteer  training  program  on  Sat.,  May  12  from  10 
A.M.  to  4  P.M.  and  Sat.  May  19  from  10A.M.  to  4  P.M., 
at  the  Center  In  Zelienople.  The  Training  included 
lectures  and  group  discussions  and  communication  ski 31s. 

Attendance  121  -  12  Visitors. 


"Defensive   Coaching:    On  T^aith" 
"cripture:    Jude   ±x#   1-4    (use    1   &  2) 

II      s   conversatin   "-/her   wil   it   all   end" 
legit   nuest   &  perhap   lask  nor  than   othrs ,espcil  by 
cr    -ecn  peop   Bcuz   ther   seem  2B  no   absoluts ,stabilty 
Ju_u  wher  wil   it  all  end???? 

'Jiscips    Js   want   kno   this    also    B   ask=Mt   24:3-14 
vss   3-5=fals  Xps,healrs=exampl   lesiah   NY  Times   ad 
vss  6-7=wars,erthwuaks ,famins   3rd  world; tornados    & 

jus   this   wk  up  2     'ed 
v?s    R-ll=peop  folo   thoz    lead   arite  ,suposedly ; Tfest  re- 
liglns   rro=medtate  ,contemp,":.  go    in?  tranc, 
get   hi   2   forget   worl    "    probs 
vs   12=Bcuz   sin   sural  say='-;ats   use?   everl   croked,if   no 

beat   em,tioin  em  &  this   wat   hap   society  2day 
Bu   Paul, Peter, Jn  say=2nd  Tim  3rd ,4th  chaps=REAB 

iont  we   C  all  thez   thing  hapn  2day? 
This   morn  Br-in   Ik  bk  wh/spk  thos  very  thing  cum  2pass 

Bk   Jude   las   bk   NT  wh/deal   conditins   peop   lattr  days 
I   Bliev   sincerly  Bcuz   evidenc   suround  us, we   R  liv  day 
wh/lead   2removl   Ch   out  worl  by   Js    Kp^Raputr 

This   why    Jude  wrot    letr,but   no  writ    .ius   tel   of   time 

2cum,insted,wrot  way  handl  peop/conditins   fnd   at   tim 
Gal  series=Defeneiv   Ooahin  Bcuz  th/wat    Jude   did 
continues   2do  as  we   go  bout  daily   livs 
Saying-Qrdr  ?hav  gud   ofens,mus  hav  pud    defens-EXPLAIB 

Th/game   plan  G  devis  4peop   ?ovrcum  Patan  S   evil  iai 

forces   in  world  wh/we    liv 
How  manv  U  can  quot  verse   of    Jude"?' 

Very  factvfew  can  shud   piv  clu   th/bk   lmos   neglect    of 
("      us    Dr.    S.    Maxell   Coder  &   emote)  NT 

Js -iSk  ouest=Ik   18:8+READ=&  anser   only   fnd  hart   each 
Blievr   5  th/theme    Jude   bk 

urr   tru   Blievrs   8e  foloprs    Js    {p=Contend  4   faith 
GR=Contend=athlet   involv  vigrous ,deterra   strugl  deieat 
the   opositin 

r    Ik  bk   Jude   6   think  of   as   coach   teach  us=Befensiv 

manmrers   of   Xpian  lif   8b  urg  us   on  2grtr  eforts   put 

dwn  opositin  watevr   it   mite   B 
vs   lA=Jude    is   his   name=it   Eng   form    Judas  wh/Grk  form 

of    Jewish=Judah 
Hebrew  litertur   name    Judas  honor  name   Bcuz    J^ac  & 
revolt   agin   Antiochus   Epiphenes    &  Hanukkah 

But    Judas  betray    Js   &.  blot    on  name    lnce   proud   name 
But   who    Jude  who   say   he    Jude?= 
vs      B=Cud  ±kisxg   thez   3  1 's   mentin  Mk  6:3, Jn  7:5??"" 

They   R  same    men  but   had   cum  Bliev   Js   aftr   Resurectii 

doubt   turn  2faith   &   not    only  Bliev^serv  wholhartly 
liotic   sumthin  bout    Jude=altho   riv   namB    1st, too  boast 

folo  that   riv   cl?irr=servant    Js^  Xp 


T  Servant=Gr=DOlTIo;:=hondBlav,l  bnd  2    Js    XTp    S    Jude      2/ 
cal  self  bound  2 

5:  this   man  came   2tak   Js   home, Bcuzthgt        insane 
but    Jude   say=bros   of   James  &  why  wud    identfy  tn/way: . 

in  own  name   nol  wud  recogniz,but    if   abl   identfy  with 

B''         'plan  comunty   then  he   heard/red 
J(      .3  hed   Ch   in   Jeru   St  known=lord  's   Brother   &  so  by 
say  bros    of    James   then   known  as  bros    Jude=Bors   of   Lore 

Notic   how    Jude   handl   self   situatin=lst=":erv   of    Js    Xp 
no   say=L's  bros,mak  no   issue   of   it,insted,   merely 
claim  1  who  wil  2B  serv    Js   Xp  &  tak  plac   L's  famly 

Here   lesn  for   all  us=we   all   2E  mere    servs    Js   Xp   & 

not   seek  2asefct   selvs    in2   positin  abuv   servanthud 
But    Jude   not   only   no   plac    self   abuv   3avior=?nd   placJii 

Jude   exhib   tru    sens   humilty  tak   ?nd   plac  bros ,  Js     [p 
1st  vs    Jude   use   1st   of  triads  use   this   letr 
vs   lC«Sanctfied»Grk»AGAPEMENOIS  S-=Bloved,  loved 

&  thez  peop  G  luvs   as   luvs   ion   Js   Xp 
..■ho  are   l's    Jude  adres  =2  Them??? 
Poeo  comic   strip  say=Thoz   them  are   us 

Ale  who   in  Xpian  Ch  R  l's    Jude   say=Blov  of     !  the   nath 
vs   lD=rreserv=Grk=T"!r?f  )-2gardfhold   f irmly .^watch, keep 

Thoz  who  Blov    of   G,R  bein^r  kept,preserv  4    Js   Xp 
Undr   G*s   watchfl  care   &  th/keep,preservatm  is   4 
cuming  agin  of   Js  4  His   own 
vs   lE=Called=Crk~  =  B   invit,lik   invit   banouet 

G  sumon  4th  thoz   want   2B  Xis=Js    sed=Kany  R  called 

but  few  H  chosn;U  hav  not  chosn  Me, but  T  hav  ch  U 

Jude   say=U  who  membrs   Xpian  Ch,US   Blov   of   G  th  Fathr , 
&  He  has  kept  U  4   Js   Xp  &  U  hav  bin   invit  2B  His 

this   truly  distinct  in  not   evrl   has, only  Blong   Pthoz 

P'  i  wil   2B   servs    of   L  &  r„vior    Js 

Jude    offr   nothr   triad   in  vs   2; he   awar  apostacy 
wh/tak  plac  &  wud   muttply,ero  as   yrs  went  by  &  now 

thex  thinrrs  wish  4evr   1  who  Xpian 

vs  2A=vhv  mercy?  Apear  1st  Tim, 2nd  Tim, 2  Jn,&  Jude 
ea  timefuse  ae-in  backer  fals  teach  &  Jude  knu  not 
onlv  time   re-en, or   of    ,juds-men,but   evr  day  need=mercj 

evr  day  Xpian  need   G's   raercy=noth  can  meet   needs   :  lie 

vs  2B=Peace=wen  man  kno  acpt  by  G.undeserv  tho  is, 
it  consolatin  wh/peac   eiv   in  his   life 

F  say  Rom  5:l=we_hav  peae  w/S  thru   our  L  Js   *p 

(Illus   Moody  on  Fhil  4:6-7) 

v^   ?C=ruv=th/bona    wh/unit   Blievr   2   lord     ,  lnnthr 

Js    -ed  =  luv   lnothr,th/nu   comandiemtn,--   not    only   all 

this   wat    Jud  wish, pray ,desir  4Blievrs ,but  want    it   to 
'    multply  fr/p;en  to  gen, ape   to   age   as   ea   fite   apostacy 

(-Hus   Pucinni   &   opera   finish  by  disciples; 

TV    'xamp   Xpian  Ch;Js   fnd   &.  lef   2return  2Glory;but   2k: 

leTt  discips   cary  on. but   2finish  itjth/wat    Jude  giv 

Bgin  letr; Re  spk  4faith  lnce  delivr  Pmankind  &  say 

For       pian  to  stand  on  that  faith  &  pres  on 
2wara  the  rriz  of  the  hi  cal  wh/is  in  Xp  .T.s  our  I< 


"Defensive  Coaching:  Cn  "Faith" 
fcripture:  Jude  I- 

In  a  conversation  I  had  not  too  lone  a^o,  we  were  discussing  the  world 

situation  with  all  of  its  war,  terrorism,  unsettled  conditions  and  the 

general  chaos  all  around  us.   The  person  I  was  talking  to  asked  the  question, 

"Where  will  it  all  end?"   This  is  a  legitimate  question  and  one  which  is 

asked  perhaps  more  than  any  other.   Especially,  by  very  concerned  people. 

Tv,ere  just  seems  to  be  no  stability,  no  absolutes  anymore  to  which  anyone 

can  cling  to.   "Just  where,  will  it  all  end?"   The  Disciples  of  Jesus  wanted 

to  know  this  very  thine"  and  so  they  asked  Him  about  it.   Jesus  answeredcthat 

and  it  ia  recorded..in  Matthew  24:3-14. 

vss  5-5= False  C,rists,  healers,  example  of  Messiah  ad  in  NY  Times 
vsss  6-7='.'Jars  many  parts  o£   world;  earthquakes  places  never  had  before; 
tBmES&BHX  famines  third  world  countries;  tornadoes  as  never 
before  60  just  this  week  up  to  rfednea 
vss  B-ll=people  following  those  who  are  supposedly  leading  them  aright. 
Eastern  religions  growing  in  U.S.  more  rapidly  than  any  other 
because  people  are  searching  for  so  called  "Eeace"  and  they 
believe  they  can  have  it  in  those  religions.   rhut  out  the' 
world,  meditate,  contemplate,  separate  1  pretend  it  is  not  there, 
vs   l.?=Eecause  of  sin  there  are  those  who  will  come  to  the  place  where 
they  say,  "What's  the  use?   Everyone  is  evil  and  crooked,  If  you 
can't  beat  em,  join  em."   "ind  this  is  what  is  happening  mn  our 
society  today. 
But  not  only  did  Jesus  speak  of  the  latter  days,  so  did  Paul  and  Eeter  and 
John.   Listen  to  what  Faul  says  as  found  in  2nd  Timothy,  the  3rd  and  4th 
chapters : 

"This  know  also,  that  in  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall  come.   For  men 
shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blasphem- 
ers, dosobedient  to  parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural  affect* 
ion,  trucebreakers ,  false  accusers,  incontinent,  fiecce,  despisers  of 
those  that  are  good,  traitors,  heady,  highminded,  lovers  of  pleasures 
more  than  lovers  of  Eod;  having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the 
power  thereof:  from  such  turn  away."   2  Tim.  3:1-5 

For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine;  but  aftei 
their  own  lusts  shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching 
ears;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth,  and'shall  be 
turned  into  fables."   2  Timothy  4:3-4 

And  don't  we  see  and  know  of  all  of  these  things  happening  today? 
This  morninr-  we  are  going  to  begin  looking  at  a  book  which  speaks  of  these 
very  things  coming  to  pass.   Tv,e  book  of  Jude  is  the  last  book  of  the  New 
Testament  which  deals  with  the  conditions  and  people  of  the  latter  days. 
I  believe  very  sincerely  that  because  of  all  of  the  evidence  which  surrounds 
us  in  our  nation  and  in  the  world,  we  are  living  in  the  days  which  are  lead- 
ing to  the  removal  of  the  Church  out  of  this  world  by  our  lord  Jesus  Christ, 
in  the  next  event  on  God's  timetable,  which  is  called  "The  Rapture." 
T  ir  is  why  Jude  wxh±h  was  inspired  to  write  this  letter.   But  he  didn't 
just  write  a  letter  tellingo  of  the  end  times  to  come.   Instead,  he  wrote 
with  ways  to  handle  the  people  and  conditions  to  be  found  at  that  time. 
So  with  these  thoughts  in  mind  we  will  launch  into  a  series  which  I  have 


"Defensive  Coaching,"  because  this  is  exactly  what  Jude  did  and  continues  to 
do  as  we  go  about  our  daily  lives.   There  is  en  old  saying  which  tells  us, 
"In  order  to  have  a  good  offense,  you  must  have  a  c-ood  defense."   I  believe 
that  cost  of  us  understand  this  or  are  familiar  with  it  from  the  standpoint 
of  sports.   It  is  very  obvious  that  if  your  team  cannot  stop  the  other  team 
from  scoring,  no  matter  how  many  points  your  team  can  score,  you  are  going 
to  lose  more  than  you  win.   Therefore,  it  is  imperative  that  our  defense  be 
strong  enough  to  xiiii  not  only  withstand  the  offense  of  the  opposition,  but 
to  prevent  it  from  scoring  completely.   This  is  the  game  plan  God  has  devisee 
for  His  people  to  overcome  Catan  and  his  evil  forces  in  the  world  in  which 
we  live . 

ixx£xwBSEx±Hxasicxi:kKxjiH2Ht±Ei!Dcifei-sxKiE!Z3it2ijc^  let  me  ask,  "How  many  of  you 
can  quote  a  verse  of  "cripture  from  the  book  of  Jude?"   The  very  fact  that 
we  can't  should  give  us  the  clue  that  this  little  book  is  one  of  the  most 
neglected  books  of  the  Cible .   D".  S.  Maxwell  Coder  of  i-xjody  Bible  Insti- 
tute say»,  "The  berinnin-'-  of  the  Church  age  is  described  in  the  kcts   of  the 
Apostles.   The  end  of  the  Church  Are  is  set  forth  in  the  -pistls  of  Jude, 
which  might  well  be  called  the  Acts  of  the  Apostates."   The  first  book  which 
can  properly  be  said  to  contain  Church  history  desfibes  the  deeds  and  teach- 
ings of  men  of  Cod  throurh  whom  Christ  began  to  build  Pis  Qhurch,   The  last 
epistle  of  the  New  Testament  relates  the  deeds  and  teachings  of  evil  men  who 
will  be  living  upon  the  earth  as  the  histroy  of  the  professing  Church  comes  ti 
an  end.   Jude  is  the  only  book  in  God's  ;ord  entirely  devoted  to  the  great 
apostacy  which  is  to  come  upon  tfes  Christendom  before  the  lord  Jesus  Christ 
returns . " 

Jesus  Himself  asked  a  question  as  recorded  in  Luke  18:8,  "'/hen  the  '"on  of 
man  cometh,  shall  He  find  faith  on  earth?"   The  answer  can  only  be  found  in 
the  heart  of  each  believer,  and  this  is  the  general  theme  of  Jude 's  book. 
He  urges  true  believers  and  followers  of  Jesus  Christ  to  "Contend  for  the 
faith."   Vnd  the  Greek  word  used  for  contend  has  the  meaning  of  an  athlete 
involved  in  an  intense,  vigorous,  determined  struggle  to  isksxrh*  defeat  the 
opposition,   ro  as  we  look  at  this  hook  of  Jude,  think  of  him  as  bein^  our 
coach,  teaching  us  the  "Defensive"  manuveurs  of  the  Christian  life,  and 
urging  us  on  to  greater  efforts  to  put  down  the  opposition  whatever  it  may 
be  . 

begins  writing  this  letter  by  stating,  "Jude,"  which  is  his  name.   Jude 
is  the  English  form  of  Judas,  which  is  the  Creek  form  of  t£s±±k   the  Hebrew 
"Judah."   In  Jewish  literature  the  name  "Jidas"  was  an  honored  name  because 
of  the  man  Judas  Kacca  haeus  who  led  the  successful  revolt  against  Antiochus 
Eplphanes  from  which  the  Jewish  celebration  of  Hanukkah  originated.   But 
then  we  all  know  of  the  man  Judas  who  betrayed  Jesue  and  forever  put  a  blot 


on  a  once  proud  name.   Eut  who  is  this  "Jude"  who  simply  identifies  himself 
as  "Jude."  He  ?oes  on  to  say,  "The  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of 
James,"   Now  could  ttie'se  possibly  be  the  men  we  read  about  in  tfEtor  Mark  6:3, 
(read),  and  John  7:5,  (read)?   They  are  those  same  men.   But  they  had  come 
to  believe  in  Jesus  following  His  resurrection.   ^  eir  doubts  had  been  turn^ 
ed  to  faith  and  they  not  only  believed  in  Him,  but  they  served  Him  whole- 
heartedly and  gladly.   But  notice  something  about  Jude.   Hh  Although  he  gives 
his  name  first,  that  is  not  boasting.   'Following  that  he  gives  the  claim, 
"The  servant  of  Jesus  Christ."   The  word  used  for  servant  is  "DOULOS"  and  it 
means  a  "bondslave"  and  Jude  is  calling  himself  a  rlave,  or  one  who  is  bound 
to  Jesus  Christ.   Remember,  this  is  the  same  man  who  came  with  his  brothers 
to  take  Jesus  back  home  because  they  thought  He  was  insane. 
But  Jude  further  identifies  himself  by  stating,  "A.nd  brother  of  James." 
Mow  why  would  he  identify  himself  in  this  manner?    11  in  his  own  ri~ht 
and  by  his  own  name,  no  one  is  likely  to  recttignize  him.   But  if  he  ia  able 
to  identify  himself  with  someone  who  is  known,  then  he  would  gain  the  re- 
cognition of  the  Christian  community,   James  was  the  head  of  the  church  in 
Jerusalem  and  is  known  as  "The  lord's  brother."   ?o  by  saying  that  he  is  the 
brother  of  James,  he  then  is  known  as  the  brother  named  Jude  who  was  also 
a  brother  of  the  lord.   But  notice  how  Jude  handles  himself  in  this  situa- 
tion: he  first  says  that  he  is,  "The  servant  of  Jesus  Christ."   He  doesn't 
say  that  he  is  the  lord's  brother  and  make  an  issue  of  it.   Instead,  he 
merely  claims  that  he  is  one  who  is  willing  only  to  be  a  servant  of  Jesus 
and  not  try  to  take  a  rightful  place  in  the  lord's  family.   Here  is  the  les- 
son for  US  3S  well,   ±KKXXHX£EXWEXKBESitEKXEHEXH4YHXX:3IXXXKriCfflD±XXB!fx5SKB'HS 

jgkrixtxxEixiiHXKsxxEskxsxpa;aEBXE'fxs»ttoi!B±tyxi7ix*HH4S   We  are  all  to  be  mere 
servants  of  Jesus  Christ  and  not  seek  to  assert  ourselves  into  a  position  ff£ 
above  that  of  servanthood,   ixifcB  But  not  only  was  Jude  not  placing  himself 
aheaci  of  His  "nvior,  but  he  is  willinr  to  take  second  place  to  his  brother 
alFo.   Jude  exhibits  a  true  sense  of  humility  by  taking  the  servant  role 
in  the  service  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  taking  second  place  to  his  brother. 
Now  in  this  first  verse,  Jude  uses  the  fir3t  of  the  triads  which  are  a  mark 
of  his  letter.   The  first  thing  he  shares  is,  "To  them  that  are  sanctified 
by  God  the  Father."   The  word  sanctifidd  comes  closer  to  meaning  "Beloved" 
than  it  does  "Sanctified. "   In  the  "reek  it  is  S.GAPEMENOIS  which  means, 
"loved"  or  "Beloved. V  and  arHxtfeE  these  people  are  the  ones  Cod  loves  as  He 
loves  His  own  Son  Jesus  Christ.   And  who  are  the  ones  that  Jude  rs*HESx±Bx 
addresses  by  saying  "To  them?"  '/ell  tkasHxtfcgxix  as  Pogo  in  the  comic  strip 
would  have  said  it,  "Those  them  are  us!"   He  who  are  in  the  C,  ristian  Church 
are  the  ones  that  Jude  is  saying  are  the  "beloved  of  God  the  Father." 


-5- 

prayer,  his  wisht  his  desire  that  mercy,  peace  and  love  may  develop,  and 

grow  and  multiply.   He  doesn't  just  want  it  for  the  present  believers  in 

the  church,  he  wants  it  for  each  succeeding  generation  of  believers  and  for 

it  to  be  passed  down  from  congregation  to  congregation,  from  are  to  age  as 

each  in  turn  rises  against  apostacy  and  those  things  which  would  tear  and 

rend  the  church  from  what  it  should  be. 

(Illustration  of  "Puccini  and  disciples  finished  his  opera  for  him) 

"ricomo  Puccini  wrote  Bperas  which  have  been  the  world  's  favorites  for 
many  years.   laBoheme,  Tosca,  and  Madame  Butterfly  to  name  a  few. 
In  19??  he  was  stricken  with  cancer  and  was  determined  to  write  one  more 
opera  called  "Turandot."   He  was  urged  by  his  students  to  rest,  but  he 
persisted  in  working  at  it  endlessly.   At  one  point  in  his  work  he  said, 
"If  I  don't  finish  my  urBEk  music,  my  students  will."   In  19?4  he  was 
taken  to  Brussels  to  be  operated  on  and  two  days  after  his  surgery  he 
died.   His  students  did  finish  his  opera  and  in  1926  Turandot  was  to  be 
performed  in  the  laScala  opera  house  in  Italy  under  the  baton  of  luccini's 
favorite  conductor  Arturo  Toscaninni.   All  went  well  until  a  point  in  the 
score  when  Toscannini  put  down  his  baton  BstxtHKiHK^xtBxtkKxxH±±EEKKX 
stopped  the  hhxxeIhek  production  and  turned  to  the  uadience.   His  face  wet 
with  tears  he  cried  out,  "Thus  far  the  master  wrote,  but  he  died!" 
Then  when  he  was  able  to  manage  a  smile  he  picked  up  his  baton  and  cried 
out  to  the  audience,  "But  his  disciples  finished  his  work." 

Tvis  is  the  example  of  the  Christian  Church.   Jesus  founded  it  and  left  it 

to  return  to  glory,  but  He  left  His  disciples  to  fxxiskxxi  not  only  carry  it 

on,  but  to  finish  it.  T-his    is  what  Jude  is  giving  as  the  beginning  of  this 

letter.   He  is  speaking  of  that  faith  once  delivered  to  mankind  and  he  is 

saying  for  each  Christian  to  stand  on  that  faith  and  press  on  toward  the 

mark  of  the  high  calling  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  lord. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
'Mother's  Day  May  13,  1984 

The  Rev*  Ralph  C.  Link*  Pastor 
Mrs.  Betty  Huselton,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel  and  Dawn  Carney  -  Acolytes 

+  +  +  4++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M, 

Prelude 

Announcements 

Who's  Who  In  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  376  "Glorious  Things  of  Thee  Are  Spoken1 
"Ascription 
"Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "Merciful  Father,  who  wiliest  not 
thy  children  to  wander  in  darkness;  pour  the  light  of  thy 

spirit  into  our  minds  and  hearts,  that  we  may  discover 

what  is  thy  holy  will  and  discern  the  true  from  the 

falset  the  evil  from  the  good,  and  that  we  may  henceforth 

walk  in  the  paths  of  wisdom,  to  the  glory  of  thy  holy 

name;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.   Amen." 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
upraise 

•Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
*people:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
"Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  591   "Just  a  Closer  Walk  with  Thee" 

Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pas  tor :   Let  us  Pray 

Prayer 

Offering 

Offertory 

Doxology 

Scripture : 

Sermon: 
"Closing  Hymn  No 

Benediction 

Postlude 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +■  ""Congregation  Standing 


> 


No*  382 

Ju.de  1-4 
"Defensive  Coaching:   More  on  Faith" 
430  "Reach  Out  to  Jesus" 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed 

by  Mrs,  Von  Maloney  in  loving  memory  of  her  "Husband" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  "-Virginia  Mangel, 

Marie  Henry,  Nancy  Dellen  and  Karen  Link. 
Hospitalized:   Mr.  Ccyle  Fowler  -  Armstrong  Hosp.  Kitt.Pa 

Charles  Penar  -  V.  A.  Hospital  and  Hugh  Pyle  -BCMH, 
Mike  Nazaruk  and  Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 
Mrs*  Nancy  Dellen  will  have  charge  of  Nursery  today. 
Elders  and  Deacons  training  classes  began  today  during 

the  Church  School  period  and  will  continue  thru  June 

10th. 
Monday  -  Volleyball  (Rehoboth  Kail) 
Tues.  and  Thurs,  (Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall) 
Thurs.  -  6:30  P.M.  at  Grace  Church,  Harmony,  Pa.   The 

Butler  Area  Layman  announce  the  Spring  Meeting  "Ladies 
Night"  for  1934.   The  program  will  follow  the  dinner* 
Come  and  enjoy  good  fellowship  with  the  ladies  and 
Gentlemen  of  this  association.  J.  Walter  Harmon  will 
have  tickets. 

n  Wednesday  -  May  16th  we  need  helpers  in  the  South 

Side  area  to  hang;  door  knob  notices  for  Vacation 

Bible  School.   Meet  at  the  Church  at  7:00  P.M. 
Pre— Registration  for  Vacation  Bible  School  will  be 

here  at  the  Church.   Program  and  Social  Hour  will 

commence  at  7:30  P.M. 
Thurs.  May  17th  -  Finance  Committee  Meeting  here  in 

Undercroft. 
Mrs.  Dutch  Bowser  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 

Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning. 
The  Daily  Bread  booklets  are  out  and  going  fast  -  pick 

yours  up  in  the  Narthex  today. 
Please  get  all  Mother's  Day  offering,  Love  Loaves 

in  by  the  end  of  the  month  so  the  money  can  be  sent. 


For  Faith  and  Understanding. ., When  I  faltered  on  my  Way. 
I  owe  you  more  thanks ,  Mother j  than  words  can  ever  say . 

Like  a  hope  divine  in  this  troubled  world 
A  Mother's  care  has  its  part... 

For  God  has  hidden  a  love  like  His  own 

In  the  depths  of  a  Mother ' 5  heart* 


"Defensive   Coaching:     or?   On  Faith" 
.  Scripture  Jude    Ui 

Bk   Jud  bin  eal*Dr,S,Kaxwl   Coder»Acta   of  the   Apostates 

t     )sidr  Imos   neglected   hooks  entir  Bible 
Hon   many  actul  kno  vs  this  buk?   Herd    serm  preach  onT 
■iv   us    idea  how  buk  bin  neglect, but   I  bliev 
ii  reans  4this=content   of   buk  &  20  cent  has   cum 
2paa  wat    Jude   sed   wud;   othr  reasn  Jmany  preach 
C  no  need  preach  latr  days-Bcuzno  Bliev/or  libral 

las   wfe   Ik   1st   ?vss    "    Jude    Ret   pace  4buk 
indentfy  self  as  bros   James=botIi  bros   of   Ja 

identfy  thoz   'whom  wrot        pray  4blesings   O-them 
va   3=Bloved  =  no   lik    Jn  writ=meah   luv    l's.specil    I  ' 

Jn  say=litl  chilclrn*  Jude   say-luved   l's,specil    1*8 
vs   3B=  inten  writ   nice   letr   apk   lspecil   thine 

that=salvatin=realiz   specil   relatrhip  w/G   thru  B 
born   an;in,thru   acpt    Js    Xp   as    lord    and    "aviour 
that  was   original  intent=say   letr  we   hoi  hands, not   1 
he  want   2write 

t'eedf uli=r,r=  ■  »s    necessity  ,but   rar.:r=corpulsin, sura- 

thin  which  no  cud  stop, had   to  do 

Jude  say  had   compulsin   writ   letr  altorethr  dif  way 
-nu  writ    of   prophs,wel   vs    OT-JEHgMtAH   3:17-19 
"hi?:    kno  by    Jude    3    as   gud   pastor  knu  duty   TB  watch- 
fflan  4peop   &  keep    from   eror 
But    June   ondx   influ  IT  Sp  &  this  wher  actul  comrul   cum 
V.DirE  UK2   U   &  EX'HOIT  U=phras  very   intrest=71chort=Gr= 
th/verb   of   noun-PARACIETE-wn/H  'p   in  Scri] 
iclete=lalongsid  of ,advocat ,helpr 
in   this   sens=Jude    B  cal   elan    sia    of   thoz    \rpian   ?riv 
counsl   S    .id vie    in   time   of    -Tt   darknes 
Sr   '"-raised1:7 

'./at   mean?=Gr-"ET  AGOITHCTIAI-tiiite   rec  =th/word 

fnd  only  here    in   HT  &  use   athlet    ;trugl   athletic   cont 
word  spk  vic;rous,determ  efort  defeat   opositin 

Gr  exert    selvs   pt   arony   Pwin   contest=marathon  race 
If  can  pictur  our  strup'l   Peary   on  faith   thru  expend 
blua" , sweat , tears   if  necesary  can  underst  wat   Jude   aay 
V.'en  do  any   task  4   1  ord  , regard    how  smal,insirnif   ■ 
contend  4  faith 

Jude   say  this   faith  delivr   "saints   6  mean  pr 'teach 

or,  plan  lif;say  wat    Jn  Teter   sa; 

thoz  w/.Ts   riv   raesafr   -Church   1st  hand    £  this   musB  hand 
on    -enratin/Venratin,persn  2   persn 

fcy  up   trad  itin,sacrnmets  , clergy  ,instecl 

pa     fr/lPlievr  1 ievr 

vs  4A=Gr  Ithis   mean  slip   in  secretly  .side  dor, cum  in 
unnotic;he   say  ther  peop   in  eh  rub  elbo  w/tru   i'lievrs 
/ho  wer/are   no  tru   Blievrs   themselvs 


ttJ-OU    anj     ao     uu    age     HJUtf        ejJLL    HUU     C1JI1L±UIJ      ■■     .Luureas    c'/ 

I  wud        hav  them   in  our  midst  ait  in  ch   S 
pok  of        this=Rt   13:2*-30=HEAD 
,r"'v   th/tak   plac    Ch    ■  bes   describ    Apos   P   in 

L    j   letr   Corinth   11:13-15- READ 

>ansform,transformed  =  Ge-  rc=n 

t'     nsform,or  chanf=persn   chana    nut-var  :    expre-in  by 
::.-.. ^.rr   ejepresin   put   on  fr/outsid   ?    i-^    no   indicatin  of 
expresin  cum   fr/within   &   no  reveal   inner  self 

it  is  Disguise  in  othr  words  ".-.  F  say  Gatan  do  this 
cudnt?  efectiv  in  work  defeat  G  S  G'a  peop  as  was 

so   asun   ldent   as   angl   of   lite=but   Ik  vs    15= (minsters 
it   impertiv  p-ard  pulpit  th^apn  any  consr,hav  many 
kno   as   modernists    2aay=preach/teach   modF!i'n,no   old    fas 
(  ::uote    Dr.    Ken  Huest   fr/cootary  Jude) 
hav  thus   spokn  anfls   lite,.Tude  furthr   st5tes=vs  4B 
no   progestin, but   prophcys   bout    thez   peop  lon<r   34   cur 
aetfy  apostates   three  def  thi- 
Ungodly  men=no   mean  pros   imoralty  ,wikednes  ,lnsted  ,an 

atitude    ireverenc   PGod 
such   man   ntayB   considr   rud    ran  hy   othr   men,but 
,      'of  hart, 
this   nan  no   Bliev   necesary  ?3  horr>aj-in,n©  Bliev  basi 
doctrines    of   faith 
Grace    in2  Iasciviousnes^nean  unrestrain  vice  8   thez 
apostates    Jude   say  knu  wat   s in, was/is , yet   flaprnetl; 
ro  bout   open  site  evrl,BcU2   G    'J;  iv   ovr,ovrno  matr 
This  apostacy=A^?^IIIOMIAI^IGM=pe^ve^t   Grac   G  kno  sin 
&  expec   G's  continu  4pivnes   "   4-sum  it  way  of  life 

apostates   kno   as   "nostics=no  Bliev  G— 
head;G   not  aovereign, Js   no  G   in  flesh 
thez   3  distinct   apostacysix 

'ak  revrence   4   God   !     thint-s    of    "od 
2. twist   of   doctrin    of   Grace   of   God.excus   4    nin 
J.opn  denial    ■  ".in  flesh, S    as   Ssv  Si   lord 

th=z   th/ernestly  contend  «p;in   5  tak  determ,ded,ffi  the 
courap  our   convict. 

we   shudB  lik  ynf  ma:  1        vim  ocean, climb , etc 

thats   atitud  ?hav  rite?   But   hear  end   of   note-PS, I? 
we   canot   let  circum  aiscour.-  '    contend 

(Ilus   laboring  on  for  the  ki 

i     R  B  '    Spres    on  fac   dishart/discourag  circu 

worl  aroun  no  care   bout   ch  as   lonp  as   let  alone 
ther  peop  w/in  ch  who  dont  care   P3   involv   in  work 
conr    Bouz   dont   want   time/lif styles  altered 
But  thoz  U  who  B   involv   in   Ch  canot   let   othrs   atuies 
la      ioop,lak  atendanc.any   bbhr   ohstacl   keep  D   fr/con 
ernestly  4faith;we   serv  not  msn,nor  coranijnor  councili 
nor   specif  conFrs=Hathr,we    serv   our   Tir  we 

mus   continu   ernestly   cont   4faith   as   re    lead/direct 


"Defensive  Coaching:  Flore  On  Faith" 

ocripture:  Jude  1-4 

The  book  of  Jude  has  been  called  by  Dr.  S,  Maxwell  Coder,  "The  Acts  Of  The 
Apostates."   It  is  oonsidered  one  of  the  most  heglected  books  of  the  Bible. 
How  many  of  you  can  actually  say  that  you  know  one  verse  of  this  book? 
Or  how  many  of  you  have  ever  heard  a  sermon  preached  from  it?   That  should 
give  us  an  idea  of  how  the  book  has  been  neglected.   But  I  believe  there  are 
probably  several  reasons  for  this  as  well.   One  has  to  do  with  the  contents 
of  the  book  and  because  of  what  has  ±HkHmx^4HBKxin_xtkRx:2&fchxHBXi*arx  came  to 
pass  in  the  20th  century  church,  Jude's  writing  has  been  fulfilled.   The 
other  reason  is  that  not  too  many  preachers  or  centre pat ions  see  any  urg- 
ency in  preaching  about  the  latter  days  of  the  church  age  either  because 
they  do  not  believe  these  things  will  come  about,  or  they  are  too  liberal 
already. 

Last  week  we  looked  at  the  first  two  verse  of  this  book  as  Jude  set  the  nace 
for  the  remainder  of  his  writing.   He  dientified  himself  as  a  brother  of 
James  and  both  of  them  were  brothers  of  Jesus.   He  identified  those  to  whom 
he  was  writing  and  then  he  prayee-  and  wished  for  them  God's  blessing'. 
Now  he  writes  in  tb:e  3rd  verse,  "Beloved,"  This  word  is  different  from  the 
"beloved"  which  John  was  always  writing  in  his  letter*.   The  word  Jude  uses 
means,  "loved  ones,  special  ones."  He  doesn't  call  them  little  children, 
but  "loved  ones,"  which  also  indicates  these  people  are  different  from 
many  others . 

Then  he  writes,  "When  I  feave  all  diligence  to  write  unto  you  of  the  common 
salvation,  it  was  needful  for  me  to  write  unto  you  and  exhort  you  that  ye 
should  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered  unto  the 
saints . " 

Jude  says  that  his  original  intent  was  to  write  them  a  nice  letter  speaking 

of  the  one  special  thing  which  the;-  all  shared.   And  that  was  salvation. 

The  realization  that  each  of  them  had  come  to  that  special  relationship  with 

God  through  being  born  again  through  ^is  the  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ  as 

lord  and  Gavior.   This  was  his  original  intent.   The  real  gist  of  what  he 

is  sayir.g  is  that  he  never  intended  to  write  the  letter  we  hold  in  our  hands 

But  Jude  writes,  "It  was  needful  for  me  to  write  to  you."   The  word  "needful 

in  Greek  is  "AIvANKE"  and  it  means  "a  necessity,"  but  it  is  more  than  that. 

It  means  "A  compulsion,  something  which  cannot  be  withheld  of  stopped." 

Jude  says  that  he  had  this  compulsion  to  write  this  letter  in  an  altogether 

different  direction.   Jude  knew  the  writings  of  the  prophets  and  as  well 

versed  in  the  Old  Testament  writings.   Jeremiah  the  prophet  wrote  in  his 

prophecy,  the  3rd  chapter,  verses  17-19,  (^ead  this).   This  was  known  by 

Jude  and  as  a  rood  pastor  he  knew  it  was  his  duty  to  be  a  watchman  for  his 

people  to  keep  them  from  error  and  harm.   But  we  must  also  realize  that  Jude 


-2- 

was  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  this  was  where  the  actual 
compulsion  was  coming  from.  ^xsixitxiaxaiaaxix.tsxsx*iaxxtBxm.BtKxtiiatxiiK:tfeK 
BrxKiuaixSESHk   oo  Jude  speaks  of  this  compulsion  which  was  to  "write  unto 
you,  and  exhort  you."   This  phrase  ia  also  very  interesting-  in  that  the 
word  "exhort"  in  Greek  is  "FAEAKALON"  which  ia  the  verh  of  the  noun  "PARA- 
CLETE" which  is  the  word  for  Holy  Spirit  in  'cripture.   Paraclete  as  we  said 
before ,  means  "one  who  is  called  alongside  of,  an  advocate,  a  helper." 
To  in  this  sense  then,  Jude  is  be  ins  "called  alongside  of"  those  who  are 
Christians  to  give  us  counsel  and  advice  in  time  of  rreat  darkness. 

Jude 's  counsel  is,  "That  ye  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  which  was  once 
delivered  into  the  saints." 

Now  Just  what  does  he  mean  by  "contend  earnestly  for  the  faith?"  SfcExsrEXii 
"Earnestly  contend"  is  "EPAGOHIZOMAI"  am*  in  "reek  and  you  might  recognize  in 
the  word,  the  English  word  "Agony."   This  word  is  only  found  here  in  the  New 
Testament  and  it  was  used  of  athletes  struggling  in  athletic  contests.   T&e 
word  speaks  of  a  vigorous,  determined  effort  to  defeat  the  oppostion.   The 
Greeks  exerted  themselves  to  the  point  of  agony  to  win  the  contest.   The 
marathon  race  is  an  example  of  this.   If  we  can  picture  that  our  struggle 
to  carry  the  faith  on  through  the  expenditure  of  blood,  sweat  and  tears  if 
necessary,  we  can  understand  what  Jude  is  trying  to  say,   rfhen  we  do  any 
task  for  our  Lord,  regardless  how  small,  or  how  seemingly  insignificant, 
we  are  "contending"  for  the  faith.   Jude  is  saying  here  that  this  "faith" 
has  been  delivered  unto  the  saints  and  he  is  referring  to  the  preaching  and 
teaching  of  the  Apostles  which  set  forth  the  Christian  life.   Jude  ia  saying 
identically  the  same  thing  which  John  and  Teter  said  in  their  letters  and 
that  is  the  teaching  and  preachin^  of  those  who  were  with  Jesus  gives  to  the 
church  the  message  firsthand.   This  is  the  message  which  must  be  handed  on 
from  generation  to  generation;  from  one  person  to  another.   It  isn't  some- 
thing that  is  tied  up  in  tradition,  or  sacraments,  or  clergy,  instead  it  is 
passed  on  from  one  believer  to  another. 

Now  Jude  comes  to  jbhx  his  compulsion  for  writing  this  letter  as  he  states 
in  the  -4-th  verse,  "For  there  are  certain  men  crept  in  unawares,"  4-A. 
The  Greek  for  this  means  to  slip  in  secretly,  to  come  in  unnoticed.   Jude  is 
saying  that  there  were  people  within  the  church  rubbing  elbows  with  the  true 
believers  who  were  not  tw   true  believers  themselves.   But  he  is  also  saying 
that  as  the  church  moved  to  the  end  of  the  church  age,  this  would  continue 
and  increase;  and  that  you  and  I  would  have  them  in  our  midst  sitting  in 
church  and  in  Sunday  School.   Jesus  spo'-e  of  this  in  a  parable  which  is  re- 
corded in  the  13th  chapter  of  Matthew  in  verses  24  to  50,  (read  this). 

this  is  able  to  take  place  within  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  is  best 
described  by  the  Apeetle  Paul  in  his  2nd  letter  to  the  church  in  Corinth, 
chapter  11,  verses  1?  through  IS,  (read  these). 


Now  in  the  13th,  14,  and  15th  verses  we  see  the  word  "Transformed,"  or 
"Transforming."  This  word  in  Greek  is  "METASdEMATIZO"  and  means  "trans- 
formed or  changed."   But  it  means  a  person  changing  his  outward  expression 
by  assuming  an  expression  put  on  from  the  outside,  but  it  is  an  expression 
that  does  not  come  from  within  and  does  not  reveal  his  real  inner  self. 
It  is  a  disguise,  in  other  words.   3o  F&ul  is  saying  that  Satan  can  and  does 
do  this.   He  couldn't  be  effective  in  his  work  to  defeat  God  and  God's  peo- 
ple, as  he  v;as .   °o  he  assumed  and  assumes  the  identity  of  an  "an^el  of 
light."   But  look  at  what  rhe  15th  verse  tells  us,  "His  ministers  also  can 
be  transformed  as  the  ministers  of  righteousness."   Go  it  is  imperative  to 
guard  the  pulpit  against  this  happening  in  any  congregation.   We  have  a  lot 
of  these  men  today  and  they  are  known  as  modernists.   In  other  words,  they 
preach  the  new  and  the  modern,  the  old  fashioned  beliefs  and  ideas  have  givei 
way  to  enlightened  modern  learning  and  this  is  what  we  should  preach  and 
teach.   Dr.  Kenneth  3.  iuest  Greek  professor  at  Moody  Bible  Institute  writes 
in  xmHXBf  his  commentary  on  Jude ,  "Do  not  trust  a  modernist  any  farther  than 
Jrou  would  a  rattlesnake.   A  rattlesnake  will  give  you  warning  before  it 
strikes,  but  not  3  modernist.   The  eternal  welfare  of  your  soul  depends  upon 
what  you  believe  regarding  the  person  and  work  of  our  lord  on  the  cross." 
So  having  thus  spoken  of  these  "angels  of  light"  which  have  crept  into  the 
church,  Jude  further  states,  "Who  were  before  of  old  ordained  to  this  con- 
demnation."  Now  what  Jude  is  referring  to  is  the  prophecies  given  concern- 
ing these  people  who  would  come  forth  and  oppose  tit*  God's  Church.   Jude  is 
not  putting  forth  an  argument  here  for  predestination  that  certain  people 
were  predestined  to  be  born  condemned.   T'e  is  merely  saying  that  the  pro- 
phets spoke  against  these  people  long  before  they  ever  appeared  on  the  scene 
and  those  prophets  gave  God's  condemnation  to  any  and  all  who  would  act  in 
this  manner.   Jude  identifies  these  apostates  as  being:  three  very  definite 
things . 

Fi»st  he  calls  them,  "Ungodly  men."   The  term  does  not  mean  immorality  or 
dire  wickedness,  but  instead,  an  attitude  of  irreverence  to  God.   Such  a  man 
as  Jude  describes  here  may  be  considered  a  good  man  In  the  eyes  of  other 
men.   But  Ji  peaking  .  ■    Sf  but  of  the  heart. 

This  is  the  man  who  does  not  accept  that  a  person  must  be  born  apain  to  have 
salvation,  or  who  doesn't  believe  the  Sitei*  basic  doctrines  of  the  faith. 
Secondly,  Jude  BX±isx*fe«Hex:pKEqc±K  says  these  people  are  "Turning  the  rrace 
of  our  God  into  lasciviousness . "   The  word  "lasciviousness "  means,  "unre- 
strained vice."   r^ese  apostates  Jude  is  saying  knew  what  sin  was  and  is, 
yet  they  flagrantly  go  about  it  in  si^kfcxHf  open  sight  of  everyone  with  no 

shame  or  remorse.   Their  rpR<*r>r\   hsin-  +>,a+-   r~*    *.„ 

ir  reason  beirV  that  God  forgives  and  will  continue 
to  forgive  no  matter  what  thev  may  do   Thi^  <■-,„  rtf     .     1S 

ej  nay  no.   mis  form  of  apostacy  wax  known  as 


-4- 

"antinomianisro. "   This  was  one  who  perverted  the  grace  of  "od  by  knowingly 

sinning  and  expecting  God's  continued  forgiveness.  Fo  some  people  in  Jude 's 

day  it  was  a  '  ay  of  life. 

The  third  type  of  apostate  was  the  one,  "Denying  the  only  lord  God,  and  our 

Lord  Jesus  Christ."   Jude  was  speaking  of  the  apostates  who  were  called 

Gnostics  who  did  not  believe  in  the  Godhead.   ro  Jude  says  they  deny  that 

God  is  sovereign,  the  only  rod  and  then  they  deny  ±ks±   the"Deity  of  Jesus 

Christ." 

o  there  are  three  distinct  types  of  apostacy  to  be  fought  against  in  the 

church  and  they  are,  lack  of  reverence  for  God  and  the  things  of  God;  a 

twisting  of  the  doctrine  of  God's  grace  as  a  nexcuse  to  sin;  and  open  denial 

of  the  Jesus  Christ  as  ^od  in  the  flesh  and  as  '"aviour  and  Lord. 

These  are  the  things  we  are  to  er-rnestly  contend  arainst  and  it  takes  our 

dedication 
determination,  our  aKMXlatS»M  and  the  courage  of  our  convictions  to  do  so. 

We  need  to  be  like  the  young  man  who  wrote  a  note  to  his  girl  friend  and 

said,  "Iiv  love  for  you  is  so  great  that  I  would  swim  the  ocean  for  you,  or 
climb  the  tallest  mountain,  or  brave  ttaa  facing  the  fierciest  animal  in 
the  world.   There  isn't  anything  I  wouldn't  do  for  you." 

That's  the  kind  of  attitude  to  have  isn't  it?   But  he  ended  his  note  by 

adding,  "P.S.  I'll  be  over  to  see  you  in  Saturday  if  it  doesn^t  rain." 

God  doesn't  want  this  kind  of  attitude  from  us.   di1  cannot  let  circumstances 

discourage  us  in  our  quest  to  contend  for  the  faith. 

(Illustration  of  laboring  on  for  the  Ping) 

In  a  certain  country  there  was  a  band  of  minstrels  who  traveled  from  town 
to  town  riving  concerts  for  a  living.   Put  they  weren't  doing  too  well 
and  times  were  hard.   There  was  little  money  the  common  people  could  pay 
to  hear  the  minstrels  even  though  their  fee  was  small.   Attendance  had  bee: 
very  bad  and  so  one  night  they  met  to  discuss  their  future.   "I  see  no 
reason  to  ppen  tonight,"  said  one.   "To  make  things  worse  than  they  have 
been  it  is  startinr  to  snow  and  who  would  venture  out  on  a  night  like  this 
"I  as-ree,"  said  another.   "last  night  we  performed  for  only  a 'handful. 
Fewer  will  come  tonight,   toy  not  f^ive  back  the  advance  money  we  have  and 
cancel?   No  one  can  expect  us  to  go  on  when  only  Just  a  few  are  in  the 
audience."   "Plow  can  anyone  give  his  best  for  just  a  few?"  a  third  asked. 
Then  he  turned  to  another  ans  asked,  "••■/hat  do  you  think? "   The  man  he 
asked  was  older  than  the  others.   He  looked  straight  at  the  troupe  and 
said,  "I  know  you  are  discouraged,  so  am  I.   But  we  have  a  responsibility 
to  those  who  will  come,   "e  will  fo  on.   \nd  we  will  do  the  best  that  we 
can  do  to  perform  for  them.   It  is  not  their  fault  that  others  will  not 
come."  And  so  heartened  by  his  wors  the  minstrels  went  ahead  with  their 
show.   They  never  performed  better,   "hen  the  show  was  over  and  the  small 
audience  had  gone,  the  old  man  summoned  the  troup.   In  his  hand  was  a  note 
handed  to  him  by  a  member  of  the  audience  just  before  he  walked  out  the 
door.   "listen  to  this  my  fiiends,"  he  said.   Then  he  r  ad  the  note. 
It  said,  "T  ank  you  for  a  beautiful  perf ormennce . "   It  was  sinned  very 
simply,  "Your  Kin  . '" 

WE  are  being  asked  by  the  Lord  to  press  on  in  the  face  of  disheartening  and 
discouraging  circumstances .   The  world  around  us  doesn't  care  too  much  about 
the  church  as  long  as  it  doesn't  disturb  them.   There  are  people  within  the 
church  who  don't  care  to  be  involved  in  the  work  of  the  congregation  because 


-5- 
they  don't  want  their  time  or  their  lifestyles  altered.   But  those  of  you 
who  are  involved  in  the  church  cannot  let  others  attitudes,  lack  of  co- 
operation, lack  of  attendance,  or  any  other  obstacle  keep  you  from  contending 
earnestly  for  the  faith.   We  serve  not  man,  nor  committee,  nor  councils, 
nor  specific  congregations.   Rather,  we  serve  our  King  Jesus  Christ  and  we 
must  continue  to  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  as  He  continues  to  lead  and 
direct. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 

Butler,  Pennsylvania 
.Fifth  Sunday  in  Eastertide         Hay  20,  1984 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis  -  Acolyte 


+  + 


+  + 


+  +  + 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Anno  LU1C  einen  t  s 
Who ' s  Who  i  n  the  Pew 
Joys 
Prayer  Requests 

^Processional  Hymn  No.  325  "All  Hail  the  Power  of  Jesus'  Name" 

^Ascription 

♦Exhortation 

♦Confession  {In  Unison)  "0  God,  it  is  easier  for  us  to 
Gall  you  Lord  than  it  is  to  do  what  your  Lordship  requires . 
We  enlist  in  your  Causes  but  find  ourselves  giving  in  to 
fear.   We  want  to  be  sensitive  but  find  it  easy  to  be 
hard.   We  fail  to  see  and  take  advantage  of  the  great 
opportunities  surrounding  us.   Forgive  us,  our  Father,  take 
our  limitations  and  turn  them  into  possibilities  for  service. 
Grant  US  this  grace  through  Jesus  Christ  OUT  Lord.   Amen." 

*"Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 

♦Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  Paul  Campbell  in  loving  memory  of 

Mr*  &  Mrs.  James  P.  Christy. 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Rob  Vinroe,  Robert 

Dellen,  Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy. 
The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  157  with  26  Visitors 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Edward  Walker  will  greet  the  Congregation 

>and  Visitors  at  the  door  this,  morning. 
Hospitalized:   John  Snow  and  Hugh  Pyle  -  BCMH;  Charles 
Penar  -  V.A. •  Coyle  Fowler-*-  Kittanning  -  Armstrong 
Hospital,-  &j±t-     IkvA^y.  /.c.V 
Bill  Thompson  and  Marty  Henry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week* 
Monday  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
^  Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
"  >Pre-registratiort  for  Vacation  Bible  School  will  be 
*     held  tonight  at  7:30  P.M.  in  the  Sanctuary.   After 
the  evening  program,  refreshments  will  be  served  in 
Rehoboth  Hall, 
**\*  Monday,  May  21  at  7:30  P.M.  a  meeting  of  the  Vacation 
Bible  school  Teachers  and  Helpers  will  be  held  at  the 
Church.   Please  come  with  any  questions.   A  preview 
of  crafts  will  be  there  also.    Any  questions  -  please 
'  tontact  Virginia  Mangel. 
^*Thurs.  -  7^30  -  Spiritual  Study 


* Pas tor ; 
♦•People: 

•■Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  611 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor 

People 

Pastor 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxology 
Scripture: 
Sermon; 
♦Closing  Hymn  No.  613 
Benediction 
Postlude 


"Precious  Lord,  Take  My  Hand" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


No>   332 

Jude  5-7 

"Defensive  Coaching:   On  Judgement" 
"Fight  the  Good  Fight" 


I've  wondered.  Lord,  how  it  can  be 
You  hear  me  when  I  call. 

I'm  only  one  of  millioiis,  and 
Your  love  is  over  all. 


How  can  it  be  Your  holy  ear 

Is  tuned  to  hear  my  cries? 

How  can  you  know  whattroubles  me 
And  see  tears  in  my  eyes? 


Great  God  of  all  the  universe, 
In  joy  or  in  distress — 

I  rest  myself  in  all  you  are 
For  you  are  limitless! 


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+*Congregation  Standing  +  + 


ifensive  coach]-  jenem;- 

I     .crip:    Jude    5-7 

l^os   famous   futbal  coach-Ton     aadry=    alas    ~owb< 
coach, record, but   practic  XpSin  laid 

Ther   R  othrs.iror   point   out.but    T   B3  iev   T/ 
oth~s  bin  preced  by  1st  '  plan   conch   liv   21 

lis   letr  writ,C  ident  eninies   on  field   of   r1 

.-t    'i  h:     Beans   wherby  hav  bin.cenP  B   vrllB  defeat 
■    r     ];■    -    sh    llf    ?tak   Defe-ns    3oscb   ofr  by 
Jude,"    atop  cfens  fr/scor  agio  Cnurd 
Jude   ofr   pa me   j " 

plays  made  ,&  then  piv   advic  how  work  apin  thez   move 
reraaindr   of  game 

forua   f-ar:brief  examin  oppositin  we    face      piaa     Ihurch 
'Jaw   las   wk    Jude    sot   Vit   ord    letr        cudnt,--cu- 

sin  no  control    '■■  hid  wr  in  Ch 

wh/ettm  *th   as    Cb   mov   dwn 
thru   centuries    of   time 

P-4    Jude  use   triads»grps   of  crip  doso 

- ;  ex  preaehr   ' !4}»Jude  a  a; 

he'foloup   wat    sed    jrjor    2thls   <■>/  eop 

Villus  wat   Be*  w/speeif  exaaps 
va   5B=:  eord   1?-14  we  wil  T 

3  to]  ""    1"  man  too*  land    BH 

t'os  do  a  spies  do  r    read  vs  "r>  of  retorn 
-29 
-Caleb   spk  apin   ma.iorty   report    "    giv   rranr- 
":-35=othr   men  excer    Josh, Caleb    spk  out    8   no   ovr 
come   the   people 

■  si    cry, lament  'aron 

-  •-.  Josh/Caleb   plead   peop 
|bu*    Ik  wat   peop  want   "Mo  Pthem  4this.=vr   10 
G    ^._ov:  VSS    11-12 

but    "os  plead  w/G  spar  peop  &   He  relent, 
r - m  record   v 

wat    Jude  talk  bout   5tb   v.==  '  '      Ju  i   upon 

peop  «-disobedenc/iinriief , 
they  no  wil  true   G   Cdelvr  fr   imapin   plants   of   land 
G  trot   cut     Igypt.croa  desrt  2vei  and, 

but  wud  ra.thr  dy  than  G   it   &  entr  Ecuz   unBlief 
Jude   say  same   thins  can  hapn  ?thoa  within   Spian  ^h 
who  refus   Bliev   truth  w/G  provid  thru    Js   Xp 
vs  6-sumtiin  aftr  G  ereat  evrth,band    anrl   led-IawSifer, 
Satan=rebel   agin  G   "-.  G   cast   out  hvn 

thez  falen  anpl   cohabit  w/women  on  erth-Gen  6 
va8  i-4«He  lain 

r     '    examp   Jude   pt   out=sins   pride   S  lu3t;oride   made 
Lucifer/natan   "   band   Bliev  cudB  Hi    3   '.-   ovrthro  Him 
v  wen  cast   out   G'S  habitat in, turn  21ust   ^reproduce 
tber  kind  upon  erth 


■nz   thez   aetins.thez   rain  an 
chains   &  uttr  darknea   on  day   Judgment 
Jude  pt   out  stil  prid/lust  wh/keep  man  from 

t'    t  G  wai  ' 
vs.    .'«exainpis   .'lOdom/Gororah-record    Hen   1° 
vss   l-5=lot  &  insisteno   they   o  suz   knu  cit; 

i-5=Kotie=end  vs   5  then  6  word 

in  "crip  use  4sexul  intercorse    p'  so  vs   say  men 
want  hav   sexul  relatins   w/thez   'men  cum  visit   Lot 

lect  Ad/Eve  read=Adam  knew  his  wife  6  she  conceived 
Acct  Joseph  in  Mt«Mary  Bewns  preg  w/Js  by  H  '  p  5  read 
end    1st    chap   bout    Jos  "'        'til    she 

had   brot  4th   her   1st   born   "on 
'  in   Ch  2da 
&  Lot   unhospit  but  this   outrite  hersey  &  actol  part 
wat   Jude   say  tak  plec   ei 
then  read   end   story  rri  te  troy=6-ll 

Jude    apk  this    pros    imoralty  wen   sap   reop   wer-Going 
aftr  stran  he   say  they   involv  homoaexe" 

fthis   wer  condem.  ?eternal  damnatin 
To   Jude   pt  out  3ib  accts  wh/demstrat=unBlief , pride , 
,      perverted    sin 
Jude  say  wat   Js   say=Ap   ye   sow, so  shal  ye  reap 
if  seek  liv  riteous   lif,;    atriv  keep  fr/sin   3  wil 
honor   that   lif    '    person  renn  race 

ut    if   persn  flaunt    ipianty   "•    no   liv   H3   G    set   4th, 
that  persn  wil  reap   "  '  -ent   insted    Sc  we   admoni?' 

by    Jude   ?folo  examps   which   Js   set  4th 
(Illna  risk   lif   sav   nothr   man) 

"undar  ^inph   wil   ''risk  lif   2sav  lif   of  nothr  man  4 
in  procea   fnd   life 

Trend    r.ot   ?sav    lif, but   lost    it 

.-ihal   it   profit   a   man   if   he    rein    the   whol 
world    g    lose   his    own  soul? 

i.  is  wat    Jude   try   impart  Ppeop  wiJ  in   3h  wen 

sed=I  Vil   Therfor  Put   You   In  Remembrance 
he   cal  attentin  Pprincipl   that   we   seek  "liv  i    do  the 
wil   of  G,lest  we  stray   from  the   faith   6  plae  ourselv 
;ieement,rathr  than  rest   in  His   luv. 


"Defensive  Coaching:  On  Judgement" 
Scripture :  Jude  5-7 

haps  one  of  the  best  known  football  coaches  in  our  nation  is  Tom  Landry 
of  the  Dallas  Cowboys.   The  reason  is  not  so  much  that  he  has  had  a  winning 
record  as  a  coach,  but  perhaps  because  he  is  known  as  a  practicing  Christ- 

.  both  on  and  off  the  field.   Ti-,ere  are  others  who  are  also  Christian 
coaches  and  they  are  being  pointed  out  more  and  more.   But  I  believe  that 
Tom  Landry  and  all  of  the  other  so  called  "Christian  coaches"  have  been  pre- 
ceeded  by  the  first  ISteExsiHxx  Christian  coach  who  lived  about  2000  years  ago 
T,  at  man  is  named  Jude.   Vs  we  look  at  this  letter  which  he  has  written,  we 
see  that  he  identifies  the  enemies  on  the  playing  field  and  then  he  sets 
dtorth  the  means  whereby  they  have  been,  can  be,  and  will  be  defeated.   It  is 
up  to  the  Christians  playing  the  game  of  life  to  take  the  "Defensive  Coach- 
ing" offered  by  Jude  and  stop  the  offense  from  scoring  against  the  church. 

ifXKKXSan  -rth±Hixrfx:tfHISKXSXXpXKXKJlt±HXXte±XXXXI[!KTqHtB:X 

Jude  offers  us  his  game  plan  and  he  does  so  by  identifying  how  the  game  has 

been  played,  the  plays  which  have  been  made  and  then  he  gives  advice  how  to 

work  against  these  things  in  the  remainder  of  the  game.   Thus  far  Jude  has 

briefly  examined  the  opposition  we  face  in  the  Christian  Church.   We  had 

seen  last  week  how  Jude  sought  to  write  just  an  ordinary  letter  about  the 

joy  which  every  Christian  possesses  through  salvation.   But  the  Holy  Spirit 

had  grasped  him  with  a  compulsion  that  he  couldn't  control  and  he  had  to 

write  of  the  dangers  in  the  churc!"      te  time  of  his  writing,  and  of  the 

dangers  which  would  come  forth  as  the  church  moved  down  the  centuries  of 

time . 

As  we  said  before,  Jude  uses  triads,  or  groups  of  three  throughout  his  lette 

to  explain  his  various  points.   In  tod-  "   Scripture  he  writes  of  three 

examples  which  took  place  in  Biblical  history  which  speak  of  Cod's  judgement 

Jude  begins  by  stating  in  verse  S,  "I  will  therefore  put  you  in  remembrance, 
though  ye  once  knew  this." 

A  preacher  I  know  says  that  when  he  was  in  Seminary,  he  had  a  professor  who 

ht  that  when  ever  you  come  to  the  word  "therefore "  in  Scripture,  you 
should  stop  and  see  what  it  is  "there  for."   Jude  use?  the  phrase,  "I  will 
therefore,"  to  say  that  he  will  now  follow  up  what  he  has  said  prior  to  this 
with  something  which  these  people  were  well  aware  of.   His  plan  is  to  illus- 
trate what  he  has  said  with  some  specific  examples. 

le  begins  by  sa;/ing,  "Tow  that  the  lord,  having  saved  the  people  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  afterward  destroyed  them  that  believed  not." 

Jude  is  speaking  of  the  events  which  are  recorded  in  the  13th  and  14th  c 
of  the  book  of  lumbers.   If  you  want  to  turn  to  the  13th  chapter  of  lumbers 
we  will  be  looking  at  this  event,   God  told  Noses  to  select  1?  men  one  from 
each  tribe  to  go  out  and  to  spy  out  the  promised  land  before  them. 


-2- 
es  does  this  and  the  spies  ro  out.   We  read  in  the  ?Gth  verse  of  their 
return,  (read  this).   Then  we  read  of  their  report  in  verses  26-29.   But 
Caleb  speaks  out  against  this  majority  report  and  gives  what  amounts  to  the 
minority  report  in  verse  30.   But  the  other  ten  men, (Joshua  was  concurring 
with  Caleb),  speak  out  that  they  cannot  overcome  the  people,  31-33. 
Tvis  caused  the  people  to  cry  and  lament  against  Moses  and  Aaron.   But  Caleb 
and  Joshua  plead  with  the  people  as  we  read  in  verses  6-9  of  chapter  14. 

look  what  the  people  want  to  do  to  them  for  this  as  recorded  in  verse 
10.   God's  answer  to  them  is  provided  in  the  verses  11  and  12.   But  loses 
pleads  with  God  to  spare  the  reople  and  He  relents.   His  promise  to  them  is 
recorded  in  verses  26-35,  (read  these  verses).   Tvia  is  what  Jude  is  talking 
about  in  this  5"th  verse.   God's  Jud-rement  is  passed  upon  these  people  for 
their  disobedience  and.  unbelief.  T\,ey  weren't  willing  to  trust  God  to  de- 
liver them  from  these  imagined  "giants"  of  this  land.   God  had  brought  them 
out  of     it,  across  the  desrt  to  the  very  edge  of  this  promised  land,  but 
they  would  all  die  rather  than  see  it  and  enter  it  because  of  their  unbelief 
Jude  is  saying  the  same  thing  can  happen  to  those  within  the  Christian  Churcl 
who  refuse  to  believe  w&HixS  the  truth cwhich  God  has  provided  through  Jesus 
Christ. 

Next,  Jude  gives  his  second  illustration  in  the  6th  verse.   He  says: 
"And  the  angels  which  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  left  their  own 
habitation,  He  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains  under  darkness  unto 
the  judgement  of  the  great  day." 

Jometime  after  God  created  everything,  a  hand  of  angels  led  by  Lucifer  who 

later  becamse  known  as  Satan,  rebelled  against  God  and  God  cast  them  out 

of  heaven.   These  fallen  angels  began  to  co-habit  with  the  women  on  earth. 

We  find  this  recorded  in  Genesis  6,  startinr  with  the  first  verse,  (read 

1-4  5c  explain).   The  second  example  which  Jude  gives  points  out  the  sins  of 

pride  and  lust.   Tt  was  pride  that  made  Tucifer,  Satan  znd    his  band  believe 

they  could  be  like  God  and  overthrow  Him.   And  when  they  were  cast  out  of 

God's  habitation,  they  turned  to  lust  to  reproduce  their  kind  upon  the 

earth.   ^HdExxa;xxxxxEay±E5C<±ira±x±±x±xxst±xxxiori^:E   Jude  says  that  because 

of  these  actions,  these  fallen  angels  will  be  judged  in  chains  and  utter 

darkness  on  the  day  of  judgement.   Juse  is  pointing  out  that  it  is  still 

pride  and  lust  which  keeps  man  from  being  all  that  God  wants  him  to  be. 

Jude  now  speaks  of  the  third  example  he  has  set  forth  in  the  7th  verse : 
"Even  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrha,  and  the  cities  about  them  in  like  manner, 
giving  themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after  strange  flesh, 
are  set  forth  for  an  example,  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire." 

T^is  example  is  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Somorrah  for  their  evil  and 

wickedness.   W§  find  this  recorded  in  the  19th  chapter  of  Genesis.   (Read 

verses  1-3 ) .   But  then  we  see  what  the  men  of  the  city  had  in  mind  as  we 


-3- 

read  in  verses  4-  and  5.   Notice,  at  the  end  of  the  5th  verse  it  states, 
"That  we  may  "know"  them!"   The  word  "know"  -at  in  Scripture  is  the  word  for 
sexual  intercourse.   ro  this  verse  is  saying  that  these  men  wanted  to  have 
sexual  relations  with  these  two  men  who  came  to  visit  Lot.   In  the  account 
of  Adam  and  Eve  we  read  that  "Adam  "knew"  his  wife  and  she  conceived."   In 
£he  account  of  Joseph  and  Mary  becoming  pregnant  with  Jesus  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  Matthew  we  read  thxix  at  the  end  of  the  1st  chapter,  a"bout  Joseph, 
"And  "knew"  her  not  until  she  had  brough  forth  her  firstborn  son." 
Some  of  the  Christian  church  today  are  trying  to  cover  this  up  and  claim 
that  the  people  of  ".odom  were  seeking  to  be  hospitable  and  because  Lot  would 
not  let  the  angels  meet  these  men,  he  was  ^uilty  of  inhospitality.   But  that 
is  outright  heresy  and  is  actually  a  part  of  what  Jude  was  saying  would  take 
place  in  the  latter  days  of  the  Church  Age* 

Then  we  read  the  endin^  of  this  story  the  night  before  Codom  and  Gomorrah 
were  destroyed  in  verses  6-11,  (read  and  explain).    Jude  speaks  of  this 
gross  immorality  when  he  says  these  people  were  ^jcxitxxz-rtfeKHixHixKSXBXgrxiB 
"going  after  strange  flesh."  He  is  saying  they  were  involved  in  homosexual- 
ity and  for  this  were  condemned  to  eternal  damnation. 

So  Jude  is  pointing  out  Biblical  accounts  which  demonstrate,  unbelief,  pride 
lust,  and  nBtxEni^xxxsxx^TaixpKTX-wxtHd:  perverted  sin.   Jude  is  pointing  out 
that  which  Jesus  had  spoken  of  and  that  was  "As  ye  sow,  so  shall  ye  reap." 
If  you  seek  to  live  the  righteous  life  and  strive  to  keep  from  sin,  God  will 
honor  that  life  and  the  person  will  remain  in  God's  Grace.   But  if  a  person 
flaunts  his  Christianity  and  will  not  live  as  God  has  set  forth,  that  person 
will  reap  God's  judgement  instead.   We  are  admonished  by  Jude  to  follow  the 
examples  which  Jesus  set  frvrth, 

(Illustration  of  Indian  ^adhu  Gundar  Sing] 

Bhu   ingh  became  a  Christian  against  the  desires  of  his  family. 
c   this  he  was  disowned  and  his  very  last  meal  which  he  ate  at 
home  was  poisoned .   Put  he  recovered  and  for  the  rest  of  his  life 
went  about  in  India  and  Tibet  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
On  one  occasion  he  and  a  companion  were  traveling  through  a  pass  hi 

the  Himalaya  mountains.   They  came  upon  a  body  lying~in  the  snow. 
Sundar  Singh  wanted  to  stop  and  help  the  man,  hut  hia  cc^yanion  refused. 
He  said,  "We  shall  lose  our  lives  if  we  burden  ourselves  with  him." 

Sundar  Singh  would  not  think  of  leaving  the  man  to  die  in  the  e±e 
ice  and  snow.   Go  his  companion  went  on  ahead  leaving  him  to  look  after 
this  stranger.   Singh  rot  the  man  on  his  back  and  with  his  burden  he 
struggled  along  with  great  exertion.   As  he  walked  with  the  man  flung 
across  his  back,  the  heat  from  his  body  beran  to  warm  up  the  frozen 
man  and  he  revived.  Goon  both  were  walking  side  by  side.   Catching  up 
ith  hie  companion,  they  found  him  -  dead-  frozen  ii  by  the  cold. 
Vundar  Singh  was  willing  to  risk  his  life  to  save  the  life  of  another 
and  in  the  process  he  found  life.   But  his  callous  friend  sought  to 
save  his  life,  but  lost  it. 

firowrsoui""iiat  sha11  "  profit  a  man  if  be  ^ain  the  whoie  w°rid  and  iose 


-4- 

This  is  what  Jude  is  trying;  to  impart  to  the  people  within  the  Christian 
Church  wjien  he  said,  "I  will  therefore  put  you  in  remembrance . "   He  is 
calling  our  attention  to  the  principle  that  we  seek  to  live  and  to  do  the 
will  of  God  lest,  we   s1     "rom  the  faith  and  place  ourselves  in  ^-od  's  judge- 
ment, rather  than  rest  in  ITis  love.   *ni:xtBxticBSKX»bi5ysEskx±kK±xxE«KXK±22^ 

tfeK±IXBira:C^BEtS±mBS^XtiaJK±KXB«XxfBriDXBI±Xa|311HtHKyXBX,xfeKrH"K^XX- 


PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Sixth  Sunday  in  Eastertide  Hay  27",  1984 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Paster 
Mrs,  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis  -  Acolyte 


+  +  + 


+  + 


.M. 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11; DO 
Prelude 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 
Prayer  Requests 

♦Processional  Hymn  No.  394  ''Rejoice,  Ye  Pure  in  Heart" 

•Ascription 

•Exhortation 

"Confession  (In  Unison)  "We  pray  Father,  that  this  day 
we   may  be  aware  of  our  membership  in  the  whole  body  of 
Christ,   Give  us  a  complete  sense  of  what  this  means  by 
forgiving  others,  as  we  also  wish  to  be  forgiven.  Pardon 
us  for  seeing  the  speck  in  our  brother's  eye  while 
neglecting  to  see  our  larger  sins*   Grant  us  Your  forgive- 
ness for  the  many  things  we  have  said  and  done  and  thought* 
which  have  caused  us  to  be  sorry  and  wish  we  could  undo 
them.   These  things  we  ask  in  Jesus''  name.   Amen." 

*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 

•Praise 

'Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  Godt 

•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 

♦Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  328  "Begin,  My  Tongue,  Some  Heavenly  Theme" 
Call  to  Prayer 


Pastor 
People 
Pastor 

Prayer 

Offering 
Offertory 

Doxology 

Anthem : 

Scripture 
Sermon: 


The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


Bach 


"My  Faith  Is  Firmly  Found" 
Mo.  382 
Let  There  Be  Feace  On  Earth11     No.  681 
Jude  8-13 
"Defensive  Coaching:   On  False  Teachers 


•Closing  Hymn  Mo. 
Benediction 
Postlude 

+  +  +■  +  +  -f    + 


114   "Wonderful  Grace  of  Jesus" 


•Congregation  Standing  +  +  + 


> 


yi 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Fern  Minehart  in  loving  memory  of  her  "Husband" 

John. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  *Richard  Mangel,  Don 

Kingsley,  Edward  Walker  and  Gary  Penar. 
Mr*  &  Mrs*  Paul  Riemer  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 

the  door  this  morning. 
Hospitalised:   Eill  Zavacky,  BCMH;  Charles  Penar.  VA 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

visiting  the  Hospital  this  week. 
This  week  the  Pastor  and  six  laymen  will  he  in  Chicago 

at  the  Moody  Bible  Pastor's  Conference.  If  you  should 
need  pastoral  assistance,  please  contact  the  office,  or 
Bea  Tait  at  her  home  for  help  -  2833328. 

re-registration  for  Vacation  Bible  School  today  after 

the  Service  here  in  the  Sanctuary-  on  the  left  side 

{Brugh  Ave.  side) 
We  have  June  10  and  24  open  for  Memorial  Flowers.   Should 

you  want  to  have  either  of  these  Sundays ,   Please  let 

let  Bea  know. 
Council  meeting  will  be  June  6th  at  8:00  o'clock* 

+  +  +  +  +  + 
When  I  think  af  the  God  of  creation  t 
And  the  mountains  and  rivers  He  formed, 
My  soul  thrills  with  wonder  and  glory, 
And  my  heart  it  is  strangely  warmed. 
When  I  think  of  the  God  of  salvation, 
And  the  change  in  a  life  He  can  bringj 
My  heart  glows  with  rapture  and  gladness, 
As  close  to  my  Savior  I  cling. 
Rivers  of  love,  oceans  of  grace, 
Nothing  in  this  world  can  His  love  replace. 
Stars  lose  their  luster 
And  moonbeams  grow  dim, 

When  I  compare  all  these  wonders  with  Him. 
--Wagoner 

Have  a  safe  Memorial  Day  Weekend. 
See  you   in  Church. 

Tuesday  and  Thurs  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 


rt   only  town   time ,bpt  prorri  ™™re 
Thar  thoz   laf  8   sefl    Jude   -rot   only  »that  tine/place 

"  IV:  wat  barn  soeity.worl  'lei       <-  iui11-1 

Jv        Ik   bak   2   examps       I     i  J*«  «  *  D°"   ? 

. 

*re  m^fthey  no  recorniz   lordship  of 

?St   surptis   thing  in  thia .thoshhol  fundy  of      dl*, 
£e  sUl  peop  who  patriotic    Uaericana.eVt.  oal   flag 

=.Witrrhoz  SenylS   faith   aline  salva  w/subversiv 

(Blsn"   *«b   Plto.EplSoap.1  church  rhf^f ae) 
I  Bliev  as  G  strait  dwn  reop  wildrnes.did  M 

TMs  man  plac  his  pride/arc, 

U  wat    Jude  say  tak  an   -a  lt.iUus 

i-iv  -nronr  way  Imndl  arairs   as   u  »»»»» 

Gabriel  no  rebuke, only  say- i  tie  i   re ^ 

;  hr,r;  Lii, p^ a^ 

Bay  reop  blind/dear  aeiio  t  j^/sPe  things  " 
then  l«   ""^^SS  oHyes  &  flesh 

only  thing   ^  is/Sb^n  £  ea  1   turn  fr 'truth   - 
Vs   ll=Compar   ?-ttare    ■  ID   men        »« 

cli^i^M'aoIf  VZnrir  bro  Bci*  bro   Sair,  favr  w/G 
^^f  B  S,  MM.   positin  of ,b; 

lng,B0«  he  didr*-»ony/powr 

hau   hold  on  bin  -r.    finaly  r<?°r   ~-,rael  slay  him  &  his 
tioney  &  power   no  sav   from  deatruetirt 


nat     ;orrl-        '  '     ,od 

3    sed,r«bel   agin  R   rehr  I  G  s   anoint 

i-    -  ■        laron 
4  this   G    opn   ,-rr"  --esins    swalow  up   in   ert 

.human  exampa  apoa.Jtide   n  we 

.         thez  peop-Spota  blemishe^the*  peop   .loin 
*«=«.+        «at   as  tho  had  clear  conscience 
v^l?r-  I    «a.d  rain.no  get, paa   over 

;  .ron-is   8   prorcis   navr  en*  *th 

"cue    :  udS  ..    ,r>.  .      rpal  rlea   trees 

Vs   12G=I5xanp  fruit,  leavs   fal-lii  ded.K   rex 
vs   llA-lik  wavs   pnd   shor  roks.no  brk  •■   only  io™  xy 
lik  this, in   ^~«  gobjjfit.^^1^ 

Si    6U  then  blaknes 

Tnex   r  ;\rLkPlac    S,  wud 

Jude   seek  teach/exhort/spk  agin     wat  tak  plac 

uSfffitt  tSS  ,uote   on  this 
HeindKidul  membra  cS  2B  on  Ikout  «hos  who   Jude  say 

TaaTtS  i^^cS^S   -no   Js  XP  as 

I  truly  comit  2  HI _ 

■ 

any  of  usk^t  =   Woe  Unto  ^benn. 


fen-ive  Coaching:  On  Fqlse  Teachers" 
Scripture :  Jude  8-13 

Jude  wrote  his  letter  v/hich  not  only  speaks  of  the  time  in  which  he  lived, 

but  speaks  prophetically  of  future  events  and  future  days  within  the  Church 

of  Jesus  Christ.   There  have  always  been  those  who  have  laughed  at  this  and 

daid  that  Jude  was  only  writing  f-BxxkxxxtxiCH  about  the  events  in  his  time 

as  they  took  place  in  the  church  of  that  time.   But  anyone  who  has  taken 

the  effort  to  look  at  the  history  of  the  church  and  the  events  of'tbe  world 

cannot  help  but  draw  parallels  to  what  he  wrote  and  the  fulfillemnt  of  it. 

we  look  at  this  Scripture  for  today,  we  see  that  Jude  hearkens  back  to 

the  three  examples  which  he  had  piven  in  the  portion  of  Scripture  which  we 

used  last  week.   Tie  bepins  by  stating:  "likewise  also  these  xxxitkx  filthy 
"rearers,"  8a. 

T"e  three  examples  if  you  recall  were  the  people  who  died  in  the  wilderness 
because  they  refused  to  believe  God;  the  angels  who  had  fallen  from  Grace 
and  cohabited  with  the  women  of  the  earth  and  were  destroyed  because  of  theia 
pride  and  lust;  and  the  people  of  £  odom  and  Gomorrah  who  were  destroyed  be- 
cause of  their  perversion  of  homosexuality  and  immorality. 

T^en  Jude  sajis  these  people  in  the  past  and  others  like  them  who  would  creep 
into  the  church  both  then  and  as  the  church  moved  on  in  time,  would,  "Defile 

the  flesh."   Jesus  said  in  Matthew  15:19-20,  ""For  out  of  the  heart  proceed 
evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false  witness, 
blashemies:  these  are  the  b      which  defile  a  man." 

And  Paul  writes  in  Sxitsin  Galatians  5:19-21,  "Now  the  works  of  the  flesh  are 
manifest,  which  are  these;  adultery,  fornication,  uncleanness,  lascivious- 
ness,  idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred,  variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife, 
seditions,  heresies,  envyinps,  murders,  drunkenness,  revellinps,  and  such 

like." 

we  look  at  what  Jesus  said,  Faul  wrote  about,  and  Jude  said  would  take 
place  we  surely  can  see  that  this  isn't  a  pretty  picture  beinr  painted  about 
what  would  take  place  within  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.   Thus  Jude  was  also 
led  to  say  that  these  people  would,  "Despise  dominion,"   ITe  meant  that  thsx 
these  apostates  would  show  their  complete  disdain  for  the  things  of  God  that 
they  would  turn  from  His  dominion.   He  meant  they  would  not  recognize  the 
lordship  of  Jesus  Christ.   :e  can  see  this  very  vividly  today  within  many  of 
the  major  denominations.  Once  respected  creeds  and  confessions  of  the  Cvirct 
are  no  longer  accepted-,  the  virpin  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  is  emphatically  de- 
nied; His  miracles  are  lauphed  at;  His  sacrifice  on  calvary,  and  His  resur- 
rection are  explained  away;  and  all  of  the  other  fundamentals  of  the  faith 
are  poked  fun  at.   But  the  surprising  thing  to  be  seen  in  all  of  this  is  the 
fact  that  those  who  still  hold  to  the  fundamentals  of  the  faith,  are  still 

the  people  who  are  patriotic  Americans,   And  yes,  are  even  called  flap-wavers 
by  the  ethers.   But  it  is  those  who  are  denying  the  fundamentals  of  the  fiaith 


_?_ 

who  are  aligning  themselves  with  subversive  forces  and  actively  seeking  to 

undermine  and  overthrow  the  Amrican  way  ofl  life. 

And  then  Jade  ends  this  8th  verse  with  the  final  evil  of  these  apostates  by 

daying,  "And  speak  evil  of  dignities."   T,  ere  is  only  one  special  di  nity 

they  can  apeak  against  and  that  is  the  Lord  Jesus  7hrist.   Never  before  in 

the  history  of  the  church  jots  has  there  been  such  personal  attacks  on  the 

person  of  Jesus  Christ.   But  we  can  .^ee  ,f-ow  "od  deals  with  these  apostates 

by  looking  at  one  specific  example.   Not  too  long  a<-"0,  back  in  the  l°60*s 

there  was  a  man  who  arose  to  national  prorrlrence  as  xxiKadsr  a  so  called 

■i^enical  leader."  Re  was  a  bishop  in  the  Epicopal  church.   His  entire 
purpose  in  life  came  to  be  the  joining  together  of  all  denominations  into 
one  world  church.   Scripture  points  out  this  will  happen,  so  he  was  working 
alon^'  with  ^atan  instead  of  with  God.   r'hortly  after  he  started  on  this 
ecumaniacal  movement,  he  began  to  poke  fun  at  such  things  as  the  Virgin 
birth,  being  born-again  and  so  on.   T>en  he  embarked  on  what  he  said  was  to 
be  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land  to  actually  retrace  the  things  of  Jesus. 
Not  too  long  after  he  was  in  the  Holy  land  he  was  discovered  dead  in  the 
desert.   His  name  was  James  .-'. .  Tike. 

I  believe  that  as  Clod  struck  down  the  people  in  the  wilderness  for  their  un- 
belief, He  did  the  same  to  this  man  who  in  his  pride  and  arrogance  placed 
himself  above  the  things  of  God.   This  is  what  Jude  said  would  take  place 
in  the  Christian  church. 
But  in  order  to  give  the  proper  '-,o:*  of  handling  the  affairs  as      'ants  it, 

Jude  gives  us  an  illustration  in  the  9th  verse.   He  says:  "Yet  Nichael  the 
archangel,  when  contending  with  the  devil  he  disputed  about  the  body  of 
Moses,  dared  not  brir     Inst  him  a  railing  accusation,  but  said,'The  Lord 
rebuke  thee .  '  " 

Now  first  of  all  we  must  understand  that  Jude  was  talking  about  something 
which  is  not  found  in  the  ordinary  Scriptures.   But  it  was  and  is  a  part  of 

■oup  of  writings  which  SMxaiii  were  not  accepted  for  inclusion  in  the 
Bible.   ^K±sx^XHiapxH*xfeBHX5xx3rx'Bai:iR*^xilx^KxxSKiaitBX±FOCH?;hKxx   There  are  two 
groups  of  books  which  were  considered  as  not  being  essential  to  include  in 
the  Canon.   One  group  is  called  the  Apocryphia  and  the  other  is  called  the 
Pseudopigrapha.   It  is  in  the  Iseudopigrapha  that  this  incident  about  the 
Archangel  Michael  is  found.   The  book  in  which  it.  is  found  is  called,  "The 
Assumption  of  Hoses."   The  collection  of  books  called  the  Iseudopigrapha 
derives  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  books  were  written  by  an  unknown 
author  and  attributed  to  someone  who  was  famous.   According  to  the  writ! 
in  the  Assumption  of  Moses,  Gabriel  the  Archangel  was  given  the  task  of 
taking  Noses'  body  to  heaven  after  he  had  died.   Satan  tells  Gabriel  that 
Moses*  body  belongs  to  him,  because  in  his  lifetime  he  was  a  murderer,  havinf 
murdered  the  Egyptian  taskmaster.   But  • ichaai  tells  Satan  that  Moses'  be- 
longs in  the  presence  of  Sod.   How  we  must  remember  this  is  before  Jesus 
Christ  arose  from  the  grave  and  made  it  possible  for  the  Old  Testament  saints 
to  be  in  heaven  with  God.   But  we  must  also  remember  that  when  Jesus  was 


-3- 

transfigured  on  the  Mount,  that  He  spoke  to  "Elijah  and  Moses.   T,_e  disciples 

distinctly  saw  both  of  them.   This  means  that  sometime  between  the  death  of 

Moses  and  the  coming  into  the  world  of  Jesus,  Moses '  body  had  gone  to  heaven, 

But  what  Jude  is  trying  to  say  about  all  of  this  is  that  even  though  Sabriel 

was  doing  God's  work  and  will,  he  did  not  fight  against  Satan,  or  call  him 

names,  or  anything  else.   He  merely  said, "The  lord  rebuke  thee,"  which  was 

like  a  wish  that  someday,  God  would  deal  with  him.   Gabriel  recognized  that 

even  though  Satan  was  one  of  Cod's  fallen  angels,  nevertheless  he  was  one  of 

God's  special  creations.   Go  rather  than  speak  against  God's  created,  he 

simply  says  that  God  will  rebuke  him. 

contrast  this  with  the  false  teachers  which  Jude  is  speaking  against  as 

we  read  in  the  10th  ver-e.   "But  these  speak  evil  of  those  things  which  they, 
know  not:  but  what  they  know  naturally,  as  brute  beasts,  in  those  things 
they  corrupt  themselves." 

le  says  these  apostates  speak  evil  against  that  which  they  do  not  know. 

And  what  was  it  they  didn't  know?   They  didn't  know  the  truth  and  so  they 

spoke  against  it.  ko&   what  they  did  know  was  the  t  '     of  the  world  and 

•  was  like  the  physical  appetites  of  animals  and  this  led  to  their  utter 

corruption.   Jude  says  that  people  who  3EK±HSBxtExixxtHK3dtaxtkH  are  blind  and 

deaf  deliberately  to  spiritual  things,  there  will  come  a    time  when  they  can 

no  longer  hear  or  see  these  things  and  the  only  fc] -ir.-  left  is  the  world  and 

its  lust  of  the  eyes  and  of  the  flesh. 

Kow'.Jude  uses  some  examples  to  compare  t  e^  to.   In  the  11th  verse  he  compare 

them  to  three  Biblical  characters.   He  says,  "Woe  unto  them!  for  they  have 
-■one  HftHi  in  the  way  of  Cain,  and  ran  greedily  after  the  error  of  Balaam 
for  reward,  and  perished  in  the  gainsaying  of  T'orah." 

Each  of  these  men  turned  from  the  truth  to  their  own  destruction.   Cain  was 
a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  he  murdered  his  brother  because  his  brother  gained 
the  favor  of  God,   Go  he  was  jealous  of  his  brother's  favored  position. 
Balaam  was  a  prophet  and  he  ■     iked  by  Balak  to  curse  Israel.   He  was 
tempted  to  do  so  by  the  money  and  possessions  offered  by  Balak,  but  somehow 
or  other  God  prevented  him  from  doing  so.   It  wasn't  because  he  wanted  to 
do  the  ri?;ht  thing,  because  he  didn't.   Honey  nnd  power  had  its  hold  on  him 
and  finally,  the  people  of  Israel  did  slay  him  and  his  money  and  power  didn'1 
skave  him  from  destruction.   Koran  was  a  p±iest,aaa>fccitK  a  cusin  of  I-ioses. 
Jude  said  he  perished  in  his  "gainsaying,"  and  that  word  means,  "to  go  again- 
st the  word."  He  went  against  the  Word  of  Sod,   'hat  God  had  said,  he  re- 
belled against  and  that  rebellion  was  against  God's  anointed  leader,  Moses. 
He  and  several  others  led  a  revolt  against  ifeiSBX  the  authority  of  Moses  and 
Aaron.   For  this,  God  opened  the  ground  under  them  and  they  and  all  of  their 
possesssions  and  families  were  swallowed  up  in  the  earth. 


-4- 

Havinp:  given  three  human  examples  of  apostacy,  Jude  now  speaks  against  them 

using  natural  elements  for  comparison.  In  the  12th  verse  he  says:  "These 
are  spots  in  your  feasts  of  charity,  when  they  feast  with  you,  feeding 
themselves  without  fear;" 

It  was  customary  for  the  Christians  in  the  first  century  church  to  gather 
regularly  on  the  Lord  'e  Day,  Funday,  and  have  what  became  known  as  a  love 
feast.   'Everyone  brought  food  and  they  shared  it  together,  and  after  the  mea] 
they  would  partake  of  the  Lord's  'upper.   But  Jude  says  these  apostates  were 
blemishes,  or  "spots"  in  the  feasts  of  charity,  or  love  which  the  word  chari- 
ty actually  meant.   These  people  Joined  in  the  feast  and  never  felt  out  of 
place  and  ate  as  though  they  harl  clear  consciences. 

Next,  Jude  says ,tkK^xsxK^x*^iKB±x  "Clouds  they  are  without  water,  carried 
about  of  winds." 

The  comparison  here  is  to  that  of  a  landowner  who  had  a  large  vineyard,  or 

some  other  crops.   He  works  his  fields,  or  his  vineyard  and  he  is  delighted 

when  he  looks  to  the  horizon  and  sees  dark  clouds  coming  which  will  water 

his  crops.   But  those  dark  clouds  suddenly  get  caught  up  with  the  wind  and 

instead  of  dropping  the  needed  rain,  they  pass  nuickly  by  and  the  ground  is 

still  parched  for  rain.  This  is  what  the  apostates  were;  showing  promise, 

but  that  promise  never  comes  forth  because  they  axe   not  what  they  should  be. 

Next  Jude  says  they  are  like,  "Trees  whose  fruit  whefchereth,  without  fruit, 
twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots j" 

First  they  are  like  fruit  trees  with  promising  fruit  on  them,  but  when  it 

comes  time  to  harvest,  the  fruit  is  withered  and  so  there  is  kb*  no  fruit. 

But  they  are  also  like  trees  which  shed  their  leaves  in  the  k±k±k:e  fall  and 

in  the  winter  appear  as  though  they  are  dead.   And  also  they  are  like  trees 

that  are  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  so  if  a  tree  stands  without  leaves  and  is 

plucked  up,  it  is  twice  dead. 

Jude's  comparison  continues  in  the  l^th  verse.   First  he  says,  "Raging  waves 
of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own  shame." 

Like  the  waves  which  beat  upon  the  rocks  SLfcxifefeKXEsa  on  the  shore,  they  pound 
mightily,  but  they  cannot  break  them  and  as  the  wave  subsides  the  only  thin- 
left  is  the  foam  from  the  wave.   This  is  what  apostates  in  the  church  are 
like.  They  may  cause  problems  gainst  the  thinrs  of  the  lord,  but 

they  cannot  win  out  and  will  be  as  only  the  foam  of  the  sea. 

Next,  Jude  says  they  are  like,  "Wandering  stars,  to  whom  is  reserved  the 
blackness  of  darkness  forever." 

The  illustration  here  is  to  that  of  meteors,  or  shooting  stars  through  space 
One  of  these  heavenly  bodies  may  give  off  a  brilliant  light,  but  they  quickl; 
pass  by  and  are  extinguished  and  never  seen  again.   \'here  once  they  are  briL 
liant,  they  now  become  completely  dark  and  blackened  forever.   So  Jude  has 
given  these  colorful  illustrations  of  what  the  apostates,  or  false  teachers 
are  in  the  Christian  Church,  both  then  and  what  would  continue  to  hannen 
in  the  ongoing  life  of  the  Churcn.  F* 


-5- 

Jude  was  seeking;  to  teach  and  to  exhort  and  to  speak  against  what  was  taking 

place  and  was  going  to  take  place  in  the  future. 

T~e  author  of  the  hook  of  Hebrews  writing  along  these  same  lines  has  this  to 

say  in  the  12th  chapter,  verse  15:  "See  to  it  that  no  ne  comes  short  of  the 
grace  of  God;  that  no  root  of  bitterness  springing  up  causes  trouble,  and 
by  it  many  be  defiled." 

Dr.  John  ac  ".rthur  writing  about  this  verse  says:  If  an  unbeliever  dies 

before  trusting  £kxixi  in  Jesus  Christ,  he  will  be  lost  forever,  eternally 
short  of  God's  grace.   Tragically,  countless  thousands  of  people  have 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  church,  yet  have  never  come  to  salvation. 
Others  thousands  have  come  to  church  for  a  while,  seen  no  evidence  of 
anything  supernatural  or  attractive,  and  tunred  away,  apostacized.   We  are 
exhorted  to  see  to  it,  to  be  on  the  lookout,  that,  in  so  far  as  we  are 
able  to  influence  them,  no  one  around  us  lives  under  the  illusion  of  being 
a  Christian  when  he  is  not,  or  that  no  one  is  exposed  to  the  Gospel  and 
turns  away  from  it.   This  is  vigilance. 

The  second  purpose  for  vigilance  is  to  prevent  bitterness.   I  person  in 
the  root  of  bitterness  ....  is  a  corruptive  influence,  a  serious  contamin- 
ation in  the  body.   Fe  stay^  in  or  near  the  fellowship  of  the  church  and 
spreads  wickedness,  doubt,  and  general  defilement.   He  is  not  content  to 
apostacize  by  himself." 

The  individual  members  of  the  church  are  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  those  who 

have  "crept  in  unawares  as  Jude  says."  False  teachers  breed  apostacy  and 

apostates  breed  false  teaching. 

(Illustration  of  Karl  Marx  and  his  father  who  influenced  his  life) 

In  the  early  1800's  in  Germany  th_ere  was  a  young  Jewish  boy  who  deeply 
lover!  and  admired  his  father.   T,  e  family  was  very  religious  and  not  only 
attend*  services,  but  the  f other  instructed  and  taught 

his  children  at  home  -=bout  Judaism.   '/hile  the  boy  was  a  teenager,  the 
family  moved  to  another  town  in  "srmany.   In  this  town  there  was  no  syna- 
gogue and  the  influential  people  all  belonged  to  the  Lutheran  church. 
Tuddenjy  one  day  the  father  announced  that  they  were  goin   to  abandon 
their  Jewish  traditions  and  Join  the  Lutheran  church.   hen  the  shocked 
family  questioned  why,  the  father  explained  that  it  was  necessary  to  help 
his  business.   The  young  man  was  bewildered  and  confused  and  very  soon  he 
became  bitter  and  his  bitterness  turned  to  anger. 

He  went  to  hn-land  to  study  and  daily  he  sat  at  the  British  Museum  and 
wrote  down  his  ideas,  composing  a  book.   In  that  book  he  set  forth  his 
idea  of  how  to  change  the  world.   He  wisse  described  religion  as  an 
"Opiate  for  the  masses."   Today,  every  person  living  on  this  earth  , 
over  5  billion  people  have  been  and  are  influenced  by  this  man 
ideas.   In  case  you  haven't  guessed,  his  name  was  Karl  ferx.   His  life 
was  influenced  very  deeply  by  his  father's  hypocrisy. 

Ty,is  is  exactly  what  Jude  was  writi    "■  '  talking  about.   He  was  saying  there 

would  be  people  who  would  come  into  the  church  not  to  know  Jesus  Christ  as 

ifesi  the  Master  of  their  lives,  but  for  various  other  reasons.    „  need  to 

ask  of  everyone,  "Why  are  you  a  part  of  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ?"   V 

need  to  ask  ourselves  if  we  never  have,  "''/hy  am  I  a  part  of  the  church  of 

ffesus  Christ?"  km   I  here  because  of  Him,  or  will  it  help  my  business,  my 

standing  in  the  community,  or  some  other  season;   Let  us  ask  ourselves,  "A.m 

I  truly  committed  to  Him  and  seeking  to  sefve  Him  30  the  church,  this  con- 
greggtion  may  be  what  He  wants  it  to  be?"   \nd  may  the  words  of  Jude  not  be 

spoken  against  any  of  us,  the  words  of  Judgement,  "  /oe  unto  them," 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
Recognition  of  Seniors  June  3r  1984 

The  REv.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Betty  Huselton,  Organist 
Sally  Vensel  and  Jason  Pencil,  Acolytes 


+  +  + 


+  + 


+■  + 


10:00  A.M. 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP 

Prelude 

Announcements 

Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
*Proc<2Ssional  Hymn  No.  322  "When  Morning  Gilds  the  Skies" 
*Ascription 
♦.Exhortation 
♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "Loving  Father,  who  gives  completely 

cf  His  love  to  us*  forgive  oiir  selfishness.   We  aren't 

intentionally  indifferent  to  others •   It's  just  that 

we  are  so  caught  up  In  our  lives,  our  jobs,  our 

families,  we  look  at  the  world  around  us  from  down  deep 

in  our  own  little  worlds.   We  da  care,  but  we  don't  take 

the  time  or  the  trouble  to  respond  in  love  to  the  needs 

around  us.   Strengthen  us  to  assume  the  burden  of  caring. 

Enrich  our  lives  so  we  can  know  the  joy  of  others.   Forgive 

us  our  short-sightedness  so  we  can  try  again.   In  Jesus' 

name.   Amen." 
•Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise 

♦Pastor :   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God ! 

♦People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
♦Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  29   "Wonderful  Words  of  Life" 

Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor t   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 

Prayer 

Offering 
Offertory 

Doxalogy    No.  382 

Scripture:         Ju.de  14-16 

Sermon:    "Defensive  Coaching;   On  The  Ungodly"' 
♦Closing  Hymn  No,  306   ''Lot  He  Comes  with  Clouds  Descending" 

Bened   ion 


Postlude 

■-  +  +  +  +1-  +  +  *Congregation  Standing  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Ann  Williams  in  loving  memory  of  "Woody" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Art  Carney,  Dan  aosko, 

Martin  Henry  _jAt<£    Ar^^ 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  George  Pflugh  will  greet  the  Congregation  ^  A^ 

and  Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning.  Cfrm*-.     c *r**{7~y 
-^^.Hospitalized:  Charles  Penar  -VA  Ufa    P//ys*#    ~t*Mff% 
^Pam  Tait  and  Diane  Hollefreund  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week,  £*  ^*,/'f      .\/~*\  'A&T 

Our  deepest  Sympathy  to  the  Family  and  Friends  of  jy^ 

Mrs,  Howard  Neely  (ViJ  from  Panhandle,  Texas,  who      ^/> 

passed  away  this  week. 
;~^ftev.  &  Mrs.  Gocdling  are  still  hanging  in  there  according 

to  Daughter  -  Lorraine.   They  are  still  at  their  home* 

June  4  -  7:30  -  Mary  Prugh  Circle  Meeting. 
Tone  and  Thura.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Wed.  -  8:00  -  Council  Meeting  in  Undercroft 
We  need  flowers  for  the  Altar  for  Next  Week*   If  you 

would  like  to  have  them  -  contact  Bea  Tait  today. 
^^Those  that  we  know  of  that  are  graduating  are: 

Lori  Zavacky,  David  Jaillet  and  Karen  Pfabe.   Lori 

Zavacky  will  be  going  to  Community  College  in  the 

Falli   We  extend  our  Best  Wishes  and  Congratulations* 
Church  In  the  Park  will  be  June  24th.  The  Church  and 

Family  Picnic  will  follow  the  service  at  the  large 

shelter  in  the  back  of  Memorial  Park. 
Next  Sunday  we  will  have  the  Bell  Choir  and  the  Morley 

Family  Singers  from  Grave  City.   We  would  like  to  have 

a  good  attendance  and  make  them  feel  welcome* 
June  18-22  -  Vacation  Bible  School  for  Youth  and  Adults. 

You  can  still  sign  up  in  the  left  side  of  the  Sanctuary 

today. 

Just  what  tomorrow  holds  for  me 
I  do  not  know,  I  do  not  see. 

Within  His  wisdom,  God  has  planned 
To  hold  tomorrow  in  His  hand. 

Tomorrow  may  bring  grief  and  pain, 
There  may  be  sunshine \   may  be  rain. 
But  through  it  all  I  gladly  say, 
I'll  trust  my  Savior  for  today. 


Attendance  110  -  9  Visitors 

If  you  know  of  anyone  we  missed  that  is  grar"  -iting 


_  no  mean  do  ; 


•ir, 


mean  hav  U  ask  Him  ?cu»  in"  \V>   o 

If  made  comit,i3  Ha   at   center 

□  cnntro1    lif    "■  do  wat   want  w/oi 

Thez  I   only  way   stop  arr  :  n   Ch 

That    is=peoplttneml:  '     '^' 

,i  Lbles 

Las  wk   sea   Apos  breed  Tals   Teach  "        Bach  breed 

also  add : 

.  -  j  t,i lines  bread  moe 

';acy 

.1   •'fi'ie    it,       I    1     '    in   Hr   life' 
•ii!    Bgic  2day  1  -    trust    tp  ir 

■      ..,     :      ■■  i       -     ■  seek       re 

i 


'  lire ; 


Jude   1 


Jude  continu   spk  spos  wh/crei     I  wud    contimi 

cr   ip  as  mov   in?   end    tiire   ''.-   iatr  day,  int 

Ln   Jude  pt  bak  peop  bin    i 
?   'o  apear   on  scan  no  eoincid .freak  hap    'el     noch 

•■:it  wud   hap   nthem 
1  =  'eth=°=T,nos=l':v=C:einan=l?= 

Mahala-le-el=lP?Jared= 
ea  recor  as   patriarch  ,vrhy  I    our        nil  proph' 

En  cal  proph  Beuz  sui  ti  '   po]     '    how  •■'•   liv  his   lif 
Gen  5:?l=*all  son/dotrs   only  ntln 

is   rea3B  '      proph   mid    3  fulfil 

Kethuselah=','en  he   is  ded ,   it   shal   B   sent 
evr   time,  nnme  n,". 's   proph   alud    2 

nan  of  G  mov   sum  way  name  son  4-wat  G  do  futur 
Meth   ;!  '    had    son  oah 

Keth  on  scen,dy=Xamech  dy,but   jTansoti   '."oah   "   work  pro 
vs  23-21-='i!her  was    ~:n":    G  translat  ,remov  bodily  ?hvn 

>nly   Jmen  .  "lijah, Jesus   Christ 

(Expl   littl  rirl   v  enooh) 

vss   14-15=  Jude  a    i  this   suposec    tel   of 

cuiT.iri-  of    Js   "'f  v/an-ls  ■'^1  if  -^senc 

purp=Js   stan   ."■  hhoz   opo,^   Bin 

-    ^och 
colectin  buks    Jew  knu/rad .but  no   co^pl   in~p'r 
slud  in  canon  of   °ible 
r.t   consist   ofi 

'  '      ■ 
lot    pul    o^-hr    tV  .         kep    Otto    ":    " 

ins 
=  'nt    Only    uni   I 

permit  :tr  str  ho«  s>-'  fcak  ixreo 

a<-in   &    ?waxd    Him 

'ch=latr  time, end  time   ther  thoz 
I  arsh/hard ,  vip;raus 
puny  eforts    mak   .ts    f'lio  hardly   sr"  1    not    tnler 

ate  "iv   stan   I 

I   persr.l      liev    as   continu   mov  ahed    scientif 

as-labr  sev  Sevic, money, pens  iu    , 
tirment  oorruntva^  "ho  needs 

but  hung*"  t-hez  Peo'  ' 

--.?.- : 
vs    16-ararmerers=on3  '  ,  ,'     ;    here  only 

:   wander'  "-1"     fti"     '"od 

=comp.iainers=s 
v      jg.  er  destrr 

l.hez   prior  exa  n"  bakup  this 

:-r=j3   aed  Bred    lif  &   murmur  didt  derivatin 
"ivbred,!.  '•  Ivatln  re  jet  "lay 


U0ir.piaiH"»oniy   u~e    nere     i 

,"':2=found   fait,  lain 

Dis   no  do  wat  dun  t  I  her*  in  eyes 

lira   wasrr  rite 

Cant   0  this   in  Ch  2day?   if 
lif  fling  time ,BT3nt bin  nu   bryed  wat  hapn" 

."  eo]-    complain 
whthr  want  recogniz   or  not 
It   U!>  on   old    tr^iitins   refus   Pchsv 

rk  writ  t' 
nothin  wronp-  wash  hand   B*  eat=but   this  was    cifrnl, 
only  t  dun  so  evrl   cud  C  this  perr- 

This   apost    ."ude  say  ere'-  ,    nd   tire, 

!     hav  nothin   el"  do-murmur ,cor>r 
"in-  went   on 
walk  aftr   lusts-8   C  exa)  "+:18-19 

caua   lu3t?«Eye-Eye    "'-   "    Bite   transfer   ""brain  ? 
brai  in 

?   ch,herd   word  ,tr>ayT1   acpt  v,kno 

wat   shuc 

•:k  crowd  drink, swear  ,carous 

1     T  do   sarr-  9UD  fun2 

star!  interfer  bowl,nite   on* 

then  weekends,  a  evrl   Buns    in  row, soon   ocaainly 
then-    table        fomb  Syndrome-    ■-  iter 

-pntiit  oor>rcitme-' 
lusl    of   livs   tal:  preced   ovr   things   or   G  6»Apo8tacy 
vs   lGmouth  eto-1   Bliev  hsp  mor/mor  c  'nor 

preachrs  prench  shud   B  f]  rain/ilnes/probs 

(Illua   lettrt-   eu  /Donald  ffuflillj 

Baloney-Grt   ewe3   wor ' 
Tlcuz   tliez   charlatine 
but  denom   ldr3,pastrs   do  tbi  it 

■  t   i ■     ■■  ,     pe,   finer  pres  etc  tak  precer1 

-    I     rr  'us   Beu!  ioh  Bible 

er  thoz   cautup  name  flroprs    ."ude   say-Ahen.I  r"o 
rectin     Ch , 

,      need  kno  who  deal  with   8   how  hand  1 
(Illus  houi  Ltneas,      i 

\poa   no  hepr  peon   out  Bid   oh, bap  rt   in?; 

ra  but   can  de^l  '         In  proces  efeei 

chanp   lii  r»ae  time  wil  help   fite   evrday  batl  lif 

.r  tj  nn  kno  how   --'  U  pt  wud   lik 

mor  nueai  -<?rs? 

Bil  1   ever  --  '  -■•  -        '     anaer 

4probs   of   lif  r    RD  go   alone  w/own   anser  ,  solutinaj 

,  , tired, r>r 

If  realy  want  turn  lif   aroun  wil   find  , 

But   1st    need    sumth   els=let   n>e   aflk=T)o  U   kno    J 


"Defensive   Coaching:    On  The  Ungodly" 
Scripture :    Jude  14-16 

Before  I  begin  today  I  would  like  to  add  my  remarks  to  what  has  already 
been  said  by  the  laymen  with  whom  1  shared  some  very  special  and  very 
precious  time  this  week.   Not  only  was  it  a  time  of  fun  but  it  was  a 
deep  learning  experience  which  I  shall  never  forget.   A.nd  perhqps ,  it 
had  and  will  have  more  impact  upon  my  future  life  than  anything  has  for 
a  long  time. 

As  always  I  enjoyed  each  of  the  Bible  speakers  but  this  year  was  different 
for  many  reasons.   I  went  to  Chicago  with  a  feeling  of  small  disappointment 
because  none  of  the  name  preachers  whom  I  have  heard  before  and  many  of  you 
know  were    ;    to  be  there,   fen  like  John  IJac'rthur,  Charles  SwindColl, 

'arren  .viersbe  and  others  would  not  be  speaking.   But  little  did  I  know 
that  the  Holy  '"  pirit  had  prepared  lesser  known  men  to  speak  directly  to  me. 
Each  of  them  could  have  preached  to  me  privately  and  what  they  said  was 
speaking  to  my  heart  and  my  life. 

is  usual  the  food  was  excellent  and  I'm  happy  to  say  that  I  only  came  back 
three  pound   heavier  than  when  I  went.   I  only  had  one  evening  when  I  had 
two  pieces  of  pie  and  that  was  forced  on  me  by  a  nameless  young  man  who 
operates  the  fJA  system  for  us.   All  the  while  I  was  there  the  skinny  man  in 
me  was  saying,  "Don't  eat  too  much,  remember  your  weight."   But  then  the 
fat  man  lurking  inside  of  me  would  say,  "Go  ahead,  make  my  day.   A  pound  or 
two  won't  hurt,"  I  won  some,  and  I  lost  some,  and  I  hope  that  I'm  gainin  , 
not  weight,  but  how  to  keep  fr     !~ting  weight. 

of  the  first  things  which  had  an  effect  on  me  was  posted  in  of  all 
places,  a  toilet  stall.   In  the  men's  d-orm  in  which  I  stayed,  (The  others 
were  in  a  woman's  dorm),  in  the  EixixsxExxikExiirEB  toilet  stalls  of  the  idkbx 
rest  rooms,  on  each  of  the  doors  was  a  quotation  pertaining  to  the  Christi- 
ian  life.   Not  like  the  usual  graffitti  usually  seen.   B  an  unknown  author 
I  read,  '""".od  moves  in  deepest  silence  over  the  sands,  the  oceans  and  the 
sod.   Only  the  thirsty  soul  --'ill  3py  His  footprints."   I      is  footprints 
this  week.   I  fel      hand  on  my  shoulder.  '.   heard  His  still  small  voice 
in  my  heart.   ' nd  I  told  Him  that  my  life  is  Bis  and  I  want  to  be  more  of 
His  servant  than  I  have  ever  been.   H.y  prarer  for  each  of  you  is  that  you 
too  would  experience  spying  His  footprints  whereever  you  may  go  and  being 
completely  K±s  surrendered  to  Him. 

Jude  continuing  to  speak  of  the  apostacy  which  had  crept  into  the  church 

and  which  would  continue  to  creep  into  the  church  as  it  moved  into  the 

end  times;  the  latter  days,  no-      ks  of  an  ^ Id  Testament  saint ,±b 

,e  read  in  the  1'4-th  verse,  "And  Bnoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  pro- 
phecied  of  these . " 

Once  again,  Jude  is  pointing  back  to  the  people  ke  had  been  talking  about  in 
the  previous  verses.   But  to  show  that  their  appearanceo  on  the  scene  in  the 
Christian  church  was  not  just  a  co-incidence,  or  some  freak  happening,  he 
tells  that  way  back  in  ancient  histroy  there  was  a  man  named  Enoch  who  told 
about  these  people  and  what  would  hapnen  to  them.   He  be™ins  speaking  of 
och  wltfe  by  saying,  Enoch  was  the  seventh  from  '..dam.   >  read  of  these 
even  in  Genesis  5«   Hirst  there  was  >nm.   Then  in  verse  5,  "eth;  verse  9, 
Bnos;  verse  1?,  Calnanj  verse  15,  Mahala-le-el;  verse  18,  Jared;  verse  21, 
.    it  each  of  these  men  is  recognized  as  being  a  patriarch  so  why  is 
:h  singled  out  above  all  of  the  rest  and  why  is  he  called  a  prophet? 


-2- 

Enoch  is  called  a  prophet  because  of  ^o~e  things  he  supposedly  spoke  and 

because  of  how  God  worked  in  his  life.   We  read  for  instance  in  the  21st 

verse  of  Genesis  5»  "And  Enoch  lived  sixty  and  five  years,  and  be-^at  Eethu- 
selah." 

Of  all  the  sons  and  daughters  that  Enoch  had,  only  Methuselah  is  mentioned. 
The  significance  of  this  is  in  the  fact  that  Enoch  named  him  Nethuselah. 
Bg  itself  thi^  may  not  signify  much.   But  wben  we  see  that  in  this  name  a 
prophecy  of  God  would  be  fulfilled,  then  it  becomes  signifcant.    The  name 
toeant ,  "When  he  is  dead,  it  shall  be  sent."   livery  time  the  name  of  Methus- 
elah was  spoken,  God's  prophecy  was  being  alluded  to.   "o  Enoch  was  a  man 
of  God  who  was  moved  in  some  way  to  name  his  son  for  that  which  God  was 
going  to  do  in  the  future.   Methuselah  died  at  the  age  of  969  but  he  had  a 

named  Iamech  and  this  Lamech  became  the  father  of  T'oah,   lo  I  e^hselah 
was  on  the  scene  and  died  and  following  him  his  son  died,  but  his  "randson 
was  on  the  scene  and  God  worked  his  prophecy  through  him. 

ch,  in  verses  23  an""  24,  "And  all  the  days  of  7noch  were 
three  hundred  sixty  and  five  years:  and        ralked  with  God:  and  he  was 
not;  for  God  took  him." 

/here  was  Enoch?  God  translated  him,  that  is  he  removed  him  boadily  to 

ven.   r^is  only  happened  to  three  men  in  Ecripture .   Enoch,  Elijah,  and  Jesus 

Christ.  \   little  girl  explained  it  this  way; 

Enoch  and  God  were  out  walking,   They  walked  very  far  and  Enoch  was  tired, 
Sod  said  to  noch"we  are  far  from  your  house  and  mine  is  much  closer. 
Why  don't  you  just  come  to  my  house  to  stay."   And  he  di'n  . 

Jude  has  spoken  of  Enoch  as  s  prophet  and  noi      Lves  the  propheey  whcih 

Enoch  spoke  concerning  the  apostates  as  we  read  in  the  remainder  of  the  14th 

15th  verses:  "Behold,  the  lord  cometh  with  ten  thousands  of  Eis  saints, 
to  execute  judgement  upon  all,  and  to  convince  all  that  are  ungodly  amc 
them  of  £11  their  un<~odlv  -^eeds  which  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and  of 
all  their  hard  speeches  which  ungodly  sinners  have  spoken  against  Hj 

How  that  supposedly  is  the  prophecy  which  Enoch  has  given  concerning  the 

coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  His  angels  and  believers  who  are  with 

Him  in  His  presence.   The  purpose  of  this  is  for  the  Lord  to  rtand  in  jusge- 

ment  against  all  of  those  who  oppose  Him.   Once  again  we  must  add  that  Jude 

takes  this  prophecy  from  a  book  of  tbe   eudapigrapha  simly  entitled,  "Enoch, 

This  was  a  collection  of  books  which  the  Jews  knew  and  knew  of,  but  which 

were  not  considered  completely  inspire'-"'  by  Sod  and  ~o  were  left  out  of  the 

Canon  of  the  Bible. 

But  look  at  what  that  judgement  will  consist  of.   Tt  will  be  judgement 

Inst  their  ungodly  deeds.   The  things  they  have  done  against  God  instead 

of  for  Him.   Those  who  have  sought  to  pull  others  away  from  the  faith,  or 

have  actually  kept  other?  from  the  faith  by  their  deeds,  actions.   xTm&b 

Enoch  says  ttessHS  these  deeds  "'fliich  they  have  ungodly  committed."   Hot  only 
were  their  deeds  ungodly,  but  they  were  done  ungodly.   T^is  makes  it  extra 


-3- 

strong   just  how  seriously  Hod  takes    irreverence  toward   Tlim.      The    judgement 

will  also  be  against  "All  their  hard  speeches  which  these  ungodly  sinners 
have  spoken  against  Him," 

In  the  latter  times,  the  end  times  there  will  he  those  who  are  speaking 
harshly  and  hardly  against  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.   This  means  they  will 
speak  very  vigorously,  or  hard  against  Him.  But  their  puny  little  efforts 
will  make  it  as  though  they  were  hardly  speaking.   God  will  not  tolerate 
the  enlightened  fools  who  will  strive  to  stand  against  Him.   I  personally 
believe  that  as  we  continue  to  move  forward  with  all  of  our  scientific  ad- 
vances and  ideas,  men  will  become  more  and  more  godless.   The  reason:  who 
needs  anything  like  a  God  when  you  have  everything  you  want  at  your  finger- 
tips, ia   have  this  partially  now.   We  have  labor  saving  devices,  more  than 
enough  food,  money  coming  in,  pensions  being  paid  into,  social  security, 
vacation  resorts  and  retirement  communities  in  the  warmer  re-ions  and  people 
in  power  who  will  continue  to  fi  ]  t  bo  give  us  more  and  more  of  these  things , 

needs  God?   'hat  more  could  He  possibl"  ^ive  us  that  we  do  not  aire 
have?   rhe  answer  is,  "C„n  and  do  all  of  these  things  give  happiness?" 
The;*  may  appear  to  for  a  time,  but  there  is  a  hunger  in  those  who  have  all 
of  these  things  which  prevent."  them  from  having  harpiness.   Ask  any  one  who 
has  all  of  the  material  things  of  life  if  he  is  happy.       as  er  you  will 
receive  is  that  he  isn't,  and  this  is  exactly  '"hat  Judt      ks  of  next. 

He  says,  "These  are  irurmurers,  compainers,  w         .  =r  their  own  lusts  5 
and  their  mouth  speaketh  great  swell!   words,  having  men's  persons  in 
admiration  because  of  advantage." 

Jirst  they  are  murmurers.   Tvis  word  is  only  found  in  the  New  Teptament  in 

this  verse.   Ohher  form--  of  it  are  used  elsewhere.   Cut  this  is  the  only 

place  where  it  is  found.   Remember  the  people  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness 

died  there  and  didn't  get  to  see  their  promi  led  ]   el  nd     '   didn't 

they  get  there?   "hey  murmured  against  ?od! 

They  are  ccmplainers.   The  angels  of  God  who  were  ca<?t  down  complained  again- 

st  God. 

They  walk  after  their  own  lusts,   "'he  people  in  -o-inr  and  Somorrah  did  this 

to  their  destruction.   So  Jude  has  given  these  prior  examples  of  what  he  is 

saying.   We  can  find  at  least  three  specific  examples  in  the  life  of  our 

lord  Jesus  Christ  to  1       what  <Tude  is  sayi   , 

In  the  6th  chapter  of  .John,  Jesus  was  speaking  to  the  multitude  told  them  He 

was  the  bread  of  life.   So  in  the  41st  verse  we  read,  "The  Jews  then  mur- 
mured at  Him,  because  He  ^aid,  'I  am  the  bread  which  came  down  from  hea- 
ven." 

Ti-e  word  "murmur"  here  is  of  slightly  different  derivation,  hut  basical] 
means  the  same  as  the  word  found  in  Jude.   Jesus  told  them  that  He  came  from 
heaven  and  brought  them  living  food  and  drink  and  for  this  they  murmured 
against  Him.   The  salvation  He  brought  was  rejected,  just  as  men  reject  it 


_4_ 

and  murmur  against  it  today  and  many  of  them  are  in  the  church,  and  this  is 

the  apostacy  Jude  is  writing  about. 

Next  Jude  uses  a  word  found  no  where  else  in  the  Hew  Eestament  and  that  is, 

these  people  are  "Complainers . "   In  Mark  7,  the  Pnd  verse  we  read,  "And  when 
they  saw  some  of  His  disciples  eat  bread  with  defiled,  that  is  to  Say, 
with  unwashen  hands,  they  found  fault." 

They  "Found  fault,"   T>,is  is  the  verb  form  of  the  word  "complain."   ,'haJ 
disciples  were  doing  was  not  what  had  been  done  for  years  an£  years.   There- 
fore in  the  eyes  of  these  religious  people  and  leaders,  it  wasn't  what  was 

ht.   And  can't  we  see  this  in  the  church  today?   If  a  certain  something 
that  has  been  part  of  the  church,  or  a  part  of  its  service  for  years  and 
years  is  changed,  or  a  new  way  of  doing  something  is  tried,  what  happens? 

pie  complain!   And  do  they  ever.   tad  you  see,  that's  apostacy,  whether 

we  want  to  recognize  it  or  not,   That's  being  ungodly  to  han^  on  to  the 

old  traditions  and  refuse  to  be  different  even  though  the  I        is  not 

irrelious  or  unethical.   "e  should  read  the  3rd  verse  of  this  example  as 

well  for  it  explains  it  as  Hod  led  John  '  ark  tic  "-'rite  it,  it  says:  ""^or  the 
Pharisees,  and  all  the  Hews,  except  they  wash  their  hands  of t ,  eat  not, 
holding  the  tradition  of  the  elders." 

There's  nothing  wrong  with  washing  your  hands  before  you  eat.   It's    ood 
thing  and  something  to  be  encouraged .   But  we  ?re  not  talking  here  of  just 
washing  hands,  we  are  talking  of  the  radition  and  how  it  was  done.   A  basin 
was  brought  forth  and  the  hands  had  to  be  washed  a  certain  way;  then  the  wate 
was  applied  up  to  the  elbows;  and  much  like  a  surgeon  before  surgery  the 
hands  and  arms  '-'ere  washed  and  wiped  and  dried;  and  only  then  were  you  con- 
sidered clean  enourh  to  eat.   But  it  was  all  only  a  tradition  and  done  so 
anyone  and  everyone  could  see  it  done  to  let  all  know  that  that  person  was 
a  super- Jew.   That  is  the  apostacy  that  Jude  said  would  not  only  creep  into 
the  church  of  the  latter  day  and  the  end  times,  but  would  be  so  bad  some  m±±3 
within  the  church  would  have  nothinr  else  to  do  but  to  murmur  and  complain 
about  everything  that  went  on. 

Next  Jude  says,  they  are,  "Walking  after  their  own  lusts."  And  once  ag^in 
we  see  ancexample  which  Jesus  gave  w]  ich  speaks  to  this  point.  In  the  4th 
chapter  of  Mark,  Jesus  told  the  parable  of  the  sower.   In  the  18th  and  19th 

verses  we  read,  "And  these  are  they  which  are  sown  among  tborns;  such  as 
hear  the  word,  and  the  cares  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitf ulness  of 
riches,  and  the  lusts  of  other  things  entering  in,  choke  the  word,  and  it 
becometh  unfruitful." 

'•■/hat  causes  lust?   It  is  the  eye.   The  eye  sees  and  that  sight  is  transferred 

to  the  brain  and  the  brain  begins  to  think  of  things  to  be  done  with  that 

particular  obsession,  k   person  comes  into  the  church.  Re  has  heard  the 

Word.  Maybe  he  has  even  accepted  ^ferist  as  his  saviour.  He  knows  what  he 
should  do.   But  the  crowd  he  works  with  all  drink  and  swear  and  carouse 


_5- 

and  a  lot  of  them  go  to  church  on  'unday  and  their  lifestyle  isn't  ruffert 

ing  too  much.   So  why  can't  I  do  the  £a  same  thing?  Besides,  I  need  some 

fun  for  my  life,  I'll  only  go  around  once.   Tuen  the  first  thing  you  know 

it's  getting  out  of  some  things  I've  become  involved  in,  in  the  church. 

These  things  interfere  with  my   bowline  ni^ht  and  I  can't  go  away  on  weekedns 

like  I'd  like  to  do.   Then  ±$±&   it's,  "Tee,  I've  missed  a  couple   undays, 

a  few  more  won't  hurt,  and  besides,  'unday  is  the  only  morning  I  get  to 

sleep  in,  or  have  coffee  with  my  wife;  or  ^et   the  laundry  done  because  I 

"rk  all  week;  or  a  hundre "  other  t1  :         t  do."       then  it  ex  evolves 

into  the  "Tattle  and  Tomb  syndrome,  or  a  Christmas  and  Easter  Christian  and 

it  makes  me  iVTZBTSK   furious  when  the  pastor  mentions  this  on  those  '"undays. 

fcer  all,  he  should  be  happy       '-\--r-r.  q+;e  least  twice  a  year.   The  lust 

of  our  lives  takes  precedence  over  the  things  of  Cod.   That's  apostacy, 

a  turning  away  from  the  faith  and  the  thin^?  of  the  faith. 

But  look  waht  else  Jude  say~  would  happen.   T'e  says,  "And  their  mouth  speak- 
eth  great  swelling  words,  havin^  men's  persons  In  admiration  because  of 
advatnage."  p  of  fche  rRr^g   Qf 

I  see  this  happening  more  and  more  in  the  religious  leaders  of  our  day. 
Many  of  them  are  going  around  using  "Great  swelling  words,"  and  their  mess- 
ages sound  so  rood  and  are  luring  people  from  the  true  faith.   I  don't  know 
how  it  ever  happened,  but  I'm  on       iling  list  of  a  man  and  his  wife  who 
travel  all  around  the  world.   T>,ey  are  dressed  in  the  finest  and  are  groomed 
to  perfection.   They  look  like  everyone  of  us  wish  we  could  look.   I  get 
all  sorts  of  appeals  and  offers.   If  I  will  Just  send  them  my  prayer  list 
along  with  a  generous  offering,  they  will  pray  for  me  and  in  retrnn  I  will 
get  wealthy,  be  able  to  pay  all  of  my  bills,  never  get  sick,  my  children 
will  turn  out  perfectly,  my  wife  will  be  perfect,  (that  would  be  a  miracle), 
but  also,  I'll  be  the  SHEB£aE±3aos*Hxa3atxx±±xfeE  perfect  husband,  (another 
lar-e  miracle),  and  all  because  I  have  trusted  Cod  by  letting  Donald  and 
Daisy,  (or  whatever  names  they  uses,  to  pray  for  me.   5!hxh#h  Besides  this, 
I  just  must  have  their  latest  book  on  how  to  really  pray  and  get  everything 
I  ever  wanted  or  evr  will  need  in  this  life.   Baloney!   It's  great  swelling 
words  and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  weak  Christians  are  being  led  into 
apostacy  becasue  o""       charlatans.   But  it  isn't  just  people  like  the  two 
I  have  mentioned.   It  is  denominational  leaders,  and  pastors  who  are  doing 
this  as  weal.   In  many,  many  churches  today  the  recorded  and  written  remarks 
of  Chandi,  Cchweitzer,  the  lope,  former  presidents  and  just  about  anybody 
t-ke  precedence  over  the  G-ospel  message.   People  are  not  hearing  "cripture 
to  prove  what  Cod  wants  from  us.   And  because  of  this  there  are  those  who 
are,  "Having  men's  persons  in  admiration  because  of  advantage."   -Jude  was 

saying  that  these  fellows  would  cone  along  with  "Creat  swelling  words,"  and 
many  would  listen  and  hear  them,  and  so  the  thing  to  do  is  to  flock  to  so  anc 
so's  church.   "-.hem.  I  beloner  to  Rev.  Tnnr 


m,    I    just  wanted   you   to  know  that    I  go  to  the   i?irst   Church   of   the   Res- 
urrection.     We  have  a  membership  of  55,000  and  a  staff   of  200  pastor  Vr.. 

Our   services   are  seen  nationwide   each    Sunday  on  TV,"     etc,   etc, 

is  . 

What    Jude   Mas   saying;   on   all    of   this    is   that  you   need   to  know   just   who  you 

are   dealing  with   and     how    ur--   I  andle   this. 

(Illustration   of   lady  and    Jehoval   '        'itnesses) 
A  housewife  was   on  the   main  route   of   the    Jehovah's  Witnesses  because  at 
least    once   a  week  the;7  knocked    on  her  door  trying  to   fet   her   to  buy  their 
books   and   start  heir  church.  mentioned   this   to  one   of  her 

friends   and   the    lady  said,    "I  have    acfriend  who   solved   that   problem  once 
and   for   all.  put   an    bnerican   flag    just    inside   her   door.       .'hen  the 

next    Jehovah'-    Witness   came   to  her   door   she   invited    her   in  and   said,    "I'll 
be   glad   to  talk  to  you,   but   first,    let's  have  the   pledge   of  allegiance  to 
the   American  flag."     The   woman  became   angry  and   said,    "Absolutely  not," 
stormed   out  and   she  hasn't  been  bothered    since.      "That's   sound   like  a  rood 
idea   she    said."     30  she  boi  nice   new  glag  and  flarholder  and  placed 

it    just   inside   her   doorwaty.      Several  days   later,    sure   enough,   up  her   ■■ 
came  a    Jehovah'-     fitness   with  her   suitcase  bulging  with  her  ""books  and   maga- 
zines.      3he   ran.';  the   bell   and   the   woman    answered    the   door  and   said,    "Oh  do 
come   in.      I'll  talk  to  you   if  you'll   platdge   allegiance   to  the    American 
flai       :    "     ne . "      ""-  lan  agreed  and  together    i_  i    allegiance. 

The  housewife  didn't  know  what   tc   say  and   while  ing;  this    over   the 

the    lady  zxkKsbf   said,    "I'm  rather   curious    shout    all   of   this!      I've   never 
been  asked   to   say  the  pledge   to  the   flag  before,    and   I've  been  selling 
von  products  for   18  years." 

Apostacy   is   not   something   that   happens   to   people    outside    of   the   church.      It 

happens       '  inside   the   church   and    it   berins    in  the    lives    of   the    individual 

members.      But  we  can  deal  with   it    and   in  the   process   effect   some   changes    in 

our   lives   at   the   same   time   which  will   help  us  bo   also  fight   the  battle   of 

our   everyday   lives.       l^e   you   perhaps    stru  with   problems    and   you   don't 

know  how  to  solve   them?     x,sxxHStxf±rxJtxxsfcxmrayK±xExx^x^xxiHaifcqcEmxx3eik±K 

re   you   to  the  point  where  you  would   just   like  to  quit  everything  and  run 

away  from   it    all?      Do  you   find   that   life   holds   more   questions   than     it   does 

gnawers?      let   me   ask  you.      Do  you   read   your   Bible   every  day?      Are   you   seek- 

5od 's    answers   for   the   pxollems   of   life?     Or  are   you   goin      it   alone   with 

your   own  thoughts   and   solutions?      I  know  the  answers  you   mir1  t   give:    Ton 

don't  have    time  because   you  work  too   many  hours,;    you're   tired   at   night;    I 

don't  understand   the   ^ible ,    and    so   on.      But  my  friends,    if   you  really  want 

to  turn  your    life   around   you   will   make   time,   youfll   find   time.      You   may  even 

have   to   do   it   on   your    lunch   hour   at   wot'-.      But   start   to  read  God's    Jord   and 

you   can   fret   the  help  you   neeo  . 

But   first   you   need   something  else.      Jet   me   ask  you:    do  you   know   Jesus   Christ 

as   your   Saviour?      I  don't   mean  do   you   know   "bout   Tim.      I  mean  have   you  asked 

Kim  to  come   into  your  heart   and    forgive   you   of   your   sin?      If   you   have   made 

that   commitment,    is   ITe   at   the   center   of   your   life?      Or  are   you   controlling- 

your   life   and  doing  what   you  want   without   consulting  Him?      These   two  things 

are   the   on],  which  can  prevent    snd   stop  apostacy  with    the   church   and 


-7- 
within   tlie    local  congregation.      T,  at   is:    people,    members   who  have   accepted 
Jesus   Christ  S2u4  as   their   -ord  and   '"aviour,    and  members  who   are  reading 
their   Bibles    in   order   to   rrow   in   their   Christianity. 

Last  week  we   said  that   Apostacy  Breeds  False  Teaching,   and  False   Teaching 
Breeds    4postacy.  e   must   also  say  that   Apostacy  breed*  -illness   and 

Ungodliness  breeds   more   Apostaey,     toKX^»xwii3;ixiKxJkBxf±Kiiixii;x±ExtiBHXEfeMEEfe' 

"on   willing  to  fight   it,   beginning   in  your  life?       ,:ill  you  begin  today 
by  trusting   Christ   if   you   haven't   before7      Vnd  will  you  be.p;in  by  reading 
your  BibieS   and   bringin 5  it   to  church  as  we   seek  to   grow  in  abd   through   it? 


ST,  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Father's  Day  June  17,  1984 

The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  Organist 
David  Andrews,  Dawn  Carney  -  Acolytes 
+  +++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 
Prelude     H0  Worship  the  King"       Powell 

"G  Minor"  Rembt 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  318  "Come,  Thou  Fount  of  Every  Bles 
•Ascription 

Exhortation 
♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "Father,  give  ua  the  spirit  Your  So 
has  promised  us:   to  make  us  honest  people  again;  to 
know  and  face  the  truth;  to  see  ourselves  and  cease  from 
laying  our  defections  at  your  door;  to  see  your  only  goodn 
in  our  desperate  need  for  you*   Forgive  us  through  Jesus 
Chrint  our  Lord.  Amen." 
♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

*PaEtor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  Godl 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  Mo*  161   "Breathe  One  Me,  Breath  of  God" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory       "The  King  of  Love:     Held 
Doxology    No.  382 
Scripture:  June  17-23 

Sermon:    "Defensive  Coaching:   On  Special  Rules 
•Closing  Hjrmn  No*  244   ''Jesus!  What  a  FRiend  for  Sinners" 
Benediction 
Postlude  "March  Majestic"  Peeters 


+  +  +  +  +  +  +  t+  "-Congregation  Standing  +  +  ++++  + 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  this  morning  have  been 

placed  by  Mr.  &   Mrs,  Paul  Kleiner  for  Mrs.  Catherine  RiM 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Rob  Vinroe,  Robert 

Dellen,  Handy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy 
Mr*  &   Mrs.  Donald  Kennedy  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 

>  Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning. 
Hospitalized:   Bill  Winters,  BCMH;  Charles  Penar  and 
*Bill  Johnston  -  V,  A. 
Dan  Bosko,  Carl  Vinroe  and  Art  Carney  will  be  visiting 

-. the  Hospital  this  week* 

^s    Our  deepest  Sympathy  to  Sons,  DaughterinLaw,  Grandchildr- 
and  Mother  -  Mrs.  Cook,  and  Friendsof"  Mrs.  Jane  Andrews 
\  who  passed  away  last  week  and  was  buried  Tuesday* 
sing, Vacation  Bible  School  -  7:00  -  9:00  All  this  week  June 
/      18-22.   Classes  for  all  ages  including  Adults.   Come  and 
Grow  with  Ub! . 
n    /^  you  are  interested  in  making  cookies  for  Vacation  BibI 
School  -  contact  the  office  or  Virginia  Mangel. 
Due  to  lack  of  information  for  the  Bulletin  this  month, 
-*5E    a  sheet  of  paper  with  the  council  news  and  other  inform  i 
was  made  out  last  Sunday.   Very  few  of  them  got  passed, 
however,  they  are  still  in  the  Narthex  today. 

During  my  recent  illness,  I  want  to  thank  fiev.  Link  far 
His  visits  and  Prayers  while  I  was  a  patient  at  the 
hospital. 

I  also  want  to  thank  everyone  who  sent  me  get-well  cards 
thoEe  who  shared  their  prayers  on  my  behalf*   It  is 
gratifying  to  know  that  people  do  care  ..Bill  Zavacky. 

Rick  Vinroe  is  the  Sound  Audio  Han  on  the  P.  A.  System. 

Visitation  Committee  are  recruiting  members  at  all  times 
If  yqu  are  interested  please  contact  Mike  Nazaruk 
for  details. 


> 


Next  Sunday  will  be  Church  in  the  Park.  The  time  will 
be  11:00  A.M.  to  give  the  Ladies  and  Ken  more  time  to 
get  the  food  prepared  before  the  Service* 

Van  Service  from  our  Church  is  available  to  residents 
of  the  City  of  Butler,   Please  call  the  church  office, 
287-2240  for  information.   It  will  be  available  next 
Sunday  for  the  Picnic  and  Service  also. 


"Defensive   ijoaciiiuK  =   ""  «i<«™.*«t*   .™-™~ 

Scripture :    Jude   17-23 

Jud   giv  word  of  OT  St .   Enoch   as  aply  ^present   Ch  situ 
identfy  apos  rathr  expresiv   languag=Unrodly ,&  vs      i 

So  hav  sea  w/out   apolgy/comp   Jud  direc  atentm  ±is^£i< 

2  tru   Blievrs,l's  try  21iv   Xpian  lif 
-=    "7A=He   no  cal  Blivra   his   Blov=but  Blov   of  G=Divin 
.«    _/B-18=Jud   say  4get  apos  &  reraem  wat  bin  spok  thez 

P  sed.aftr  departur  wud  cum  grevous  wolvs.no  spar  11 
Petr  sed   wild  B  fals   prophsjjn  spok  antichrists 
Jud  bring  remem  wat   tak  plac  that  time   in  Ch  ft  wud 
continu  up  2   latr  times 
Jud  giv   guidline   as  defend  faith  &  knu  not  enuf  reco 
apos   in  Ch,but  mus   let  kno  how  avoid  fal   same   erors 
So  hav  sed   thez  pelim  thing   Jud  furthr   ident  by  say: 
vs  19=  Thez  men  aroint   in  so  call"Xpianty"   Bcuz   Bliev 
had   it  &  no  1  els'did.but   Xpianty  only  form  real  th 
had  add  this  2partic   Blief  among  wh  soul  thinp  matr 
So  as   long  as   fed  soul  things  of   <p,cua   do  anyth  body 

this   led  2eompl   imoralty/ovrindulg   of   all  apetites 
So   Jud   identfy  as   seprat  fr/evrl   els   S=  ref  sumwat   lit 
?hars  who  also  suposed   seprat  &=Phar  ment= separated 

Js  tol  wer  seprat=sePrat   fr  G  claim  knu  &.  S olo 
Mt  23=Ja   o*l  hypcrites   8  dif  tines  w/denuneiatins 
Jud  do  same  by  tak  their  words  &  t«  bak  at  then 
lst=despis   Xpians   &  cal=PSUCEIKOI-senSual,men  govern 

by   naturl   lif  &  not  dorainat  by  spirit 
2nd=claim  they   PNEUMATiKOI=l 's   fil   wA>pirlt 
set  selvs   apart   fr/cong   lik  rellr  aristocracy 
Jud   thundr-they  PSUCHIKOI= sensual  among  them  ft  they 
no  hav   FNBUNiATIKOI=f  illing   of   Spirit  ,.,„,. ,1   n 

H      3ays=lt   is  U  who  R  fleshly  &  flesh  dominated ;U  R 
not   in  posesin  of  fil   of   G's  H  Sp.er  knoledg  of   G 
which  wud  seprat   U  as  U  Bliev  0   R  seprated 
The.  men  wer   lik  OT  »e,  who  Bliev  =«*   ^/ther  GoS 
most  anyth  want  &  G  wud   continu  2  "°|  *  VS«;^ 
vivid   ilue  cum  4-th  proph  Jer  5:9-l/=RtAD  &  "^.1J-1N 
Thez   peop  wer  liv   live  &  do  own  th  conf  G  wud  4giv 
then  readies,   but    Jer  say   NOT  oO! 

Wil  Ik   las   2vss   this   Scrip  &  cum  bak  ZO-AI 
Thez  las  vss    Jud  spk  shar  raesag   Js   Xp 
gil   instructins  how  handl  thoz  of  worl   stil  mire 

H-  p^srflelt'Xncern  iaortl  soul  musB  delt 

vsl^Thoz'trriy'seek'hope   can  only  cumthru   Xp       ed 
2B show  tendrnes   &  compasin^Js   treat   sinners  this 
way  £  we  mus  do  likwise 


vs  ^3»ms   aavic   is   tnat   sum  wli  no  cum  d   ip  by         2/ 
simply  expl   G's   luv  2them 
requir  B  tol  helfire   &  eternty  seprat        fr/G  &  with 
••His  fear  mayB  led  2  Xp   or  as    Jud   say=Pulling  them 
it  of  the   fire 

raeans=wen  receiv  salv   no  longr  dangr  helfire, but 
H  sav  from  it, or  pul   out  of  fire 
But   Xpian  2hav  same  feels  bout  sin/sinnr  as  God 
He   2seek  to   luv  sinnr   Si  hate  the  sin  "■■.  this  wat    Jud 
say»Hating  evn  the  garment   spotted  by  the   flesh 
It  matr  of   seek  2bring  any/all  einrs   2salv  thru  Xp, 
but  hate  evn  very  clothes   spot  w/sin  wh/fi  worn  by 
sinnr=.mayB  literl  clothes, or  Individ   sins  wh/sinnr 
wear  lik  clothes 
How  go  bak  2  vss   20-21 
Jud  spk  agin  thoz  think  seprat   &  Sp  fil   of  Ch;&  tel 
seek  bring  sinnrs   inP  Gh 
flow  giv  Blievr  4  things   shudB  do  in  Ch  so  canB  truly 
all   that   G  want   them   2B 

va   20A-lnce   agin  this=Bloved    of  God .divinely  loved 
vs   20B»Xplan  mus   study/read  Scrip  if  ?gro   in  faith 
this  way  can  help  othr  Apian  gro  as  wel 
Xpian  musE  read/serch  Bible   or  he   apostate=S;  Aposta 
is  turn  agin  faith, &  no  faith  if  no  atempt  2gro  faith 
so  esentil  t-anyl  who  Blievr  2use   Bibl  ^growth   on 
systematic, regular  basis 
Is  20G=Kow  this   no  mean  spk  in  tongue  as   sum  wrongly 
interp 
it  pray  fr /harts  &  souls   indwel   Be  fil  w/H  Sp 
Wen  persn  cum  2  Xp,H   Sp  cum   in2   hart/lif ;but   H  Sp  wil 
only  Bcum  oprativ  as  persn  let   Him 
if  truly  seek  21iv  4Hlm, Lord, His  H   Sp  wil  fil  &  mov 
ug   so  that   we  do  Bcum  spiritual 
Thus    if  we  fil  w/H  Sp  wil  B  abl=2  pray  in  Spirit 
&  this   nothin  mor  thanB  led   our  prayr  by  H  3p,jua   as 
He  wil   lead/direct    livs   othr  areas   as  well 
vs   21A=only  by  seek  cultivat  relatship  can  hav  w/God 

that  we  can  refrain  fr/Being  apostate 
Aposts/fals   Blievrs   in  Ch  giv  evidenc  we  can  turn  bak 
on  G's   luv 

we   can  C  wat   Jud   say  sompound  self   1   step  at  time 

Ordr   2B  tru   Blievr   lmus= Read/Study  G'S   Word;&  pray 

fr/Spirit  fil  hart/lif ; need  2B  kep  clos  21uv  of  G 

by  daily  contac  w/Hlm 

vs   21B=Jud  giv  4th  th=up  2ea  Blievr  2Jteep  aliv  fire 

of  Xpian  hope 
Xp'     ity  duz   no  1  any  pud   if   all  is  t-individ=py  in  sky 
We    Kno   is   certanty,&   Ik  4ward  ?tbat;but   as   continu 
21iv  this  erth,imFertiv  shar  mercy   Js  Xp  wil  lead 
othrs  2eternl   lif   as  wel 
so  thez  thinpis    Jud   eiv2B1levr  2stan  agin  apost 


rford  of  G=Bible 
prayr  in  the  Spirit 
Luv  of  &  4   God 
Shar   Xp  w/othrs 

(lilus  survey  of  ch  members) 
sad   comentary   on  Ch  age    in  wh/liv 
fr  all   indicatins  we   fast   aproach  end   times 
regardles   worl  continu  nothr  thoaaand  yrs   or  mor 
peop  round  us   R  dy  &  go  2   Xples  eternty  Bcuz  thoz 
w/in  Apian  Ch  E  not  bout  F's  busnes   individly 
(Illus  Satan, 5   aprentic  devils   &  mission) 
This   raos   sever  apostacy   U  &  I  R  fac   in  Xpian  Ch  2day 
&  that   is   apostacy  of  do  nothing 
Jud   giv  us   tools   wherby  can  do  batl   agin  this   apos 
in  Ch  2day 
let  us  use   thoz   tools   &  serv  our  Lord   in  His   Ch 
by  liv  4  Him 


"Defensive  Coaching:  On  Special  Hules" 

Scripture :  Jude  17-23 

Jude  had  given  the  words  of  the  Old  Tetament  saint  Enoch  as  they  applied  to 

the  present  church  situation.  He  had  identified  the  apostates  in  rather 

expressive  language  calling  them  "ungodly"  and  saying,  "These  are  murmurers , 
cohplainers ,  walking  after  their  own  lusts;  and  their  mouth  speaketh  great 
swelling  words,  having  men's  persons  in  admiration  because  of  advantage." 

verse  16. 

80  having  thus  said  these  harsh  words  without  apology  or  compromise,  Jude 

now  directs  his  attention  to  the  true  believers,  the  ones  who  are  trying  to 

live  the  Christian  life.   So  we  read  in  the  17th  verse,  "But , be loved, "  and 

at  this  point  Jude  is  not  calling  these  believers  his  beloved.   But  instead, 

means  they  are  the  divinely  beloved  of  God.  He  says,  "But,  beloved,  remember 
ye  the  words  which  were  spoken  before  of  the  Apostles  of  our  lord  Jesus 
Christ;  how  they  told  you  that  there  should  be  mockers  in  the  last  time,  who 
should  walk  affeer  their  own  ungodly  lusts." 

Jude  is  saying,  forget  the  apostates  and  remember  what  had  been  spoken  of 
these  people.   Paul  had  said  that  after  his  departure  there  would  come  forth 
"grevious  wolves  among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock."  Peter  said  there  would 
be  false  prophets  and  falee  teachers.   John  spoke  of  the  antichrists  who 
would  arise.   Jude  is  bringing  to  the  remembrance  of  theses  people  in  the 
church  that  these  things  are  taking  place  at  that  present  time  and  they  would 
continue  on  jtBxiim  and  increase  right  up  tovthe  latter  times.   Jude  was  giving 
the  people  guidelines  as  they  defended  the  faith.  He  knew  it  wasn't  xinpxx 
enough  to  be  able  to  recognize  the  apostates  in  the  church,  but  it  was  ne- 
cessary for  them  to  know  how  to  avoid  falling  into  the  same  errors. 
Having  thus  said  these  things  as  preliminaries  Jude  further  identifies  these 
people  by  saying  in  the  19th  verse,  "These  are  they  who  separate  themselves." 
These  men  were  arrogant  in  their  so  called  "Christianity"  because  they  be- 
lieved they  had  it  and  no  one  else  did.   But  their  Christianity  was  only  a 
form  of  the  real  thing.   They  had  added  to  it  their  particular  beliefs  among 
which  was  that  it  was  only  the  soul  that  mattered  in  this  life.   So  as  long 
as  you  fed  your  soul  on  the  things  of  Christ,  you  could  do  anything  you  want- 
ed with  your  body.  This  then  led  to  their  complete  immorality  in  living  and 
the  overindulgence  of  all  of  their  appetites.  So  Jude  identifies  them  as 

being  "separated"  from  hxexb  everyone  else.  The  reference  is  to  the  Pharife- 

word 
sees  who  were  also  supposedly  separated.  The  esse  "Pharisee"  meant  'sepa- 
rated," and  Jesus  told  them  they  were  indeed  separated,  but  their  separation 
was  from  find  the  God  they  claimed  to  know  and  follow.   In  the  23rd  chapter  of 
Matthew  Jesus  delivers  a  scathing  attack  on  these  very  pious  and  religious 
men  and  denounces  them  as  "Hyocrites,"  with  eight  different  denunciations. 
Jude  does  exactly  the  same  thing  here  by  taking  their  very  words  and  tosses 
them  back  at  them.  First,  they  had  despised  the  ordinary  Christians  in  the 


-2- 

church  and  had  called  them  the  name  "PSUCHIKOI"  which  meant  "sensual, "or 
"men  governed  by  the  natural  life  and  not  dominated  by  the  Spirit." 
Secondly,  they  had  KSot±*iix:fckKx£fcE±s±-±auns  claimed  that  they  were  the  "PNEUMA- 
TIKQI"  or  the  ones  who  were  filled  with  the  Spirit.   They  had  set  themselves 
apart  from  all  of  the  rest  of  the  congregation  like  a  religious  aristocrcy, 
So  Jude  thunders  forth  these  fellows  are  the  "PSUCHIKBSI"  the  sensual  among 
us;  and  they  hxh  have  not  the  "PNEUMATAKOI"  the  filling  of  the  Spirit.   He 
says,  "It  is  you  who  are  the  fleshly  and  the  flesh-dominated.  You  are  not 
in  possession  of  the  filling  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  or  of  the  knowledge  of  God 
which  would  separate  you  txaxxMug   as  you  believe  you  are  spearated."  These 
men  were  like  the  the  people  of  the  Old  Testament  who  believed  they  could 
live  their  lives  and  do  almost  anything  they  wanted  and  God  would  continue  to 
bless  them  and  be  their  God.   A  vivid  illustration  of  this  comes  forthein 
the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  chapter  6,  Verses  9  through  17.  Let's  look  at  that 
prophecy.   Jeremiah  is  speaking  to  the  people  and  telling  them  that  their 
beloved  Jerusalem  will  fall  to  the  invading  army  and  God  is  going  to  punish 
them  for  their  evil  lives  and  deeds. 
(Read  and  explain  this  portion  of  Scripture) 

These  people  were  living  their  lives  and  doing  their  own  thing  confident  that 
no  matter  what  they  did,  God  would  forgive  them  regardless.  But  Jeremiah  has 
said,  "Not  so!* 

Jude  having  spoken  against  these  who  believed  they  were  the  Spirit-filled 
members  of  the  church,  now  gives  xxxeixixbx±  the  believers  four  things  they 
should  be  doing  so  they  can  truly  be  all  that  God  wants  them  to  be  in  the 
church.   He  begins  by  saying,  "But  ye,  beloved,"  and  once  again  this  is 
pointing  out  that  they  are  the  "Beloved  of  God."  He  is  speaking  of  them 
being  divinely  loved.   His  immediate  advice  is  that  they  are  to  be,  "Building 
up  yourselves  on  your  most  holy  faith,"  The  Christian  must  study  the  Scrip- 
tures if  he  is  to  grow  in  the  faith  himself.   And  also  so  he  can  help  other 
Christians  to  grow  as  well.  The  Christian  must  be  reading  and  searching 
the  Bible  or  he  Is  an  apostate.   Apostatcy  is  *x-mhx:rk:  turning  against  the 
faith  and  there  can  be  no  faith  if  there  is  noattempt  to  grow  in  the  faith. 
So  it  is  essential  for  anyone  who  is  a  believer  to  use  the  Bible  for  growth 
on  a  sytematic,  regular  basis. 

Then  Jude  gives  the  second  thing  believers  should  be  doing  and  that,  "praying 
in  the  Holy  Spirit."   Now  this  does  not  mean  speaking  in  tongues  as  some 
people  wrongly  interpret  this.   It  is  praying  from  hearts  and  souls  that  are 
indwelt  and  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,   ''/hen  a  person  comes  to  Christ  the 
Holy  Spirit  comes  into  the  heart  and  life  of  that  person.   But  the  Holy  Spir- 
it will  only  become  as  operative  as  we  let  Him,   If  we  truly  seek  to  live  for 


-3- 

the  Lord,  His  Holy  Spirit  will  fill  us  and  move  us  so  that  we  do  become 
spiritual.   Thus,  if  we  are  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  will  be  able  to 
pray  in  the  "Spirit."   And  this  is  nothing  more  than  being  led  in  our  prayers 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  just  as  He  will  lead  and  direct  oar  lives  if  we  let  Him, 
Then  Jude  adds  the  third  thing  believers  should  be  doing  and  that  is,  "Keep 
yourselves  in  the  love  of  Cod,   It  is  only  by  seeking  to  cultivate  the  re- 
lationship we  can  have  with  God  that  we  can  remain  from  being  apostate.   The 
apostates,  or  false  believers  in  the  church  give  us  the  evidence  that  we  can 
turn  our  back  on  God's  love.   I  think  it  is  easy  to  see  that  what  Jude  is 
saying  here  compounds  itself  a  step  at  a  time.   In  order  to  be  a  true  believei 
one  needs  to  be  reading  and  studying  God's  Word;  he  needs  to  be  filled  with 
God's  Holy  spirit  and  praying  from  a  Spirit  filled-heart  and  lifej  and  he 
needs  to  be  keeping  close  to  the  love  of  God  by  daily  contact  with  Him. 
And  now  Jude  gives  the  fourth  thing  a  believer  should  have  and  that  is, 
"Looking  for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eternal  life."   It  is 
up  to  each  believer  to  keep  alive  the  fire  of  Christian  hope.   Christianity 
does  no  one  any  good  if  all  it  is  for  the  individual  as  a  "Pie  in  the  sky, 
by  and  by"  sort  of  thing.   We  know  that  is  a  certainty  and  we  need  to  look 
forward  to  that.   But  as  we  continue  to  live  here  on  earth  it  is  imperative 
that  we  share  that  mercy  of  Jesus  Christ  which  will  lead  others  to  eternal 
life  as  well.   So  these  are  the  things  Jude  gives  to  the  believer  to  stand 
against  apostacy.  The  Word  of  God,  the  Bible;  prayer  in  the  Spirit;  love  of 
and  for  God;  and  sharing  Christ  with  others. 

In  the  last  2verses  of  this  Scripture  portion,  Jude  speaks  of  sharing  the 
message  of  Jesrus  Christ.   Jude  is  giving  instructions  on  how  to  handle  those 
of  the  world  who  are  still  mired  in  a  life  of  hopelessness  and  despair. 
Each  person  being  dealt  with  concerning  their  immortal  soul  must  be  dealt  witl 

on  an  individual  basis,   fie  says  in  the  22nd  verse,  "And  of  some  have  com- 
passion, making  a  difference." 

Those  who  are  truly  seeking  the  hope  that  can  only  come  through  Christ,  need 

to  be  shown  tenderness  and  compassion.   This  is  how  Jesus  treated  the  sinners 

He  met,  and  we  must  do  likewise. 

Then  Jude  says,  And  others  save  with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire; 
hating  even  the  garment  spotted  by  the  flesh," 

His  advice  here  is  that  there  are  some  who  will  not  come  to  Christ  by  simply 

explaining  ^od's  love  to  them.   It  requires  that  they  be  told  of  Hellfire  and 

an  eternity  separated  from  God  and  with  this  fear  may  be  led  to  Christ,  or 

ffeKxfiiEix±iaBx£Kai±m|pc»i±kxtkKSKxi»iii±]*HHiaxiaxtB  as  Jude  says,  "Pulling 
them  out  of  the  fire." 

This  means  of  course  when  they  ax*  receive  God's  salvation  they  are  no  longer 

in  danger  of  Hellfire,  but  are  saved  from  it,  or  pulled  out  of  the  fire. 


-4- 

But  the  Christian  in  all  instances  is  to  have  the  same  feelings  about  sin 

and  the  sinner  as  GJod.   He  is  to  seek  to  love  the  sinner,  but  to  hate  the  sin, 

This  is  what  Jude  is  saying  with  the  words,  "Hating  even  the  garment  spotted 
by  the  flesh." 

It  la  a  matter  of  seeking  to  bring  any  and  all  sinners  to  salvation  through 

Christ,  but  hating  even  the  very  clothes  spotted  with  sin  which  are  worn  by 

the  sinner.   This  doesn't  mean  we  are  superior  to  anyone,  but  does  mean  that 

we  love  the  sinner  as  God  loves  him,  but  hate  everything  that  is  sin  and 

sinful, 

(These  two  verses22  &  23  are  to  precede  verses  20  &  21) 

(Illustration  of  Survey  of  Church  members) 

Tv,is  is  a  sad  reflection  on  the  church  age  in  which  we  live.  From  all  in- 
dications we  are  a*  fast  approaching  the  end  times.   But  regardless  if  the 
world  continues  for  another  thousand  years  or  more,  people  all  around  us  are 
dying  and  going  into  a  Christless  eternity  because  those  of  us  within  the 
Christian  church  are  not  about  our  Father's  business  individually. 
(Illustration  of  Satan  and  apprentice  devils  being  sent  to  earth) 
^Mexiax*Eii±x?XMSx±BxarjCvCBHrsEixHSxx±tfcx±kHx±B»i:KxtBXKEHfcxtxtfe«x 
This  is  the  most  severe  apostacy  which  you  and  I  are  facing  in  the  Christian 
Church  today.   And  that  is  the  apostacy  of  doing  nothing.   Jude  is  giving  us 
the  tools  whereby  we  can  do  battle  against  this  apostacy  in  the  church  today. 
Let  us  use  those  tools  and  serve  our  Lord  in  His  church  by  living  for  Him. 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  Organist 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +"++  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  + 
CHURCH  IN  THE  PARK  -  11:00  A.M. 


W.    &  G.    Gsdther 


"God  Gave  The  Song" 

from  Old  Favorite  Hymns 


Prelude 

"Ascription 

*Hymn   #31        "Trust   and   Obey1 

*Call  to  Worship j 

Pastor:   Sing  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  earth; 

show  forth  from  day  to  day  His  salvation • 
Declare  His  Glory  among  all  nations, 
His  marvelous  works  among  all  peoples. 
People:   Glory  and  honor  are  in  His  presence; 

strength  and  gladness  are  in  His  place. 
Give  unto  the  Lord,  ye  kindred  of  the 
people,  give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength* 
All:     Give  unto  the  Lord  and  Glory  due  unto  His  Name:; 
bring  an  offering,  and  come  before  Him; 
worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness. 
♦Invocation 
Announcements j  joys,  prayer  requests 

Hymn  -  #42  -  "I  Can  Hear  My  SAvior  CAlling"  Old  Favorite  Hyr, 
Morning  Prayers 
Offering 

Offertory   "What  a  Friend  We  Have  in     esus"  -Canverse/Boc 
*Doxology 
Scripture:   Jude  24-25 

Sermon:     "Defensive  Coaching:   Qn  The  Victory" 
Prayer 
•Hymn  -  #1   "When  We  All  Get  To  Heaven" 
♦Benediction 
*Postlude       "Mansion  Over  the  Hilltop"       5tamphill 


> 


+++++++++++  ^Congregation  Standing  +++  +++++ 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  * Richard  Mangel,  Don  Kingsley 

Edward  Walker  and  Gary  Penar. 
Hospitalized:   Mrs.  Dorothy  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Anna  WeitzeI*-3CMP 

William  Johnston,  Charles  Penar  -  VA.  Hosp. 


Bob  Dellen  and  Dick  Mangel  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week. 

Mrs.  Eleanor  Sandbach  would  like  to  thank  those  of  you 

who  sent  cards  and  asked  prayer  for  her  while  she  was 
in  the  Hospital. 

Attendance  last  Sunday  108  with  7  visitors. 

Sunday  School  will  be  at  9:00  A.M.  next  Sunday.   Morning 
Worship  will  be  at  10:00    A.M*  next  Sunday, 

^9      fon't  forget  we  have  Van  service  now  -  If  you  call  the 
office  between  8  -  11  -  Mondays  or  Fridays?   If  you 
request  transportation  to  a  Church  affiliated  doings. 
Van  service  to  ail  services  is  available  to  residents 
of  the  city  of  Butler,  Please  call  the  church  office, 
287-2240,  for  information. 
-    APT*?- 
Thanks  to  the  People  who  helped  with  Vacation  Bible 
School  -  as  a  Teacher,  helper  or  cookie  maker*  Any 
one  who  helped  in  any  way  -  Thank  you  -  Virginia 

The  Church  Family  Picnic  will  be  held  right  after  the 
Service  this  morning.  We  wish  to  thank  the  Lay  Life 
and  Work  Committee. 

s     It  is  nice  to  have  Harry  Cunningham  back  with  us  a  few 
Sundays  here  and  there  during  the  Summer  •   He  has  the 
summer  months  off  and  will  be  assisting  with  the  music 
in  our  church.   Thanks  Harry. 

Aerobics  will  be  here  during  July  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 
Aerobics  will  begin  again  in  September  1984. 

Do  not  try  to  live  a  holy  life;  live  a  holy  minute... 
this  minute  is  yours.   Live  it  for  Him. 

D  efeat  may  be  a  stepping  stone  or  a  stumbling  block 
according  to  the  way  you  accept  it. 

Life  is  a  grinding  stone,  it  either  grinds  you  down  or 
polishes  you  up  — depending  upon  what  you '  rt-  made  of 


Scrip: 


"Defensive  Coaching:   On  The   Victory" 
Jude  24-25 


Now  Hr  Bcum  anxiue  shor  period  time  wil  eat, lets  thlnl 
lot     thoz   lines   -  Comerclal, ketchup  ft  AfJTTCIPATIN 

exac  wat   Ik  this  pt   Jude 
ji-'o  bros   Js.authr  bk,piv  Defensiv  uoach  tips  at  dis- 
Pl    i  2   Xpiane   in  ^pian  Ch; 

tol  fals  teachjbersy; apes; gen  turn  way  funds  faith 

tol  how  hap  then,wud  continu   thru  ^h  age-later  days 
tol  pt  blani,no  pul  punch, no  apolgy  fr  sholdr 
now  drm   ltr  2clos  &  hav  ±±ma  1   las   item  shar  rdrs 

giv  las   Defensiv  ^oach=On  Victry  &  evrl  want   i  win 
Clllus  footbal  playr  5.  spel  coffee   2stay  on  team) 
Jude   idea  victry  no  concern  tak  exam  &  receiv  pasgrad 

presen  fact  how  Blievr  raus  liv;how  faith  2B  shown 
vs  24-A«Blievr   Jude  day  liv  dark  day  ft  so  do  we 

presen  conditins   no   mak   glad   daily   livs    mus   liv 
Queetin=Can  we   keep  selvs   in  luv  of  God??? 

posibl  21iv  uprite  lif? 
Jude   say, can  do  Beua   lwho   luvs  them/us   ft  no   let   fall 
Ftov  3:19-25=0  wil  no   let  0  fal;keep  fr/fal=vs   25 

Jude  word  comf/hope   no  end   thots   of  fal  but  add«=r=. 
va  24B«We   R  211v  livs   in  continu  faith/trust  not  only 

wil  G  keep  fr/fal  by  giv   str  t-ea  moment /ea  day  but 

wil  cum  time  wen  find   self  face  2  face   His  presenc 

in  Glory 
CudB  rapture  ch=or  in  deth,but   mesag  here,l  moment  we 
liv   lif  mid  cares/probs  exist t&  nex   find  selvs  face  2 
face   w/Savior   in  His   eternal  Glory 

wil  no  kno   how  ariv,but  wil  kno  finaly  ariv 
(Illus   father  tak  boy  cros   bridg  in  arms) 
G        :y  ea  Blievr  arms   ft  lday  cary  cros  Pour  home  in 
Glory  prep  4us  by  luv  Hvnly  Father 
But  how  wil  He  do   it?=  Jud^w/exeeeding   Joy 

that   Joy  experienc  both  by  Lord   ft  by  Blievr 
1  Fetr  *:13=We  wil  hav  exceed   Joy  ,ovrabundant   joy  in 

othr  word  wen  Glory  our   oavior  reveal  ft  that  rev  wil 

B  in  eternty  with  Him 
ft  wilB  our  L's   exceeding   Joy  2welcum  us   home 
vs  25A=Why  cal   G  Savior?   =Remem  peop  he  write   about   ft 

agin? 
Sed  peop  deny  wnp   Js  was/Deity  etc 
So   Jude  say  4  one   las   time   Js  was   G  cum  2erth;G  in  fl 
&  as   Savior  He   G  suffr  4   His  creatin,persn   Js   Xp 

So  how   Jude   complet   letr?  has   cum  2grand  climax  B 

1       word  say  complet  wat   on  hart/mind , end  u0xolgy 
Hav   li   evr  bin  overwhelm  by  G,thot/feeling? 

spiritul  mov  unabl  tel  anyl  wat  want   Ssay/expres? 
(Exampl  How   Grt   Thou  Art •=  Moody, 6   Kevin) 


How  do  U  adeauatly  expl  u  d   sumir  <v 

U  dont  ft  U  cant   ft  neithr  cud   Jude 
vs  25B=all  cud  say 

Gl     y=G's  britnes,b±ilianc,Divin  radiance 
Ex=..oses   ft  face   shown 

t      ssty-G's   roylty.regl  presenc  as   K  of  K's.rulr 
abuv  all  rulrs ; ere atr /redeemer  all  mankind  ft  seat 
upon  throne   in  glory 
Dominlon=suprem  iul  ovr  evrth  ft  evrl} ovr  all  creatin 
Fower=strength  that  alon  can  do  abuv  povrs   any  human 

being;G  is   supreme   ovr  all 
Jude,lak  word   adequat  describ   3av  6  G  ascrib  2  Him 
Glory, Majesty, Domnion, ft   Power 

&  how  long  ascrib  thez   atributes? 
BOTH    NOW   AND    EVER 

fr/Bgin  time, 2  present, ft  4evr       evr  is  wat   say 
conclud  with   sirapl   AMEN 

oo  B  it, let   it   cum  2pas   Lord 
Here  victry  4 Blievr, but  how  achiev? 
(Illus   coach,quartrbak,3  runs   and  a  punt) 
How  duz   aply  2wat   Jude  writ  thoa  within  Ch? 

this  way=say  U  had  2kno  evrth  ther  is   2kno   in  ordr 

achiev  victry  thru  Xp 
Ko  say  had  use   trik  play  outwit   enemys  within  ApianCh 

All  say«=lst  of   all  Blonf;  2Js   Xp=mak  certin  of   that 
Mak  aur  persnl  m  Lord  8s  S0viour 
that   set  part  fr/worl 
Then, liv  lif  this  worl  as  xx*  He  wud  hav  H  liv  ft  Ur 
victry  ovr  sin/deth  asur   Bouz   of  ft  thru   Js  Xp 

Jude   was  echo  wat  apostl  Paul   sed=Thanks   B  2  God 

w>      giveth  us  the  victry  thru   Lord/Savior   Js  Xp 
VU    ry  is  ours! 

It   Blongs   2ea   1  who  Blongs  2  Him 
&   Who  shall   spprat   us  fr  luv  of   Xp?=*i0m  8:55,37-59 


"Defensive  Coaching:  On  The  Victory" 
Scripture:  Jude  24-25 

Now  that  you're  all  becoming  anxious  that  in  a  short  period  of  time  you  will 
be  eating  the  delious  food  you  have  seen  paraded  past  you  this  morning,  let's 
think  along  those  lines  for  a  minute, 

.Remember  a  year  or  so  ago  the  commercial  that  was  on  television  about  a  cert- 
ain brand  of  ketchup?   I  won't  mention  the  brand  except  to  say  that  a  member 
of  the  family  is  one  of  our  state  senators.  The  ad  pointed  out  the  quality 
of  this  ketchup  and  how  it  ran  so  slowly  out  of  the  bottle.   (And  incidentall; 
when  I  xxk  pour  this  ketchup  it  never  runs  itarfc  as  slowly  as  it  does  on  tv). 
But  while  this  ketchup  is  running  out  so  very  slowly,  there  is  a  boy  looking 
lovingly  at  his  sandwich  while  someone  is  singing,  "Anticipation"  in  the 
background.   And  this  is  exactly  where  we  are  at  this  point  in  the  book  of 
Jude,   Jude,  the  brother  of  Jesus,  the  author  of  this  book  has  given  all  of 
the  "Defensive  Coaching"  tips  at  his  disposal  to  the  Christians  in  the  Christ 
ian  church,   He  has  told  of  the  widespread  false  teaching,  ax>Ez£HEx  heresy, 
apostacy  and  general  turning  away  from  the  fundamentals  of  the  faith  which 
was  occurring  and  would  continue  to  occur  as  the  church  moved  from  age  to  age 
He  has  painted  some  of  this  in  rather  strong  language,  pulling  no  punches, 
and  making  no  apologies  for  what  he  said.  His  words  have  been  straight  from 
the  shoulder  and  he  has  called  the  shots  as  he  saw  them.   So  now  as  he  draws 
his  letter  to  a  close ,  he  has  one  last  item  he  wants  to  share  with  his  read- 
ers in  any  age.  He  wants  to  give  one  last  tip  on  "Defensive  Coaching"  end 
that  has  to  do  with  "Victory."  And  of  course,  everyone  wants  to  win,  regard- 
less of  which  side  he  is  on. 

(Illustration  of  football  player,  his  need  on  team,  failing,  and  one  question 
A  college  football  team  which  had  an  unbeaten  record  and  the  change  to 
get  invited  to  a  post-season  bowl  game,  discovered  it  had  on  its  squad 
a  player  who  was  failing.  He  was  very  valuable  to  the  future  success  of 
the  team  and  so  the  coach  decided  to  get  him  some  help.  The  boy  in  quest- 
ion was  an  english  major  ana  was  certain  to  failc  completely  and  thus  be 
thrown  off  the  team  for  failure  to  maintain  a  "C"  atf erage .   So  the  coach 
along  with  the  Dean  and  the  English  professor  had  a  meeting.   At  that 
meeting  it  was  decided  that  the  student  would  be  given  one  question  to  an- 
swer and  if  answered  correctly  he  could  continue  to  play  on  the  team. 
Ohterwise,  he  would  have  to  sit  out  the  rest  of  the  season  and  thus  Jeo# 

pardize  the  team's  season.  The  Question  was  to  consist  of  one  word,  and 
if  spelled  correctly  he  would  pass  the  course.   The  rules  were  explained 
to  the  boy  and  he  agreed.   The  day  of  the  examination  he  appeared  before 
the  coach,  the  dean,  and  the  professor.  The  dean  handed  the  professor  a 
sealed  envelope.  He  tore  it  open  and  read,  "Spell  the  word  "coffee." 
"Oh  boy,"  the  coach  thought,  "he  lucked  out  with  an  easy  word,"  The  prof- 
essor reminded  the  boy  that  he  had  to  spell  the  word  correctly.   But  the 
coach  asked  if  perhaps  in  order  to  make  it  more  faifc,  would  accept  his 
answer  as  correct  if  he  got  just  one  letter  of  the  word  right.  T>,e  Dean  an 
the  professor  conferred  on  this  and  reluctantly  agreed.  The  coach  thought, 

"There's  no  way  he  can  possibly  not  pass  this  test."  The  boy  began,  "coffe 

is  spelled,  "Kauphy." 


-2- 
Jude's  idea  of  victory  did  not  concern  taking  an  examination  to  receive  a 
passing  grade.  He  had  presented  the  facts  of  how  a  believer  must  live,  how 
his  faith  should  be  shown,  and  now  he  says  in  the  24th  verse,  "Now  unto  Him 
that  is  able  to  keep  you  from  falling."  The  believer  in  the  days  when  Jude 
wrote  this  letter,  axxvK±xxxxxxJELKxfeiK±XJEXKXxx±Hi£xx  were  living  in  dark  days, 
and  so  are  the  believers  today.  Present  conditions  are  such  that  we  are  npt 
made  glad  by  the  daily  lives  we  each  must  live,  ^o  the  question  arises, 
"Can  we  keep  ourselves  in  the  love  of  God?  Is  it  possible  to  live  an  up- 
right life?'1   Jude  says  that  the  believer  can  do  so  because  the  One  who  loves 
them  will  not  let  them  fall.   Way  back  before  these  words  were  written  King 
Solomon  was  inspired  to  write  in  Proverbs  3:19-23,  (read  this).   When  we  seek 
to  follow  the  Lord,  as  far  back  as  the  writing  of  the  Old  Testament  and  in 
particular  the  book  of  Proverbs ,  God  wrote ,  "Then  shalt  thou  walk  in  thy  way 
safely,  and  thy  foot  shall  not  stumble."  God  will  not  let  you  fall;  He  will 
keep  you  from  falling,  and  this  is  what  Jude  is  saying  to  the  true  believers. 
But  Jude's  words  of  comfort  and  hope  do  not  end  with  his  thoughts  on  being 

kept  from  falling,  for  he  adds,  "And  to  present  you  faultless  before  the  pre- 
sence of  His  glory  with  exceeding  joy." 

We  are  to  live  our  lives  in  the  continuing  faith  and  trust  that  not  only  will 
God  keep  us  from  falling  by  giving  us  strength  for  each  moment  and  each  day, 
but  there  will  be  a  time  when  we  will  find  ourselves  face  to  face  in  His  pre- 
sence in  Glory.   This  could  be  jchaxxar.  when  God  raptures,  or  removes  His 
church  out  of  this  world  and  all  believers  with  it.  Or  it  could  be  that  He 
will  call  us  from  this  life  through  the  means  of  death.   But  the  message  here 
is  that  one  moment  we  will  be  living  this  life  in  the  midst  of  all  of  the 
cares  and  problems  which  exist.  And  the  next  moment  we  will  find  ourselves 
face  to  face  with  our  Saviour  in  His  eternal  glory.  We  will  not  know  how  we 
have  arrived  there,  all  that  we  will  know  is  that  we  have  finally  arrived. 
There  is  a  story  which  I  like  to  use  at  the  funerals  of  believers  which  gives 
this  illustration  very  vividly.   It  is  about  a  little  boy  and  his  father. 
(Illustration  of  father  carrying  boy  across  bridge  to  his  room) 
God  is  carrying  each  one  of  us  who  truly  believe  in  His  arms  and  will  one 
day  carry  us  to  our  home  in  glory  which  He  has  prepared  for  us .  But  how  -will 
Ee  do  it?   Jude  says,  "With  exceeding  ,joy."  But  that  joy  will  be  experienced 
both  by  our  Lord  and  by  the  believer.   Back  in  Peter's  second  letter,  the  4th 

chapter  and  the  13th  verse  we  read,  "But  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  partaker 
of  Christ's  sufferings;  that,  when  His  glory  shall  be  revealed,  ye  may  be 
glad  also  with  exceeding  joy." 

We  will  have  exceeding  joy,  overabundant  joy  in  other  words  when  the  glory  of 

our  Saviour  is  revealed.   And  that  revelation  will  be  in  eternity  with  Him, 

And  it  will  be  our  Lord's  exceeding  joy  to  welcome  us  home. 


-3- 

In  the  25th  verse,  Jude  now  says,  "To  the  only  wise  God  our  Saviour." 
Why  does  he  call  God  Saviour?  Remember  the  people  he  was  writing  about 
and  against?  We  had  said  that  these  people  were  denying  many  things  of  the 
Christian  faith.   A  portion  of  what  they  denied  was  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ. 
They  were  teaching  He  was  only  another  man  and  that  somehow  He  possessed  cer- 
tain powers  which  made  it  possible  for  Him  to  do  some  miraculous  things.  But 
other  than  that  He  was  just  a  man.  So  here  Jude  is  saying  for  one  last  time 
Jesus  was  God  come  to  earth;  He  was  God  in  the  flesh;  and  that  as  Saviour, 
He  was  God  suffering  on  behalf  of  His  creation. 

So  how  does  Jude  complete  his  letter?  He  has  come  to  this  grand  climax  and 
lacking  words  to  say  completely  what  is  on  his  heart  and  his  mind,  he  ends 
it  with  a  grand  doxology  to  God.  Have  you  ever  been  so  overwhelmed  with 
a  thought  or  a  feeling  about  God;  or  have  been  so  spiritually  moved  that  you 
were  unable  to  tell  anyone  adequately  what  you  wanted  to  express  about  God? 
1  think  if  you  would  ask  any  of  the  fellows  who  have  been  to  Moody  to  de- 
scribe some  of  it  to  you,  you  would  find  that  they  cannot  do  so  completely. 
This  last  time  when  about  1500  men  were  singing  "How  Great  THou  Art,"   I 
came  to  the  chorus  and  got  a  large  lump  in  my  throat  and  simply  couldn't  sing 
At  that  point  the  enormity  of  How  Great  My  God  Is  really  hit. me.   I  asked 
Kevin  if  he  had  the  same  problem  and  he  confessed  that  he  did.  How  do  you 
adequately  explain  God  to  someone?  Tou  don't  and  you  can't  and  neither  could 
Jude.   All  he  could  say  was,  "Be  glory,  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power." 
Glory i is  God's  brightness,  His  brilliance,  His  Divine  radiance.   Moses  when 
he  met  with  God  came  back  from  that  experience  with  his  face  actually  glow- 
ing so  brilliantly  that  he  was  forced  to  wear  8  veil  so  people  could  meet  and 
talk  with  him.   Why?   Because  he  had  been  in  the  presence  of  God's  Glory, 
His  Majesty  is  His  royal  and  regal  presence  as  the  King  of  all  Kings,  the 
Ruler  above  all  rulers.   The  Creator  - nd  redeemer  of  all  mankind  seated  upon 
His  royal  throne  in  Glory.   His  dominion  is  His  supreme  rule  over  everything 
and  everyone;  over  all  of  His  creation.  His  Power  is  the  strength  of  that 
which  He  alone  can  do  above  the  powers  of  any  mere  human  being.   God  is  sup- 
reme in  all.  So  Jude,  lacking  words  to  adequately  describe  His  Saviour  and 
God  ascribes  to  Him,  Glory,  and  Majesty,  And  Dominion,  and  Power.  And  how 
long  does  he  ascribe  ifais  these  attributes?   "Both  now  and  ever."  From  the 
beginning  of  time,  to  the  present,  and  forever  and  ever  is  what  he  is  saying. 
And  he  concludes  with  a  simple  "Amen,"  Or  so  be  it.  Let  it  come  to  pass 
Lord!   Here  is  the  victory  for  the  believer.   But  how  is  it  achieved? 

(Illustration  of  coach,  quarterback  tjiree  runs  and  a  punt) 

There  was  once  a  football  team  playing  their  arch  rival  in  the  last  game 
of  the  season.   There  were  5  minutes  to  play  and  the  team  which  was  the 
underdog  had  the  ball  about  mid fie Id.   The  score  was  tied  and  the  much 


-4- 

rival  had  a  battle  on  their  hands  and  were  going  to  be  lucky  to  walk  away 
from  this  game  with  a  mere  tie.  The  coach  called  time  and  talked  to  his 
quarterback  on  the  sidelines.   He  said,  "Now  look.  This  is  what  we  are 

going  to  do.  We  want  to  hang  on  to  the  ball  as  long  as  possible  and  keep 
it  out  of  the  hands  of  the  other  team,   I  want  you  to  hand  the  ball  off  to 
one  of  the  bafckfield  men  on  the  first  three  plays  and  run  the  ball  right  up 
the  middle.   No  passing.   Three  runs.   Then  on  the  fourth  play,  Just  play 
it  safe  and  punt,  Do  you  have  that?"  The  quarterback  said,  "Right  coach! 
The  first  three  plays  we  run  up  the  middle,  the  fourth  play  punt."   With 
the  assurance  that  this  is  what  he  was  to  do  the  auarterback  ran  back  on  the 
filed  and  into  his  team's  huddle.   He  explained  what  they  were  going  to  do 
and  they  lined  up  for  the  first  play.  He  gave  the  ball  to  one  of  the  half- 
backs and  up  the  middle  he  went  to  the  thirty  yard  line.   The  next  play  he 
gave  the  ball  to  the  other  halfback  and  he  ran  for  twenty  yards  down  to  the 
ten  yard  line.   The  next  play  he  gave  the  ball  to  the  fullback  and  up  the 
middle  he  went  to  the  two  yard  line.   So  it's  now  second  down  and  two  yards 
to  go  for  a  touchdown.   The  team  lined  up  and  the  ball  was  snapped  to  the 
quarterback  and  he  kicked  the  ball  up  into  the  last  row  of  the  stands. 
The  coach  called  time  and  rushed  on  to  the  field.  He  was  furfcaus,  He  got 
to  the  quarterback  and  after  calling  him  a  few  choice  names  he  asked, 
"What  kind  of  a  dumb  player  would  the  ball  down  to  the  two  yard  line  and  on 
second  down  with  a  chance  to  score  a  touchdown  and  win  this  ballgame,  kick 
on  the  next  play?"  The  quarterback  answered,  "I  did  what  you  told  me  to 
do.   You  said  run  on  the  first  three  plays  and  then  punt.   I  was  also  won- 
dering what  kind  of  a  dumb  coach  would  have  me  kick  on  the  two  yard  line?" 

Now  how  does  this  apply  to  what  Jude  was  writing  to  those  within  the  church? 

In  just  this  way!  He  was  saying  that  you  had  to  know  everything  there  is  to 

know  in  order  to  achieve  the  victory  through  Christ,   He  didn't  say  you  had 

to  use  trick  plays  to  outwit  our  enemies  within  the  Christian  church.  All  iia 

that  he  was  saying  was  that  we  first  of  all  belong  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Make  certain  of  that.   Make  sure  that  He  is  your  personal  Lord  and  Saviour. 

That  sets  you  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  world ,   Then,  live  your  life  in  this 

world  seeking  to  live  as  He  would  have  you  live  and  your  victory  over  sin  and 

death  is  assured  because  of,  and  through  Jesus  Christ,   Jude  was  echoing  in 

effect  what  the  Apostle  Paul  said  and  that  is,  "Thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth 

us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  Victory  is  ours! 

It  belongs  to  each  one  who  belongs  to  Him.  And  "Who  shall  separate  us  from 

the   love   of   Christ?      Shall  tribulation,    or  distress,    or  persecution,   or 
Mdcribana  famine,   or  nakedness,    or  peril,   or  sword? 

Nay,  in  all  of  these  things  we  are  more  than  conouerors  through  Him  that 
loved  us.   For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  life^  nor  angels, 
nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature  shall  be  able  to  separate  us 
from  the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  Romans  8:35,37-39 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 

Butler i  Pennsylvania 

Third  Sunday  After  Pentecost  July  lp  1984 

The  Rev,  Balph  C.  Link,  Pastor 

Mrs.  Betty  Huselton.,  Organist 

Kelly  Mangel  and  Megan  Hewis 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 

Prelude 

Announcements 

Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer    Requests 

*Processional  Hymn  No.   690  "America,    the  Beautiful 

■*Ascription 

Exhortation 

*Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  God,  the  Creator  and  Preserver 

of  all  mankind,  we  implore  thy  mercy  in  behalf  of  all 

classes  and  conditions  of  men,  that  it  may  please  thee 

to  visit  them  with  thy  most  compassionate  help,  according 

to  their  manifold  necessities  and  wants.   Especially 

do  we  beseech  thee  the  have  pity  upon  all  widows  and 

orphans;  upon  all  prisoners  and  captives;  upon  all  sick  ar; 

dying  persons;  upon  all  such  as  are  persecuted  for 

righteousness  sake.   Enable  them  to  look  unto  thee  0 

most  merciful  Father,  and  to  call  upon  Thy  Name,  that 

they  may  find  thee  a  present  Saviour  in  their  affliction 

and  distress.   And  let  it  please  thee  to  deliver  them, 

and  raise  them  up  in  due  time,  giving  them  patience 

under  all  their  sufferings,  the  rich  comfort  of  thy 

grace  here  below,  and  eternal  rest  with  thee  in  heaven ; 

through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.   Amen." 

+Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 

#Praise 

*Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I 

*Feople:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 

*Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  695  "My  Country,  Tis  of  Thee" 

Call  to  Prayer 

Pastox  F  The  Lord  be  with  you 

People:   And  with  thy  spirit 

„    Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer  ^ 

) 


Offering 

Offertory 
Doxology    No.  332 
Scripture:         Joel  1:  1-12 

Sermon     "Things  Present;    A  Call  to  Contemplation11 
*Closing  Hymn  No.  692  "Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic" 
Benediction 
Postlude 

+  ++++++++  ^Congregation  Standing  +++++++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs*  Genevieve  Nohach  in  memory  of  "Loved  Ones11 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Art  Carney,  Daji  Bosko, 

and  Martin  Henry. 
Mr.  Paul  Campbell  (Elder)  will  be  the  Greeter  today 

at  the  front  door. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs.  Sue  Davis. 
""^Hospitalized:   Mrs.  Anna  Weitzel,  Emerson  Wise  -BCMH 

William  Johnston,  Washington  County  Hospital. 
Paul  Campbell  and  Art  3nyder  will  be  visiting  the 
Hospital  this  week. 
^  Van  Service  available  each  Sunday  to  transport  people  to 

and  from  our  services.   If  you  know  of  someone  who  would 
d    like  to  attend  but  cannot  because  of  lack  of  transporta- 
tion, please  contact  the  office  so  proper  arrangements  ca: 

be  made  for  these  individuals. 

Tues,  and  Thurs.  -  Rehoboth  Hall  in  use 

Wake  up  all  you  citizens,  hear  your  country's  call. 
Not  to  arms  and  violence.  But  peace  for  one  and  all. 
Crush  out  hate  and  prejudice,  fear  and  greed  and  sin, 
Help  bring  back  her  dignity,  restoreher  faith  again. 

Work  hard  for  a  common  cause,  don't  let  our  country  fall. 

Make  her  proud  and  strong  again,  democracy  for  all. 

fes,  make  our  country  strong  again,  keep  our  flag  unfurled 

Make  our  country  well  again,  respected  by  the  world. 

Make  her  whole  and  beautiful,  work  from  sun  to  son. 
Stand  tall  and  labor  side  by  side,  beause  there's  so  much 

to  be  done. 
Yes,  make  her  whole  and  beautiful,  united  strong  and  free, 
Wake  up,  all  you  citizens,  It's  up  to  you  and  me. 

Schroeder 


I   Bliev  P  writ  this  oh  Phil; had  givn  wondrful  advic2/ 

moraly  & 


I   (&  then  chap  4:vs  8-IEAB 


He  say  Blievr  shud  keep  think/do  wat 
r->irituly  exeelent 
Phev    icentr  minds   thoa  th/which  rt  ft  pud   &  wen  say. 
Let   Ur  t!:ind  dwel  thez   things   he   say=pondr   thez  th.the 
tl"    7  rite   &   deserv   serius   conteirrolatin 
k  Jinc   J  talk  bout  his   natin, how  do   we   stakup? 
(Illus   skul   teachr.boy  fal   swing-no  cryjCry?   I  go?   sue 
that  part  state   natin  ?dy 

{quote   Erooks   KcCormick-chairmn  Int   Harv=?day   7  dedsin 
2J0Q  fed  employ  12  Wash  agency  sho  cjuot   Dec   Indep  & 
rfitiiout  explain  wat  was, ask  ?sign=68#  refuse=thot   from 
Spian  ocience   Monitor   or  Comunist   Manifesto 
(Paul  Harvey  &  They  Misled   Us) 

fr/thez      ills   I  Bliev  oanC  we   fite   sum  bugs   our  natin 
Lik  natin  Judah  need  ?B  cal  2-Contemplatin,to  think 
on  thez   things   as   P  say 
tfat  can  Chang  natin? 
Wat   can  Chang  anything? 
Wat   can  chang  U  £   me? 
(Illus   G's   power  shown   in  Cros    Js  Xp) 
3as  anyth  lik  this  hapn  in  Ur  day, or   in  Ur  F's  days? 
Joel   l:2B=Read   abuv   quote 
of  corse    it  has  1    It   hapn  rite   now 
we   can  C  in  catastrophe   tak   plac  B4   our  eyes 
insect  eat  way  all  we   kno  ft  hoi  dear 
But  finally  Brethren-Read   Phil  4:8 
Ur  2the   cros  4  that  blessed  hope   in  midst   of  despair 
Lk  2    Js   Xp   S   kno   Him   '     power  of   His    Resurectin 
In  thez  things  wh  R  presnt,"Let   Ur  mind  dwel  on  thez 
things 


bcripture :         Joel   1:J-12 

If  ask  U   2narae   OT  proph, who  wud  U  name?   All  proba 
r*1     'f ay- Isa.Jer .lamentations, or   Ezek.mayB  Daniel 
But   did   U   kno   bk    Joel   faav   73  vss=&  2?  phras.claus   or 
expresins   of    Joel  fnd   other  OT  prophs  writings? 

J     )prov  his  work  copy, but. sho  gud   posibilty  ' 
who  was   Joel  &  wen  writ? 
vs   1= Joe  1= Jehovah  is   3;Pethuel*Vision  of  G 

prob   cum   fr /Godly  famly-hence    godly   name; but   this   alj 
date=pre-exilio/post-exilic???  Gud  posib=Pre-ex:=8  BC 

wrote  durin  rein  E  Joash=7yr  old   Bgin 
Mesag-lik  mos   prophs-timely  &  serv  nothr  purpose 

writ  peop  his  day  &  peop  futur 
Tru  prophs  of  G  tuk  mesap  G  gav.no  apol/comp  &  gav  it 

ouml  likn  visin  lk  cros   peaka-othr  peaks.no  0  fcalys 
Proph  pv  mesag.no  C  valys.wud   tel  contemp  or  ther  tin 

but   along  w/mesag, nothr  mesag  4futur  gens   &  thez 

£er   ?f™ln  fron*   1»&  valys   stan  yrs/gen  tween  proph 

3o  arm  thez  thots.lets  lk  wat  Joel  had  say.ment  ft  meai 
VB  ^°cal  atentin  evrl.ask  Idrs/peop  4  atentin  what  say 
vs  2B-peop  kno  wat  talk  bout  &  we  will  too  nothr  vs 

>isk  evr  knu  anyth  lik  this?  Herd   tel   of   it? 
vs  5=since   so  spectaclar=go  tel, ft  tel   grt   grandchildrr 
vs  4-talk  catastrophe  tak  plac   natin   Judah  K-  indeterm 

nurobr   locus   invad  land   &   Joel  tel  4kinds 
CudB  4stage  same   l'sjor  4dif   kinds   of   many  variety 
1899-swarm   locus   cros   Red   Saa.estmate   covr  2000  sq   mi 

Now   Joel   spk  5dif  grps  peopl 
vs   5=thez   peop  no  care  wat   hapn  anyth  rnd   them  as   lonj 

''  hav  drink  &  imediat  needs  tak  care  of 
J  il  wine  cut  off  ft  explain  this  in  vs  6 
vs   6=likn  2invad  army.amt   canot   B  numbr  ft  way  mov 

cros   land   lik  lion-strong  teeth 
also  relet  2  liones  who  kllr,&  teeth  lik  fangs 
vs   7=tel  damag  hav  dun=lvs  strip  vines, grapes   St  bark 

chew  off   so  vines  strip  white- no  grap  4wine  harvest 
ve   8=this  2nd  grp  &  pictur  priests/thoz   minstr  2  Lord 

&  R  lik  yng  virgn  betroth/engag  &  E4  wed  cud  tak 

plac,bridgroom  dy.so  put  on  sake  loth  4  mourn 
vss  9-10-Ingeed  »  Tempi   no  availbl   Bcuz   locusts 

no  wondr   J  ask-anythin  hapn  Ur  day   lik  this?  Fathxs? 
vss   ll-12=thez   peop  farmrs   5.  era  livlihud  fr/crops 

they  hard  hit   &  J  describ  how  tak  plac  &  no  rejoic 
J  r    ■'   ?peop=lk  wat   hapn;think  bout;pondr    it; 

tL_4   time    of    Contemplatin  bout   thez   circumstanc 
altho  naturl  disastr   J  saw  hand  Q  fi   His  reckon  with 
peop  Bcuz  ther  disobed 


"(Things  Present :  A  Call  To  Contemplation" 

Scripture:  Joel  1:1-12 

If  you  were  asked  to  name  an  Old  Testament  prophet,  who  would  you  name? 
In  all  probability  it  would  be  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  or  Daniel, 
These  of  course  are  the  major  prophets  and  come  to  mind  more  readily. 
But  did  you  know  that  the  book  of  Joel  contains  only  73  verses  and  yet, 
twenty-seven  phrases,  clauses,  or  expressions  in  Joel  are  found  in  other 
Old  Testament  prophet's  writings?  T^is  doesn't  prove  conclusively  that 
Joel's  material  was  copied,  but  it  is  distinct  possibility. 

But  just  who  was  this  man  and  when  did  he  write?  His  name  was  Joel  and  all 
that  we  know  of  him  is  what  is  found  in  the  first  verse  of  his  prophecy. 
He  says,  "Th»  Word  of  the  Lord,  that  came  to  Joel,  the  son  of  Pethuel." 
The  name  Joel  means,  "Jehovah  is  God."  His  father's  name  was  "Pethuel," 
which  meant,  "Vision  of  God."   The  only  thing  we  know  of  the  man  and  where 
he  came  from  is  that  evidently  he  came  from  godly  parentage  which  would  ex- 
plain his  name.   But  this  is  all  of  the  identification  we  have  of  him. 
All  else  is  xxexh  speculation.   The  date  of  hiw  writing  is  not  certain  either 
There  are  arguments  on  both  sides  as  to  when  he  wrote.  Was  it  pre-exilic, 
or  post-exilic"?   And  from  the  inferences  in  his  writing  a  case  can  be  made 
for  both.   But  mostly,  it  is  believed  that  he  wrote  in  the  pre-exilic  period 
before  the  Israelites  were  taken  to  Babylon.   It  is  believed  that  he  wrote 
during  the  8th  century  B.C.  and  his  writing  was  done  during  the  time  of 
King  Joash  who  ascended  the  throne  at  the  age  of  ?• 

Joel's  message  like  that  of  all  the  prophets  was  not  only  timely,  but  served 
another  very  distinct  purpose.  He  was  writing  to  the  people  of  his  day  and 
age,  but  he  was  also  writing  to  the  people  of  the  future.  The  true  prophets 
of  God  took  the  message  God  gave  them  and  without  question,  or  apology,  or 
compromise  gave  that  message.   Someone  has  likened  their  vision  as  looking 
out  across  a  range  of  mountain  peaks.   When  one  is  on  the  summit  and  looks 
out,  distant  peaks  appear  with  the  peak  immediately  in  the  forefront.   What 
cannot  be  seen  are  the  valleys  which  separate  those  peaks  from  one  another. 
The  prophet  giving  uod's  message  could  not  see  the  valleys  and  so  their 
message  wo81d  tell  of  a  prophecy  which  usually  was  contemporary,  or  for  their 
own  time.  But  along  with  that  message  was  another  message  for  future  genera- 
tions which  would  be  the  peaks  behind  the  front  one  and  the  valleys  would 
stand  for  the  years  or  the  generations  between  the  prophecy  and  its  fulfill- 
ment.  So,  armed  with  these  thoughts  in  mind,  let  us  look  at  what  Joel  had 
to  say  and  what  it  meant  then  and  means  today. 
Joel  begins  by  calling  the  attention  of  everyone  to  what  he  has  to  say.   In 

the  2nd  verse  he  says:  "Hear  this,  0  elders,  and  listen,  all  inhabitants  of 

the  land." 


-2- 

He  Is  asking  for  the  attention  of  the  leaders  and  of  all  the  people  to  what 

he  has  to  say.  Then  after  he  has  their  attention,  he  goes  on  to  say,  "Has 

anything  like  this  happened  in  your  days  or  in  your  father's  days??  These 

people  knew  what  Joel  was  talking  about  and  in  another  verse  he  is  going  to 

enlighten  anyone  reading  this  prophecy.   But  for  now  he  is  exercising  a  flair 

for  the  dramatic  to  hold  their  attention.   "Have  any  of  you  ever  known  of 

anything  like  this,  or  have  your  parents  and  gradparents  ever  told  you  of 

anything  like  this?"  is  what  Joel  is  saying. 

And  since  this  is  so  spectacular  Joel  says,  "Tell  your  sons  about  it,  and  let 

your  sons  tell  their  sons,  and  their  sons  the  next  generation."   Spread  the 

word  of  what  is  happening  here  to  your  grefet-grandchildren  he  sayp ♦ 

So  now  thatvJoftl  has  given  his  instructions  concerning  what  he  is  going  to 

write  about,  he  now  begins  to  share  this  unique  event  which  he  has  said 

defies  discription.   He  begins  by  saying  in  versed,  "Whatvthe  gnawing  locust 
has  left,  the  swarming  locust  has  eaten;  and  what  the  swarming  locust  has 
left,  the  creeping  locust  has  eaten;  and  what  the  creeping  locust  has 
left,  the  stripping  locust  has  eaten." 

Joel  is  talking  of  a  terrbile  catastrophe  which  was  taking  place  in  the  little 
country  of  Judah,   An  indeterminate  number  of  locusts  have  invaded  the  land. 
Joel  has  identified  four  kinds  here,  the  gnawingm  swarming,  creeping  and 
stripping  locusts.   These  may  well  have  been  the  four  stages  in  the  develop- 
ment of  these  insects  as  some  interpreters  believe,  or  they  may  have  been 
four  different  kinls  of  locusts,  i*xisxKaBXKX?!ZBi!a:i!t*xiiLHXx^Ba±xiraHxx?iHH±±Bg 

BfXXBHXXitlff  gBErLtXXXXdXXBKKHHXBXBI'  XEBKBXBi^X±XXdXXEJrtXXXBasXE:f  xikKiXXaBEEXX* 

aBBaxtkxBK^BKtxtiiHxiaajixxxieaxarExtBidxthRsexwKrgxHxxxBxiEHiExy 
In  1899  there  was  a  swarm  of  locusts  who  crossed  the  Red  Sea  and  it  was  esti- 
mated they  covered  2000  square  miles.   So  we  can  readily  see  that  the  locusts 
which  Joel  is  talking  about  ate  everything  in  sight. 
MBfiixEHxiaxtBxiitBBBXKHjDxaisxtkH-xdriakErxxBfx^HiiHaxKxsBKiKtx 
Now  Joel  addresses  three  different  groups  of  people.   He  speaks  to  the  first 

group  ixxxKZHKx  as  we  read  in  verse  5,  "Awake,  drunkards,  and  weep;  and  wail, 
all  you  wine  drinkers,  on  account  of  the  sweet  wine  that  is  cut  off  from 
your  mouth," 

He   is   speaking  to  a  group   in  their  midst  who  didn't   much  care   about  anything 

that  went  on  around  them  and  these  were  the  alcoholics.   As  long  as  they  had 

enough  drink  to  take   care    of   their  needs,    that's   all  that  mattered.      But    Joel 

is  telling  them  that  their  wine  is  being  cut  off  and  he  describes  that  cutoff 

as  we  read  in  verseS,  "For  a  nation  has  invaded  my  land,  mighty  and  without 
number;  its  teeth  are  the  teeth  of  a  lion,  and  it  haw  the  fangs  of  a  lion- 
ess." 

Joel  likens  these  locusts  to  an  invading  army  of  another  nation  invading 

Judah.   The  amount  of  them  cannot  be  numbered  and  the  way  it  is  moving  in  the 

land  it  appears  to  have  the  teeth  of  a  lion.  A  male  lion  devoured  the  prey 


-3- 

and  its  teeth  are  incredibly  strong.   But  Joel  also  relates  this  to  the 

female  lion  who  actually  does  the  killing  for  the  lion  family.   It  is  the 

lioness  which  pounces  on  its  prey  and  sJhJ&kx  slashes  and  kills  it  with  her 

fanglike  teeth,  So  havintr  described  this,  Joel  tells  the  damage  they  have 

done  in  verse  7,  "It  has  made  my  vine  a  waste,  and  my  fig  tree  splinters. 
It  has  stripped  them  bare  and  cast  them  away;  their  branches  have  become 
white . " 

All  of  the  leaves  are   stripped  from  the  vines;   the   grapes  are   eaten;   and  be- 
sides this,   the  bark  has  been  eaten  from  the  vines   so  they  are  wte±±H  com- 
pletely bare   and  white.      There  will  be   non  grape   harvest   to   make  wine. 

And  now  Joel  speaks  to  the  second  group  as  we  read  in  verseS,  "Wail  like  a 
virgin  girded  with  sackcloth  for  the  bridegroom  of  her  youth." 

Joel  pictures  the  priests  and  those  who  minister  to  the  Lord  like  a  young 

virgin  who  was  betrothed,  or  engaged  as  we  would  say,  and  before  the  wedding 

could  take  place,  her  bridegroom  dies  so  she  puts  on  sackcloth  and  goes  into 

mourning.   And  Joel  carries  this  further  by  explaining  in  verses  9  and  10, 
"The  grain  offering  and  the  libation  are  cut  off  from  the  house  of  the 
Lord,   The  priests  mourn,  the  minister  of  the  Lord.   The  field  is  ruined 
the  land  mounns ,  for  the  grain  is  JrsiBatxa^  ruined,  the  new  wine  dries  up, 
fresh  oil  fails. " 

The  ingredients  for  the  sacrifices  in  the  Temple  are  not  available  because 

of  the  destruction  of  the  locusts.   Is  it  any  wonder  that  Joel  asks,  "Has 

anything  like  this  happened  in  your  days,  or  the  days  of  your  father's  before 

you?" 

Next,  Joel  addresses  the  third  group  as  we  read  in  the  11th  and  l?th  verses: 
"Be  ashamed,  o  farmers,  wail,  0  vinedressers,  for  the  wheat  and  the  barley; 
because  the  harvest  of  the  field  is  destroyed.   The  vine  dries  up,  and 
the  fig  tree  fails;  the  pomegranate,  the  palm  also,  and  the  apple  tree, 
all  the  trees  of  the  field  dry  up.   Indeed,  re.joicing  dries  up  from  the 
souls  of  men." 

The  people  who  earned  their  livelihood  from  the  crops,  the  farmers,  were  very 

hard.  hit.   Joel  describes  inthese  verses  how  all  of  this  has  taken  place  and 

there  is  no  rejoicing  in  the  land. 

Joel  is  saying  to  the  people  to  look  at  what  is  happening  in  their  land;  to 

think  about  it;  ponder  it.  Here  was  a  time  for  them  to  be  in  "Contemplation" 

about  these  circumstances.   Although  this  was  a  natural  disaster,  Joel  saw  in 

it  the  hand  of  God  reckoning  with  His  people  beca  see  of  their  disobedience. 

I  believe  this  is  exactly  the  same  thin"-  which  Paul  is  writing  to  the  church 

in  Fhilippi.   He  had  given  them  all  of  the  wonderful  advice  he  could  and  then 

in  the  'ith  chapter  the  8th  verse  he  says,  "Finally,  brethren,  whatever  is  true 
whatever  is  honorable,  whatever  is  right,  whatever  is  pure,  whatever  is 
lovely,  whatever  is  of  good  repute,  if  there  is  any  excellence  and  if  any- 
thing worthy  of  praise,  let  your  mind  dwell  on  these  things." 

He  is  saying  that  believers  should  keep  thinking  and  doing  what  is  morally 

and  spiritually  excellent.   They  are  to  center  their  minds  on  those  things 
which  are  right  and  good.   When  Paul  says,  "Let  your  mind  dwell  on  these 

things, " 


-4- 

he  is  literally  saying;, "Ponder  these  things,"  think  deeply  about  them,  or 

as  the  King  James  says,  "Think  on  these  things,"  The  things  which  are  right 

and  just  Am   are  deserving  of  serious  "Contemplation."  And  since  Joel  was 

talking  about  hi»  nation,  how  does  our  nation  stack  up  in  this  respect? 

(Illustration  of  school  teacher  &  boy  falling  off  swing) 

A  school  teacher  was  on  playground  duty  and  one  little  boy  fell  off  the 
swing.   She  rushed  over  to  where  he  was  and  helped  him  to  his  feet. 
He  was  all  dusty  and  she  was  trying  to  clean  him  off  and  brush  him  and 
she  said,  "Oh  Jimmy,  don't  cry."  He  said,  "Cry?   I'm  going  to  sue." 

That's  a  part  of  the  state  of  our  nation  today.   Brooks  McCormick  the  chair- 
man of  International  Harvester  3a±&xxx£Bxx7KHXXxxfncx  gave  what  he  called  ii« 

"Today's  Seven  Deadly  Sins"   They  are: 

1.  Business  without  morality 

2.  Politics  without  principle 
5.  Science  without  humanity 

4.  Pleasure  without  conscience 

5.  Wealth  without  work 

6.  Worship  without  sacrifice 

7.  Knowledge  without  character. 

2300  federal  employess  in  1?  Washington  agencies  were  shown  a  quotation  from 

the  Declaration  of  Independence,  without  it  being  identified  and  were  asked 

to  sign  it.   68#  per  refused  to  sign  to  *ipn.   Among  other  things,  some  said 

it  was  from  the  Christian  Science  Monitor,  or  the  Communist  Manifesto. 

A  few  years  ago  Paul  Harvey  the  news  commentator  said  some  things  about  our 

moder  n  society.  Here  are  his  words; 

(Illustration  of  "They  Misled  us") 

From  these  few  illustrations  I  believe  we  can  see  that  we  are  fighting  some 

bugs  in  our  own  nation.   Like  the  nation  of  Judah  we  need  to  be  called  to 

"Contemplation."  "To  think  on  these  things"  as  Paul  said.  What  can  change 

our  nation?   What  can  change  anything?  What  can  change  you  or  me? 

(Illustration  of  God's  power  shown  in  the  Cross  of  Jesus  Christ) 

An  American  preacher  was  invited  to  preach  at  St.  Andrew's  Church  which 
is  located  on  the  »H±xk±x±BxBf  edge  of  London  overlooking  the  city. 
While  he  was  there  this  minister  had  a  conversation  with  a  man  who  was  a 
member  of  that  church  and  in  his  eighties.   The  man  told  him  of  the 
sadness  and  despair  he  felt  during  the  bombing  of  London  during  World  War 
II.  He  said  that  one  night  was  particularly  bad  for  him.   On  that  night 
he  was  standing  in  the  churchyard  looking  toward  the  central  part  of 
London  which  was  completely  in  flames.   The  man  told  the  story  this  way: 
"The  sky  was  filled  with  black  smoke  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  everything 
was  lost  -  the  war,  England,  everything  of  value,   I  kept  asking  myself 
"Is  there  any  hope?"  And  I  found  myself  crying  like  a  baby.   But  Just 
then  there  was  a  sudden  gust  of  wind,  for  just  a  moment.   It  blew  the 
smoke  away  just  long  enough  for  me  to  see  the  Cross  of  Christ  atop 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral.   And  just  as  I  saw  it,  I  felt  a  surge  of  hope 
within  me.   And  I  stopped  weeping  because  I  knew  once  again  there  is 
a  power  greater  than  all  the  powers  of  evil  in  the  world .   A  power 
that  would  see  us  through  and  would  live  on." 

"Has  anything  like  this  happened  in  your  days,  or  in  your  father's  days?" 
Of  course  it  has!   It's  happening  right  now.   We  can  see  the  catastrophe 


-5- 

taking  place  before  our  eyes.  The  insects  are  eating  away  at  all  that  we 
know  and  all  we  hold  dear.  But  finally  brethren,  whatever  is  true,  whatever 
is  honorable,  whatever  is  right,  whatever  is  pure,  whatever  is  lovely, 
whatever  is  of  good  xwpvrt   repute,  if  there  is  any  excellence  and  if  anything 
worthy  of  praise,  let  your  mind  dwell  on  these  things."  Look  to  the  cross 
for  that  blessed  hope  in  the  midst  of  despair.  Look  to  Jesus  Christ  and  tenow 
Him  and  the  power  of  His  resurrection.   In  these  things  which  are  present, 
"let  your  mind  dwell  on  these  things. " 


ST*  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fourth  Sunday  After  Pentecost  July  8,  1984 

The  Hev.  Ralph  C*  Link,  Pastor 
Mr-  Harry  C.  Cunningham,  Organist 
Ke  Hy  Mange  1  an d  Megan  Hew i  s 
+  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 
Prelude     "Three  Voluntaries  ii  F  Major11 

-Walczynski/Zeuner/Hesse 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  21  "Love  divine,  all  loves  excell 
"Ascription 

Exhortation 
•Confession  (In  Unison)  "We  offer  unto  thee  our  Father, 
praise  for  the  gift  of  thy  Spirit.   We  ask  for  thy 
Spirit  at  the  times  when  we  are  filled  with  doubt; 
when  we  are  filled  with  hatred;  when  we  are  devoid  of 
patience,  when  we  show  forth  selfishness.   In  all 
circumstances  which  are  contrary  to  thy  will,  send  thy 
Spirit  to  help,  to  heal,  and  may  we  know  thy  fprgivenes 
through  Christ.   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
"Praise 

•Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lard  GodE 
"•"People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  483   May  the  Mind  of  Christ,  My  Savior" 
Call  to  Prayer1 


Pastor 

People 
Pastor 

Prayer 

Offering 

Offertory 

Doxology 

Scripture : 

Sermon 


The  Lord  be  with  you. 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


"Consolation"        Jar 
No.  382 

Joel  : 13-20 
"Things  Present:   A  Call  To  Penitence" 


•Closing  Hymn  No.  108   "Rock  of  Ages,  Cleft  for  Me" 
Benediction 

Pcstlude      "Fuga"  Zach 

++++++++++  "Congregation  Standing  ++++++ 
The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  Howard  Jaillet  in  memory  of  "'Parents" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Alta  Kradel ,  Lois  Stokes, 

Joan  Campbell  and  Dutch  Bolam 
Mr,  &   Mrs*  Gottlob  Kradel  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 
""■^Hospitalized:  Anna  Weitzel, Emerson  Wise,   //the  door. 
^     BCMH.   Bill  Johnston,  Washington  County  Hospital* 
Mike  Nazaruk  and  Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 
Tuesday  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
ing"*^Wed,  -  9:00  A*M.  -  Council  Meeting  in  Undercroft 

^    Monday  -  July  23  -  7*00  -  Budget  Committee  Meeting 

Tuesday  -  July  24  -  By-Laws  Meeting 
~^-Van  Service  available  each  Sunday  to  transport  people 
to  the  Service.   If  you  know  of  someone  who  would  like 
to  attend  but  cannot  because  of  lack  of  transportation, 
please  contact  the  office  so  proper  arrangements  can 
be  made  for  these  individuals.  £87-2240  -  between  8  and 
11  on  Mondays  and  Fridays. 
s,  +++++++ 

I  saw  God  wash  the  world  last  night  with  His  sweet  shower 

And  then  when  morning  came  1  saw  Him  hang  it  out  to  dtlyr  ' 
He  washed  each  tiny  blade  of  grass  and  every  trembling  ttt 
He  flung  His  showers  against  the  hills  and  swept  the  bill< 

sea 
The  white  rose  is  a  cleaner  white,  the  r*ftd  rose  is  more  r 
Since  God  washed  every  fragrant  face  and  put  them  all  to  t 
There's  not  a  bird,  there's  not  a  bee  that  wings  along  fchi 

way, 
But  is  a  cleaner  bird  and  bee  than  it  was  yesterday, 
I  saw  God  wash  the  world  last  night  -  Ah,  would  He  had 

washed  .me .  -  .  ■ 
As  clean  of  all  my  dust  and  dirt  as  that  old  white  birch 

tree  I 

from  "The  Epic  of  Earth" 


"Things   Ireaent:    A  Call  To  Penitence" 
Scripture:  Joel   1:15-20 

Yr  '"14  EC   Neheraiah  return  exil  fr/Babylon  2   Jeru 
2  1    jild  walls; anas  bilt   52  days;asembl  Bt  G  in 

s,     ;loth/ashes  confes/acknow   sins: Ezra  priest  read 

histry  peop   Is  ft  all   individ/natinal   sins  ft.  'Ezra. 
mov  2pray  2  God=Neh.    9:32-57 
Uu   coraitment=.teh   9:38 

this  port  in  Scrip  tuk  plac   aftr   proph  of    Joel   ft 

this  precisly  wat   he   say  wud  tak  plac 
Sed    las  wk  Joel   proph   plag   locus  was  4dhado   of 
judgment   of   G,&  in  lstr  part  proph  told   G's  futur 
blesings 
Joel  no  kno   judg  of  G  wud   tak  form  exil, only  sed 
as   G's   reesap;  cam  2him,preaen  situ  sign  G's    judg 

also  sed   las  wk  many  th  no  kno  bout    Joel, but   I 

Bliev   fr  writ   conclud    may  wel   bin  priest    ft,  reasn 

evident  concern  4   oriests/Teropl/thin^s   Temp  worsh 
We  C  this   in  vss   15  ft  14  ft  this   sectin  Scrip  15-20 
Joel   issu   2  peop- A   CALL   TO  FENITEOTE  ft   1st   Pprieat= 
va   13=pr  2set   examp  4peop;peop   includ   pr  wer  state 

morn  Bcuz  very  devastat  catastro  tak   plac  B4  eyes 
bak  vs   8   J  spk  Prelig  ldrs   ft  llkn  put   sakcloth  as 
funeral   wear,  morn  ins?  4  ded 

here, spk  morn  4natinal   catastro  which  ia  /wilB  in 

judgment  upon  them 
no  custmary  wear  sakcloth  day/nite-ex  K  Ahab/Elijah 
vs   14=not   only  R  pr /minsters   B  sumon  natinal  morn, 

but   J  cal  2mor  specif  services 
'    t  all  ldra/peop  2gethr  2hous  of   lord 
re g  ldrs   wer  B  sumon  apend  nite   sak/asli=also  pray 

J  mak  this   persnl  prop  with  priests   ft  peop 
notio  end   13  ft  14=The  house   of   YOUR   God 

it   isnt   colectivly=Hous  OUR  G,insted=   Hous   UR  God 

it  sumthin  ea  1  Pdo   persnaly 
But  Temp  serva /worsh   cancel ,aystm  worsh  brkn  dwn 
Bcuz   neces   inured  carry  on, no  availbl 

during;  yr   cert  in  holy  day  wer   obaerv=  extra  cudB 
1st   step»cal   asembly  eldra   ft  J  surest ;he  want 
natinal  day  prayr  4  G's  delivranc  &  he   issu   Cal  2 
lenitence=a   time  wen  evrl  turn  bak  pGod   5-  seek  Him 
(Hub   Charly  Brown, Lucy ,f ootbal-falts  vs  chang  way} 
this   positin   peop   Is   fnd    aelvs    in=kno   situatin 
hoples,but  realy.Duz  cal  4  natinal  day   sakcloth  ft 
ashen  P.   turn  thinp-s  around?    R  th  that  desprate? 

S        it  human  natur   lik  this?   How  many  peop  worl 

2day  C  any  need  4snyth  els  cept   man  solutin  2 

dif  times  which  we   liv?  u  can  C  TV, hear  radio  as 
;iv  expert   advic   how  solv  dilemmas-Wo  bin  dwn  rd 
34= no  need   PB  alarm,  jus   nothr  period   adjustment  8 


nu   ape   we  entr  &  las   tn  anyi,especil  anyi  in         2/ 
auth         want   augest   ia   2  turn  2  God 

J  Mkj  prob  had  thoz   scof/sr.eer  fr  sidlines 
rei      'dies  whthr  peop  listn,J  stedfastly  proclaim 
pi      ih  &-  say=vs   15 

this   pt   J  no  longr  adres   pr/eldrs,ft  no   longr   jua 

cert  in  grp  but  entir  comunty  Pwhoto  want   meaag  ft 

sumons   givn   by  pr/ldrs 
!&  sine   sumons  no  givn  J  spk  any  &  all  who  wil   list 
He   say=Day   of   Lord    is   at   hand 

Js  sed  =  Day  of  L  cum  lik  thief   in  nite 
'  J  kmi  day  vistatin  cum  fr   G-,  no  knu  wen  /how  /ft  no 
underst    proph   meaaK«but    knu    G  sed   wud  cum   ft   Bliev 

w/hart   he   Bliev   fit   no   idl   talk   pas    on, in   fact    so 
serlus   bout  meaag  gav  peop   Is   play  on  word   they 
cud  underst 

(Ex-   peop  lik  word  gams/ridla=newapapr ;garb  wagn 
Js  ft  parables   gud   example) 
vs    15=Dest   fr/Almity£fieat=SHOD;Almity=SHADMT 

El-Shaddai=omnip,all   powrful  &  this  contex  comf 

titl  G  help  ages   paat  as   B  destroyr   insted  comf 
Dest  cum  futur  day  ft  nun  othr=omnip, Almighty  God 

wilB  day  of   L,day  wh/G  step  histry  ft  setl  creatin 
vs   16=J  cum  bak  th  evident  Sea  by  ask  qiiestin 

all  kno  anaer  ft  merly  remind   them  temp  wor  no  can 

B  held   Bcuz   no  elements 
1  Notic  vs   16end»0ur  God, cp= Your  God  ft  dif   is    J  spk 

entir  pop.no   jus  reliir  ldrs  ft  so   it    is   Our   God 
'  vs   17=This  vs   is  almos   in  anaer  Pouest   ask  vs   15 
1     '--e  exampl  auml  go  2field  devas      locus  .replant , 

L^idful  ertii,seed  no  germ  &  stil   aame  state 
barns   empty.no   repair.no   need    2, torn  dwn   insted 
vs    18=iant    jus    peop   sufr.feel   brunt ;al»os    lik 

animls  cry  out   2  God  as  wel=but   no  food/pstur 
evrthing  eat   up  ft  horibl  pictur  PC  ft  21iv  thru 
las  2vbs    J  turn  2  God   in  prayr^petitin  ft  lament 
vs    19=only  G  can  help, so   lift  bartfelt   prayr  2  God 
vs   19B=all  eatn  by  locus   lik  fire  rage /sweep  thru 
vs  20A=animls   cum  2  God  4help=a  thirst   food/watr 
vs   POB=lament  ther   no  watr/food   imposib  Phelp 

J  knu   wat   tak  plac  ft  aenativ  animls/peop/man/beas 
In  spk  G's   mesag  this    sectin=Cal   natin/indiv=penH 
he   say=Head  vs   14  &  this   his  G  givn  advic/help 
4natin  ft  peop; it   is=Cry  out  to  the  Lord-seek  Him 

(Hub  boy .grandmothr  ft  blakmail  by  sistr) 
th        exact  wat   hapn  G's  peop   Is (bourn  slave   ther 
ow„  ain  ft  no  realiz   if  cam  2Lord   pentenc   vvud  hear, 
4giv  them  ft  luv  them  as  alway 

this  dilema  find  selvs   as   wel;probs   natin.worl, 
J  can  spk  out, but  who 


comunty  need  2B  solv=lik   J 


hear /listen? 


Any  chang  wh  wrot  can  onlyB  wrot  by  ea  us  individ 
cum  2  Lord  in  Penitence 

now  this  not  repentence  at  this  pt, 
at  latr  time  this  bk  wil  cum  ?tnat 
But  penitence  reauir  recogniz  sin/eror  &  B  sorry 
4  it 

then  w/that  sorro  seek  G's  4-givnes 
wat  R  we  face  that  perhap  has  ens lav  us? 

wat  burdn  gilt  we  bear  Bcuz  Satan  whisper  2us= 
Remembr  the  sin, Remembr  the  sin, Remembr  U  did  this 
or  that? 

the  prob  is  we  remembr  all  rite, but  we  4-get  the 

4-givnes  wh  ours  thru  Js  Xp 
we  can  thro  off  all  thex  things  wh  may  hold  i 
captiv  &  we  canB  free  thru  Xp 
author  Heb  tells  us=l?:lB-2A 

lik  J  says  we  mus  Cry  out  to  the  Lord=seek  Him  in 
penitence  &.  claim  His  luv  as  givn  thru  Js  Xp  our  j, 


"Things  Present :  A  Call  To  Penitence" 

Scripture:   Joel  1:13-20 

In  the  SJdECUOafcngr  year  444  B.C.  Nehemiah  had  returned  from  exile  in  Babylon 

to  Jerusalem  to  specifically  rebuild  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,   When  this  work 

was  completed  amazingly  52  days  later,  the  people  assembled  and  heard  the 

book  of  the  law  read  to  them  daily.   They  observed  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 

and  when  this  celebration  was  concluded  they  assembled  again  before  God 

dressed  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  to  acknowledge  their  sins  before  God. 

Bzra,  the  priest  led  this  worship  which  consisted  of  reading  the  history  of 

the  people  of  Israel  and  all  of  their  rutt±Bxx±  individual  sins  as  well  as 

their  collective  national  sins,  2kK±ExEHn±HSK±uiixsifxxi2iXEB2iE±H^;Ei4xK±iiixHX 

»Bxxs&XH±£K]£ia£xtBxkBR£x£B&xsx2x)raxxx£:iatx2x$sx£xfl£xtfe±2 

Ezra,  calling  upon  God  in  this  confession  was  moved  to  pray  to  God  as  recordei 

in  the  9th  chapter  of  Nehemiah,  verses  32  through  37»  (read  these  verses). 

And  then  comes  a  new  commitment  which  is  being  offered  to  God  signed  and 

sealed  by  the  leaders  of  Israel,  (read  verse  38). 

This  portion  of  Scripture  took  place  after  the  prophecy  of  Joel,   This  is 

precisely  what  he  was  saying  would  take  place.   We  had  said  last  week  that 

Joel  was  prophesying  that  the  plague  of  locusts  in  Judah  was  a  foreshadow  of 

the  future  judgement  of  god,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  his  prophecy  it  told 

of  God's  future  blessings.   Joel  didn't  know  that  the  judgement  of  God  would 

take  the  form  of  the  people  of  Israel  being  taken  into  exile.   All  that  he 

was  saying  as  God 's  message  came  to  him  was  that  the  present  situation  was 

a  sign  of  God's  judgement  upon  them. 

We  also  said  last  week  that  there  are  many  things  we  do  not  know  about  Joel, 

but  I  believe  from  what  we  read  in  his  writing,  we  can  conclude  that  he  may 

well  have  been  a  priest.   The  reason  for  this  is  his  evident  concern  for  the 

priests,  the  Temple,  and  the  things  pertaining  to  the  Temple  worship. 

We  see  this  in  evidence  as  we  look  at  the  13th  and  14th  verses.   In  this 

section  of  Scripture,  verses  13  through  20,  Joel  issues  to  the  people  "A  Call 

To  Penitence , "and  that  call  is  first  issued  to  the  priests  as  we  see  in  verse 

3t$ .   "Gird  yourselves  with  sackcloth,  and  lament,  0  priests;  wail,  0  minister 
of  the  altar!   Come,  spend  the  night  in  sackcloth,  0  ministers  of  my 
God,  for  the  grain  offering  and  the  libation  are  withheld  from  the  houS' 
of  your  God." 

It  was  the  priests  who  were  to  set  the  example  for  the  people.   The  people, 
including  the  priests  were  in  a  state  of  mourning  because  of  this  xkx^  de- 
vastating catastrophe  taking  place  before  their  very  eyes.  Back  in  the  8th 
verse  Joel  speaking  to  the  religious  leaders  likens  them  as  putting  on  sack- 
cloth as  funeral  wear.   But  here  he  is  speakinc  of  it  a  means  of  mourning  for 
the  national  catastrophe  which  is  and  will  being  judgement  upon  them.   It 
wasn't  customary  to  wear  sackcloth  day  and  night.   We  read  in  Scripture  that 


-2- 

King  Ahab  did  this  in  response  to  the  threats  of  the  prophet  Elijah.   But  not 

only  are  the  priests  and  ministers  beiner  summoned  to  national  mourning,  but 

Joel  calls  them  to  more  specific  services  as  we  read  in  the  14th  verse. 

"Consecrate  a  fast,  proclaim  a  solemn  assembly;  gather  the  elders  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land  to  the  house  of  the  Lord  your  God,  and  cry  out  to 
the  Lord." 

Get  all  of  the  leaders  together,  get  the  people  to  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

The  religious  leaders  were  being  summoned  to  spend  the  night  not  only  in 

sackcloth  and  ashes,  but  to  spend  the  night  in  prayer.   Joel  makes  this  a 

personal  problem  with  the  priests  and  the  people.   Hot  ice  that  he  says  at  the 

«  14th 
end  of  the  13th  verse,  "The  house  of  YOUR  God."  It  isn't  collectively,  the 

"nouse  of  our  God,"  but  instead,  "TOUR  God."  It  is  something  that  each  one 
was  to  do  personally.   The  Temple  services  had  to  be  cancelled  and  their 
entire  w»rxh±y  system  of  worship  had  kr-rak  broken  down  because  the  necessary 
ingredients  to  carry  on  the  services  were  not  avaiaable.  During  the  year 
there  were  certain  holy  days  which  were  observed,  but  extra  ones  could  be 
arranged  if  needed.   The  first  step  was  to  call  an  assembly  of  the  elders 
and  this  is  what  Joel  is  suggesting.   He  wants  a  national  day  of  prayer  for 
God's  deliverance.  He  was  issuing  "A  call  to  penitence."  A  time  when  every- 
one would  turn  back  to  God  and  seek  Him. 

(Illustration  of  Charley  Brown,  Lucy,  and  football  she  lets  fall  everytime ) 
In  a  Peanuts  cartoon,  Charley  Brown  is  holding  a  football.   Lucy  comes 
up  to  him  and  asks,  "Let  me  hold  the  football  for  you  Charley?"'  He  an- 
swers, "Mo  thanks!   Every  time  you  hold  the  football  for  me,  just  when  I 
get  to  it,  you  2ni  pull  it  wax   away  and  I  fall."  At  this  point,,  Lucy 
begins  to  cry  and  says,  "How  true!   I  admit  that  in  the  past  I've  played 
cruel  tricks  on  you.   But  I've  seen  the  error  of  my  ways  and  how  I've  hurt 
you.  £>m&   I've  been  wrong.   So  won't  you  give  a  poor  repentent  girl  an- 
other chance?"  And  Charleyvsay,  "Of  course  I  will."  So  she  sets  the 
ball  up  and  holds  it  for  Charly  to  kick.  He  comes  running  down  the  field 
and  just  as  he  gets  to  the  ball  she  pulls  it  away,  and  he  has  started  to 
kick  and  because  of  that  he  falls  flat  on  his  back  again.  Two  of  the 
other  cartoon  characters  are  standing  on  the  sideline  and  one  of  them  says, 
"Unfortunately,  recognizing  your  faults  and  actually  changing  your  ways, 
are  two  different  things." 

This  is  the  position  the  people  of  Israel  find  themselves  in.   They  know  that 

national 
their  situation  is  pretty  hopeless.  But  really,  does  it  call  for  a  day  of 

sackcloth  and  ashes  "to  turn  things  around?   Are  things  that  desperate?  And 

isn't  human  nature   like   this?     How  many  people   in  the   world   today  see  any 

need  for  anything  else   except   man's   solutions   to  the   difficult   times    in  which 

we   live?     You  can  hear  them  din  the  radio  and  see   them  on  TV  giving  their 

"expert   opinions"  concerning  what  must  be  done   to  solve   our  dilemmas,      "After 

all,   we've   been  down  this  road    before.      No  need    to   be   alarmed,    this   is    just 

another  short   period   of  adjustment   to  a   new  age   we   are   entering,"      And  the 

last  thing  anyone,   especially  anyone   in  authroity  wants   to  suggest   is   to  turn 

to  God.      Joel  probably  had  those  who  were   scoffing  and  sneering  at  him  from 


-3- 

the  sidelines.   But  regardless  whether  the  people  are  listening,  Joel  stead- 
fastly proclaims  his  prophecy  and  he  says  as  we  read  in  the  15th  verse, 

"Alas  for  the  day!   For  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  and  it  will  come  as 
destruction  from  the  Almighty." 

At  this  point,  Joel  is  no  longer  just  addressing  the  priests,  or  the  elders. 
It  is  no  longer  just  a  certain  group,  but  it  now  the  entire  community  to  whom 
he  has  wanted  this  message  and  summons  given  by  the  priests  and  leaders. 
And  since  that  summons  has  not  been  issued,  Joel  speaks  to  any  and  all  who 
will  ±s4hx  listen.  He  is  saying  that  the  "Day  of  the  Lord"  is  at  hand. 
Jesus  in  His  preaching  said  that  day  would  come,  "Like  a  thief  in  the  night." 
Joel  knew  that  a  day  of  visitation  was  coming  from  God;  he  didn't  know  when; 
he  didn't  know  how;  he  didn't  understand  that  prophetic  message,  but  he  knew 
that  God  said  it  would  come.   And  he "believed  it.   With  all  his  heart  he  be- 
lieved it,  and  so  it  was  no  idle  piece  of  talk  he  was  passing  on.   In  fact, 
he  wao  so  serious  about  this  message  that  he  gave  the  people  of  Israel  a 
play  on  words  which  they  could  more  readily  understand.  The  Jewish  people 
liked  a  good  puzzle  or  riddle  and  word  games.   This  is  one  reason  the  teach- 
ings of  Jesus  were  so  well  received  by  the  people.   He  spoke  to  them  using 
word  plays  and  riddles  such  as  the  parables.   The  play  on  words  in  this  15th 
verse  is  "Destruction  from  the  Almighty."  The  Hebrew  word  for  "destruction" 
is  "SHOD,"  and  the  word  for "Almighty"  is  "SHADDAY"  and  you  may  recognize  it 
as  the  title  "El-Shaddai"  given  to  God  in  the  book  of  Genesis.   It  means 
"omnipotent,  all  powerful."   In  the  context  in  which  Joel  is  using  it  he  is 
giving  the  ±±si   comforting  title  of  their  God  of  help  in  ages  past  as  being 
the  destroyer  instead  of  the  comforter.   Destruction  is  coming  in  a  future 
day  and  it  is  coming  from  none  other  than  their  "Omnipotent,  Almighty  God." 
It  will  be  "The  Day  of  the  Lord,"  the  day  in  which  God  will  step  into  history 
and  He  will  xxxkxexxkxxix  deal  with  His  creation  according  to  His  will. 
Now  that  Joel  has  made  this  startling  pronouncement  he  comes  back  to  the 
things  which  are  evident  to  each  of  them  by  asking  a  question  as  found  in  the 

16th  verse.   "Has  not  food  been  cut  off  before  our  eyes,  gladness  and  joy  fron 
the  house  of  our  God?" 

They  all  know  the  answer  and  he  is  merely  reminding  them  that  their  Temple 

worship  and  sacrifices  cannot  be  held  because  there  are  no  elements  to  do  so. 

Notice  at  the  end  of  that  verse  he  says,  "Our  God,"  as  compared  to  verses 

13  and  14  where  he  says  "Your  God."  The  difference  here  is  that  Joel  is 

speaking  to  the  entire  populous  and  not  just  the  religious  leaders.   So  it 

is  "Our  God." 

And  ix  almost  in  answer  to  the  question  he  has  asked  verse  17  reads:  "The 
seeds  shrivel  under  their  clods;  the  storehouses  are  desolate,  the  barns 
are  torn  down,  for  the  grain  is  dried  up." 

He  is  using  the  example  of  someone  who  may  go  out  to  a  xxkx&x  field  which 


-4- 

was  devastated  by  these  locusts  and  a  farmer  has  planted  new  seed.  But  if  a 

spadeful  of  earth  is  dug  up  it  is  discovered  that  the  seed  has  not  germinated 

and  is  still  in  the  same  state  it  was  when  planted.   And  since  there  are  no 

crops  the  barns  stand  empty  and  desolate  and  instead  of  barns  in  need  of 

repairs  having  that  take  place,  they  are  torn  down  instead.  The  reason  of 

course  is  that  there  is  no  grain,  it  is  all  destroyed. 

And   it   isin't    just  the   people  who  are   groaning  and  feeling  the   brunt   of  this 

devastation  by  the  locusts.   Joel  says  in  the  18th  verse:  "How  the  beasts 
groan!   The  herds  of  cattle  wander  aimlessly  because  there  is  no  pasture  fo: 
them;  even  the  flocks  of  sheep  suffer." 

It  is  as  if  even  the  cattle  and  sheep  are  crying  out  to  God  as  well.  But 

there  is  no  food,  no  pasture.   Everything  in  sight  that  is  edible,  the  locust 

have  devoured.   It  had  to  be  horrible  picture  to  see  and  just  as  horrible  to 

live  through. 

In  the  last  two  verses  of  this  section  Joel  now  turns  to  God  in  prayer. 

Each  verse  is  alike  in  that  he  first  comes  to  God  with  a  petition  and  then 

he  tells  God  of  the  lament  of  the  conditions  under  which  they  are  living. 

In  verse  19  he  xixtssx  prays:  "To  fhee ,  0  Lord,  I  cry."   He  knows  that  only 

God  can  help  and  so  he  lifts  up  his  heartfelt  prayer  to  God. 

He  explains  in  his  prayer;  "For  fire  has  devoured  the  pastures  of  the  wild- 
erness, and  the  flame  haa  burned  up  all  the  trees  of  the  field." 

The  fields  have  been  stripped  bare,  all  plants  and  trees,  and  vegetation 

have  been  eaten  by  the  locusts.   It  must  have  been  much  like  a  fire  which 

swept  through  the  area  and  destroyed  everything  in  sight.  3o  once  again 

after  Joel  has  prayed  about  the  needs  of  the  people  his  thoughts  turn  to  the 

poor  suffering  animals  in  their  midst  and  he  prays  in  verse  20:  "Even  the 
beasts  of  the  field  pant  for  thee." 

He  likens  their  groaning  as  he  mentioned  before  as  their  coming  to  God  also 

for  help.   He  says  they  "Pant"  for  God's  rescue  like  they  would  pantvfor 

water  when  they  were  thirsty.   And  this  is  exactly  what  they  were  feeling; 

a  thirst  for  food  as  well  as  water.  And  Joel  adds  this  lament  then  to  his 

prayer  at  the  end  of  this  verse:  ffFor  the  water  brooks  are  dried  up,  and  fire 
has  devoured  the  pastures  of  the  wilderness." 

Again  he  is  speaking  of  the  devastation  which  the  locusts  have  wrought  throug 

out  the  land.   And  it  is  also  likely  there  was  a  drought  along  with  these  dir 

circumstances  which  stixsaixtiiH  dried  the  streams  up  making  it  impossible  for 

the  cattle  to  assuage  their  thirst, 

Wow  from  all  of  this  we  see  that  Joel  not  only  knew  what  was  taking  place, 

but  he  was  sensitive  to  the  needs  of  both  man  and  beast.   Joel  in  speaking 

God's  message  which  we  have  just  looked  at  in  this  section,  is  calling  the 

nation  and  the  individual  to  "Penitence ."  He  says  that  because  of  all  that 

he  has  thus  elaborated  on,  ^Consecrate  a  fast,  proclaim  a  solemn  assembly; 
gather  the  elders  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord  your  God,  and  cry  out  to  the  lord."   (verse  14,  and  read  this) 


-5- 

3CiiiHS±ia±iB»x»f  There  is  his  God  given  advice  and  help  for  his  nation  and 

his  people.   It  is  simpy  to  "Cry  out  to  the  lord."  To  seek  Him  and  this  is 

all  that  penitence  is. 

(Illustration  of  boy  being  blackmailed  by  sister  &  finally  seeking  forgive- 
ness from  his  grandmother) 

A.  ten  year  old  boy  and  his  twelve  year  old  sister  were  visiting  their 
grandmother  in  the  country  for  a  few  days.   Johnny  loved  going  there  be- 
cause he  could  roam  the  woods  and  have  a  lot  of  outdoor  fun.  He  had  a 
new  slingshot  so  he  decided  to  try  it  out  in  the  woods.   All  morning  he 
was  shooting  at  trees  and  rocks  and  stumps,  but  he  didn't  hit  a  thing. 
On  his  way  back  to  the'  house  for  lunch  he  cut  through  the  backyard  and  saw 
his  grandmother's  pet  duck.   He  took  aim  and  let  fly,  and  you  guessed  it, 
he  hit  the  duck  and  it  fell  dead.   He  panicked,  and  in  ±EX?i*auci  despera- 
tion he  took  the  dead  duck  and  hid  it  in  the  woodpile.   Then  he  saw  his 
sister  Sally  standing  by  the  corner  of  the  house.   She  had  seen  everything, 
but  she  said  nothing.   After  lunch  grandma  said,  "O.K.  Sally,  let's  clear 
the  table  and  wash  the  dishes."  Sally  said,  "Johnny  said  he  wanted  to 
help  you  in  the  kitchen  today  frandma.  Didn't  you  Johnny?"  And  then  she 
whispered  to  him,  "Remember  the  duck."  So  Johnny  did  the  dishes. 
Later  that  afternoon,  Grandfather  invited  the  children  to  go  fishing  in 
the  farm  lake.   But  Grandma  said,  "I'm  sorry,  but  Sally  can't  go.  She  has 
to  stay  here  and  help  me  clean  and  get  supper."  Sally  smiled  and  said, 
"That's  all  been  taken  care  of  Grandma.   Johnny  said  he  wanted  to  help 
today,  didn't  you  Johnny."  And  then  she  whispered,  "Remember  the  duck." 
This  went  on  for  several  days,   Johnny  did  all  of  his  chores,  plus  the 
ones  assigned  to  Sally.  Finally,  he  could  stand  it  no  longer  and  he  went 
to  his  Grandmother  and  confessed  all.  His  grandmother  took  him  in  her 
arms  and  said,  "I  know  Johnny.   I  was  standing  at  the  kitchen  window  and 
saw  the  whole  thing.   And  because  I  love  you,  I  forgave  you.   And  knowing 
that  I  loved  you  and  would  always  forgive  you,  I  wondered  just  how  long 
sisii?  you  would  let  Sally  make  a  slave  of  you." 

This  is  exactly  what  was  happening  with  God's  people  Israel.   Tvey  had  be- 
come slave*  to  their  sin  and  didn't  realize  that  if  they  came  to  the  Lord  in 

penitence,  He  would  hear  them  and  forgive  them,  and  love  them  like  always, 

—  the  world, 

x  is  is  the  dilemma  we  find  ourselves  in  as  well.   T£e  problems  of  our  nation, 

of  our  community,  nee(j  to  be  solved.   Like  Joel  we  can  speak  out,  but  who  wii: 

hear,  or  listen?   Any  change  which  is  wrought  will  only  be  wrought  by  each  of 

us  individually  coming  to\the  lord  in"Penitence . "   Now  this  isn't  repentence 

at  this  point.   At  a  later  time  in  this  book  we  will  encounter  that.   But 

penitence  requires  recognizing  sin  or  error  and  being  sor>ry  for  it.   And  then 

with  that  sorrow  seeking  God's  forgiveness.  What  are  we  perhaps  facing  that 

has  enslaved  us?  What  burden  of  guilt  are  we  bearing  because  Satan  is 

whispering  to  us,  "Remember  the  sin,  remember  you  did  this  or  that."  The 

problem  is  that  we  remember  all  right ,  but  we  forget  the  forgiveness  which  is 

ours  through  Jesus  Christ .  We.  can  throw  off  all  of  these  things  which  may 

hold  us  captive  and  we  can  be  free  -  through  Christ,  But  we  must  like  Joel 

says,  "Cry  out  to  the  Lord,"  We  must  seek  Him  in  penitence  and  claim  His 

love  as  given  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 


Jesus  Is  Min^ 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fifth  Sunday  After  Pentecost  July  15,  19&4 

The  Rev,  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Betty  Huselton,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel  and  Megan  Hewis  -  Acolytes 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  *  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  67  ,1Blessed  Assurance, 
•Ascription 

Exhortation 
•Confession  {In  Unison)  "0  God,  who  hast  brought  us 
into  this  fellowship  with  one  another  through  thy  Son 
Jesus  Christ;  let  us  be  one  in  thought  and  mind  and 
spirit.  Help  us  to  strive  not  to  be  individuals  but 
to  be  a  group  of  fellow  believers.   Forgive  us  in  our 
weakness  of  turning  from  thee.   Give  us  strength  as  we 
need  it  in  our  times  of  turmoil  and  frustration.   Help 
us  to  live  in  the  world,  but  not  to  be  completely 
wrapped  up  in  all  of  it.   Make  our  wills  obedient  to 
thine,  for  we  ask  it  all  in  Jesus'  name.   Amen ., " 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
* Praise 

*Pastor:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
♦People:  And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No,  35  "Near  to  the  Heart  of  God" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:  The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory 
Doxology 
.  Scripture: 
Sermon: 


No.  382 

Joel  3:1-14 

"Things  Present: 


Trumpet  Of  Alarm" 


♦Closing  Hymn  No.   653  "0  Zion,  haste.  Thy  Mission  High 

Fulfilling" 

Benediction 

Postlude 

+    +   +    +   +   +    +   +    +  ^Congregation   Standing    +   +   +  +++.+ 

The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
Mr*  &  Mrs,  Raymond  E,  Isherwood  to  the  "Glory  of  Gad'1 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Eob  Vinroe,  Robert 
Dellen,  Randy  Dellen  and  Brian  Kennedy. 

Mr.  &  Mrs*  Steve  Vargo  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 
Visitors  at  the  door  this  morning. 

Mrs,  Jane  Snyder  will  have  charge  of  the  Nursery  today, 
^•Hospitalized : :  Mrs.  Anna  Weitzel,  Diane  Hollefreund, 
*     Ms*  Valle  Jean  Nicholas-  Aft  ft /4     &£ V  /t  n+>    '3/s  7 

Bill  Thompson  and  Martin  Henry  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 

Tues  and  Thurs,  -  Aerobics  in  fiehoboth  Hall. 

Friday  -  Community  Alliance  Church  will  have  Volleyball 
from  6:30-8:30  P.M. 

Monday  -  July  23  -  7:00  -  Budget  and  Finance  Committee 
Meeting. 

Tuesday  -  July  24  -  By-Laws  Meeting 
^^Van  Service  is  available  each  Sunday  to  transport  people 
to  the  Service  and  Church  School.   Please  contact  the 
office  so  proper  arrangements  can  be  made  for  these 
people*  Call  207-2240  between  8  and  11  on  Monday  and 
Fridays. 

Soup  Day  will  soon  be  here  -  It  doesn't  seem  possible 
but  the  time  is  already  here  for  the  Women's  Fellowship  to 
start  thinking  about  their  Fall  Soup  Day.      Green  beans 
will  soon  be  ready  for  processing.   If  you  have  any  to  spa 
or  know  of  anyone  who  has  any  to  spare.   Please  let  Lois 
282-1032  or  Ann  267-1430  know* 
+  +  +  ++  +  + 

Christian  joy  does  not  consist  in  making  ourselves  happy, 

it  consists  in  making  others  happy "If  you  love 

someone  you  will  be  loyal  to  him  no  matter  what  the  cost. 
You  will  always  believe  in  him*  always  expect  the  best 
of  him,  and  always  stand  your  ground  in  defending  him." 
1  Cor. 13: 7 

The  new  speaker  for  the  P  A  System  has  been  put  up  in 
the  Nursery.   We  certainly  hope  we  will  be  able  to  get 
more  helpers  since  you  will  be  able  to  hear   iC  Service ■ 


"Tninp-s   i-Teaent::   Trumpet  or   Alarm" 
ocripture :    Joel  2:1-14 

'Kesag  G   gav   Joel  absolut  timles;pts   wat  tak  plac 
hi?    ^ay.wat   wud  tak  plac   ours,K;  wud   tak  plac  wen 
G   s.jp  hiatry  ft.  pts  up  nans  neactin  2   G'a  measg: 
(Illus  Flite   90-Air  Florida  &  carah   Fotomas   Riv) 
otv"   lnoidents=Teen,driv  Dads   carifathr  drink/dr 
E-    iy  othrs  cud  relat   from  lif  &  scrip  full  also 
Examps=Lot   ?i  famly;noah   r-   arkjon  &  on 
here   Joel.prob  pr  faraly,knu  bout   things   of  G   i 
1st   call   pr/peop   involv  worsh  G  2aseabl  peop  4 
last/pray /cry  2  God, but   evid  wat  read  chap  ?,fal 
deaf  ears  &   Joel  mus   now  spk  mor  strongly 
vs   1-cal  now  Issu  thoz    In  watch-towrs  round  wal 
&.  Bard  city-lf  spot  aproach  enmy,  sound    alarm- 
rams   horn 
but  this   time  not  warn  emny, but  cal  pray /morn/ 
humiliat in/penitence 
Holy  Mt=Jeru   bilt  Mt.    Zion=Templ  area   part  this 
&   Jew  Bliev  G  dwel  tempi 

so   if  G  cal  2  His  holy  Mt,strongr  than  mere   Joel 
vs   lB=first  time  spok  this    jus  mentin-here  go  in 
detail  &  4neKlec   liv  G'n  way   J  saw  presen   locus 
plagu  as   lead  2Day     of   Lord;wat   kind  day???? 
vs  2s«darknes,  gloom   !     locus   lik  vast  army  emny 

troops  &  cum  wave  aftr  wav 
vs   J=lik  fire  consum  all   B4  &  green  gras, crops 

stretch  B4  lik  Eden  &  burn  up,nothin  apar 
vss  4-5=lik  army  ovrrun  &   J  C  as   invasin  2bring 
bout   Day  of   Lord  6  nols   lik  nois   many, many  char- 
iots  ruuibl   Si   sound  echo   amonp   Mts 
As  mov  ovr   land   snd   them  lik  fire  wh/farnr  mite 
t  2  field   2burn  stubl  lef  ovr  from  harvest 
&.  now  duz  this  affect   peopl????  vs  6 
vs  6=evrl   stun  by  invasin  tak  plac  B4   eyes  8   so 
wud  anyl  C  this  deatructin  tak  plac 
But   J  no  dun  describ   locus   i  compar   ?army  invad 
vss    7-9=  they   lik  wel   dril   regiment   of   soldiers 
ea  kno  duty  Ss  atend  w/out  disturb  othrs 
no  only   infest   land, eat  all,entr  hous   &  evrwher 
vs    10=grt    nurobrs ,creat   grt   nois   as  march   much   Ilk 
grnd  ouak  Bneathjbut  mor  than  this  cum  fly  4th 
such  grt  numhrs ,very  sky  dark  day/nite 
sky  blak= sun, moon, stars   no  B  seen 
vs   ll=One   march  upon  Zian  mayB  plag  locus  ,but   in 
this  inciden  J  C's    God 
t     B   act  G  demstrat   seriusnes   situ  B4  G 
hav  rejec,4un  as   pleas   I  4this  reap  reward  & 
in  midst   G  spk  2them  as    J  relat  vss   12-4*  /SA 


I    J  lnce   agin     spk  very  word   of   G  &  say  evn         2/ 
tho  judgmen  Judah  start   locus  cum  upon  them, 

:    G   wii   2stop   if   peop  wud   cum  bak  2   H_        Him 
t-'i   sign  wudB=weep, morn, fast  &  inward    sign 
I     id  haxts 
B4   sakcloth   dob.  4morn,custmary  persn   strip  off 
clothes    outward    sign  coraplet   despair  &   G  call 
.     lah  do  this   inwardly 
■ver   figurtivly   tear   harts    sign  uttr   despair  4 
calamity  which   they  wer   face 
!    J  cal  4return  continu   in  vss   15B-14 
pt  uneud  luv  G       thez   atributes   of   it 
but  1  thing  pt   out   Scrip  ovr/ovr=lovkindnes 
j    HESED=&  no  explain, spk  luv  deep,complet ,unend 
J  &  practil  evr  writr  Scrip  writ  bout  this 
Ik  wat   writ=vs    14=  Jus   mite,B)us    mite    turn  rnd 
fr  prom  judgmen  &   evn  caus  grain  gro  4offr 
this   thot   expres=Ezek, Jer, Rosea, Jonah  &  ea  wrot 
latr  time  than   Joel 

'Jer  18:6-ll=pottr  mak  vesel;ruin  &  make   nothr 
'    &  so  G  spk  thru   Jer  &.  read=6-ll 

Bo  alarm  musB  snd  4peop   J's   day  in  Judah 
alarm  that  day  of   L  was  cum  if  refus  turnbak  2   G 
nor   import  cal  stil  2snd  trum  alarm   presen  daj 
D  of   I.  cud  hep  anytim,but  worl  keep  hurtl  2ward 
destruotin  oblivius  Pdecay  rnd   it 
1  If   J  thot  his   day  evil/pervers,wondr  wat  wud  thir 
if  saw  worl  2day 
C  sipjns  all  rnd  us   evrday;read  papr,listn  radio 
watch  TV  &  get   idea  greed,coruptin  all  walk  lif 
judicil  systi  haywir  protec  crimnals ,rts  minortys 
famlvs   torn/divid;fundys   faith  bin  watr  dwn  2 
t    -fas   thoz   sit  pews   who  no  wantB  told     wat  rite 
ji.„   name  human  situatin  4  find   evidenc  rot/decay 
(Illus   1st  grade  boy  bad  grades ,&  dollar  promis) 
if   thing  pr ogres   that   far, start  1st   grade   then  I 
Bliev  Day   of  L  bettr  cum   quikly. 

But   as  prophs   sed=stil  chanc   if   turn  rndjrite  th< 
eviljif  seek  L  &  pray , morn, cry  2  Him;proclaim 
natinal  "■■  privat  morning=G  mite  repent   judgment 
(Illus  Kagawa  &  poem=«*hen   Tears   Are   Mingled) 
cant   U  G  God   just  lik  this?      Seen  simlar  2  Js 
Kt  23:J7=cry   ovr   Jeru;lik  hen  gathr  childrn^ 
G  has  wrap  arm  rnd  worl   in   Js   Xp  &  cry  ovr  it 
But  not   2many  H  listn.pay  attentin;worl  fast 
hastn  on  &  0  &  I  w/lt;Day   of  L  evr  draw  nearer 
w/        clok  tickisuml  sed-1   lif  fewil  soonB  past, 
only  that  dun  4  Xp  wil  last=Wher  R  D  in  miss  in 
of    living  4   Xp?      Trump   *klarm   musB   snd!       Row! 
2day!    Wil  U  anser  cal   of  Xp? 


[ 


"Things  Present:  Trumpet  Of  Alarm" 

iffBHi  Scripture:  Joel  2:1-14 

The  message  which  Jdstjc  God  gave  to  Joel  is  absolutely  timeless.   It  points 

out  what  was  taking  place  in  his  day,  what  would  take  place  in  our  time, 

and  what  would  take  place  in  a  far  future  time  when  God  stepped  into  history 

once  again.   The  message  points  up  man's  reaction  to  the  message  from  God. 

(Illustration  of  Flight  90,  plane  which  crashed  into  fotomac  River) 
On  a  miserable  January  afternoon  in  1982,  Air  Florida  Flight  #90  was 
waiting  for  clearance  to  take  off.   Twice  the  plane  had  been  de-iced 
according  to  FAA  regulations  and  the  co-pilot  noticed  the  wings  were 
icing  up  badly  again,   "Boy,  this  is  a  losing  battle  trying  to  de-ice 
those  things,"  he  said.  He  wasn't  convinced  the  procedure  did  much 
good  anyway.   "It  gives  you  a  false  sense  of  security  that's  all  it 
does,"  he  added.  His  pilot  agreed  with  him  and  said,  "It  satisfies 
the  feds,  that's  all  that  it  does."  They  didn't  think  the  plane  deeded 
de-iced  a  third  time,  so  it  accumulated  more  and  more  of  the  weight, 
as  they  smttwirfsirxKitEgTicBKK  continued  to  wait  for  clearance.   As  the 
plane  raced  down  the  highway  the  pilots  knew  they  were  in  trouble. 
The  co-pilot  asked,  "Do  you  want  me  to  do  anything  special  for  it,  or 
Just  go  for  it?"  They  went  for  it  and  the  ice  they  decided  to  ignore 
took  their  lives  and  those  of  7?  others  on  board.  Four  motorists  who  just 
happened  to  be  crossing  the  bridge  at  the  wronrr  time  also  died.   The 
pilots  didn't  mean  to  kill  the  passengers.   They  meant  well.   But  they 
didn't  do  what  they  should  have  done  and„they  £±A   ignored  the  xxxxixqe; 
regulation  they  should  have  followed.   T,  ey  didn't  listen. 

Scripture  is  full  of  sad  examples  just  like  this.   Think  of  Lot's  family 
and  his  wife  who  were  destroyed  because  they  didn't  believe  God  would  de- 
stroy Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  How  about  Noah?  Can't  you  picture  the  laughter 
he  provoked  because  he  was  building  a  boat  miles  and  miles  from  water, 
and  talking  about  rain  when  there  had  never  been  any  rain  before?  On  and 
on  the  list  goes.   And  here  is  this  prophet  Joel,  probably  from  a  priestly 
line,  who  knew  about  the  things  of  the  Lord  and  he  has  called  first  to  the 
priests  and  those  involved  in  the  worship  of  God  to  assemble  the  people  for 
fasting  and  prayer;  for  crying  out  to  God,  But  evidently,  according  to  what 
we  read  in  this  second  chapter  his  kIkhxb  pleas  have  fallen  on  deaf  ears. 
Joel  now  speaks  more  strongly  than  he  had  before.   The  1st  verse  he  speaks 
as  though  his  message  is  actually  the  voice  of  God  speaking  through  him. 
He.   sbvs  :  "Blow  a  trumpet  in  Zion,  and  sound  an  alarm  on  My  holy  mountain! 

Joel  had  issued  the  call  to  the  priests  to  assemble  the  people  for  prayer 
and  fasting  and  evidently  they  had  ignored  that  plea.   Now  God  has  Joel   1 
issue  the  warning  through  those  who  guarded  the  eity,   At  the  watch-towers! 
of  the  £ity  atop  the  walls  were  puards.   If  they  spotted  an  approaching  en- 
emy they  sounded  the  alarm  on  the  curved  ram's  horn.   At  this  point,  God  is 
issuing  the  call  to  alarm,  not  for  the  city  to  prepare  to  defend  itself 
against  an  invader,  but  to  come  to  Him  in  humiliation  and  penitence.   The 
people  are  being  invited  to  come  forth  to  what  God  calls  "My  holy  mountain. 'I 
What  is  meant- by  this?  The  pronoun  "My"  is  rightly  capitalized  in  most  of  / 


-2- 

It  shows  the  mountain  is  God  'd ,  it  belongs  to  Him.   Zion  is  another  name  for 

Jerusalem  and  Jerusalem  was  built  on  what  was  called  "Mt  Zion."  The  Temple 

was   a  part  of  this  and  God's  dwelling  place   for  the   Jews  was  the   Temple. 

So  if  God  summons  the  people  issuing  an  alarm  as  though  Mt .  Zion  was  being 

threatened,  this  is  much  stronger  than  words  coming  from  a  mere  man  like 

Joel . 

So  Joel  continues  his  message  as  we  read  in  the  latter  part  of  the  1st 

verse.   "let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  tremble.,  for  the  day  of  the 

Lord  is  coming; surely  it  is  near."  Once  again  Joel  speaks  of  a  special  time 

which  he  identifies  as  "The  day  of  the  Lord.   The  first  time  he  spoke  of  it 

was  just  the  mention  of  it,  but  here  he  goes  into  detail  about  it.  For 

their  neglect  of  3bc±n  living  ^od's  way,  Joel  saw  the  present  locust  plague 

as  leading  toward  that  Day  of  God.  Waht  kind  of  day  would  it  be? 

In  the  f±rxtx|raxJSESIsiiiaKx2  he  says:  "A  day  of  darkness  and  gloom,  a  day  of 
clouds  and  thick  darkness.   As  the  dawn  is  spread  over  the  mountains, 
so  there  is  a  great  and  mighty  people;  there  has  never  been  anything  like 
it,  nor  will  there  be  again  after  it." 

He  likens  it  to  a  time  of  deep  darkness  and  gloom  and  the  locusts  are  liken- 
ed to  a  vast  group  of  enemy  troops  invading  their  land.   The  locusts  come 

on  in  wave  after  wave  and  Joel  pictures  them  again  as  fire  in  the  5rd  verse. 
"A  fire  consumes  itomD  before  them,  and  behind  them  a  flame  burns.   The  Ian 
is  like  the  garden  of  Eden  before  them,  but  a  desolate  wilderoess  behind 
them, "and  nothing  at  all  escapes  them." 

Stretching  before  them  is  the  lush  grass  and  crops  like  the  garden  of  Eden. 

But  not  for  long.   Like  a  consuming  prairie  fire  they  burn  up  and  destroy 

everything  in  sight.   There  isn't  anything  which  is  spared,  all  is  detroyed. 

Kow  Joel  describes  these  locusts  like  an  army  in  verses  4  and  5: 
"Their  appearance  is  like  the  appearance  of  horses;  and  like  war  horses, 
so  they  run.   With  a  noise  as  of  chariots  they  leap  on  the  tops  of  the 
mountains,  like  the  crackling  of  a  flame  of  fire  consuming  the  stubbleijj 
like  a  mighty  people  arranged  for  battle." 

Like  an  army  overrunning  the  land  these  locustsi  have  come.  Joel  sees  them 
as  an  invasion  to  bring  about  the  Day  of  the  Lord.  Their  noise  is  like  the 
noise  of  many,  many  chariots  rumbling  and  the  sound  echoes  among  the  mount- 
ains. As  they  move  over  the  land  the  sound  of  them  is  like  ±h  a  fire  which 
a  farmer  might  set  to  his  field  to  burn  the  stubble  left  over  from  the  har- 
vest. 

And  how  does  this  affect  the  people?   He  answers  in  the  6th  verse:  "Before 
them  the  people  are  in  anguish;  all  faces  turn  pale." 

Everyone  is  utterly  stunned  by  the  invasion  taking  place  before  their  very 

eyes,  and  well  might  anyone  seeing  this  destruction  taking  place. 

But   Joel  isn't  done  describing  these   locusts   and  comparing  them  to  an  army 

of  invading  troops.   In  verses  7  through  9  he  describes  them  more  fully. 


-?- 

"They  run  like  mighty  men;  they  climb  the  wall  like  soldiers;  and  they 
sia:i:Kiax±BxiiBK  each  march  in  line,  nor  do  they  deviate  from  their  paths. 
They  do  not  crowd  each  other;  they  march  everyone  in  his  path.   ihen 
they  hurst  through  the  defenses,  they  do  not  break  ranks." 

These  insects  are  almost  like  a  well  drilled  regiment  of  soldiers.  They 

each  know  their  duty  and  they  attend  to  it  without  disturbing  the  others  in 

the  performance  of  their  duty.   They  not  only  infest  the  land  and  eat  all  of 

the  food  and  vegetation  growing  there,  but  they  enter  the  houses  and  are 

just  everywhere.   They  completely  infest  everything,   ^nd  along  with  their 

march  into  and  over  everything  they  come  in  great  numbers.   Joels  speaks  of 

this  in  the  10th  verse:  "Before  them  the  earth  quakes,  the  heavens  tremble, 
the  sun  and  the  moon  grow  dark,  and  the  stars  lose  their  brightness." 

They  are  so  numerous  they  create  a  great  deal  of  noise  as  they  march  along, 

much  like  the  ground  quaking  beneath  them.   But  more  than  this  they  come 

flying  forth  in  such  great  numbers  that  the  very  sky  is  darkened  both  day 

and  night.   Ti,e  sky  is  black  with  them  so  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  sfears 

cannot  be  seen. 

In  the  midst  of  this  Joel  sees  God  and  so  he  says  in  the  11th  verse: 

"And  the  Lord  utters  His  voice  before  His  army;  surely  His  camp  is  very 
great,  for  strong  is  He  who  carries  out  His  word.  The  day  of  the  Lord 
is  indeed  great  and  very  awesome,  and  who  can  endure  it?" 

The  one  marching  upon  Zion  as  Joel  sees  it  may  be  a  plague  of  locusts,  but 

in  this  incident  he  sees  God.  T,  is  is  an  act  of  God  to  demonstrate  the 

seriousness  of  their  situation  before  God.   They 'have  rejected  Him,  done  as 

they  pleased  and  for  this  are  reaping  the  rewards.   And  in  the  midst  of  this 

calamity  God  is  speaking  to  them  as  Joel  relates  in  verses  12  through  14: 
"Yet  even  now"  declares  the  lord ,  Return  to  Me  with  all  your  heart 
and  with  fasting,  weeping,  and  mourning;  and  rend  your  heart  and  not 
your  garments." 

Joel  once  again  is  speaking  the  very  words  of  God  and  God  is  saying  that 

even  though  the  judgement  og  Judah  had  started  with  the  locusts  coming  upon 

them,  God  was  willing  to  stop  it  if  the  people  would  come  back  to  Him. 

5^Sxw§K!BS3^*s»JriKHHBxSir^t3aHrt?tiixHm*xi*ttex:3t»rxKsx   The  true   sip;ns   of  this 

would  be  weeping,    mourning,    fasting,    and    the   inward   sign  of  rendine:  their 

hearts.      Before   sackcloth  was  donned   for  mounring  it  was   cuatomary  for  the 

person  to  tear  off  xxairl^jxafxiiiHix   or  strip  off  their  clothes  as  an  outward 

sign  of  complete  despair.     God  is  calling   Judah  to  do  this   inwardly.     They 

were  to  figuratively  tear  at   their  hearts   as  a  sign  of  utter  despair  for  the 

calamity  which  they  were   facing. 

And    Joel's   call  for  their  return  continues   in  the   15th  and    14th  verses: 
"Now  return  to  the  Lord  your  God,   for  He  is   gracious  and  compassionate, 
slow  to  anger,   abounding  in  lovingkindness,   and  relenting  of   evil. 
Who  knows   whether   He   will   not   return  and   relent,    and   leave   a  blessing 
behind  Him,   even  a  grain  offering  and   libation  for  the   Lord  your  God?" 

Joel   is   pointing   out   the   unending  qualities   of   uod's    love.      Among  them, 


-4-- 

These  attributes  are  Being  "Gracious,  compassionate,  and  slow  to  anger." 

But  along  with  these  special  attributes  from  God  is  the  one  thing  which  is 

stressed  over  and  over  again  throughout  all  of  Scripture.   And  that  is 

God's  "lovingkimdness."  The  Hebrew  word  is  "HESED"  and  it  speaks  of  a  love 

that  is  lasting,  that  it  is  deep,  that  is  unending.   We  are  speaking  of 

something  about  God  that  cannot  be  adequately  expressed  in  any  language . 

Joel  and  every  writer  of  the  Scripture  who  used  the  word  "loving kindness" 

was  trying  to  tell  of  the  deep  abiding-  love  which  God  has  for  His  children 

no  matter  how  far  thej  may  stray  or  have  strayed  from  Him.  But  Joel  is  also 

expressing  a  thought  in  the  14th  verse  which  speaks  of  this  "HESED"  or 

"lovingkindness "  of  God.   Look  at  what  he  writes:  "Who  knows  whether  He  will 
xrxbh*  not  turn  and  relent,  and  leave  a  blessing  behind  Hi^  even  a  grain 
offering  and  a  libation  for  the  Lord  your  God?" 

Joel  says  that  God  .just  might  turn  around  from  His  promised  judgement  and 
even  cause  the  grain  to  grow  again,  and  the  oil  to  be  restored  so  they  could 
bring  an  offering  fo  His  house  and  worship  Him  again.   This  is  a  thought 
which  was  expressed  by  Ezekiel,  Jeremiah,  Hosea  and  Jonah  as  well.  Each  of 
them  wrote  at  a  later  time  than  Joel.   But  Jeremiah  sums  it  up  the  best  as 
he  was  inspired  by  God  to  write  in  the  18th  chapter  of  his  prophecy  about  a 
potter  making  a  clay  vessel.   As  he  was  fashioning  it,  something  went  wrong 
and  it  was  not  what  he  wanted  it  to  be.   So  he  then  began  to  fashion  it  into 
another  kind  of  vessel.   So  God  speaking  through  Jeremiah  says  in  verses 
6  through  11,  (read  this  and  explain). 

So  there  is  the  alarm  which  must  be  sounded  for  aayxxiai  the  people  of  Judah 
of  Joel's  day.   The  alarm  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  was  coming  if  they  refuse 
to  turn  back  to  God.   But  more  importantly  the  call  is  still  to  sound  the 
Trumpet  Of  Alarm  for  us  in  our  present  day.   The  Day  of  the  Lord  could  hap- 
pen at  anytime  but  our  world  keeps  hurtling  on  toward  destruction  oblivious 
to  the  decay  all  around  it.   If  Joel  thought  his  day  xx  was  evil  and  pervers 
I  wonder  what  he  would  think  of  our  nation  today.   We  see  the  sip;ns  of  all  o 
it  around  us  everyday.   We  need  only  read  the  news  or  listen  to  it  on  the 
radio,  or  watch  it  on  TV  and  we  can  get  an  idea  of  the  greed  and  corruption 
in  all  walks  of  life.   Our  judicial  system  has  gone  haywire  in  seeking  to 
protect  the  criminals  as  well  as  seeking  to  protect  the  rights  of  so  called 
"minorities;"  our  families  are  torn  and  divided;  the  fundamentals  of  the  x"xi 
faith  have  been  watered  down  to  please  those  in  the  pews  who  want  to  be  told 
they  are  right  and  the  world  is  wrong;  just  name  the  xltstatxEx  human  situa- 
tion and  you  can  find  evidence  of  its  rottenness  and  decay. 

(Illustration  of  first  grade  boy  bad  grades,  and  promise  of  a  dollar) 
I  just  heard  of  a  six-year  old  boy,  I  don't  know  how  true  it  is,  but 
he  brought  home  his  first  report  card  which  listed  a  "D"  in  deportment. 


-5- 

We  used  to  dall  it  conduct.   But  along  with  this  "D"  he  also  had  a  couple 
other  low  grades.   His  mother  was  going  to  give  him  a  lecture,  but  his 
dad  xaitt  told  her  to  offer  him  an  incentive  to  bring  home  better  grades. 
jo  she  said  to  him,  "Look,  Johnny,  if  you  are  able  to  bring  up  that  grade 
in  deportment,  I'll  give  you  a  dollar!" 

And  so  delighted  with  this  prospect  Johnny  went  off  to  school  the  next 
day.   When  the  rest  of  the  class  wnt  out  to  the  playground  at  recess,  he 
hung  behind  to  make  sure  he  was  able  to  talk  to  the  teacher  fell  alone. 
He  walked  up  to  her  desk  and  said,  "Teacher,  how  would  you  like  to  make 
fifty  cents?" 

Now  if  things  have  progressed  that  far  that  it  starts  in  the  first  grade, 
then  I  believe  the  Day  of  the  Lord  better  come  quickly.   But  as  Joel,  Jere- 
miah, Rosea,  Exekiel,  and  Jonah  have  all  said,  there  is  still  a  chance  if  we 
can  turn  it  around;  if  we  can  right  the  wrong  and  evil;  if  we  will  seek  the 
Lord  and  cry  out  to  Him;  if  we  will  proclaim  a  real  time  of  national  and 
private  mourning. 

(Illustration  of  Tagawa  and  orphan  girl  thrown  away,  poem  about  her  death) 
Toyohiko  Kagawa  was  a  Japanese  Christian  who  worked  in  the  slums  for  the 
betterment  of  his  people.   He  sought  food  and  clothing  and  shelter  for 
those  slum  people.   One  day  he  found  a  baby  girl  who  had  literally  been 
thrown  away.   This  was  common  when  parents  couldn't  care  for  their  child- 
ren.  Nowadays  we  perform  abortions.   So  when  he  saw  the  little  girl  ly- 
ing in  the  filth  of  the  gutter  he  picked  her  up  and  took  her  home.  He 
called  her  Ishi,  which  meant  "little  stone"  because  she  was  so  cold  and 
pale  and  white.  He  tried  to  nurse  her  back  to  health  but  he  soon  realized 
that  it  was  no  use  and  she  was  dying.   And  he  cried.   And  as  his  tears 
fell  the  hit  the  child's  face  in  his  arms,  and  this  shocked  her  back  to 
life .brief ly.   He  wrote  a  poem  about  this  later  entitled,  "When  tears  are 
Kingled."   It  ends  with  these  lines: 

Will  she  not  cry? 

Here  in  my lc lose  embrace,  I  kiss  her  wan  lips  — 

Growing  grayer.   My  drawn  face  touches  her  face. 

Fast  are  my  frightened  tears  falling. 

Falling  on  Ishi's  eyes. 

With  her  cold,  still  tears,  they  are  mingled. 

0|j[,God.   At  last:  She  cries! 

Can't  you  see  God  Just  like  this?  The  scene  is  similar  with  Jesus  sitting 

on  a  hill  overlooking  Jerusalem  and  with  the  tears  streaming  down  His  face 

He  says:  0  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets  and  stonest 
them  *ho  are  sent  unto  you,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not . 

God  has  wrapped  His  arms  around  the  world  in  Jesus  Christ  and  He  has  cried 

over  it.   But  not  too  many  are  listening  or  paying  attention.  Thw  world  is 

fast  hastening  on  and  you  and  I  with  it .   The  Day  of  the  Lord  draws  ever 

nearer  with  each  tick  of  the  clock.  Someone  has  said,  "One  life,  twill  soon 
be  past.   Only  that  done  for  Christ  will  last." 

Where  are  you  in  the  mission  of  living  for  Christ?  The  Trumpet  of  Alarm 

must  be  sounded!   Now!   Today!   Will  you  answer  the  call  of  Christ? 


ST.  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
Sixth  Sunday  After  Pentecost  July  22, 

The  Rev. Ralph  C.  Link*  Pastor 

Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  Organist 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
Mrs.  Phyllis  Tait  and  Beth  in  Loving  memory  af  Husband 

and  Father  -  Robert  Tait* 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Richard  Mangel,  Don  Kingsley, 
Edward  Walker  and  Gary  Penar. 


+  + 


+  +  +  + 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP   -  10:00   A.M. 

Prelude  "Trumpet  Voluntary"  Clarke 

Announcements 

Who's    Who    in    the    Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
^Processional  Hymn  No,  7   "Great  God,  we  sing  Your  mighty 
•Ascription 
^Exhortation 
♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "We  offer  unto  thee  our  Father, 

praise  for  the  gift  of  thy  Spirit.   We  ask  for  thy  Spirii 

at  the  times  with  hatred;  when  we  are  devoid  of  patience. 

when  we  show  forth  selfishness.   In  all  circumstances 

which  are  contrary  to  thy  will,  send  thy  Spirit  to  help, 
to  heal,  and  may  we  know  thy  forgiveness,  through 
Christ..   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
""Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  Gad! 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


*Pbe  tor; 
♦People: 
♦Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.    476 
Call  to  Prayer 
Pastor: 
People: 
Pastor: 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory 
Doxology   No 
Scripture: 
Sermon i 
♦Closing  Hymn. 
Benediction 
Postlude 


MMore  Love  to  Thee,  0  Christ" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


Basse  de  Trampets"         Dsndrieu 
3B2 

Joel  2:  15-27 
Things  Present:   Trumpet  of  Repentence'1 
621    "Turn  Your  Eyes  upon  Jesus" 


Come  Ye  Faithful,  Raise  the  Strain" 
+  +  +  ♦Congregation  Standing  +  +  + 


^Hospitalized:  Mrs.  Amelia  Leighton,  Mrs.  James  Cox, 
Mrs.  Anna  Weltzel.-BCMH.  Win.  Johnston  -  Washington 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis,  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

visiting  the  hospital  this  week* 
There  were  103  with  11  Visitors  last  Sunday. 
haLid"Soup  Day  will  soon  be  here  -  Green  beans  will  soon  be 

ready  for  processing.   If  you  have  any  tc  spare  or  know 

of  anyone  who  has  any  to  spare-   Please  let  Lois  282-1032  o 

Ann  287-1430  know, 
^Monday  -  July  23  -  7:00  -  Budget  and  Finance  Committee 

Meeting 
a(^7Tuesday  -  July  24  -  7:00  -  By-Laws  Committee  Meeting 
Tuesday  and  Thurs  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  to  Mrs.  Gloria  Walker  today. 

Now  that  the  Speakers  have  been  installed  in  the  Nursery, 

we  need  more  women  to  sign  up  for  the  Nursery. 
Rick  Vinroe  is  the  sound-man  for  the  P.  A.  5ystem,  We 

appreciate  all  his  time  and  effort. 
Don't  forget  to  turn  in  your  sign-up  slip  to  take  the 

Scofield  course  that  was  written  up  in  the  Newsletter. 

If  you  forgot  your  slip  write  the  information  on  a  paper 

and  put  it  in  the  Offering  plate. 
From  the  Visiting  Nurses  Assoc*  Hospice  Services  - 

A  support  group  for  person  who  have  experienced  the  death 

of  a  loved  one  and  who  wish  to  talk  with  others  in  similar 

circumstances  is  meeting  monthly. 

The  group,  sponsored  by  VNAssoc  meets  at  7:00  P.M.  on  the 

fourth  Thurs.  of  each  month  at  214  South  McKean  St.  Butler. 

The  July  meeting  will  be  held  on  Thurs*  the  26th, 
An  adolescent  support  group  will  also  meet  the  same  evening. 

however,  this  will  be  at  a  different  location. 

Call  282-6306  Ext.  229  if  you  need  more  information. 
Church  pews  never  skid  into  a  ditch,  smash  against  a  telephc 

pole,  or  get  tagged  for  speeding.   They  are  a  safe  place 

to  be  on  Sunday. 


■•xninRs    .resent:    Trumpet   Of  Repentence' 
Scripture:    Joel   2:15-2? 

(nus   farmer  Jsons-Jim, Jn,Sam1fi  ratlsnakes) 

m      no  much  prayr  pray  4repent  suml.but  sumwat 

simlar  2efort   J  put  4-th  pet   pe0p  natin   Jud  cum 

bsv  2  God 

f:     .t   sot   Ret  pr.minstrs/el&rs   gathr   selvs  &  peop 

natinl  day  norn,prayr, fast , but   no  hav   much  efect 

then  cal  trump  Alarm  4peop  2asembl,fi    perhap  trot 

atentin,but  no  stop  ther   &  now  cry  trump  B  sound 
But   this  time  4   REi-ENTEECE 
vs   15Ssnd   trump, cal  all   veop  ?nethr;blow  that  truic 

let  cal   issu  4th  ther  sumthin  peop  shud  asembl  4- 
' vs   16-no   1  excludjyngest  2oldest=newly  marry /old 

bridgrum  exempt  miltary   oblip-atins  4  a  yr  Bcuz 
but    J  call  4everl,f»vn  brides /grooms 
vs   l?a=fr  tempi  4cort,divid  by  wal/.    Insid  wal  pr 

asembl  whil   peop  othr   side  wal  &.  J  say  pr  2weep 
tween  vestibl  &  altrjminstry  no   jus  at  altr, 
but   B4-  evn  went  to   it 
vs   17b=pr  2cum  humbly  B4  G  fe  pray  wud   spar  peop 

but  also  plead  w/God  !'e  wud  miraculously  delivr 

a'^in,r.:  natins   aroun  wud  kno  Fe  powrful.Alrri^hty 
ea   natin  had  rfods   h  thot  thers  best   &  prov  by 
mak  them  prosper;thoz   floundr  prods  wer  not   as   gu 
Fr's   kno  this  &  J  awar  thia,ask  ft?  intrced  w/G 
2stop  calamty,this    judgm  He  brot  upon  them 

in  this   way  heathn  no  can  ask»Wher   is  ther  God? 
&  then  from  proph  wh   J  now  bring  4th  apear  evident 
peop  asembl  4natinl  day  mom, fast ,prayr  &  Pr  min- 
ster  on   Bhalf   peop  B4   the    lord 
v        18-19»here   1st  aftrmatin  G  turn  judp-m  agin   Jud 

&j,-oun=vs    19B=R2AD 
vs   20=locus  refer  2as   army  which  G  wil  destroy 

evn   tho  has    acomplish  grt   things=20B=READ 
vss  21-22=  J  spk  2anitnals  as   tho  cud  underst  wat 
vss  25-24=peop   R2  rejoic   Bcuz  G  brot  neces  rain  &. 

weathr  2creat  bumpr  crops 
vss  25-26A=furthr  prom  from  G  wat  takn  plac 
vss  26B-27=prom  same  thing  twic  emphasiz  intent  4- 

peop, at   Bgin  ft  end,G  giv  prom 
Dr.    G.Campbell   Korean    said='VHEH  V    REPENT  ,G   REPEuTo 

peop  Judah  seen  devastin  all  roun  caus   swarm  locu 
pernap  1st   no  tak  serius;jua  nothr   invasin  thez 
drat   insects 
Bu-1    J  led  by  6  2tel  peop  this   judgm  from  G 

T.   .s   ilus  wat  po  Ptak  plac,latr   time   5.  completly 

destroy   them   as   peopl    £    natin 
Evdently  severty  disastr  crept  upon  them  8    Tr's 
&  minsters   whom   J  turn  2B  instigatrs   of  repent 


heed  advic,k  warnings  ft  pot  peop  asembl  2/ 

then  G  turn  Ritu  round  agin  6.  Bgan         bles  them 
This   partic   situ   lif  peop  Jud  erud  examp  of   Repent 

C     esu  cal   2sound  trump  of   Repent   &  that  tuk  plat 

wh  caus   G  2   Repent   from  His   plan  as  wel         basiw 
Fher   sum  things  2B  pt   out  bout   Repent   R  very  kn 
i'e     aps   letr  man  writ   insurant   Co.   ^explain  acider 
wil   shed    lite    on   subject: 
(Illus   man   injur   &  writ   how   hapn) 
may  not  seem  aply  our   study  bk   Joel  here 

but   if   Ik  certin  aspec   aply  very  wel 
in   story, briklayr   went   thru    series    acidenta ,but 
pt   ia=it   no    jua  1  &  ovr;insted,aciden  aftr  acid* 
This   how  as   peop   Jud=sot   own  way, own  wil   not   jus 
lnce ,but   many  dif  time 

ea  timebrot  bak  fr  ther  manr  lif  8=  way  of  liv  by 

G  seek  them  Prepent 
ilen  did  finly  repent  ,G  4gav        they  start   ovr   agin 

J  c^l'Srepent  &  they   listn,  •■  G  repent  wat   intend 
We  no  dif  our  day/age;all   round  us   things  world 
clamor  4-our  atentin.pul  us, tear  us  away  th  of  G 

Voic   sum   sp   ldrs   cal   out   4peop  2repent,8:  turn  fr 

way   of   worl,2   the   way   of   G=But  2wat   efect????? 
(Illus   5yr   old  Andrea  beatn  2deth,cry  &  no  help) 
tragedy  lik  this  comon  2day 

this   lhapn  Bcuz  famly  unit  brokn  dwn  Bcuz  our 

immoralty  no  want  2do  wat  rite, do  wat   want   2do 
This   man  no   fathr  4 Andrea, or  husband  woman, no  can 
bout  child   5:  traat   contempt  &.  abuse 

many  women  tolerat  this  under   -^uise   of  B  free, 

B  liberate   from  B   jus  plain  houswife 
■"his   only  brief   examp  wat  tak  plac  2day 
•St  1  thoz  clamor  4help,but   few  if  any  R  hear  or 
listen, or  evn  carina  Bcuz   almos  evrl  wrap  up  in 
own  probs   or 'Concerns 

Trump  of   Repent   need    ?B   sound    thruout    land  &   it 

need  2B  herd   h  heeded   Bgin  at  door  of  Ch  of   Js 
.'Jepent  mus   Bgin  w/ea   Individ  turn  lif   aroun 

duznt   mean   Individ   perf,wil   nevr   stray   fr  rt   pat 

path  agin, but  duz   mean  individsm  seek  2try  21  iv 

4  the    Lord. 
&  this  actul   wat  G  ask  peop  of   Jud  &  wat  ask  eaus 

Js  sed=P(JIJ(,'  HE,      Sie   no  ask  go  wher  no   alredy 

gone 
He  also  soun  Trump  Repent  minstry  on  erthjshortly 
af ' -    on  Bap   arest   Bgan  2preach=Repent  4kingdom 
ol    .ivn  is   at  hand;   G's  promwas  2peop   in  Judah  ft 
it   likwis  2us    in  our  day.      J  led  2giv  peop  G's 
mesag  of  asuranc   :i  wrote=2:27 

THIS   OTra   A3URANC   IP   WE    .VIL  ANSES  HIS  CALL 


I 

"Things  Present:  Trumpet  Of  Repentence" 
Scripture:  Joel  2:15-27 

(Illustration  of  farmer  and  three  sons,  Jim,  John,  and  Sam  &  rattlesnake) 
A  certain  farmer  had  three  sons  named  Jim,  John,  and  3am.   No  one  in  the 
family  attended  church  or  cared  anything  about  the  things  of  God.   The 
local  preacher  and  most  of  the  congregation  tried  for  years  to  interest 
the  family  in  church,  hut  to  no  avail.   Then  one  day  Sam  was  bitten  by  a 
rattlesnake.   The  doctor  did  all  he  could  but  the  outlook  for  Sam's  re- 
covery was  very  dim.   So  the  preacher  was  called  to  pray  for  him. 
He  began  to  pray  in  this  manner:  0  Lord,  we  thank  You  for  Jour  wisdom 
in  sending  this  snake  to  bite  3am.   He  has  never  been  in  church  and  prob- 
ably never  prayed  in  his  life.   Now  we  trust  this  experience  will  teach 
him  a  valuable  lesson  and  lead  to  his  repentence. 

And  now  we  ask  that  You  will  send  another  rattlesnake  to  bite  Jim  and  an- 
other to  bijie  John,  and  another  really  big  one  to  bite  the  old  man.   For 
years  we  have  sought  to  get  them  to  turn  to  You,  but  it  seems  that  what 
all  our  combined  efforts  have  failed  to  do,  has  been  done  by  this  rattle- 
snake.  We  conclude  that  the  only  thing  which  will  do  this  family  any  good 
is  rattlesnakes.   So  Lad,  send  us  bigger  and  better  rattlesnakes.   Amen. 

Now  that  isn't  much  of  a  prayer  to  be  praying  for  the  repentence  of  someone, 
but  this  is  somewhat  similar  to  the  efforts  Joel  was  putting  forth  to  get  the 
people  of  the  nation  of  Judah  to  come  back  to  Tod.   At  first  he  just  sought 
to  get  the  priests  and  ministers,  as  well  as  the  elders  to  gather  themselves 
and  the  people  for  a  national  day  of  raounring  and  prayer,  and  fasting.   But 
^_  this  didn't  have  too  much  effest  upon  anyone.  Then  he  called  for  the  trumpets 
to  be  blown  to  sound  an  alarm  for  the  people  to  assemble.  And  perhaps  he  got 
their  attention  at  this  point.   But  Joel  didn't  stop  there  for  he  now  cries 
out  for  the  trumpets  to  be  sounded  and  this  time  it  is  a  trumpet  call  for  re- 
pentence.  We  read  in  the  15th  verse,  "Blow  a  trumpet  in  Zion,  consecrate  a 
fast,  proclaim  a  solemn  assembly." 

In  other  words,  sound  the  trumpet  to  call  the  people  all  together.   Blow  that 

truirret  in  2ion  which  is  another  name  for  Jerusalem.   Let  the  call  issue  fortt 

that  there  is  somethinr  the  people  should  be  assembled  for. 

But  this  call  is  not  for  just  a  select  few  and  we  witness  this  in  the  15th 

verse:  "Gather  the  people,  sanctify  the  congregation,  assemble  the  elders, 
gather  the  children  and  the  nursing  infants.   Let  the  bridegroom  come  out 
of  his  room  and  the  bride  out  of  her  bridal  chamber." 

No  one  is  excluded  from  coming  before  the  Lord.  From  the  very  youngest  to 
the  oldest;  from  the  newly  married  to  thdse  celebrating  long  marriages.   All 
of  the  people  are  to  assemble  before  the  Lord,  fix  It  was  customary  for  a 
bridegroom  to  be  exempt  from  military  H»i±ss  and  other  duites  for  a  year  to 
be  with  his  new  wife.   But  here,  Joel  is  calling  for  even  the  brides  and 
bridggrooms  to  assemble. 

Next,  Joel  summons  a  special  call  to  the  religious  leaders  of  the  nations, 
we  read  in  the  17th  verse:  "Let  the  priests,  the  Lord's  ministers,  weep 

between  the  porch  and  the  altar."   In  the  front  of  the  temple  building  was 
an  open  forecourt  which  was  divided  by  a  wall.   Inside  the  wall  the  priests 


-2- 
assembled,  while  the  people  assembled  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall.   In  the 
inner  court  ±k*  stood  the  altar.   What  Joel  was  saying  was  that  the  priests 
were  to  weep  between  the  vestibule  and  the  altar.   Their  ministry  was  not  to 
be  just  at  the  altar,  but  before  they  even  got  to  it. 

Joel  then  suggests  the  prayer  which  was:  "Spare  $hy  people,  0  Lord,  and  do 

not  make  Thine  inheritance  a  reproach,  a  byword  among  the  nations.   Why 
should  they  xay  among  the  peoples  say,  'Where  is  their  god?'" 

The  priests  were  to  come  humbly  before  God  and  pray  that  He  would  spare  the 
people.   But  they  were  to  also  plead  with  God  that  He  would  miraculously  de- 
liver them  once  again  so  that  the  nations  surrounding  them  would  know  He  was 
Almighty,  and  all-powerful.   Each  nation  had  its  fxAs.   god  or  gods  and  the 
sign  of  their  god  or  gods  being  with  them  was  if  they  prospered  and  did  well. 
But  if  they  were  brought  to  the  depths ,  then  those  nations  who  prospered  had 
a  god  or  gods  who  were  superior  to  the  other  floundering  nations.   So  the 
priests  knowing  this,  and  Joel  aware  of  this  is  asking  the  priests  to  inter- 
cedecwith  God  to  stop  this  calamity,  this  judgement  which  He  has  brought  upon 
them.  In  this  way  the  heathens  around  them  cannot  ask,  "Where  is  their  God?" 
And  then  from  the  puophecy  which  Joel  now  brings  forth  it  appears  evident 
that  the  people  assembled  for  a  national  day  of  mourning  and  xh±±h£  fasting 
and  the  priests  ministered  on  behalf  of  the  people  before  the  Lord, 
Joel&BBfc  declares  iiixTfcxaxffnsbcfirfcdfciiB  in  the  18th  and  19th  verses,  (read  these). 

Here  is  the  first  affirmation  that  God  has  turned  the  judgement  against  Judah 

around.   The  end  of  the  19th  verse  gives  a  promise  from  God:  "And  I  will  neve 
again  make  you  a  reproach  among  the  nations." 

In  verses  20,  the  locusts  are  referred  to  as  an  army  which  God  will  destroy 
even  thoue-h  it  has  accomplished  "great  things."  (read  this  verse). 
And  since  God  is  bringing  this  about  Joel  speaks  to  the  land  and  to  the  ani- 
mals as  though  they  could  understand  what  was  taking  place,  (read  verses  21 
and  22). 

The  people  are  to  rejoice  because  God  has  brought  them  the  necessary  rain  and 
weather  to  create  bumper  crops  as  Joel  tells  in  verses  25-24,  (read  these). 
But  there  is  also  a  further  promise  from  God  about  what  had  taken  place, 
(read  verses  25  and  26A). 

God's  promise  is,  (read  261  and  2?),   He  promises  the  same  thing  twice  to 
emphasize  His  intent  for  His  people.   At  the  beginning  and  at  the  end,  God 
gives  His  promise.   So  we  can  see  that  as  D^,  G.  Campbell  Morgan  says, 
"When  you  repent,  God  repents."  The  people  of  Judah  had  seen  the  devastation 
all  around  them  caused  by  these  swarms  of  locusts.   Perhaps  at  first  they 
didn't  take  it  too  seriously.   Just  another  small  invasion  of  these  dratted 
insects.   But  Joel  Katsrxit  was  led  by  God  to  tell  the  people  that  this  was  a 
judgement  from  God.   This  was  an  illustration  of  what  was  goinr  to  take 
place  at  a  later  time  and  completely  destroy  them  as  a  people  and  nation. 


-3- 

Evidently,  the  severity  of  this  disaster  crept  upon  them  and  the  priests  and 

to  be 
ministers  to  whom  Joel  turned  SXXjfcfcE  instigators  of  a  period  s>f  or  a  time  of 

repentence,  heeded  that  advice  and  the  warnings  and  got  the  people  assembled 

for  this  purpose.  Then,  (Tod  turned  the  situation  around  and  began  to  bless 

them  again.   This  particular  situation  in  the  life  of  these  people  of  Judah 

is  a  good  example  of  Repentence.   Joel  issued  the  call  to  sound  the  Trumpet  o: 

Alarm  and  then  he  issued  the  call  to  sound  the  Trumpet  Of  Repentence  and  that 

took  place  which  caused  God  to  repent  from  His  plan  as  well.   But  there  are 

some  things  which  need  to  be  pointed  out  about  repentence  which  are  very 

basic.   Perhaps  hsaring  a  letter  written  by  a  man  to  his  insurance  company 

explaining  his  accident  will  shed  a  little  light  on  the  subject. 

(Illustration  of  man  injured  and  his  explanation  of  the  accident. 
Dear  Sir : 

I'm  responding  to  your  request  for  additional  information.   In  block 
number  3  of  the  accident  reporting  form  I  put,  (quote),  "Poor  planning," 
(unquote)  as  the  cause  of  my  accident.   You  said  in  your  letter  that  I 
should  explain  more  fully,  and  I  trust  the  following  details  will  be 
sufficient . 

I'm  a  bricklayer  by  trade.   On  the  day  of  the  accident  I  was  working  alone 
on  the  roof  of  a  new  6  story  building.   ..Tien  I  completed  my  work  I  dis- 
covered that  I  had  about  500  pounds  of  bricks  left  over.   Rather  than 
carry  the  bricks  down  by  hand  I  decided  to  lower  them  in  a  barrel,  using 
a  pulley  which  fortunately  was  attached  to  the  side  of  the  building  at 
the  6th  floor.  Securing  the  rope  at  ground  level,  I  went  up  to  the  roof, 
swung  the  barrel  out  and  loaded  the  brick  on  to  it.   Then  I  went  back  to 
the  ground  and  untied  the  rope,  holding  it  tightly  to  insure  a  slow  de- 
scent of  the  500  pounds  of  bricks.   You  will  note  in  block  number  11  of 
the  accident  reporting  form  that  T  weigh  a  hundred  and  thirty  fixre  pounds. 
Due  to  my  surprise  at  being  jerked  off  the "ground  so  suddenly,  I  lost  my 
presence  of  mind  and  forgot  to  let  go  of  the  rope.   Needless  to  say,  I 
proceeded  at  a  rather  rapid  rate  up  the  side  of  the  building.   In  the 
vicinity  of  the  3rd  floor,  I  met  the  barrel  coming  down.  This  explains 
the  fractured  skull  and  the  broken  collar  bone.   Slowed  only  slightly, 
I  continued  my  rapid  ascent  not  stopping  until  the  .fingers  of  my  right  hand 
were  two  knmckles  deep  in  the  pulley.   Fortunately,  by  this  time  I  had 
regained  ray  presence  of  mind  and  was  able  to  hold  tirhtly  to  the  rope  in 
spite  of  my  pain.   It  approximately  the  same  time  however,  the  barrel  of 
bricks  hot  the  ground  and  the  bottom  fell  out  of  the  barrel.   Devoid  of 
the  weight  of  the  bricks,  the  barrel  now  weighed  approximately  50  pounds. 
I  refer  you  again  to  my  weight  in  block  number  11,   As  you  might  imagine, 
I  now  began  a  rapid  descent  down  the  side  of  the  building.   In  the  vicinity 
of  the  3rd  floor,  I  met  the  barrel  cominc-  up.   This  accounts  for  the  two 
fractured  ankles  and  the  lacerations  of  my  legs  and  lower  body.   The  en- 
counter with  the  barrel  slowed  me  enough  to  lessen  my  Injuries  when  I  fell 
onto  the  pile  of  bricks.   Fortunately,  only  3  vertebrae  were  cracked. 
I'm  sorry  to  report  however,  that  as  I  lay  there  on  the  bricks,  in  pain, 
unable  to  stand,  and  watching  the  empty  barrel  6  stories  above  me,  I  again 
lost  my  presence  of  mind,  I  let  go  of  the  rope.   Thank  you. 
Sincerely. 

This  may  not  seem  to  apply  to  our  study  here  in  the  book  of  -Joel.  But  if 
we  look  at  it  from  one  certain  aspect  it  applies  very  well.  In  the  story, 
the  bricklayer  went  through  a  series  of  accidents.   But  the  point  is  that 


■ 

-4- 
it  wasn't  just  one  accident  and  it  was  all  over.   But  instead,  it  involved 
accident  after  accident.   Tvis  is  how  it  was  with  the  people  of  Judah,  They 
sought  their  own  will  and  went  their  own  way,  not  just  once  but  many  differ- 
ent times.  Each  time  they  were  brought  back  from  their  manner  of  life  and 
way  of  living  by  God  seeking  them  to  repent.   V/hen  they  did  finally  repent, 
God  forgave  them  and  they  started  all  over.   Joel  called  them  to  repentence 
and  they  listened  and  God  repented  of  what  He  intended  to  do  to  them. 
Wp,  are  no  different  in  our  present  day  and  age.   All  around  us  the  things  of 
this  world  are  clamoring  for  our  attention,  pulling  us  and  tearing  us  away 
from  the  things  of  God.   The  voices  of  some  spiritual  leaders  are  calling  out 
for  the  people  to- repent,  to  turn  from  the  way  of  the  world  to  the  way  of  God, 
But  to  what  effect? 

(Illustration  of  5  year  old  Andrea,  beaten  to  death,  crying  and  no  help) 

I  read  a  tragic  story  in  a  recent  issue  of  Moody  Monthly  which  involved 
some  people  living  in  an  apartment  complex.   In  one  apartment  lived  a 
Christian  family  consisting  of  mother  father  and  two  children.   Right 
next  door  lived  a  divorced  woman  and  her  5  year  old  daughter  and  a  man 
she  was  currently  living  with.   Every  day  the  family  heard  little  Andrea's 
crying  and  screaming.   The  mother  wanted  to  knock  on  the  door  and  see  if 
the  child  was  ill  or  needed  medical  help.   But  the  father  told  them  all 
to  "butt  out,  it  wasn't  their  business."  The  children  even  suggested 
that  perhaps  they  could  check  and  it  wouldn't  cause  trouble,  but  the 
father  said  no.   One  weekend,  Andrea (s  screaminp;  was  worse  than  usual. 
All  day  Saturday  the  mother  wanted  to  go  next  door  to  check  on  the  little 
girl,  but  her  husband  was  firm  about  it.   On  Sunday  they  went  to  Sunday 
School  and  church,  but  before  they  left,  little  Andrea  was  screaming 
again  very  loudly.   When  they  came  back  from  church  the  father  suggested 
they  go  for  a  picnic  in  the  park  to  get  away  from  the  apartment.   This 
they  did  and  when  they  returned  later  that  afternoon  there  was  an  ambu- 
lance and  the  police  at  the  appartment  house.   T  ey  knew  instantly  that 
something  had  happened  to  little  Andrea.   And  they  were  right.   She  was 
taken  to  the  hospital,  but  she  died  shortly  afterward  because  she  had 
been  too  severely  beaten.   'T\_,e  woman's  boyfriend  was  arrested  for  murder. 

±^xtki»xisxBi^yxaEKxkEiK£xRx«ar^ax^xtk*x»i*»atiBExax»MMxEaefex»fx'«»x'feBda3tx 

SfeBxsxaxaxtksasxKiaBjaxiaKxfBXxkstiyxxkHixfBwxifxHHjrxaiKxiiasKiiiiKxBixiiaisxiixg 

fefiBauxKxKxsx?BmBxaimas±xBxaKyBjrexxaxKra?pH±xM^isixtkBiTxBiaixpKBkiKHaxfiExE8^ 

HBirifffU.K' 

Tragedies  such  as  this  are  common  today.   This  one  happened  and  many  more  do 

because  the  family  unit  has  broken  down  because  of  our  n±  immorality.   A  man 
who  is  not  the  father  of  the  child,  or  the  husband  of  the  woman  doesn't 
really  care  about  a  child  which  is  not  his.   So  he  treats  that  child  with 
contempt  and  abuse.   And  many  women  tolerate  this  in  the  guise  of  being  free; 
of  having  been  liberated  from  being  just  a  housewife.   This  is  only  a  brief 
example  of  what  is  happening  around  each  of  today.   There  are  those  clamoring 
for  help,  but  few  if  any  are  hearing,  or  listening,  or  even  caring  because 
almost  everyone  is  wrapped  up  in  their  own  problems  or  concerns.   The  trump- 
et Of  Repentence  needs  to  be  sounded  throughout  the  land.   And  it  needs  to 
be  heeded  beginning  at  the  very  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.   Repentence  must 


-5- 

begin  with  each  individual  turning  his   life  around.      It  doesn't  mean  that 

the  individual  is  then  perfect,  or  will  never  stray  from  the  right  path  again 

But   it  does   mean  that    individual  seeks   to  try  to   live   for  ixaix   the   Lord. 

And  this    is   actually  what    God  was   asking  of   His   people   in   Judah,    and   it    is 

what  He   is   asking  of  each  of  us.      Jesus   said   "Follow  Me."     He  isn't   asking  xx 

anyone   to  go  where   He  has   not   already  gone.      But  He   also  sounded  the   Trumpet 

of   Repehtence  HixtfcfexfcKic   in  His   ministry   on  earth.      Shortly  after    John  the 

Baptist  was  arrested  He  began  to  preach.   And  he  preached,  "Repent,  for  the 

kingdom  of   heaven  is   at  hand."     God's   promise  is  was   to  His   people   in  Judah, 

and   it   is   likewise  to  us   in  our  day.      Joel  was   led  to  give  the   people  God's 

assurance   and   he   wrote,    "Thus   you  will  know  that    I  am   in  the   midst   of    Israel, 
and  that    I  amm  the   Lord  your  God  and  there    is   no   other ;    and   My  people   will 
never  be  put  to  shame."      Joel   2:2? 

That   is    our   assurance   also   if  we   will  answer   His   call. 


ST-  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHHIST 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
Seventh  Sunday  After  Pentecost        July  29,  1984 
The  Rev*  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr*  Harry  Cunningham,  Organist 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +■  +  ++  +  +  +  +■+  +  +  +  +  +■  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 
Prelude     '"Prayer  for  Organ"  Niedermeyer 

Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
*   Hymn  No*  1    ^For  the  Beauty  of  the  Earth" 
^Ascription 
^Exhortation 

^Confession  (In  Unison)  11Merciful  Father,  we  acknowledge 
and  confess  our  sinful  nature;  qllf  short— coming  and  our 
offenses.  We  have  betrayed  not  only  our  faith  in  you, 
but  also  your  faith  in  us.  We  have  spoken  bravely  of 
love  and  compassion*  but  we  have  acted  out  of  selfishness 
and  indifference.   Forgive  us,  0  Gad,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
* Praise 

*Pastcr:   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I" 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No*  36  "No  One  Understands  Like  Jesus" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  yqu 
People:  And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory   "Come,  God  the  Spirit"        Bender 
Dcxology    Mo.  382 
Scripture:  Joel  2:  28-32 

Sermon:      "Things  to  Come:   Giving  of  the  Spirit11 
♦"Closing  Hymn  96   "I  Know  Who  Holds  Tomorrow" 
Benediction 

Postlude    "Postlude  on  the  Hymn(  'Come,  Creator,  Spirit'1 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  "Congregation  Standing  +  +  +  +  +  +  +- 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Ruth  Davies  in  loving  memory  of  her  Sister  June  Davies. 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:   *Alvin  Tait,  Mike  Nazaruk, 

Gottlob  Kradel  and  James  HcClynonds. 
Mr.  &   Mrs,  Gottlob  Kradel  will  greet  the  Congregation  and 

visitors  at  the  door  on  Sunday. 
Hospitalized  i      Mrs.  Amelia  Leighton,  Mrs,  James  Cox, 
\  Mrs,  Anna  Weitzel,  Mrs .  Heita  DeMask.  -BCMH 
^Mr.  William  Johnston  -  V.  A.  Hospital. 
Pain  Tait  and  Diana  Hollefreund  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week* 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Sue  Gamble. 
Tuesday  -  Aerobics  in  ftehoboth  Hall 
Next  Sunday  is  open  for  Flowers  -  should  you  want  any 

of  the  Sundays  listed  please  let  Be  a  know,   Augulf1 .  5, 

August  19.  and  26  th* 
Wen's  Bible  Study  each  Saturday  morning,  in  Kitchenette 
Don't  forget  the  String  beans  for  the  Soup  in  October. 

Call  Lois  282-1032  or  Ann  287-1430  If  you  have  any  or 

know  of  anyone  having  any. 
>Wed.  -  8:00  -  Council  meeting 


The  Bible  speaks  of  a  broad  way  which  is  taken  by  many 
people,  and  a  narrow  way  which  only  few  choose  to  follow, 
also  read  in  God's  Word,  "There  is  a  way  that  seemeth 
right  unto  a  manr  but  the  end  thereof  are  the  ways  of 
death."  Proverbs  14:12.   The  way  that  we  choose  to  go  is 
important*  both  for  this  life,  and  the  life  to  come.   Our 
present  happiness  and  our  eternal  destiny  ride  on  the 
decisions  that  we  make*  Will  you  go  God's  way? 

It  is  always  easy  to  do  God's  will  when  it 
coincides  with  ours;  but  not  so  easy  when 

it  doesn't. 


J 


■romps    10    i-onie :    uivinF    ui     rne    .ipirif 
iicr  ipture  :    J  oe  1   2  :  28  -5  ? 

Hav  red  portin  Scrip  wh/conta4n  wat  prob  only  re- 
coc;niz  ¥3  buk   Joel-vs  28 

lmos   pop  th/taut  2day=end   times jradio  Pi  preach 

f'      days/tirnes/yrs^wroiip- !    Js   say   nol   kno   oept   F 

&  If  G   no  tel   Js,why  tel  mere   man? 

Deal  portin  Scrip  requir=¥ruth,but  also  reouir  Ik 

G'a   >'ord   4-  clarificatin;so  wil  Ik  othr  part   Scrip 

vs   26A=refer  wat  takn  plac  B4-  wrot  this   prophesy 

Aftr  Thla=aftr   Jew  turn  bak  2  G;aftr  repent  & 

aftr  G   caus   devastin   locus    ?end=AFTR   ALL  THIS, 
&  going  2do  sumthin 
But    J  taut   latr   tirae^far  dist    futurjtime    no 
indentfy  by  date  &  mos   Bib  scholrs   Bliev=&  wil 
cum  bout  aftr  this  =  2nd   Coming   Js   !Cp 
Ris  milen  reif;n=thous  yrs  reign  upon  erth 

'aiilB  time  wen  G(s   peop-=Jews  restor,but  proph   not 

only  i\-    Jews  ,but  4-all  peop  as  wil  try  discovr 
As   Bgin  unravl  mysterius  vs,need   underst   S'a   methc 
proph 
iium.    12 :6= Kir/Aaron  quest  whethr   Mos   tru   spok  4  G 

G  hear,ordr   Japear  B4   outsid  tent  meeting, stud 

pliar  cloud  &  :=;pok  2them=vs  &>READ 
j's  revlatin  self   Jf old=visins ,drearas ,&  spk  direct 

I  Bllev  import  underst   ordr  underst   wat    J  say 
its   28=G  wil  giv  mesap.  pon/dotrs;  old  men  dream  meai 

inpful   dreams ;yng  men   C  viPins:Si  G's    Spirit   noB 

selectiv,but   pour   all   mank=all   flesh 
Do  U  C  3fold  rev  of   "?=peop  spk,dr,C  visins=Mum  6 

Br*-  proph   involv  othrs=Vs*  29=R:vAD 
3  restric   certin   few, cert   race, cert   rank   societ 

Evn  thoz   lower  rank 'decree  wil  hav  G's   Spirit 
That   DAY  wud   hav=vss   J0-31-READ=naturl   phenomna 
Also   ingatbr   peop=vs   32+READ 

this  vs  def  spk  milenial/thous  yr  reign  Xp 

J  tel   Jew  rewoprnlz  ,acpt    Js   as   Mesiah  &  all  cal 

upon  Him  wilB  saved 
this   parados    J  spk=Bliev   by  him, all   prophs   deliv 
wud  tak  plac    Zion/ Jeru=Templ  G  Grace  wud   cum 

But  J  also  say  lentil  wud  hav  deliv  &  this  wat-= 
All  Mankind  mean+&  this  proph  concern  pour  Spirit 

2underst   mor  fuly,mus  turn  ncthr  Scrip- Acts  2ffl? 
This    chap   record   event   Pentecost ;spirit   fal   upon, 
spk  othr   tongues , peop   underst=acpt    Js    as    Saviour 
Apso  acus   of   B  drunk=Teter   stanup  ?<  preach 
READ   ACTS   2:14-2*   &   EXFLIAN 

Here  fulfil  wat   J  say=but   is   complet   fulfil  propl 
NO  it   lsnt !    ius   portent  ,4-runer  wat  G  wil   do  at 
time   cal=DAY   OF  L.of   THINGS   TO   CO] 


but  tms   instanc,aenonstrat  is  no  repsectr  pi     3/ 
per  ma 
no   matr  who   peop   wer,wat    natin   fr,o^     only  th 
matr  acpt    Js   Xp  as  L  &  Sav44ur  6   5  indeed  pour 
out  opitit  on  all  mankind 
But   prom  no   limit   1st   Pent   8    P's   own  word  bear 
out=VS   39= 
prom  2childrn  yet  unborn  &  4-thoz   far  off=peop 
yet   2cum, unknown   p;eneratins 
this   spk  futur  time  histry  worl  wen  G  step  in  & 
here   prob   aris 
within  pas   lOyrs   soXpians   B  acun   hide  heds   in 
clouds  S--  *get     this   world 
Thoz  very  strong  advocats   socil  actin  acus  baaic 
&  fundy  Xpians   preach=Pie    In  Sky, By   &  By   typ   faitt 
Othr   word=2many  Blievr    jus   drift    long  w/ther   fait 
&  dreaming  of  sts   of   gold  ,angls,eternty  li  neglect 
thinr-s    !    peop  thir    life 
kernel   truth  here, by  St  Irp-  mos   XpLan  acpt   faith  a* 
part  lire   &  seek  21iv   in  this   worl  whil   in  body 

This    import ! 
Need   ask  selvs=>iher  do   I   stan  relatin  prophs   of 
Things   To  Come?      Is   time    on  erth  spent  daydreams 
of   hvn  &  its   rewards?   Or   R  we   involv   liv  lif  *  L 
(Ilus   Dr.   Tom  Dooley  &  relationship  with  God) 
quest  ask  by  *pi  man  dy  prime   lifefiHow  do  peop 
endur   anyth  on  erth  if  canno  hav  G? 
mos   import  th  all  this  worl  not   anyth  worl   offr 
mos   import   th  persnl  relatship  w/Js    Xp 
Grt  2B  abl  read  wat   3  do   futur  time  may 

7ndrfl   relfectsThitlgs   To   Cum,&  wat   thoz   th  mean 
But  mor   import  kno  S  who  made  prom?   than  2kno 
all  details  bout  them 
This  wat   J  try  tel  peop   Judah  his  day 
This  wat   F  tel  thoz  peop  1st  day    ,:ent 
this  wat   U  :■■    I   need   2shar  ?day 
REAU=VsxJ9   Acts    2 
we   can  lay  claim  ?a  prorai?   Bcuz   that   spec  11  re- 
latship   w/Iord 
&   lik  P  can  say  same   as  wrot   Tim=2  Tim  4:8 
Can  U  claim  that  prom  2day??? 


"Things  To  Come::  Giving  Of  The  Spirit" 
Scripture:  Joel  2:28-32 

We  have  just  read  the  portion  of  Scripture  which  contains  what  is  probably 
the  only  recognizable  versd  from  the  book  of  Joel.   T^t  verse  of  course  is 
verse  28  of  chapter  two.   One  of  the  most  popular  things  being  preached  on 
today  is  the  end  times.   On  any  piven  day  you  can  turn  on  the  radio  and  hear 
radio  preachers  teaching  and  explaining  the  "End  Times."  There  is  nothing 
wrong  in  this,  in  gact ,  we  studied  six  Kew  Testament  book?  dealing  with  some 
of  these  issues.   But  what  is  wrong,  is  that  some  of  these  preachers  are  at- 
taching times  and  dates  to  their  interpretations  of  the  "End  times."  xTssras 
xaxst  One  man  that  I  have  heard  frequently,  is  stating  that  some  of  these 
prophecies  will  take  place  this  year,  while  others  will  fall  into  place  next 
Jfear.   I  believe  God  will  prove  him  wronp:  because  Jesus  sa±±x  taught  that  no 
one  knows  the  times  nor  the  seasons  when  God  will  put  alito  of  this  into  motion, 
And  if  God  chose  not  to  reveal  it  to  Jesus,  why  would  He  reveal  it  to  a  mere 
mortal? 

So  we  are  dealing  with  a  portion  of  Scripture  which  not  only  requires  truth, 
but  it  also  requires  looking  at  God's  Word  for  clarification.   So  as  we  seek 
God's  trutfcr  we  will  direct  our  thoughts  to  other  parts  of  His  Word  other  than 
Joel's  prophecy.   Joel  begins  by  saying,  "And  it  will  come  about  after  this." 
He  is  referring  to  what  he  had  said  and  what  had  taken  place  before  he  wrote 
this  particular  r-iece  of  prophecy.   "After  this,"  mwans  after  the  Jews  had 
turned  back  to  God;  after  they  had  repented  and  after  God  had  caused  the 
devastation  of  the  locusts  to  end.   After  all  of  this,  then  God  was  goinp-  to 
do  something.   But  Joel'e  words  also  spoke  of  a  much  later  time;  a  time  in 
the  far  distant  future;  a  time  which  he  couldn't  identify  by  date.   Most 
Biblical  scholars  believe  that  the  phrase,  "And  it  will  come  about  after  this 
as  meaning  xfcEiixiteExtfHwxxhaifxEKHB  the  oecond  Coming  of  Jesus  for  His  millen- 
nial reign,  or  His  thoudand  year  reign  upon  the  earth.   T"is  will  be  a  time 
when  God's  people  the  Jews  have  been  restored.   But  the  prophecy  which  follows 
was  not  just  for  the  Jews,  but  also  for  all  people  as  we  shall  try  to  dis- 
cover from  God's  Word. 

Ac;  we  begin  to  unravel  this  rather  mysterious  verse  we  need  to  understand 
God's  method  of  prophecy.   In  the  Old  Testament  book  of  1'Iumbers ,  Miriam  and 
Aaron  question  whether  Moses  was  truly  a  spokesman  for  God.  So  God  hearing 
and  knowing  what  was  taking  place,  ordered  all  three  of  them  to  appear  before 
Him  outside  the  tent  of  meeting.   And  He  stoo&  At  the  door  of  the  tent  in  a 

pillar  of  cloud  and  spoke  to  them.   And  He  said  as  we  read  in  verse  6,  chapl? 
"He  said,  'Hear  now  My  words:  If  there  is  a  prophet  among  you,  I,  the 
Lord,  shall  make  Myself  known  to  him  in  a  vision,   I  shall  speak  with  him 
in  a  dream. ' " 

God's  revelation  of  Himself  will  be  threefold.   It  will  be  by  visions,  by 


-2- 

dreams,  and  by  Him  speaking  directly  to  him,   I  believe  that  it  is  important 

we  understand  this  in  order  to  understand  what  Joel  is  sayin  , 

So  he  states  :  "And  it  will  come  about  after  this  that  I  will  pour  out  My 
Spirit  on  all  fiHXi  mankind;  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  will  pro- 
phesy, your  old  men  will  dream  dreams,  your  young  men  will  3ee  visions." 

God  will  gife  messages  to  sons  and  daughters;  old  men  will  dream  meaningful 

dreams;  young  men  will  see  visions;  and  God's  Spirit  will  not  be  selective, 

but  will  be  poured  out  upon  all  mankind.   Do  you  see  the  threefold  revelation 

of  God?  People  speaking,  dreaming,  seeing  visions,  Just  exactly  what  God  ks 

spoke  of  in  Numbers  12:6. 

Now  this  prophecy  would  also  involve  others  and  verse  29  relates:  "And  even 
on  the  male  and  female  servants  I  will  pour  out  My  Spirit  in  those  days." 

God  will  not  ks  restrict  His  Spirit  to  just  a  der&ain  few,  a  certain  race,  or 

a  certain  rank  of  society.   Even  those  considered  of  lower  degree  will  have 

God's  Spirit. 

Then  Joel  speaks  of  the  identity  of  this  Day  of  the  Lord  and  it  would  have: 
"And  I  will  display  wonders  in  the  kky  and  on  the  earth,  blood,  fire,  and 
columns  of  smoke.   The  sun  will  be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into 
blood,  before  the  great  and  awesome  day  of  the  lord  comes." 

These  will  be  the  natural  -phenomena  accompanying  the  Lorl  's  Second  Coming. 

But  there  will  also  be  an  ingathering  of  people  to  the  Lord  as  Joel  tells  in 

verse  32:  "And  it  will  come  about  that  whoever  calls  on  the  name  of  the  Lord 
will  be  delivered;  for  on  Wfc,  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  there  will  be  those 
who  escape,  as  the  lord  has  said,  even  among  the  survivors  whom  the  Lord 
calls." 

Tvis  verse  very  definitely  is  speaking  of  the  millenial,  or  one-thousand 

year  reign  of  Jesus  at  His  Second  Coming.   Joel  is  telling  of  the '.-.Jews 

recognizing  and  accepting  the  Messiah  and  everyone  who  calls  upon  Him  will  be 

saved.   Joel  is  speaking  of  something  iEx^i^E-jhtxrsaii^taaawxBxxBiijiESstxB^xxKd 

ikHtxxsxsaixHtiBxixfeyxKXHKHXHXBxiEx  which  was  a  paradox.   It  was  believed  by 

him  and  all  prophets  as  well  as  the  Jewishr-people  that  deliverance  would  take 

place  in  Zion  or  Jerusalem.   It  was  at  the  Temple  of  the  lord  that  God's 

Grace  would  come.   But  Joel  was  also  savin  that  deliverance  would  come  to 

the  Gentile  as  well  when  he  said  God's  Spirit  would  come  upon  "all  mankind," 

or  "all  flesh,"   So  there  is  his  prophecy  concerning  the  pouring  out  of  GOO'S 

Spirit.   And  once  again  as  we  think  of  what  Joel  was  saying,  we  must  turn  to 

another  porion  of  Scripture  and  read  of  this  taking  place .  You  may  have 

guessed  already  that  this  is  found  in  the  New  Testament  book  of  Acts  in  the 

2nd  chapter.   Briefly,  while  you  are  looking  that  up,  this  chapter  records 

the  events  of  the  day  of  Pentecost.   The  Holy  Spirit  manifested  Himself  upon 

the  apostles  and  the  phenomena  of  speaking  in  other  tongues  so  that  people 

could  understand  them  and  accept  Christ,  took  place  among  the  apostles. 

For  this  they  were  accused  of  being  drunk.   But  Peter  stands  and  begins  to 

refute  their  idea  by  preaching  to  them  as  we  begin  reading  at  the  14-th  verse. 


-3- 

(read  verses  14-24  and  explain).  Sx^Sx^xgS^xxJEXx^Sxxx^x^^^^SS^ES^S^x 

Here  is  the  fulfillment  of  what  Joel  was  saying.   But  is  it  the  complete 

fulfillemnt  of  that  prophecy?   Ko  it  isn't]   This  is  just  a  portent,  or  a 

„   '   ,  Of  Things  To  Some. 

forerunner  of  what  God  will  do  at  the  time  called  the  Day  of  the  Lord.   But 

in  this  instance,  it  demonstrates  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,   It 

didn't  matter  who  the  people  were,  or  what  nation  they  were  from.   he  onlv 

thing  that  mattered  was  that  they  accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  their  Lord  and 

oaviour.   G0(j  was  indeed  pouring  out  His  Spirit  upon  all  mankind. 

But  the  promise  was  and  is  not  limited  to  the  first  Pentecost  and  Peter's 

own  words  bear  this  out.   Look  at  what  he  tells  them  in  verse  39,  "For  the 
promise  is  for  you  yma  and  your  children,  and  for  all  who  are  far  off, 
as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  to  Himself." 

The  promise  was  for  their  children,  perhaps  many  of  them  yet  unbotn.   And  it 
was  for  those  who  were "far  off,"  or  people  to  come  in  as  yet  unknown  genera- 
tions.  Kow  all  of  this  speaks  of  a  future  time  in  which  God  will  step  into 
the  fcixrxrfc  history  of  the  world.   And  here  is  tfe  where  the  problem  arises. 
Within  the  past  ten  years  or  so,  Christians  have  been  accused  of  hiding  their 
heads  in  the  clouds  and  forgetting  this  world.   Those  who  are  very  strong 
advocates  of  social  action  from  the  church  accuse  basic  and  fundamental 
Christians  of  preaching  a  "Fie  in  the  sky,  by  and  by"  type  of  faith.   In  othei 
words,  too  many  believers  are  Just  drifting  along  with  their  faith  and  dream- 
ing of  the  streets  of  gold,  of  angels  and  eternity,  and  neglecting  the  things 
of  this  life.   There  is  a  kernel  of  truth  to  some  of  this,  but  by  and  large, 
most  Christians  accept  their  faith  as  a  part  of  their  lives  and  seek  to  live 
in  this  world  while  in  the  body.   This  is  important.   We  need  to  ask  ourselves 
"Wvere  do  we  stand  in  relation  to  the  prophecies  of  "Things  To  Come?"   Is 
our  time  on  earth  spent  in  daydreams  of  heaven  and  its  rewards?   Or  are  we 
involved  in  living  this  life  for  our  Lord? 

(Illustration  of  D^.  Eom  Dooley  and  his  relationship  with  God) 

Do  you  remember  Tom  Dooley  that  young  doctor  who  organized  hospitals, 
raised  money,  and  literally  poured  out  his  life  in  the  service  of  the 
afflicted  peoples  of  South  East  Asia?   Here  was  a  man  whose  deep  relat- 
ionship with  God  motivated  him  to  abandon  a  soft  career  in  the  United 
otates  for  a  desperately  difficult  ministry  overseas.   In  the  end  that 
relationship  enabled  him  to  die  victoriously  at  the  age  of  34.   Here  is 
a  letter  he  wrote  on  December  1,  I960  to  the  president  of  Notre  Dr,me, 
his  alma  mater . 
Dear  Father  Hesburgh, 

They've  got  me  down.   Flat  on  the  back  with  plaster,  sand  bags, 
and  hot  water  bottles.   I've  contrived  a  way  of  pumping  the  bed  up 
a  bit  so  that  with  a  long  reach,  I  can  get  to  my  £ype wr iter, , .Two  things 
prompt  this  note1  to  you.   The  first  is  that  whenever  my  cancer  acts  up" 
a  bit,  and  it  is  certainly  "acting  up"  now,  I  turn  inward.   Less  do  I 
think  of  my  hospitals  around  the  world,  or  of  94  doctorsqt  flundraisers 
and  the  like.   F^ore  do  I  think  of  One  Divine  Doctor  and  my  personal  fund 
of  grace.   It  has  become  pretty  definite  that  the  cancer  has  spread  to 


-4- 

the  lumbar  vertebra,  accounting  for  the  back  problems  over  the  last  two 
months,   I  have  monstrous  phantoms,  all  men  do.   And  inside  and  outside 
the  wind  blows.   But  when  the  time  comes,  like  now,  then  the  storm  around 
me  does  not  matter.   The  winds  within  me  do  not  matter.   Nothing  laitkt^ 
human  or  earthly  can  touch  me.  A  peace  gathers  in  my  heart,   What  seems 
un  possessable,  I  can  possess,   What  seems  unfathomable,  I  can  fathom. 
What  is  unutterable,  I  can  utter.   Because  I  can  pray.   I  can  communicate 
How  do  people  endure  anything  on  earth  if  they  cannot  have  God?" 

Tve  question  asked  by  a  man  dying  in  his  prime  strikes  at  the  heart  of  our 

lives.  Or  at  least,  it  should.   "How  do  people  BEXKxrSii  endure  anything  on 

earth  if  they  cannot  have  God?"  The  most  important  thing  in  all  of  this 

world  is  not  anything  which  this  world  has  to  offer.  The  most  important 

thing  is  a  personal  relationship  with  Jesus  Christ,   Its  great  to  be  able  to 

read  of  what  God  will  do  at  some  future  time.   Its  wonderful  to  be  able  to 

reflect  on  "Things  To  Come,"  and  what  thos  things  might  be  or  mean.  But  it 

is  more  important  to  know  the  God  who  made  those  promises,  than  it  is  to 

know  all  of  the  little  details  of  those  promises.   TfTis  is  what  Joel  was 

trying  to  tell  the  people  of  Judah  in  his  day.   Ihis  is  what  Jeter  was 

telling  those  people  on  that  first  Day  of  Pentecost.  And  this  is  what  you 

and  I  need  to  share  today.   "Por  the  promises  is  for  you  and  your  children, 
and  for  all  who  are  far  off,  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  to 
Himself." 

±n±x±±ksxis,isi   We  can  lay  claim  to  a  promise  because  of  that  xn±s±±   special 

relationship  with  the  lord.   And  like  Paul  we  can  say  the  same  as  he  wrote 

to  Timothy,  "In  the  future  there  is  laid  up  for  me  the  crown  of  righteousness 

which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  fudge,  will  award  to  me  on  that  day;  and  not 

only  to  me,  but  also  to  all  who  have  loved  His  appearing."   C?>n  we  claim 

that  promise  today? 


ST-  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
Eighth  Sunday  After  Pentecost        AU£UB1 
The  Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Harry  Cunningham,  Organist 


+  + 


+  +  +  +  + 


Campbell 
Kreutz 


0  Thou  Great  Jehovah 


ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  10:00  A.M. 
Prelude    "And  Can  It  Be?" 

"Processional  for  Organ" 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 
Prayer  Requests 

♦Hymn  No.  608  "Guide  Me 

'Ascription 

'Exhortation 

'Confession  (In  Unison)  "ALMIGHTY  AND  ETERNAL  GOD,  whose 
light  doth  shine  in  mortal  darkness ;  reveal  unto  ue  thy 
presence  in  our  souls,  and  thy  judgment  of  all  our 
actions  ,  thoughts,)  and  words i   Manifest  thyself  to  us 
in  the  movements  of  this  present  time.   Open  our  eyes 
to  thy  glory  all  around  us.   Thou  art  ever  coming  to 
thy  children,  coining  in  manifold  ways;  by  cherishing 
our  serious  and  reverent  spirit  may  we  prepare  ourselves 
to  meet  our  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  Amen." 

'Kyrie 

'Assurance  of  Pardon 

'Praise 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I" 

And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 


'Pastor: 
'People : 
'Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  461 
Call  to  Prayer 
Pastor- 
People 
Pastor 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory 
Doxology    No 
Scripture; 


"Jesus, We   Just  Want   to  Thank  Ycu" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


"The  Promises"        Panchenko 
382 

Joel  3:1-21 

Sermon:    "Things  To  Come:  The  Day  Of  The  Lord" 
'Closing  Hymn  No.  617  "Onward,  Christian  Soldiers 
Benediction 
PostlA   j    "Cortege"  Peeters 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs-  Margaret  McClymonds  to  the  "Glory  of  God" 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  'Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko, 

Martin  Henry 
Mr.  Arthur  Snyder  t Elder)  will  be  at  the  door  this 
V  Sunday  to  greet  the  Visitors  and  Congregation- 
^Hospitalized:  Hugh  Pylej?  Jfrs.  Alma  Robinson  &&   U$*^fc 

Mr.  William  Johnston  -  V.A.  Hospital.  £'***  **fc^>W 
Bruce  Fer.cil  and  Lloyd  Link  will  be  visiting  the  Hospital 

this  week. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Nancy  Eellen. 
Aug.   6  -  Monday  -  6:00  -  Women's  Mary  Prugh  Circle  will 

have  a  picnic  at  Betty  Tresslers.   Bring  tureen  and 

> something  fc-r  the  white  elephant  sale. 
he  Pastor  will  be  away  for  4  weeks-  we  hope  he  will  have 

an  enjoyable  vacation*   If  you  need  a  minister  while  Pastor 

is  away  call  Bea  and  she  will  get  in  touch  with  someone. 
Rev.  Frazier  will  be  here  next  week  -  We  would  like  to  have 

a  good  attendance*  Please  make  an  effort  to  attend. 
The  Newsletter  was  not  published  this  month  because  there 

was  only  a  \   of  a  page  to  print*   The  news  was  as  follows. 
The  Custodians  are  retiring  as  of  the  end  of  September. 

We  wish  them  well  and  regret  seeing  them  leave. 
If  anyone  in  the  Congregation  would  like  to  see  about  this 

job,  please  contact  the  office. 
The  Financial  Secretary  is  leaving  at  the  end  of  September. 

If  anyone  in  the  Congregation  is  interested  in  this  please 

let  the  Office  know. 
We  heard  from  a  man  David  Tullis  -  28  from  Illinois  that 

might  be  interested  in  coming  to  Butler  for  the  Organist, 

Choir  Director  and  Christian  Education  Director.   He  will 

be  contacted  for  resume*   You  will  hear  more  about  this 

la  ■,*!■■. 
It  was  announced  that  $20, 000 •  is  still  outstanding  on 

Rehoboth  Hall. 
We  will  be  renting  to  Head  start  for  another  year  at  $600* 
Cookbooks  will  soon  be  ready* so  start  getting  your  money 

together ■ 
Mrs.  Amelia  Leighton  is  now  in  Sugar  Creek  Rest  Home  due 

to  a  recent  break  of  her  hip.   She  would  like  to  thank 

Rev,  Link  for  his  many  visits  and  Prayers  and  also  the 

Congregation  w§q  sent  cards  and  asked  prayer  for  her. 
The  attendance  last  Sunday  was  112  with  11  Visitors 


j.iiAiifc,t>    ±u    oynie:     ine    J-*ay   ut     rue    J-ora " 
Scripture;    Joel  3:1-21 

(I:      stration  of  mailman, nu  rte ,   things   2   cum) 
J  cudnt   say  wasnt  warn  wen  hand   letr  plastic  bag; 
sheed   by   nu  machin,cud  U? 
Lif   fil   many  warns  ;we   suround   by  them  evrwher  ft  R 
involv  them  evr  day   livs 
-  .t   ther  warns   peop  no  want   Bliev,heed ,Bcuz  thez   om- 
nous   wrans  which  cum  from  G's    vord 
Ilevrthles    If   read    Bib    C   bow  many  proms   hav   cum   ?   pas 
&  only  matr  time  all  them  wilE  fulfil 
3rd  chap   J  1   of  thoz   prophs 
Tber   many  serme  this  chap, but   choz  use   entir  chap  at 
1  time  ,rathr  than  brk  dwn;ba£ic  reasn  much  ovrlap  chaj 

So  If  say  sumthin  bout   lpart/same   nothr  part 
Vss   1-2=  J  proph  wat  cal   B4=Day  of   lord 
Thoz   days/that   time=apt   time   G  wil   step  histry   worl 
&  set  evrth  rt 
Sib   timtabl=at  time,(nol   kno  wen)Js   if   apear  hvns  & 

physicl  remov  His   Ch  our  of  worl-This   RAPTURE 
1   rain  peop  visibl=next   gone;they  ?B  translat   Phvn 
"bodly  ft  1   lef   Bhin  thoz   no  acpt    Js   Xp  as   1  ft  Sav 
But   B4   thez    liv   translat    out   worl.boays   saved  ded 
wll  aris   f r/gravs ,meet    Js    in   air   ft  body   E  reunit 
with  soul  which  w/Him 
Aftr   Rapture=period    7yr   tak   plac,cal   THIBULATIN 
wilE   period   time   which   all   force   evil   unleash   on  worl 
ttxsi  time  complet  test  man  very   soul 
during  this   time  worl   Idr  arise  cal=AHTICHRIoT  ft  wil 
literl   B  worl  dictator 

Thoz   worsh  wilB  abl   eat/work/buj/feed   famlys 
Tttoz  refus   wilB   kil  ,tortur,stsrv,liv   complet   wretch 
1: 
but  thez  peop  hav  optunty  ?B  sav, Scum  P   Tp 
of  thez   lrg  portin  Jews   R  Pacpt    Je   as   Messiah  ft  wil 
B  sev 
folo  period   Trib.Js  Xp  2   apear   Jeru,brinf  bak  peop  fr 
Ch  who  with  in  hvn  ft  wil   litrl   B  kine-  in   Jeru  ft  peop 
with   Him 
wll  reipn  4   lthosand  yrs=eal   Milenium  6  at  end   that 
time   wil   E   fot   las   battl   erth^Batl   ARMAGEDDON 
Batl  wilB  fot  wat  Scrip  say=Valy  Kegido,plain  Esdralo: 
ft   J  use  term=Valy  of   Jehoshaphat  wh   mean-G   Judges 
so  wen   J  say=Bhol  thoz   day, that  time=mean=D  of   lord 
v-t  takn  plac    Judah  w/locus  devastatin  wil  now  tak 
pit      all   othr  natins   ft  ?  people  who  hav  opos  tfairora 
«x  G     ft  things  of  G 
peop  Judah  had   cbanp  hart   ft  came  bak  P   Lord 
but   Jus   as   locus   wer  anililat  by  G  4ruin  land, so  He 
go  ?wip  out   natin  who  ruin  His   land   &   His  people 


■rnoz  natm  sat  oy  &  smirK  ovr  proDs  oi  Juaah  &  2/ 
did  all  cud  mak  lif  oisrble,wud  now  hav  smirk  wipe 
off   'ace, not   by  Judah, but  by  G 

G  ,_    '  ?win  out   at  itery  las   time   ovr  fore   of  evil 
1st  G  spk  horibl  th  thez  peop  did  2  His   peop   Judah 
&  find   in  vss   2-6 
Then  G   say, go  2do  same  ?them=vss  7-8 
■    /  of  1  wud  C  cal  Parms   of  all  natins  as  read  vs   9 
vs   10  G-revers  proph   fnd  in   Is=he   spk  peac.here  war 
How   cal    issu   '(-natin   ?cum  P   Valy   Jehosb/phat  vs   11-15 
;     G  tel   peop   wilE  w/them=va    16 
jG  establish  He   in  control=READ  vss   17-19 
&  prom   His   delivranc   fnd   vss   20-21bREAD 
folo  last  batl  on  erth,ther  wilB  judgmen  &  2underst 
mus   Ik  wat   Js   sed   bout   it-KT  ?5=vns   31-46  read   this 
plctur  is  batl  has  endjJs  seat   on  thron  in   Jeru  ft 
suround  by  angls 

Read  vss   31-33  ft  Explain; Read  vss   34-36  ft  Explain 
,     FTe  wilB  quest   bout   this=Read  vss   37-39  &  Explain 
Js    anser=vs  40=Read   ft  Explain 

do  U  kno  who  thez  peop  were?=sbeep   Js   Judp;  R  Gentils 
Bros  spk  of  =  Jews   asist  by  thez   Gents  during  Trib  ft 
batl   Armagedonj no  realiz  minstr   2   Js,but  wer 
Konversly;vss   41-43=  Js   spk  2goats=Read   ft   Explain 
!    wil  ask  of  Him=vs   44— Read   ft   Explain 
His  anser=vs  45=Read  ft  EXplain 
Thez   goats, Gents, but  refus    help    Jew  time    of   need 
vs  46=  Js   sum  up=Read  ft  Explain 

lthing  mus  pt  out=no  mak  case  4works  riprhteousnes 
works  import=but  nol  sav  thru  them=indivld  mus  cum 
thru    Js    Xp  4f orgivnes=only   posib   thru   Him 

wen  turn  bak  proph   J  read  vs  20-R3AD 
B'     Rev    Jn  C  visin  Th  2   Cum  &  had  reveal    chap   21:1-3 
RbiiD  ft   EXPLAIK  thez   vss 
this,w/out   many  derail   compris   D  of   Lord, that  which 
stil   ?cum 
But   nol  kno  wen  wilB  ft.  meantime   ther  stil   this  lif 
2B  liv  wh/G  has  Eivn  2ea  us  ft  as   sea   las   wk  prov 
nothin  sit  bnk,wait  4  that   Day  of  The   Lord 
(lllus   man, ded  dottr , tape  , birthday  cake   ft   Js  ) 
had  quest, no  underst;he   bittr, angry , hurt 

but   in  that  instanc   cam  ?kno  wat   all  about 
ther  stil  a  worl  rnd  us   wait  4meaaR  wh/only  Xpians 
can  cary 
ther  war  2B  fot   agin  forces   evil  wh/suround  us 
u      t   is=  Jil  we   B  content  2sit  ft  await   D  of  Lord, 
revel  in  fact  that  at  ne   Js  wil  cum  bak  ft 

conouer? 
Or   wil   we    insted,luv  Him, ft  serv  Him, ft  giv   of   ourselv 
4  Kim  whil  we   liv  ft  wait  4  the   Day   of   the   Lord? 


"Things  To  Come:  The  Day  Of  The  Lord" 

Scripture:  Joel  3:1-21 

(Illustration  of  mailman  on  new  route  and  warnings  of  things  to  come) 

A  mailman  was  delivering  mail  on  a  route  which  he  had  never  had  before. 
The  previous  mailman  had  left  notations  about  many  of  the  houses  to 
help  him.  For  one  house  the  note  said,  "Big  dog,  doesn't  bite." 
Of  another  it  said,  "Mean  dog,  bites,  but  warns  first."  Then  he  came 
across  one  written  in  big  letters:  "Bad-tempered  woman." 

You  couldn't  say  he  wasn't  warned  when  he  handed  her  a  letter  in  a  plastic 
bag,  shredded  by  the  new  machine,  could  you?  Life  is  filled  with  many  warn- 
ings. We  are  surrounded  by  them  everywhere  and  are  involved  in  them  every 
day  of  our  lives.   But  there  are  warnings  that  people  do  not  want  to  believe 
or  heed  too  much,  because  these  are  ominous  warnings  which  come  to  us  from 
God's  Word,   But  nevertheless,  if  we  read  the  Bible  we  can  see  how  many, 
many  of  God's  promises  have  come  to  pass  and  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  un- 
til all  of  them  are  fulfilled.   T^is  3rd  chapter  of  Joel  is  one  of  those 
prophecies.   There  are  many  sermons  involved  in  this  3rd  chapter,  but  I 
have  chosen  to  use  the  entire  chapter  at  one  time,  rather  than  break  it  down 
into  a  half  dozen  or  so.   Basically,  my  reasoning  for  this  is  that  it  can 
first  of  all  be  covered  in  mne  sitting;  and  secondly,  much  of  it  overlaps 
throughout  the  chapter.   So  if  we  say  something  about  one  part  of  the  chap- 
ter, another  part  of  the  chapter  is  dealing  with  the  same  thing. 

Joel  begins  this  3rd  chapter  by  stating:  ""For  behold,  in  those  days  and  at 
that  time,  when  I  restore  the  fortunes  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  I  will 
gather  all  nations,  and  bring  them  down  to  the  valley  of  Jehosaphat . 
Then  I  will  enter  into  judgement  with  them  there  on  behalf  of  My  people 
and  My  inheritance,  Israel,  whom  they  have  scattered  among  the  nations; 
and  they  have  divided  up  My  land." 

Joel  is  prophesying  what  he  called  before,  "The  day  of  the  Lord."   "Inthose 
days,  and  at  that  time,"  is  the  appointed  time  when  God  will  step  into  the 
history  of  the  world  and  set  everything  right.   Now  the  Biblical  timetable 
is  this:  3(£x±sxiaxxKEiir±±rocxiBX5SEEi?j±iaxK  At  a  time,  (and  no  one  knows  that 
time),  Jesus  Christ  is  to  appear  in  the  heavens  and  physically  remove  His 
Church  out  of  this  world.   This  is  called  the  Rapture.   One  minute  people 
will  be  visible,  the  next  they  will  be  rone.   They  are  to  be  translated  to 
heaven  bodily  and  the  ones  left  behind  are  those  who  will  not  have  accepted 
Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour.   5"nx±S!x±njc  But  before  those  living  are  trans- 
lated out  of  this  world,  the  bodies  of  the  saved  are  to  arise  from  the  graves 
and  meet  Jesus  in  the  air,  there  to  be  reunited  with  their  souls  which  are 
with  Kim.   Now  after  the  Rapture,  a  period  of  seven  years  is  to  take  place 
and  this  is  called  "The  Great  Tribulation,"  or  just  "The  Tribulation."   It 
will  be  a  period  of  time  in  which  all  of  the  forces  of  evil  are  unleashed 
in  the  world.   It  will  be  a  time  of  the  complete  testing  of  men's  very  souls, 
During  this  time  a  world  leader  will  arise  known  as  THE  ANTICHRIST  and  he 
wmll  literally  be  a  world  dictator,  ftxitexs  T&ose  who  will  worship  him  and 


-2- 
bow  down  to  him,  will  be  able  to  work  and  eat,  buy  things  and  feed  their 
families*   Those  who  refuse  to  worship  him  will  be  killed,  tortured,  starve 

._   to  death  and  live  completely  wretched  lives.   But  these  people  have  the  op- 
portunity to  be  saved  yet,  to  come  to  Christ.   Of  thxa  these  people  a  large 
group  of  Jews  are  to  accept  Jesus  as  their  Messiah  and  will  be  saved. 
Following  the  period  of  tribulation  Jesus  Christ  is  to  appear  in  Jerusalem 
coming;  back  to  earth,  but  bringing  back  all  of  the  people  of  His  Church  from 
heaven,   He  will  literally  reign  as  a  King  from  Jerusalem,  and  His  people 
with  Him.  His  reign  will  last  for  one  thousand  years  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  a  final  battle  will  be  fought  on  earth  and  it  is  called  "The  Battle  of 
Armageddon. 2  This  battle  will  be  fought  on  what  is  known  in  Scripture  as 
the  valley  of  Keggido,  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  Joel  uses  the  temm,  "Val- 
ley of  Jehoshaphat, "   Jehoshaphat  means,  "Yahweh  judges,"  of,  "God  Judges." 
So  Joel  says,  "For  behold,  in  those  days  and  at  that  time,"  and  he  means  the 
Day  of  the  Lord.   What  had  taken  place  in  Judah  with  the  devastation  by  the 
locusts  will  now  take  place  in  all  of  the  other  nations  and  peoples  who  have 
opposed  God  and  the  things  of  God.   The  people  of  Judah  had  a  change  of  hearl 
and  cameb  back  to  the  Lord.   But  just  as  the  locusts  were  annihilated  by  God 
for  ruining  His  land,  so  He  is  going  to  wipe  out  the  nations  who  have  ruined 

v_.   His  land  and  His  people.   T^ose  nations  which  sat  by  and  smirked  over  the 

problems  of  Judah  and  did  all  they  could  to  make  their  lives  miserable,  woulc 

now  have  those  smirks  wipped  off  their  faces  not  by  Judah,  but  by  God.  God 

is  going  to  win  aat  for  the  very  last  time  over  the  forces  of  evil. 

First,  God  speaks  of  the  horrible  things  which  these  surrounding  nations  had 

done  to  His  people  and  we  read  this  in  verses  2  through  6.   Then  God  says  He 

is  going  to  do  the  same  to  them  in  verses  7  and  8. 

The  Day  of  the  Lord  would  see  the  call  to  arms  of  all  nations  as  we  read  in 

verse  9.   And  then  in  verse  10  we  see  the  reverse  of  a  prophecy  which  is 

found  in  Isaiah  speaking  of  a  time  of  world  wide  peace.   Here  it  is  that  thej 

are  to  beat  their  plows  into  swords,  and  pruning  hooks  into  spears/ 

The  call  is  issued  for  the  nations  to  come  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

God  tells  His  people  that  He  will  be  with  them  as  we  read  in  verses  16, (read' 

Then  God  establishes  that  He  is  in  control,  verses  17  through  19,  (read). 

And  the  promise  of  His  deliverance  for  His  people  is  found  in  verses  20-21. 

Following  this  last  great  battle  on  earth,  there  will  be  a  judgement  and 

to  understand  this  we  need  to  look  at  what  Jesus  said  about  it.   In  Matthew 

25,  verses  51  through  46  we  read  of  this.  The  picture  is  that  the  battle 

has  ended.   Jesus  is  now  seated  upon  His  throne  in  Jerusalem,  surrounded  by 

His  angels,  2im  (read  31-55  &  explain).  Read  verses  54-36  &  explain. 

And  He  will  be  questioned  about  this,  verse  37-39  &  explain.   Jesus  gives 
them  His  anser,  verse  40,  read  &.   explain)   Do  you  know  who  these  people 


-3- 

the  sheep^i ■* 

were?   The  people  Jesus  is  judgingXare  Gentiles.   The  brothers  He  is  speaking 

of  are  the  Jews  who  were  aided  and  assisted  by  these  Gentiles  during  the 

Tribulation  period  and  the  battle  of  Armageddon.   They  "didn't  realize  they 

to 
were  ministering  Urn.   Jesus  »»astE  but  they  were . 

But  conversely,  Jesus  will  speak  to  the  goats,  verses  4-1-43,  read  &  explain. 
They  will  ask  of  Him,  verses  44,  read  8s  explain.   His  answer  tovthem,  verse 
45,  read  &.  explain.   These  goats  are  also  Gentiles,  but  they  refused  to  help 
the  Jews  in  their  need. 

And  Jesus  suras  it  up  by  saying,  verse  46,  read  &  explain. 

One  thing  we  must  point  out,  and  this  does  not  make  a  case  for  works  right- 
eousness,  v'/orks  are  important,  but  no  one  is  saved  through  them.  The  in- 
dividual person  must  still  come  to  Christ  for  forgivness  which  is  only  possi- 
ble through  Him. 

Now  when  we  turn  back  to  the  end  of  the  prophecy  of  Joel  we  read,  in  verse 
20,  "But  Judah  will  be  inhabited  forever,  and  Jerusalem  for  all  generations.' 
In  the  puok  of  Revelation  John  seeing  the  visions  of  things  to  come  had  it 
revealed  to  him  in  the  21st  chapter,  verse  1  through3,  read  &  explain. 
T\  is  without  many  details  comprises  the  Day  of  the  Lord,  that  which  is  still 
to  Come.   But  no  one  knows  when  that  will  be  and  in  the  meantime  there  is 

still  this  life  to  be  lived  which  God  has  given  to  each  of  us.   As  we  said 

Day 
last  week  it  proves  nothing  to  sit  back  and    just   wait   for  that  ebjc33djc  of  the 

Lord . 

(Illustration  of  man,  dead  daughter,  her  tape,  birthday  cake  6  Jesus) 
He  had  questioned,  he  didn't  understand;  he  was  bitter,  angry  and  hurt. 
But  in  that  instance  he  came  to  know  what  it  was  all  about.   There  is  still 
a  world  around  us  waiting  for  the  message  which  only  Christians  can  carry. 
There  is  a  war  to  be  fought  against  the  forces  of  evil  which  surround  us. 
The  question  is,  "Will  we  be  content  to  sit  and  await  the  Day  of  the  Lord, 
reveling  in  the  fact  that  at  that  time  Jesus  Christ  will  come  back  and  con- 
quer?"  Or  will  we  instead,  love  Him,  and  serve  Him,  and  give  of  ourselves 
for  Him? 


. 


ST*  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fourteenth  Sunday  After  Pentecost    September  16,  1984 
Rev.  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mrs.  Kitty  Feder,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel,  Dawn  Carney,  Acolytes 
+  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Hymn  No.  323      "Holy  I  Holy!  Holy  I 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  Lord,  whose  way  is  perfect, 
help  us,  we  pray  thee,  always  to  trust  in  thy  goodness; 
that,  walking  with  thee  and  following  thee  in  all 
simplicity,  we  may  possess  quiet  and  contented  minds, 
and  may  cast  all  our  care  upon  thee,  for  thou  carest 
for  us;,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord*  Amen.11 
•Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise 

•Pastor ;   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God! 
•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
^Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  399    1+Jesus  Calls  Us  o'er  the  Tumult" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  spirit 
Pastor:   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory 
Doxology   No.  382 
Scripture:      Galatians  1:1-5 
Sermon:     'Born  Free:   Ascription" 
•Closing  Hymn  Mo.  220   "I've  Found  a  Friend,  0  Such  a  Friend1 
Benediction 
Postlude 
f  +  +  -i-+  +  +  +  +  *Congregation  Standing  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

Roland  Thorn?' -in  would  like  to  sincerely  thank  everyone 
for  their   Jyers  and  cards  during  my  recent  hospital  Stay, 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
Mr*  &   Mrs,  William  Thompson  to  the  "Glory  of  God" 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are  *Fob  Vinroe,  Robert  Dellen, 
Randy  Dellen,  and  Brian  Kennedy. 

Mr.  A.   Mrs.  Sso#ga  Pflugh  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 
the  door  this  morning, 
^Hospitalized:   Elma  Robinson,  Minnie  Kelly,  Bernice   Cuy" 
Nicholas.   Wm.  Johnston  -  V*A*  Hospital. 

Bernice  Nicholas  has  a  new  address  2208  Butler  Rd. 
Saxonburg,  Pa.  16056.   She  should  be  added  to  your  list 
as  in  a  Home. 

Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis,  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 
visiting  the  Hospital  this  week. 
^TODAY  -  SPECIAL  COUNCIL  MEETING  AFTER  THE  SERVICE. 

Tuesday  —  Confirmation  will  begin  at  7:00  P*M.  in  the 
Kitchenette  downstairs. 

Wed-  -  6:30  -  Golden  Circle  Salad  Smorgasbord.   Members 
are  asked  to  bring  an  item  for  Farmers  market. 

Tues*  and  Thura,  6-8  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall. 

It  was  reported  that  there  was  $139.  received  in  the 
Free  Will  Offering  for  the  SonShine  Gang  last  Sunday. 

Dutch  Bolam  has  offered  to  take  the  Chancel  Care  over 
with  help  on  Easter  and  Christmas  arranging  flowers* 

Virginia  Mangel  was  hired  as  the  new  Financial  Secretary 
as  of  October  1st. 
-^Tomatoes,  Carrots  and  Onions  are  needed  for  the  Soup 
and  Salad  Day*   If  you  have  any  or  all  of  the&e  please 
contact  Mrs.  Lois  Stokes   292-1032 

Roland  Thompson  is  home  as  of  last  Friday,  a  week  ago. 
^Sunday,  September  30.  -  Congregational  Dinner  at  5:30  P.M, 
Meat,  dessert  and  beverage  will  be  provided.   Bring 
enough  tureens  to  compensate  for  your  family.   There  will 
be  a  special  door  prize  and  games  are  planned.   Come  and 
enjoy  this  evening  of  fun  and  fellowship 

APPLE  BUTTER  TIME  -  October  19  and  20.   October  19  Friday, 
we  will  be  cutting  up  apples  to  make  into  sauce  for  the 
next  day.  We  need  a  lot  of  help  for  both  days.   We  also 
need  to  borrow  the  sqeeze— os  that  we  used  last  year* 
Please  let  Marilyn  Sndyer  know  if  you  can  work  and  if  jro 
have  the  equipment  for  making  sauce.   We  are  also  looking 
for  quart  jars  for  apple  butter.   If  you  have  them  pleat- 
bring  them  in  for  Ginny  Mangel  marked  for  apple  butter. 
*M0WD_A_Y.  -  September  17  The  Fidelity  Bible  Class  is  having 
•=>  Tureen  Dinner  and  Silent  Auction  -  Monday  evening  at 
00  P.M.  J 


"Born  T'ree  :    Ascription" 
Scripture         Galatians  1:1-5 

i-  of   "Born  Free", book, song  ~tc,} 
e  perhap  mor  than  othrs  stres   fredum 
Asn's   prid  solvs=fredums    othr   natina   no  hav 
unfortunatly, society  many  fredums  wronp,  sinful   S. 
no  lead   2freduiD,but   Pslavry 
St   sine   liv  such  age  bk  Gal  prob  mor  relev  Ecus   rpks 
fredum  mos  worl  duxnt  hsv,duant  kno  &   no  understand 

I  wrot   of   this  fredeum   &  easly  entitl=Born  Free   Bcuz 

this   wat   all   about 
A„   go  thru   letr  Eliev  wil  Botim  self-evid  who  thoz    5 
who  R  Born  Free   &  so   no   elab   at  t'nir   pt 

:  uch  bakgr  this  bk  s<.  wud   tak  litrl   hrH   P  cover 
So  brief   Ik  &   wat  shud  kno  bout   'alatians 
toot  by  r  around   '»<?    '.  '-;     1st   letr   as  far  as  we   kno 

"alatia  tuk  name   from  "aula   setl   ther  roun  278  EC 
25   BC  Bcum  Roman  provinc   St  kno  as   E  !    B  Galatia 
Biff  tween-M  was   f arms ,f arninr  S    Cauls   sttl   liv  ther 
E  was  area  coraerc  rte  rtretch  thru,citie?   pop  by   Jews 
Greeks  and   Romans 

nest   ask-To  whom  T  writ?      "orth,or  South? 
Anoer=South   Ss  reasn=,"'ntioch,Icriniij7!],Derbe,rystra   told 

of   in  bk  Acta  ft  "orth  city  no   mention  at  all 
P  visit  Galatia  on  1st    journy  w/Barnbas   Sc  est  churche: 

aftr  est, turn  rnd  po  bat  thru   8s  ^iv   Instnet ,directin 

2strenpthen  the   saints 
2«w"    journy  tuk  E  Has  ,went   bak  "•  agin  work  s  ferengthn 
11^     .Id    ::   depert    agin. 

no   soonr  lef.r  receiv  word   Xians  Gal  fal  4fals   teach 
Thez   neop  cal    30DTIZEHS  wer  claim  I   no   apostl 
taut   anothr  -ospel,?'  taut  rnus  folo   Jew  I.aw,eermony  et' 

They  accpt    Js,but  now  was    Js,   plus   JUDYISK 
P's   task  wan   Jfold=prov  he  apostl ;repreach, teach  tru 

lospel   of   ".race;";  teach   \pians    Tree   of   lav;  &  no   need 
vs   1-If  note   othr  letrs   C  rriv"An  apostl"  S  no  explain 

here   say=Vs    lB«=He   let   kno   herd   wat    sed  bout   hi-n;he 
angry   5°  tel  ptblank  who  he   is   &  wat   luthorty  do   it 

auth  no  convey  eilesasticl   society  ,relia:  authorty= 
vs   lc=wat  hie-hr  auth  Peonvy  apost^hli   than   Js  xp  I     G  i 

I    met   Xp   reranlr  rd   Daioas;no  work  with  in  lir,walk 

with, but    lnoment   no  tget  met   face  to  face 

,'h.o   need  theo  ed, decrees  wen  insted  hav  comis   fr   Jfl 
I'imQelf?   "•  thi?   wat   F  try   estsb   auth  Plead   ch  in  Gal 
vs   id=This   ident  which   Ja   F  spk  of=ther  many, only   1 

i     e   from  ded  &  that   Jf  _ 

vs   2=furthr   pruf  why  authjthez  brethren, etr, Jn.etc 

Thez  men  tesfy  I  hav  evry  rite  ^3  considr  apostl 
&  all  thez  brethrn  Bend  -reets  2  churches  of  c-al 

'is  autheaitca     'a  cal  as  ap  "tie 


s  5»f  gtv  typcai  saiutaTin^iws   m.;    wcj.   -*-■  ■-    '  i 

,d,hear   letr 
"    S    5»explanatln   of    lospel   as  1st   ax     erument   .- 
bat  wat   tak  plac   in   Gal 
3Tis   Js   I    ident   as   lmak  hin  apsot]  ,tnis   1  dy  on  eras 
4al  ialatina   iientfy  aa    "Our, us" 

o.thev  cud3  delivr  PT-o^ent   evil  worl  tliey   liv 
nor'   bhan  this, was  dun  acora  wil  of  r;;not   Hie   own   ■.■il- 
but   wil    of    3    Fathr 

Jews    Bcum  Spians  haa  difculty  underst   Js   as  1  sent   d 
delivr    j's  peopl  Sn 

Refus  Bliev   then,  (thoz   no   T:cum    CpianjS  refus   Bliev 
dwn  thru  hisfcry   2   today 
F  re-iter  wat   tol  many   time   B4  &  that   iS-G   plan.'x  ex- 
ecute I'is  wil   thru    Js   Xp   &  Ecus   this   actiri  S  a  Pfrt 
,.,y=vs   5=   We   C  i    overcura  by  powr  of   Godta   ]uv  *mank 
P  sum  up  alatatin.or  greeta  w  "script in  not  only 

iL^btli^iBOBag  rPtheme   of  Gal   is   set   in  4th  vs=2SAD 
I    r  talk  bout    fredums   Galatins   had   thr, 
i lus   Herman, sub  pianist   5  bakpround) 
This  wat   '    ret  at  .  .-,    j        t  „r-^o 

How  oftn  do  U  feel  hem  in  &  fredum  stifled, cut  o.f . 
U   feel  "  no  free   Bcuz  corcumr-tanc   of   life, out   u 
R   Free! 
<pian  U  wer  Born  Free  „„„„„♦. 

1    U  may  hav   schedul  akeepiobligatina    Fron  which  cannot 
eBcape;many  tbinga  keep  U  feel   inprisn  this  1« 
-■rt  with  all  thoz   circuwstntic   nuround   U    .  me.eacn 
J  worm  us   we   B  free   in   Ja   Xp 
Ho  one  can  tak  that  from  us 
HO   1G'.;!   SEFKA5   US   FROM  LUV  I 
as    I    ray   writ    2'loman  church 
I    ther  sural  luv  U  abov     all  else 

ir   -^rounds   may  no  15  wat   complet  want, or  desir-.Ur  -fxa 
inrobs   ma"  no  all  B  'olv;peop  aroun  U   may  no  ehanp  k 
iSe?tr,but  ?nru   all  &   in  it   all  D   I    free   thru  Him  who 
,  loved   V   ■■■  gav  Himself   ^U 

i,.    rnus   liv   in  this  presen  worl, kno  that  we  R  free 
thru      i 


■/HIGH   IN  X?   OT    OTJR  L, 


the  capital  of  the         ovi   ice   d  'iwe  these  churches  band  together  for 
the  spreading  of  the  Gospel. 


"Born  "Aree  :  'i  script  ion" 

Scripture:  Galatians  1:1-5 

Back  in  the  19S0's  there  was  a  real  life  story  which  came  out  and  it  '-/as 
gallon  wkBSK  who  was  orphaned  and  was  rescued  fe^pcxxHsmax.  from  certain  death 

by  a  woman  who  raised  her  to  adulthood.   I  believe  the  lion  was  named 
Elsa.  The  woman  was  determined  from  the  very  be        that  this  would  not 
be  another  wild  lion  tamed  and  trained  and  not  permitted  to  be  a  lion.  But 
instead  ,  this  lion  was  going  to  be  raised  and  trained  to  go  back  to  the  wilds 
and  be  a  typical  lion.   She  believed  that  the  lion  was  "Born  Free"  and  was 
n,t  meant  to  be  confined.   It  was  born  to  hunt  and  roam  and  do  everythin 
lion  was  created  to  do.   "he  wrote  a  book  about  her  experiences  in  raising 
and  training  this  lion  to  go  back  to  the  jungle.   A  song  was  written  about  it 
and  the  book  and  the  song  bore  the  title,  "Born  Free." 

.e  live  in  an  age  which  perhaps  more  than  any  other  stresses  freedom. sees 
ikHH  la    'raericans  we  pride  ourselves  on  our  "freedoms"  which  other  nations  do 
not  enjoy.   And  unfortunately,  in  our  society  of  many  freedoms  are  those  whicl 
are  wrong  and  sinful  and  which  lead  not  to  freedom,  but  to  slavery  instead. 
Oince  we  live  in  such  an  age,  the  book  of  8±a  Galatians  is  probably  more 
relevant  now  than  it  has  ever  been,  because  it  speaks  of  a  freedom  which 
rosfc  of  the  world  doesn't  have,  or  doesn't  know,  and.  really  cannot  understand. 
Taul  wrote  of  this  freedom  and  I  believe  we  can  ver-  easily  entitle  our  study 
on  this  letter,  "  or:   ree,"  because  that  is  what  it  is  all  about.  is   we 
travel  through  this  letter  I  believe  it  will  become  self-evident  who  those  art 
who  are  "Porn  Free , "  and  go  we  wil]  not  elaborate  at  this  -point. 
There  is  so  much  background  to  this  book  that  we  could  spend  literal  hours 
elaborating  on  all  of  it,   Co  rather  than  try  to  cover  all  of  the  background, 
let  us  just  cover  briefly  the  basic  things  we  probably  should  know  about 
Galatians . 

This  letter  was  probably  written  by  Paul  in  the  year  49  A.D.   This  is  his 
first  letter  as  far  as  we  know.   Galatia  took  its  name  from  the  people  named 
Gauls  who  settled  there  around  278  B.C.   It  became  a  Soman  province  in  25  B.C 
It  was  a  country  ^xxisteil  known  as  North  and  South  Galatia  and  the  difference 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  two  parts  were  extremely  different  in  makeup. 
The  Horth  was  made  up  mostly  of  farmers  and  farming,  spoke  a  slightly  differ- 
ent language  and  was  where  the  Gauls  still  lived.   Tve  South  was  the  area 
through  which  the  commerce  route  stretched  ,   It  had  many  cities  which  were 
flourishing  and  these  were  populated  by  Jews,  Greeks  and  Romans.   The  quest- 
ion is  asked  concerning  which  part  of  Galatia  Paul  was  writing  to.   And  the 
answer  seems  to  be  the  Southern  section  and  the  reason  is  because  of  the 
cities  of  Antioch,  Iconium,  Berbe,  and  Lystra  bein-r  mentioned  in  .;'.?  book  of 
A.cts  telling  of  his  missionary  journeys.   Paul  visiter!  southern  Cralatia  on 
his  first  missionary  journey  x-aaxanxkisv-third  ■  missieiiisacjpc^tasrHsyxxxfcHxfctat 
SS&xgBBBSaspdH         id3en:by:the  Boly 'Spirit  to  go  through  A  SHifcjoiMxx-HaattJ 
SJlii.<:sE>'iiHKwent.:thrOu.'-h  ihaxnxirthem^part .  x. 
^«5*?x^]g^ax4$inq5S]g8^^ 


-'5- 

rfhile  in  those  four  cities  with  Barnabas,  Paul  established  churches.   After 
he  had  established  them,  he  turned  .around  and  went  back  through  the  area 
giving  instructions  and  direction  for  the  strengthen  I1-:      be  saints. 
Then  he  returned  to  Antioch  in  ""yria.   On  hie  second  missionary  journey  he 
took  ->ilas  with  ''in  and  went  back  to  the  churches  in  Galatia  and  again  worked 
to  strengthen  the  saints  there  and  again  he  departed  from  then.  But  in  a 
very  short  Lime,  Paul  received  word  that  the  Christians  in  "alatia  were  fall- 
ing false  teachings,   "hey  were  following  another  Gospel  and  Paul  was  shocked, 
But  more  than  that,  Paul  became  angry.   ;:ithin  the  ranks  of  these  Galatian 
Christians  were  many  Jews.  The  efforts  they  were  putting  forth  in  bhe  church* 
there  gave  them  the  name  of  "Judaizers."   This  meant  they  were  teaching  that 
for  a  person  to  be  a  real  Ghristian,  he  also  had  to  have  the  Jewish  laws  and 
ceremonies.   In  other  words,  he  had  to  be  like  the  Jews  before  Jesus  came. 
Only  now,  it  was  Jesus  plus  Judaism.   But  they  were  also  claiming  that  Paul 
had  no  right  or  authority  to  teach  and  preach  since  he  wasn't  a  real  Apostle. 
5o  Paul's  job  was  threefold.   He  had  to  prc\       his  was  a  true  apostleship, 
he  had  to  reproach  and  teach  the  Gospel  of  Grace,  and  he  had  to  teach  the 
Christians  there  that  they  were  free  of  the  law  and  didn't  need  it. 
So  it  is  that  he  begins  his  letter  in  verse  1,  "Paul,  ancapostle."   Now  if 
you  note  the  introduction  of  Paul's  other  letters  you  will  see  that  he  tells 
that  he  is  an  apostle  and  there  is  no  explanation  about  it,.  But  here  be  says, 
further,  "Pot  of  men,  neither  by  man,"   In  other  -words,  Paul  is  visibly  up- 
set to  put  it  mildly  that  his  aenuine  authority  is  being  questioned.   It 
would  probably  be  more  correct  to  say  that  he  is  downright  angry  and  he  is 
not  mine  in,-;  words  or  beating  around  the  bush.   Ke  is  letting  them  know  that 
he  has  heard  their  accusations  and  he  is  telling  them  polntblank  who  he  is 

and  by  what  authority  he  does  what  he  does.   That  authority  has  not  been  con- 

"men"  or 
veyed  upon  Sin  by^raan"  meaning  come  ecclesiastical  group,  or  religious  author- 
ity,  "nd  then  he  quickly  adds,  "But  by  Jesus  Christ,  nnd  God  the  Father,  who 
raised  Pirn  from  the  dead."   What  higher  authority  is  there  to  convey  spirit- 
ual leadership  on  anyone  than  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  and  God  the  Bather? 
Paul  met  Jesuc  Christ  personally  on  the  road  to  Damascus.   Pe  may  not  have 
walked  with,  or  talked  with  Him,  or  been  involved  in  Jesus'  earthly  ministry. 
But  in  one  brief  moment  never  to  be  forgotten,  he  met  Him  face  to  face,   './ho 
needs  a  theological  education,  or  a  bunch  of  degrees  to  serve  Jesus  Christ, 
when  they  have  instead,  a  commission  from  Jesus  Christ  Himself?   This  is  what 
Paul  is  seeking  to  convey  to  establish  his  authority  to  lead  the  churches  in 
Galatia. 

To  further  identify  for  whom  he  la  working  and  serving,  Paul  idds,  ".ho  raised 
Pin  from  the  dead."  That  statment  Identifies  the  Jesus  of  whom  he  i.i  speaking 
It  separates  that  Jesus  from  all  the  rest.   Tfrere  were  -     xaxs*  men  named 


Jesus ,  but  there  was  only  one  who  rose  from  the  grave.   \nd  as  further  identi- 
fication, Taul  adds  in  verse  G,  "And  all  the  brethren  which  are  with  me,  u 
the  churches  of  "alatia."   "All  the  brethren,"  are  the  other  Apostles  who  are 
with  Paul  at  Jerusalem.   That's  Geter,  and  John,  and  each  of  the  original  11 
who  were  with  Jesus.   These  men  can  testify  that  Paul  has  every  right  to  be 
considered  an  apostle.   And  all  of  these  brethren,  send  the  same  greetings 
to  the  churches  in  Galatia,  thus  authenticating  Paul's  credentials. 

Now  Paul  gives  the  typical  salutation  as  found  in  verse  3,  "Grace  be  to  you 
and  peace  from  Cod  the  Father,  and  fro^  our  lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Here  is  included  Paul's  well  wishes  for  those  who  would  read  and  hear  this 

letter. 

Then   Paul  gives  them  the  explanation  of  the   Gospel   as  his  first  argument  to 

combat  what  was  taking  place   in  "alatia  as  we  read  in  verses  4  and  5. 

"Who  rave  Himself  for  our  sins,  that  He  night  deliver  us  from  this  present 
evil  world ^  according  to  the  will  of  Cod  and  our  Father:  to  whom  be  glory 
for   ever   and   ever.      Amen." 

This    Jesus    Christ  who   selected   Paul  to  be   one   of   His   apostles*    this    same    one 
that    Paul    identifies   from  all   other    Jesus 's;    this    is   the   one  who  disci    on  be- 
half  of  all  mankind,    and  in  particular  the   Dalatians   at  this  point  as   identi- 
fied as    "our"  and    "Us."     He  did  this   bo  they  could   be  delivered  from  the  pre- 
sent  evil   world    in  which  they   lived,      Eut   more   than  this,    it  was   done   accord- 
ing: to  what   God   wanted   done.      Jesus   didn't   do  this    ofl  His    own  free   will.      He 
did   it   according   to   the   '-'ill   of  God  the  Pather.      You    see,   the    Jews  who  had 
become   Christians  had  a  great   deal  of  difficulty  understanding    Jesus   as  the 
One   who  was    sent   to  deliver   God's   people.      fffe*3pra:fe±SAxcrfBSBxfcexfcE±:iEXKX±fc 
HysjaxtB&ax   They  have  refused   to  believe   it   down  through  history  and   refuse 
Him  today  as  well.     Paul  was   merely  re-iterating  what  he   had  told  them  many 
times  before.      And    that  was,   God  planned   and  executed  His   will  through   Jesus 
Christ,      And  because   of   this   action  on    Tod's   part,    Paul   can  declare,    "To  whom 

lory  for  ever  and  ever.   'men."   Paul  is  overcome  by  the  power  of  God's 
love  for  mankind, 

Paul  sums  his  salutation  or  greetings  up  in  an  "  \scripb-ion"  not  only  to  God, 
but  to  Jesus  Christ,   And  the  xs  basic  message  and  theme  of  Galatians  is  set 

by  Paul's  words  in  the  4th  verse  of  this  1st      tr,   "Hho  gave  Himself  for 
our  sins,  that  He  night  deliver  us  from  this  present  evil  world,  according 
to  the  will  of  God  and  our  Pather," 

Paul  was  talking  about  the  freedom  the  Galatians  had  through  Christ. 

(Illustration  of  Herman,  the  substitute  piano  pP-yer   his  background) 

the  music  department  of  a  dertain  Hmxxsxj&E^xx^iEKii  university  there  was 
a  piano  teacher  whom  the  students  affectionately  called  ""erman"  because  of 
his  gerraan  accent.  One  night,  a  distinguished  pianist  was  to  perform  at 
the  university,   -"uring  the  playing  of  an  extremely  difficult  piece,  he 
became  ill  and  left  the  stage.   It  was  announced  that  he  would  not  be  able 
to  continue.   The  audiende  sat  for  a  few  moments  in  their  seats  in  stunned 


silende.   During  this  lull,  "Herman  rose  ^rom  his  seat  and  walked  onstage. 
Everyone  waited  'd   fee  what  he  would  do.   He  eat  down  at  the  piano  and  with 
great  skill  completed  the  complete  performance  to  the  thunderous  applause  of 
._  the  entire  audience.   Later  that  night  at  a  party  he  was  asked  how  he  could 
have  performed  so  flawlessly  without  any  notice  and  no  rehearsal,   After  some 
coaxing  he  explained  that  in  1939  when  he  was  8  budding  concert  pianist,  he 
was  arrested  in  Germany  and  placed  in  a  concentration  canp.   He  knew  that  if 
he  survived  his  future  life  would  he  hopeless  unless  he  practiced  everyday. 
But  how  could  he  do.it?   He  thought  about  it  and  late  one  night  when  he  could- 
n't  sleep  he  pretended  to  play  a  piece  he  had  memorized  on  his  wooden  bead- 
JsEEKE  board.   The  next  night  he  added  a  second  piece  and  very  soon  he  was 
pretending  to  play  his  entire  repertoire  by  memory.   He  did  that  for  five 
years.  And  then  he  explained,  "The  piece  I  playeci  tonight  was  a  part  of  my 
repertoire.   That  constant  hope  is  what  kept  me  alive.   Everyday  I  renewed 
my  hope  that  I  would  one  day  be  able  to  play  my  music  again  on  a  real  piano 
and  in  freedom. " 

Tuis  is  what  Haul  was  getting  at.  How  often  do  you  feel  you  are  hemmed  in 
and  your  freedom  is  stifled  or  cut  off.   You  feel  you  are  not  free  because  of 
various  circumstances  of  life.   But  you  are  free!   If  you  are  a  Christian  you 
were  "Born  Free!"   You  may  have  a  schedule  to  keep;  obligations  from  which 
you  cannot  escape;  many  things  which  keep  you  feeling  imprisoned  by  this  life 
But  with  all  of  those  circumstances  surrounding  you  and  me,  each  of  us,  we 
are  free  in  Jesus  Christ .   No  one  can  take  that  from  us .   Nothing  can  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  lord  as  Paul  told 
the  members  of  the  church  in  "ome .   There  is  someone  who  loves  you  above  all 
else.   Your  surroundings  may  not  be  what  you  completely  want  or  desire; 
your  problems  may  not  all  be  solved;  the  people  around  you  may  not  change  for 
the  better;  but  throuf-rh  it  all  and  in  it  all,  you  are  free  through  Him  who 
loved  you  and  gave  Himself  for  you.   Accept  that  love  today  and  wling  to  it 
daily,   let  is  live  within  your  heart  and  be  comforted  by  the  jtbx  very  same 
words  which  Paul  wrote  to  the  churhes  in  "alatia. 

Grace  be  to  you  and  peace  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our  Lord  Jesus  Cvrist 
Wb.0  gave  Himself  for  our  sins,  that  He  mirht  deliver  us  from  this  present 
evil  world,  according  to  the  will  of  God  -nd  our  Father:  To  '.Thorn  be  glory 
forever  and  ever.   Amen." 

Let  this  "Ascription"  be  ours  to  clinp;  to  and  claim  for  each  day  we  must  live 

in  this  present  world,  knowing  that  we  are  "FRFE"  through  Christ. 


IV  .•aping  May  2,  1990  , 

(Illustration  of  lion  JJlsa,  and  "3orn  Free")  I    !  ~Q 

The  events  which  have  taken  place  in  the  past  few  months  have  Memonstrt^ d 

the  desire  for  freedom  which  people  crave.  2feex*rBBkxBJfxiia±B*±aHsx3ffri±jfcBHxiy 

SkaxxBSKt±Bxi;aHixE®HMxYKryxKSsixyxfcE  The  theme  of  the  New  Testament  book  of 

Galatians  is  that  of  freedom,  and  the  book  could  very  well  be  entitled, 

"Born  Free.-'   The  church  in  C-alatia  was  actually  made  up  of  a  group  of  churche 

founded  by  Paul  when  be  traveled  through  that  area.   Among  the  problems  in 

these  churches  was  the  qu  ationing  of  Paul's  authority.   The  question  was 

whether  he  was  an  apostle  and  did  he  have  the  right  to  act  as  their  overseer. 

Thus  it  is  that  this  letter  begins  with  Paul  writing,  "Paul  an  apostle  (not  of 
men,  neither  by  man,  verse  1A« 

OEhe  authority  Paul  has  has  not  been  conveyed  unon  him  by  "men,  or  man"  mean- 
ing some  eccelsiastical  group,  or  religious  authority.   He  adds,  "but  by  Jesus 
Christ,  and  God  the  father,"  verse  IB. 

What  higher  authority  is  there  to  convey  spiritual  leadership  on  anyone  than 

Jesus  Christ  linself  and  God  the  Father?   Paul  had  net  the  Lord  personally  on 

the  road  to  Damascus.   He  may  not  have  walked  with  Jesus,  or  talked  with  uim 

as  the  other  apostles  did,  but  nevertheless  he  encountered  the  Risen  Lord 

which  he  said  qualified  him  to  preach  th*5  gospel  and  call  himself  an  "A^stle" 

Who  needs  a  theological  education  or  a  bunch  of  degrees  to  serve  Jesus  „_  _-ist 

when  Jesus  Himself  commissions  the  person?   3o  this  then,  is  what  Haul  is 

seeking  to  convey,  to  establish  his  authority  to  lead  the  churches  of  Galatia, 

To  further  identify  for  whom  he  is  working  and  serving,  Paul  adds,  "Who  xtjIb 
raised  Him  fromthe  dead,"  verse  10. 

That  statement  separates  Jesus  ^fez-isx-  from  all  the  other  Jesus'  who  had  that 

name.   There  was  only  one  Jesus  who  rose  from  the  grave. 

Having  thus  identified  himself  Paul  adds  a  little  more  reinforeement  for  his 

authority  by  adding,  "And  all  the  brethren  who  are  with  me,  unto  the  churches 
of  Galatia,"  verse  2. 

Those  brethren  consisted  of  Peter,  and  John,  and  the  other  disciples.   These 
men  could  authenticate  the  credentials  of  Paul. 

Then  after  Paul  gives  his  xix  salutation  he  adds,  (read  verses  3  &  4). 
Here  is  the  basic  message  and  theme  of  this  book.   That  message  and  theme  is 
simply  that  Jesus  Christ  died  for  our  sins  and  arose  from  the  grave  to  deliver 
us  from  this  present  KSExd  evil  world.  *«xh»5f»xfe«*Stx»«fexxx8Sxx«xfiJtgilxSfefiSx 
5tKStx3rifxi8xxfex»  We  are  born  again  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  because  of 
this  new  birth  we  can  say  we  are  "Born  Free."   Paul  was  speaking  of  tr 
freedom  the  Galatians  had  through  Christ  and  this  is  the  freedom  of  all  be- 
lievers. 
(Illustration  of  Herman,  the  substitute  piano  player  and  his  background) 


This  is  what  Paul  was  getting  at  in  his  letter  to  the  Galatians.   How  often 
do  you  feel  that  you  are  hemmed  in  and  your  freedom  is  cut  off??  You  may  feel 
tu  are  not  free  because  of  the  circumstances  of  life.   You  may  have  a  sched- 
"rtte  to  keep;  obligations  from  which  you  cannot  escape;  and  many  things  which 
keeiD  you  feeling  imprisoned  by  this  life.   But  with  all  those  circumstances 
you  are  free  and  can  be  free  through  Jesus  Christ.   Paul  told  the  members  of 
the  church  in  Rome  that  nothing  can  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.   Mo  one  can  take  that  away  from  us.   There  is  some- 
one who  loves  7/ou  above  all  else.   Your  surroundings  may  not  be  all  you  want 
or  desire;  your  problems  may  not  all  be  solved;   the  people  around  you  may 
not  change  for  the  better;  but  through  it  all  and  in  it  all  you  are  free 
through  Him  who  loved  you  and  gave  Himself  for  you.   Accept  that  love  today 
and  cling  to  it  daily.   L'he  words  Paul  wrote  are  those  words  of  comfort, 
(2ead  verses  3  and  4) .   Let  this  "Ascription"  be  ours  to  cling  to  and  claim 
for  each  day  we  must  live  in  this  "present  evil  world,"  knowing  that  we  are 
free  through  Jesus  Christ. 


ST..  PAUL'S  UNITED  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fifteenth  Sunday  After  Pentecost      September  23, 
Rev,  Ralph  C.  Link,  Pastor 
Mr*  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis  -  Acolyte 


+  + 


+  +  + 


+  + 


We  Praise  Thy  Name1' 


ORDER  OF   WORSHIP   -   11:00  A.M. 

Prelude  lhIn  The   Silence  of  Prayer" 

"Chiming  of   the   Hour11 

Announcements 

Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 

Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
•Hymn  No,  385    "Holy  God, 
""Ascription 
* Exhortation 
"Confession  (In  Unison)  "0  Lord  Jesus  Christ  who  didst 

give  Thy  Life  for  us  that  we  might  receive  pardon  and 

peace,  merci fully  cleanse  us  from  all  sin,  and  evermore 

keep  us  in  Thy  favor  and  Love,  who  livest  and  reignest 

with  the  Father*  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  ever  one  God, 

world  without  endi   Amen," 
*Kyrie 

^Assurance  of  Pardon 
*Praise 

*Pastorr  Blessed  be  the  Lord  Cod! 
*People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever 
•Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  107    "Amazing  Grace  I" 

Call  to  Prayer 


The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  spiri  t 
Let  us  Pray 


Pastor 

People 

Pastor 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory   "Theme  From  Pathetique  Symphony"  -  Doxology 
Installation  of  Women's  Fellowship  Officers,  Circle  Chr. 

^^frtfhem:        "Now  Single  Joy^uIfyUnto^Sod^  * 
^-^-seripiitire .      Galatians  1:6-10 

Sermon:      «g  Equals  C  Plus  What?" 
'Closing  Hymn  No,  114   "Wonderful  Grace  of  Jesus" 

Benediction 
JPost1  ie;       "Festal  March" 

I 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 

Jenny  Nohaeh  and  Daughter  in  memory  of  Grandma  Critchle 
Serving  as  Ushers  today  are:  *Richard  Mangel,  Don  Kingsl- 

Edward  Walker  and  Gary  Penar 
Mr.  &  Mrs,  Gottlob  Kradel  will  greet  the  Congregation  at 

the  door  this  morning,  _,■ 

^>Hospitalized:   Mr.  William  Winters  -  BCMH  -  <**■"  ?3**Wi/y 
William  Johnston  -  V.  A.  Hospital  <# *&£&*. 

Pam  Tait  and  Diane  Hollefreund  will  be  visiting  the 

Hospital  this  week. 
Beth  Tait  will  be  in  Nursery  this  morning. 
The  attendance  was  126  with  8  Visitors  last  week. 
TODAY  -  SPECIAL  COUNCIL  MEETING  FOLLOWING  THE  SERVICE. 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Thurs.  -  7:00  -  Chancel  Choir 
^^  David  Jaillet  is  leaving  for  Navy  tomorrow. 

Coming  up! ! ! 
^^Congregational  Dinner  next  Sunday  at  5;30  P.M.   -  Meat 

and  dessert  will  be  furnished  by  the  Committee  -  Bring 

enough  tureens  for  your  family. 
Oct.  7  -  World  Wide  Communion 
Oct.  9  -  Soup  and  Salad  Day,   Tickets  are  on  sale  nov  - 

see  Circle  Chairman,   Help  is  needed  -  call  Phyllis  Tai ' 

287-8852  if  you  wish  to  help.   We  do  not  need  anymore 

tomatoes,  however,  we  need  onions  and  carrots. 
^Qur  sincere  sympathy  to  the  Family  and  Friends  of  Hiss 

Winifred  McGrody  who  passed  away  this  week* 
Apple  Butter  Time  -  Oct,  19  and  20,   We  need  lots  of  hel; 

for  making  this  a  success  too.   The  proceeds  go  for 

Rehoboth  Hall. 
Mrs,  Margaret  McClymonds  and  Zitt  Thompson  both  have 

Birthdays  today,  -  Congratulations. 


A  support  group  for  persons  who  have  experienced  the  dea' 
of  a  loved  one  and  who  wish  to  talk  with  others  in  simile 
circumstances,  is  meeting  monthly.   It  provides  opport un- 
to share  alternative  ways  of  living  with  the  grief  and  ti 
obtain  assistance  in  the  practical  matters,  of  handling  n< 
responsibilities.   Open  to  anyone  in  the  cammuni by , 
The  group,  sponsored  by  the  Visiting  Nurses  Assoc,  meets 
7  P.M.  on  the  fourth  Thurs,  of  each  month  at  214  S.  HcKe 
September's  meeting  will  be  on  Thursday,  Sept.  27,  1984, 
For  further  information  contact  th*m  at  282-6806,  Ext.  2 

I 


"Born  Free:    0    Equals    C   Tlnr    "hat1"' 
Scripture :    Ga^stians   1:6-10 

ftp   ?ed   las  wk  letr  P  wrot  Gals  was   1st   letr  wrot=4-9AP 

.     kspec  rathr   ironic  wrot   letr  let   Bcuz  deal  prob  al! 

Xpians   fac  &  help  set   stag  4stedy   rtow  4individ  Xpiai 

lif  within  cong  of  which  a  membr 
A].so  shar   las   wk  sura  bakgr  letr  P*  purp  4  which  P  wrot 

wer  3issues   P  spk  agin  &  I  dentin  ?,&  4got   1 
Aftr   Ch  suml  ask  wat   3rd  was, I  no   mentin,I  jus   test  U 
2C   if  U  awak;but  truthf uly ,didnt  tel  7rd  &  I  thank  U 
if   U  notic  &  no  say  &  so  4  thos  8--  2kind  2tel,the  *i*x 
5issues  wer-Acus  noB  Aposjadd   Jew  Law  2Xpiantyt 

&.  3rd  issue   was  preaching   nothr  p-ospel 
4thoz   alert, issue   neglec   spk  bout  was   nothr  gospel  &■ 
this   P  covr  this  Scrip  this   morn 
JFK  say=Ask  not  wat  Ur  country  can  do  4U.,but   aks  wat 

U  can  do  4  UR  country. 
14   paraphras   hav   them  P  wrot   this    portin  Gal,&  say- 
Ask  not  wat   u  can  do  4G  but  ask  wat  G   has   dun  4U 

P  anser   critics  brief  1st  portin  1st   chap  &  gav  salu 

&   Ascription  2  God 
How  setl  2task  spk  2issues   at  hand 

F  writ  mesar  2peop  in  ch's  he   fnded  £.  startd;short 

aftr   mak  2nd  mis    ,iurny  ther.receiv  word   in  Syrian 

Antoich  wer   serius   prob   aris 
rrobs   caus   by    Jew   converts    thoz   congs   pr 'teach  contra: 
2wat  taut, so   P  tak  pen  hand   %  writ  4cef l.persuas   manr 

Cud  say   P  actul  angry  &   Enp;  rendr  tex   no  giv   .iustic 

?"  one   Bhind   it,&  if  truth  kno  stop  jus   short  prof  ant; 
Wt      P  2preach  this  mesag  cone  2day,membrs  wudB  totl 
upset  &.  wud  declar   toes   B  step  onjbut   P  no  flinch 
vs   6=we   wud  say=IK  utrly   surpris  U  hav  cum  this  conol 
or=I  dont   Bliev  this   hapning  &  P  expres   amaz  bin  in 
midst  them,shar  Gospl  &  now  they  turn  from  it 
HIKi=God;G   cal  men  &  ther   peop  now  folo  nothr  voice 
vs   7a=P  say  this   not   nothr  (rospl.it   old   stuf   V  try 

put  dwn  B4  ft  anos  from  time  2  time 
vs   ?B«pt  out  sum  amongtry  2turn  fr=tru   Gosp  2fals  tea 

from  grmatic   structur  vs   C  fals  teach  not   turn  Gal 

yet, but   influ  ther  &  time   ?nip  in  bud 
Wat  dif  t*een  tru  Gospl  &  fals, nothr   Gospl? 
Js   Xp  born  Virgin  Fsry  &  cum  in2  worl   ?sav  sinnrs 

did  this  sac   self  cros   Calvry ,sufr,dy  4  all  mankind 
tuk  sins  evrl   on  self   "■  thru   Him  hav  4givnes  wen  we 
claim  Him   in  faith  as   persnl   Saviour 

T     ]    Jew  convrts  this   not  enuf  had   2E  faith, &  liv   Law 
Aloo  all  males   had  2B  circumcis=it   not    jus   faith.it 
add  works, so  no  wondr   P  angry, it  not   nothr  gospl, it 
perveraion;&  we  hav   ?day=  Jehovah  witnea  ,t-'ormons=anyl 
who   add  sumthin  besid  Eibl   is   cult=unXpian, steer  clea 


Apos    iJn  say   no   invit;   nomes    or   giv    roaspeea,i;ney  if/ 

fals   teach, fals  prophs   &,  P  spk  wat  need  hapn 

2them  vse   8-9   '■■■  here   strong  languag 
Ac-*irsed  =  get  word= ANATHEMA  &  anyl  dKKiaxxtktsxKXBitx 
!ca    .ed   this  was  declar  agin.  G,&  2B  devct   2destructin 
I  Usui  ment   excomunicatin,but  F  no  cal  4it   Bcuz  anrls 
!  spok   of  here=he  cal   anyl  preach  dif   "lospl  ?B  thot   of 

as   B  spiritul  ded 
Lk  OT  exarapl  2underst=  (Joshua  lesd  peop   Is,suround   Jei 
Bs  read    Josh  6:17-18=peop  lv   Jer  ?own  fate, tak  nothin 
ilatr   Ar.han  tak  golii/^ilvr  &  G  destroy  all   then 
!  C  seriusnes   G   rlac   on  that  declar  cursed? 
Bo   P  declar  thez   peop   no  from  G,but   from  Hatan  insted 
{  fc  3atan,his   angls , demons   seek  work  relig  peop  Povrcuii 
God  =  so  can  C  from  this   Gal  incident  work  mid  ipian  coi 

V.'at  work  atrin  most?=seek  disprov  real   Gosp  wh   spk 

salv  by  grace  alone  ;this  wat   P  preach  &.  Judyisers 

seek  2ovrcum 
Fnd   lik  same   Gosp  Bcuz   spk   Js  dy,rise  a(fin,but   add 
works  at  begin,   &  works   at   end  &  in  tween  real  gsopl 

This  wat  fals   teach, cult   do  2day  ft  we   mus   investigat 

&  declar  2B  acurs   Bcuz  they  not  Xpian 
vs   <->  depart  Urself   from  him  &  declar  him  undr  G's  curi 

&  let   G  tak  care   of  him  as   He   will 
NOTTC=F  spk  also  4othr   apos   wen  say=WE=fae   ment   2gethr 

they  all  say   it   "    now  he   persnly   say  it 
vs   10=ask  coupl  quests   Bcuz    Judyisers   prob   acus   P  seel 

2B  poplar  6   try  pleas  Gentil  by   no  ste»s   the   MM 
Lk  word  Bgin  vs=FOa,use  many  dif  way  &.  here  use   in 
cr     ex  of=TIIFR;so  aftr   P  say  preceed  he   say ,THT:FiE,do 
I  ..jw  persuad  men, etc=  (dont   ask  me  why  no  print   THER) 
He   say=T5er  aftr  sed  all  this.duz   and   lik   I  try  pleas 
crowd»Ei  in  this   manr   sho   1st , last , always   tryB.  aerv   Js 

I  Bliev  raesag  timly   our  day  Bcuz   controversys   surroui 

Xpianty  2day 
Hav  thoz  want  ad/subtrao;easy  Blievism;thoz  ad  works 
jor  Bl  ev  simply  it  works   mak  persn  a  Xpian 
'(Read  quotes   B  Graham  crusad    England) 
Isnt   intrest   many  peon,includ  preachrs   no  kno  watbqut 
(Ilus  rtev   Vaus  &  B  rais   in  Xpian  home) 
I  hear  this  all  time=jus   wk  ago  lady  sed   she   Xpian 
Bcuz  rais   Xpian  home=try  tel  her  B  rais   Xpian  home, 
no  mak  Xpian  anymor  than  B  born  hospit   mak  persn  Dr., 
or   B  rais   garag  mak  la   car, or  a  mechanic 

conclusin  convera  she   Preby   &   I     asum  she   Bliev   this 

mak  her  a   Xpian ; only  thing  mak  Xpian  is   that   Js  Xp 

d      i  persnly  4U,k  that   He  fgav  U  or  Ur   sins   &.  wen 

U  aopt  nim  as   such  He   UR  savaiour 
Perhaps  notic  eouatin  in  sermon=anyl  kno  wat   it   is f 
HayB  U  think   I  wil  4get  divulg   it 


G  stands  4Grace 

C  stands  for  Xp 
So  quest  is= Grace  Equals  Christ  Plus  What? 

F  U  kno  the  anser? 
An&er= Nothing,  absolutely  nothing 

U  cannot  add  1  thing  2Grace  which  G  has  provid  thru 

J:  Xp 
Yet.  so  many  jeop,especil  Ch  peop  want  2add  sumthin 
2  G's  Grace 

U  &  I  mus  cum  2  Him  &  acpt  that  Grace, that  free  gift 

from  G,wh  is  Xp  Js  &  we  hav  all  that  G  wants  4us 
But  then  we  mus  start  211v  4  Him  &  let  Him  B  evident 
in  our  livs 

It  is  wen  we  start  21iv  4  Him  that  we  sho  our  luv  2w 
ward  Him  &  this  is  wat  the  Xpian  lif  is. 

W  mus  B  earful  not  to  preach/teach  nothr  Gospl  Bcuz 

tner  is  no  othr  Gospl 
Js  Xp  died  4our  sins  &  we  mus  declar  any  preach/teach 
othrwis  as  acursed 

T"k  that  salvatin  if  U  hav  it  &   claim  it  as  Ur  gift 
3m  G 
&.  is  U  dont  hav  it, why  not  claim  it  2day  as  we  pray 


"Born  Free:  G  Equals  C  Plus  What?" 
Scripture r  Galatians  1:6-10 
As  we  said  last  week  this  letter  which  Paul  wrote  to  the  Galatians  was  the 


first  letter  he  wrote.   The  date  for  it  is  set  around  49  A.D.   In  one  respect 
it  is  rather  ironic  that  Paul  wrote  this  letter  first  because  it  deals  with 
a  problem  that  all  Christians  face  and  helps  to  set  the  stage  for  steady- 
growth  in  the  individual  Christian's  life  within  the  congregation  of  which 
he  is  a  member. 

We  also  shared  last  week  some  of  the  background  of  this  letter  and  the  pur- 
pose for  which  Paul  wrote  it.   I  had  said  last  week  that  there  were  three 
issues  Paul  was  speaking  against,  mentioned  two  and  said  I  would  recall  the 
third  one  before  I  was  done  speaking.   Well  someone  met  me  at  the  door  and 
asked,  "Wfrat  was  the  thir  issue  Paul  was  speaking  against,  you  didn't  tell 
us?"  For  that  observant  person  and  any  others  who  may  have  noticed  it,  but 
were  too  kind  to  XBSfcxnx  bring  it  to  my  attention,  Paul  was  first  of  all 
addressing  himself  to  the  issue  that  he  was  accused  of  not  being  a  true,  or 
real  apostle.   Secondly  he  was  addressing  the  issue  of  the  false  teaching  of 
Judaisers  who  said  that  in  order  to  be  a  real  Christian  you  had  to  have  not 
only  Christ,  but  the  Jewish  Law  as  well.   And  the  third  issue  was  the  preach- 
ing and  teaching  of  another  Gospel.   So  for  those  of  you  who  were  alert,  the 
issue  we  neglected  to  speak  about  was  the  different  Gospel. 

This  is  the  issue  which  is  faced  by  Paul  in  this  particular  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture this  morning.   I  am  sure  that  we  have  all  KitfcHx  heard  in  some  manner 
the  famous  words  of  the  inaugural  address  given  by  President  John  F.  Kennedy. 

He  said,  "Ask  not  what  your  country  can  do  for  you,  but  ask  ivhat  you  can  do 

we 
for  your  country,"  If-,  paraphrase  this  somewhat,  we  have  the  theme  of  what 

Paul  was  writing  to  the  Galatians  in  this  portion  of  Scripture .   We  could 

say,  "Ask  not  what  you  can  do  for  God,  but  ask  what  God  has  done  for  you." 

Paul  had  answered  his  critics  briefly  in  the  first  part  of  this  chapter  which 
gave  a  salutation  and  an  Ascription  to  God.   Now  he  settles  to  the  task  of 
speaking  to  the  issues  at  hand,  *M*x:£ta:B2x!fceexxK»xx±*;kxxii  Paul  is  writing 
this  message  to  the  people  in  the  churches  which  he  had  founded  and  started. 
Shortly  after  he  had  made  his  second  missionary  journey  and  had  been  to  these 
churches  further  teaching  and  instructing  them  in  the  faith,  he  received  word 
that  there  were  some  serious  problems  which  had  arisen.  These  problems  were 
caused  by  -{Jewish  converts  in  those  congregations  who  were  preaching  and  teach- 
ing  contrary  to  what  he  had  taught.   So  Paul  takes  pen  in  hand  and  writes 
to  them  in  very  forceful  and  persuasive  fashion.   We  could  say  that  Faul  was 
actually  angry.   The  English  rendering  of  his  text  doesn't  do  justice  to  the 
tone  which  was  actually  behind  it,   '/ere  Paul  able  to  preach  this  message  in 
a  congregation  today,  the  members  would  be  totally  upset  and  would  declare 


-2- 

their  toes   were  being  stepped   on.      But   Faul  didn't   flinch  from  his   task  and 

if  the  truth  were  actually  known,  he  probably  stopped  just  a  step  short  of 

resorting  to  profanity.   He  begins  in  this  section  by  saying  in  the  6th  verse 
"I  marvel  that  ye  are  so  soon  removed  from  Him  that  called  you  into  the 
grace  of  Christ  unto  another  Gospel." 

What  he  is  actually  saying  ixpci  in  our  manner  of  speaking  is,  "I'm  utterly 
surprised  that  you  have  come  to  this  conclusion."   Don't  we  say  today,  "I 
don't  believe  this  is  happening?"   Paul  was  expressing  amazement  that  he  had 
been  in  their  midst  just  a  few  short  days  before;  he  had  spoken  to  them, 
shared  the  Gospel  with  them;  and  now  he  learns  they  are  turning  away  from  thai 
Gospel.  The  "Him  that  called  you  into  the  grace  of  Christ,"  was  God,   It  is 
God  that  calls  a  man  to  Himself  and  these  people  were  now  turning  to  another 
voice,  another  teaching.   And  what  does  Paul  have  to  say  about  this  other 
teaching?   In  the  beginning  of  verse  7,  Faul  says,  "Which  is  not  another!" 
This  so  called  "new  teaching"  was  not  a  new  gospel  at  all  but  what  Faul  and 
the  others  had  tried  to  continually  put  down  inxtkH  as  it  arose  from  time  to 
time.   Nor  KaBx±fc±xx±iiEx3:s  were  the  churches  in  Galatia  this  other  gospel 
appeared.  And  so  Paul  adds,  "But  there  be  some  that  trouble  you,  and  would 
pervert  the  gospel  of  Christ."  He  is  pointing  out  that  there  were  some  among 
them  who  were  trying  to  turn  them  from  the  true  gospel  with  false  teaching. 
-  Prom  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  verse  we  can  see  that  this  false  teach- 
ing had  not  yet  turned  the  Galatians  away  from  the  true  gospel,  but  the  in- 
fluence was  there  working  on  them  and  now  was  the  time  to  nip  it  in  the  bud. 
Now  what  is  the  difference  bewtwwen  the  true  gospel  and  another  gospel?  It 
is  simply  that  Jesus  Christ,  born  of  the  virgin  Mary  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners.   He  did  this  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself  upon  the  cross  on  Cal- 
vary, thus  suffering  and  dying  for  all  mankind.   By  doin~  this.  Ke  took  upon 
Himself  the  sins  of  everyone  and  through  Him  we  have  that  forgiveness  when  we 
claim  it  through  faith  '   II im.   But  for  these  Jewish  converts  called  Jadaisers 
this  wasn't  enough.   It  had  to  be  faith  in  Christ  and  living  up  to  the  Law. 
And  included  in  that  Law  was  the  belief  that  all  males  had  to  be  circumcized. 
It  wasn't  just  faith,  but  it  was  also  works  added  to  faith.  This  is  why  Paul 
says  it  wasn't  another  gospel,  because  it  was  perversion.   We  have  this  today 
very  prominently  in  our  midst.   The  Jehovah's  witnesses  come  calling  and  tell 
us  their  version  of  the  Bible  and  then  try  to  sell  us  their  interpretation  in 
the  other  books  they  have  printed.   The  F.ormons  come  calling  and  tell  us  they 
also  have  the  -Bible  but  God  added  the  book  of  Mormon  to  give  a  fuller  inter- 
pretation.  Any  individual,  or  group  which  adds  anything  to  the  Bible  is  a 
cult,  unchristian,  and  preaching  another  gospel  and  we  need  to  steer  clear  of 
them.   The  Apostle  John  tells  us  we  should  not  let  them  into  our  houses  or 
even  bid  them  godspeed.   They  are  false  teachers,  false  prophets  and  Paul 
speaks  of  what  needs  to  happen  to  them  in  the  8th  and  9th  verses. 


-5- 

In  the  8th  verse  he  says,  "But  though  we ,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any 
other  gospe"  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be 
accursed," 

Paul  is  using  strong-  language  here  to  condemn  those  ptxe  preaching  and  teach- 
ing this  false  gospel.   The  word  he  used  for  "accursed"  is  "Anantheraa."   In 
the  church  iixJra&xtiat  if  anyone  was  declared  as  being  "Anathema"  was  a  person 
declared  to  be  against  God,  and  was  to  be  devoted  to  destruction.   This  usual 
ly  meant  ex-communication.   Paul  was  not  asking  for  excommunication  because 
angels  were  involved  here,  but  is  calling  for  anyone  preaching  ±»  a  different 
gospel  to  be  thought  of  or  declared  spiritually  dead.  Paul's  action  can  be 
xxiKHKiixtB  understood  perhaps  by  looking  at  an  example  of  this.   In  the  Old 
Testament  we  read  of  Joshua  leading  the  people  of  Israel.  They  had  surround- 
ed Jericho  and  Joshua  gave  them  God's  message  and  we  read  in  the  6th  chapter 
of  Joshua  verses  17  and  18,  (read  these).   The  people  were  to  let  Jericho  to 
its  fate  and  take  nothing  from  it  except  what  was  to  be  the  Lord's,   And  late: 
you  may  recall  that  Achan  took  some  of  the  gold  and  silver  for  himself  and  hi 
it  and  God  destroyed  him  and  his  family,  for  taking  of  that  which  was  accurs- 
ed. We  see  then  the  seriousness  which  God  places  upon  that  which  is  declared 
as  being  cursed.  So  Paul  is  declaring  that  these  people  preaching  a  false 
gospel  are  not  from  God,  but  from  Satan  instead.  And  Satan  has  other  demons 
and  fallen  angels  working  with  him  and  he  seeks  to  work  in  religious  people 
to  overcome  God.   So  we  see  that  he  and  his  henchmen  can  be  working  right  in 
the  midst  of  a  Christian  congregation.   And  what  does  he  work  at  the  most? 
Seeking  to  disprove  the  true  pospel  which  speaks  of  Salvation  by  Grace  alone. 
This  is  what  Paul  was  preaching  and  teaching  and  this  is  what  the  Judaisers 
were  seeking  to  overcome.   It  sounded  like  the  same  gospel  because  it  spoke  o 
Jesus  dying  and  rising  again.   But  it  was  adding  works  at  the  beginning  when 
the  spoke  of  circumcision;  and  they  added  works  at  the  end,  which  was  the 
keeping  of  the  Law;  and  in  between  was  the  real  gospel.  This  is  what  the 

false  teachers  and  cults  are  doing  today  and  we  must  investigate  them  and 

d  p  c  1  sirs 

aEXKinrotK  them  to  be  accursed  because  they  are  not  Christian. 

Paul  declared  this  in  more  forceful  fashion  as  we  read  in  the  9th  verse: 
"As  we  said  before,  so  say  I  now  aerain,  if  any  man  preach  any  other  gospel 
unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed." 

Separate  yourself  from  him  and  declare  him  under  God's  curse  and  let  God  take 

care  of  him  as  He  will.   Notice  how  Paul  not  only  is  speaking  for  himself,  tea 

but  for  the  other  apostles  in  this  verse.   He  says,  "As  WE  said  before,  so 

say  I  now  again."  He  meant  that  together  they  had  said  this,  and  now  he  is 

saying  it  personally.   Then  he  closes  this  section  of  Scripture  by  asking  a 

couple  nuestions  and  then  stating  his  case  in  the  10th  verse,   "For  do  I  now 
persuade  men,  or  God?   Or  do  I  seek  to  please  men?   Por  if  I  yet  pleased 
men,  I  should  not  be  the  servant  of  Christ." 


-4- 

T>,e  Judaisers  were  probably  accusing  Paul  of  seeking  to  be  popular  and  try- 
ing to  please  the  Gentile  Christians  by  not  stressing  the  law.   To  understand 
this  more  completely  we  must  look  at  the  first  word  of  this  verse,   That  word 
is  "FOR"  and  it  is  used  in  many  different  ways  but  here  it  is  used  in  the 
context  of  Paul  saying,  "TJTKPE."  Then  read  the  whole  verse  in  that  context  I 
We  read,  "There,  do  I  now  persuade  men,  or  God?"   After  he  has  called  the 
Judaizers  false  teachers  and  declaring  them  accursed  he  ask.-,  "There,  after 
I've  said  this,  does  it  sound  like  I'm  trying  to  please  the  crowd?"  He  seeks 
to  not  only  an     ;]   f  lse  '_■     chers  but  to  show  that  he  is  first,  last  and 
always  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  believe  this  message  is  very  timely  in  our  present  day  and  age  because  of 
all  of  the  controversies  surrounding  Christianity  today.   We  have  those  who 
want  to  add  or  subtract  from  it;  those  who  want  to  make  it  easy  believer ism; 
and  as  always,  those  who  either  want  to  add  works,  or  believe  simply  that  it 
is  works  which  make  a  person  a  Christian, 

Billy  Graham  completed  a  major  series  of  services  in  England  this  past  summer 
In  the  latest  Decision  magazine  there  were  some  interesting  things  written 
which  point  out  this  very  thing  we  are  talking  about  this  morning. 
(Read  quotes  about  people  in  England  Crusade) 

Isn't  it  Interesting  that  many  people,  even  preachers  don't  know  what  its  all 
about?  Another  article  told  of  a  young  man  named  Jteve  Vaus  and  his  struggle 
in  finally  coming  to  the  Lord. 

(Illustration  of  Steve  Vaus  and  raised  in  Christian  home) 

Steve  said  it  wasn't  easy  being  the  son  of  an  ex-ganster  turned  Christian. 
His  dad  is  James  Vause  who  was  converted  at  one  of  Billy  Graham's  crusades 
some  years  ago.  He  said  he  had  an  interest  in  music  and  was  Into  rock 
music  and  wanted  to  be  famous.   His  parents  tired  to  counsel  him  against 
this  but  he  wouldn't  listen.   One  of  his  auotes  was  interesting  I  thought. 
He  said,  "Though  I  was  raised  in  a  Christian  home,  the  message  of  Jesus 
Christ  never  really  "took."  Much  later,  after  many  problems  with  drugs 
and  so  forth  Christ  finally  n-ot  through  to  him  and  today  he  is  doing 
Christian  work. 

But  I  hear  these  answers  all  the  time.   Just  a  week  ago  I  had  a  conversation 
with  a  woman  who  said  she  believed  she  was  a  Christian  because  she  was  raised 
in  a  Christian  home.   I  tried  to  tell  her  that  being  raised  in  a  Christian 
home  no  more  makes  one  a  Christian  than  being  born  in  a  hospital  makes  a  per- 
son a  doctor,  or  beiner  born  in  a  garage  makes  a  person  a  car,  or  a  mechanic. 
The  conclusion  of  our  conversation  was  that  she  was  a  Presbyterian  and  I  as- 
sume she  believes  that  makes  her  a  Christian.   The  only  thing  that  makes  a 
person  a  Christian  is  the  faith  ±e  that  Jesus  Christ  personally  died  for  you 
and  that  by  that  He  forgave  you  of  your  sins  and  He  is  your  Saviour.  Perhaps 
you  may  have  noticed  the  equation  which  is  a  part  of  our  sermon  title.  Do 
you  know  what  it  means?  Maybe  you  *ve  been  intrigued  by  it  and  wondered  if 


-5- 

we  will  divulge  it.   It  is  "Q  Equals  C  Plus  What?"  The  letter  "G"  stands  for 
Grace.  So  it  is  "Grace  "Equals,  C  Plus  What?"  The  "G"  stands  for  Christ. 
So  the  question  is,  "Grace  Equals  Christ  Plus  What?"  Do  you  know  the  answer? 
The  answer  is,  "Nothing,"  absolutely  nothing.  You  cannot  add  "one  thing  to 
the  Grace  which  God  has  provided  through  Jesus  CHrist.  Yet,  so  many  people, 
and  quite  often  church  members  want  to  add  to  God's  Grace,   You  and  I  must 
come  to  Him,  accept  that  Grace,  that  free  gift  from  God,  which  is  Christ 
and  we  have  all  that  God  wants  for  us .   But  then  we  must  start  to  live  for 
Him  and  let  Him  be  evident  in  our  lives.   It  is  when  we  start  to  live  for  Him 
that  we  show  our  love  toward  Him  and  that  is  what  the  C,  ristian  life  is. 
The  other  gospel  Paul  was  writing  suadxKtoaii  against,  and  challenging  was  the 
gospel  of  adding  something  to  God'p  Grace.  T^ere  is  no  other  Gospel  than  thai 
of  Jesus  Christ  died  for  our  sins  and  we  must  declare  any  and  all  who  would 
add  to  it  as  accursed.   Take  that  salvation  if  you  have  it  and  claim  it  as 
yours  as  a  gift  from  God.  And  if  you  don't  have  it,  why  not  claim  it  today? 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Sixteenth  Sunday  After  Pentecost        September  30,  1984 
Rev,  Ralph  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Kelly  HanEel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  ->^.^  +  ■^  +  +  t  +  +  +  t  +  +  ■^  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ',■ 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  -  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude      "Surely  Goodness  and  Mercy" 
Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who ' s  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  396  "Rise-up,  0  Men  of  God" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison) "0  Lord,  whose  way  is  perfect, 
help  us,  we  pray  thee,  always  to  trust  in  thy  goodness; 
that,  walking  with  thee  and  and  following  thee  in  all 
simplicity,  we  pay  possess  quiet  and  contented  minds, 
and  may  cast  all  our  care  upon  thee,  for  thou  carest 
for  us;  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen'.' 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise 

•Pastor;   Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

•People:   And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever. 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  434   "Jesus  is  Calling" 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor:   The  Lord  be  with  you 
People:   And  with  thy  Spirit 
Pastor;   Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory:  "Comtemplaticn" 

Anthem;   "Where  Shall  1  Go"  (Negro  Spiritual) 
Scriptur'e:   Galatians  1:11-24 
Sermon:  "Born  Free:  One  Track" 
_Closina  Hymn  No.   409   "Who  is  on  the  Lord's  Side?" 
Benediction 
iPcstlude   "Once  to  Every  Man  and  Nation" 


> 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  place  in 

memory  of  Robert  Tait  by  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Earl  Kennedy 

Serving  as  Ushers  today  are;  Alvin  Tait,  Hike  Nazaruk, 

Gottlob  Kradel,  and  James  McClymonds 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  Paul  Riemer  will  greet  the  congregation  at 

the  door  this  morning. 

Nursery  will  be  provided  this  morning  by  Mrs*  Gloria 

Walker. 

Hospitalized!   BCMH  -  William  Winters.  Beryl  Cook, 

Roland  Thompson,  Avida  MillerT  Mildred  Wiles  is  in 

Armstrong  Hasp,  in  Kittarming,   Nancy  Swain  BCMH 

Lloyd  Link,  and  Bruce  Pencil  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  and  shut-ins  this  week. 

The  attendance  last  week  was  125  with  6  visitors. 

We  wish  to  extend  our  sympathy  to  the  family  and  friends 

of  Minnie  Kelly  who  passed  away  this  week. 

Hon.  -  7:30  Mary  Prugh  Circle  will  meet  at  the  church. 
Mon.  -  Basketball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 
Wed-  ~7:O0  Council  Meeting 

ues.  October  9  Soup  &   Salad  Day   -   Help  is  needed  Mondr= 
morning  to  prepare  vegetables  -  Everyone  is  welcome'.1 
Cakes  and  salads  are  needed.   Please  say  Yes  if  you  are 
asked.   Don't  forget  your  bazaar  items. 

Ethnic  Days  -  Even  the  cold  didn't  keep  us  away.   Many 
thanks  to  those  who  come  to  help  and  donated  their 
time  and  talent.   Profit  $131.52   Activities  Comm. 

2j£:        j -7  Dick  Mangel,  chrm. 

^ Apple  Butter  -  October  -tB-  and  ^G     remember  all  your 
help  is  needed.   Please  let  Marilyn  Snyder  know  if 
you  can  help  on  Friday. 

y  The  film  series  "Building  the  Family  of  God"  will  be 
coming  soon.   Starting  October  7,  each  Sunday  through 
Octobert  7;00  P.M.  each  evening.   Come  and  enjoy  the 
fellowship  and  lessons  God  wishes  us  to  have  in  our 
families . 


7* 

*      mi 


>; 


1 


I  +  +  +  +  +  +  *Cangregatlon  Standing  +  +  +  + 


Tonight  -  Congregational  Dinner  at  5:30.   Special  door 

rize  and  a  fun.  night  is  planned.   Bring  a  tureen  and" 


table  service  and  join  in  an  evening  of  fun  and  fellow- 
ship.  We  need  help  after  church  to  set  up  table?  nd 
Ah airs . 


" !  orn    r'Tee:    une    'L'rack" 
l,  Scrip:   Gal   1:11-24 

(Ilus   il-tempred  husband    &  wron   e~r  fireaj 

Th/      attitude, but  wron»  kind-lik  song   need  atilud   adj 

(ex   1    writ   Ch   Rome-Romans    14 :5=READ) 

This   pud  advic,pud  atitud   &  P  Beam  llv  exampl  this  th 

He  =  Fuly   persuad    in   own  mind   &   nothin  cud  deter, switch 

bin   from   Bliefs  =  ha<3    ONE  TRACK    KIND 

Only  persn  cud   chanc/altr  him  was    Js    Xp  as   shall   C 
As  sed   B4   I  writ  Gal  ch's   stem  unBlief,fals   teach  cum 
shortly  aftr  2nd  visit=partic   spk  airin   ftCtisatlaa  him 
l=anothr  Rospel;2=K.eep   Xp  &  Iaw;5=acua   no  apostle 

Thi3  Ccrlp  adres  apostlship,lif ,cal  of  G  &  much  Ilk 

P  sho  slides   of  life   St  piv  3   speeil    l's 
vs   ll=say  parantee  pospl  not  p-ospl  pivn  by  man 
vs   12=no  lern  at   feet   Gamaliel; no   semnary  taut   it 

lnsted=cam  strait   from   Js   Xp 
vps   13-14=£Jo  with  slide     a   on  screen   F  say=Fersecutor 

of  Xpians 
He  was  rabbi  risin?  2   leadrship  within   Judyism  &  pain 
rep  as   chief   persautr  sect   cal   Xpians 

I    Bliev   Js   impostr  t  sot   Pstamp   out 
listn  wat   say    of   self=Fhil   3:5-6=READ 

in   own  words  ,F   Jew  amonr;   Jews;Fhar  of   Fhars;  1  who 
stud  hed    i   shouldrs   abuv   othrs   in  keep  law=top  man 
by  own   admisin,he   persecutor   of   Xpiana 
Then   P  flash   slide  #2  on   screen  St  hear  say=vs   15-16 A 

I'  persecutr,now   P   Blievr,fe  notic   wat    sed 
pa-int   pietur  man  select  by  Q  will   stil  mothr's  womb 

i        uniqu  Ecuz   G  did   many   othrs, but  uniqu  in  that  P 

was  persecut   Xpians, caud  deth  S-  then  G  cal 
He   say+/en  pleas    G-His   timinc,in  His   plan, then  G  call 

Kow  did   G  call?=By  His    Grace 
acord  G'a   mercy, acord  unfathnbl   luv 
'.   F  spk  wat  hapn'receiv  G'a   prace*rev]atin  Js   Xp 

Prob   kno  encountr  F  had  Damsa  rd  8b  how  talk  Js,C  Him 
vss   16B-17=P  tel  aftr  encountr  with   Js 

no   po  ?Jeru   2C   othr   aportl,instec   went   Damascus 
cud   hav   takn   easy  way.but    chos    ro   bak   Damascus 
This   tuk  course-  Bobs   here    Jews  had  aplaud   zelous   Ftcts 
agin  Xpians   &  now  wait   2tak  lif  4   turn  apin  them 

He  here   3yrs   3-  this   tuk  couraar.but  P  prov  man  of  cou: 
Irob  whil   Arabia  study  &  lern  as  wel  preach 
lik   Js=3yrs,    F  lern  4-  three  yrs,lik  Hla    Lord 

Then    P  writ  return   Jeru   &  with  Fetr  ISdays   v.  saw   Jam 
Fr    -i  ther   travl  home   tertory^Tarsus   &  thir   $}  slide 
P  ..esect   2audienc   &  here   say+C,I'm  a  preachr 

Wat   wer  results  df   preach?=vss  23-24«thy  plorify  God 


2/ 

) 

Fr       thez   3  d is tine  picturs   we  C  this   prov  2anyl 
ii..j.ud   othr  apostls.that    P  real   Aposlt, 
He  first   rersecutr 
Then  he   Blievr 
Then  Beam  Preachr  of  very   ptospl  Ince  despised 
But    1    othr   thinp   stan  out   bout  P   S   that= ENTHUSIASM 
in  each  of  his  rolse 

(Illus   Bob   Zuppke   coach   II  univ  &  team/swim  pool) 
This   no  same   kins'    enthus   F  had, this  misdirect   &  F 's 
was  defintly  directed 
As  gud    Jew, work  persecut   thoz   artin   Jews 
As    Bllevr   work  at    B  best    Plievr   ponibl 
As   Preachr  preach  enthusasticly 
liihethr  acpt/re,1ect  he   thro   self  in2  work, 
He   had  One  Track  Kind 
(Ilus    Ivan  Teribl  S.  monk  name   Teddy   &   peopl) 
This   way    P  was    &  this   exampl   set   4    Xpians    2follo 
Thoz   who  xmn  claim  name   of  iJs   Xp   shudE  wil   2folo 
things   of  G  rathr  than  E  concern  w/powr  or  mite    of 
men  &  wat  can  or   mite  do 
AB  folowrs   of   Xp  our  enthus   shud   shin  4th  much   lik 
7  's   did 
And   let  us   heed   the   advice  of   P,   that  evrl  of  ua , 
FOLLY  PERSUADED   IN  HI3  OWN  MIND. 


"Born  Free:  One  Track" 

Scripture:  Galatians  1:11-24 

(Illustration  of  ill-tempered  husband  and  "wrong  eerg  £±xw$.   fried") 
this  is  an  example  qf  .attitude-needs  attitude  adjustment 

The  Apostle  jraul  writing  to  the  church  in  Home  spoke  to  them  about  the  ob- 
servance of  special  days,  of  special  feasts  and  of  some  of  them  fasting 
or  eating  and  the  differences  engendered  by  their  personal  beliefs  about 

such  things.   In  the  14th  chapter  of  Romans,  the  5th  verse  he  writes, 
"One  man  esteemeth  one  day  above  another:  another  esteemeth  every  day 
alike," 

And  then  he  concludes  that  verse  with  these  words:  "let  every  man  be  fully 
persuaded  in  his  own  mind." 

There  is  good  advice  which  was  not  only  given,  but  which  was  kept  as  well. 
Paul  became  a  living  example  of  this  very  thing.   He  became  "fully  persuaded 
in  his  own  mind,"  and  nothing  could  deter  him  or  switch  him  from  his  beliefs. 
No  one  that  is  except,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  we  shall  see. 
As  we  said  before,  Paul  was  stating  his  case  to  the  churches  in  Galatia  to 
overcome  the  false  teaching  which  was  taking  place  there  shortly  affcer  his 
2nd  visit .tk&xxx   In  particular  he  was  speaking  out  against  the  false  accusa- 
tions which  had  been  hurled  at  him.   Those  three  issues  were  the  teaching  of 
a  false,  or  another  compel,  adding  to  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  the  keeping 
of  the  Law,  and  accusing  Faul  of  not  beinp  a  true  Apostle. 
Now  in  this  particular  portion  of  Scripture,  Paul  srives  a  summation  of  his 
life  and  how  he  became  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.   Paul  gives  any  and  all 
a  complete  glimpse  of  his  life  somewhat  like  he  was  showing  three  different 

slides  on  a  screen.   He  begins  by  saying,  "But  I  certify  you,  brethren,  that 
the  gospel  which  was  preached  of  me  is  not  after  man," 

Faul  is  saying  something  like,  "I  guarantee  you  brothers,  the  gospel  I  preach 

ed  is  not  a  gospel  given  by  man."   Then  he  elaborates  a  bit  by  saying  in  the 

12th  verse,  "For  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I  taught  it,  but 
by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ." 

The  gospel  he  preached  was  not  something  he  learned  sitting  at  the  feet  of 

the  great  teacher  Gamaliel  under  whom  Faul  studied.   Nor  did  he  study  it  in 

some  theological  seminary.   Instead,  It  came  directly  from  Jesus  Christ. 

And  then  Faul  adds  in  verses  13  and  14,  "For  ye  have  heard  of  my  conversation 
in  time  past  in  the  Jews  religion,  how  that  beyond  measure  I  persecuted  the 
church  of  God,  and  wasted  it:  and  profited  in  the  Jews  religion  above  many 
my  eauals  in  mine  own  nation,  beinp  more  exceedingly  zealous  of  the  tradi- 
tions of  my  fathers," 

So  with  slide  number  one  flashed  on  the  screen  for  all  to  see,  Paul  is  saying 

"I  was  fiBSt  of  all  a  persecutor  of  the  Christians ."  Hfe  was  an  unconverted 

rabbi.   His  rise  to  leadership  within  Judaism  had  been  most  phenomenal.   He 

was  fast  gaining  a  reputation  as  beinn-  the  chief  persecutor  of  this  new  sect 

called  "Christians."  Faul  believed  Jesus  was  an  imposter  and  because  of  this 

sought  to  do  all  he  could  to  stamp  them  out.   Listen  to  his  own  description 

of  himself  as  he  wrote  it  in  him  Philippics  5:5-6,  (read  these  verses). 


^ 


-2- 

In  his  own  words,  Paul  is  a  Jew  anions  Jews;  a  Pharisee  among  Ibarisees;  pne 

who  stood  head  and  shoulders  above  everyone  else  in  keeping  the  Law,  He 

was  top  man.  Sjrfc  By  hie  own  admission  he  was  a  persecutor. 

Then  Paul  flashes  slide  number  two  on  the  screen  and  we  hear  him  say, "But 

when  it  pleased  God,  who  separated  me  from  my  mother'?  womb,  and  called 

me  by  His  rtrace ,  to  reveal  His  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach  Kim  amoniT 
the  heathen." 

Jaul  the  Persecutor  is  now  Paul  the  believer.   But  notice  what  Paul  says  aboul 

this.   He  paints  the  picture  of  a  man  who  was  selected  by  God  while  still  in 

his  mother's  womb.  He  says,  "Here  was  a  man  who  was  chosen  by  God  from  the 

very  beginning.   This  isn't  unique  in  itself  because  it  has  happened  to  many 

men  who  have  been  called  by  God.   But  it  is  uninue  in  that  it  iBHkxpiHKR  only 

came  to  light  after  "aul  had  been  persecuting  the  Christians  and  EEHXKxixns; 

actually  causing  their  deaths.   Paul  is  auick  to  point  out,  "But  when  it 

pleased  God,"   He  meant  that  when  it  was  in  Sod's  timing;  in  His  plan,  then, 

and  only  then  did  God  do  the  calling.   And  how  did  God  call  hira?   "By  His 

grace."   That  means  according  to  God's  mercy,  according  to  His  unfathomable 

love.  And  Paul  speaks  of  what  took  place  when  Ee  received  God's  grace,  and 

that  was  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,   'v'e  probably  all  know  the  story  of 

Paul  and  how  he  was  on  his  way  toward  Damascus  on  his  mission  of  persecuting 

and  destroying  the  Christians  when  he  was  felled  by  blindness  and  saw  and 

spoke  directly  with  Jesus.   In  the  latter  part  of  this  16th  verse  and  the  17tl 

verse  Paul  tells  what  he  did  after  his  encounter  with  Jesus.   He  says,  "Im- 
mediately I  conferred  not  with  flesh  and  bloodl  neither  went  I  up  to  'Jeru- 
salem to  them  which  were  apostles  before  me;  but  I  went  into  Arabia,  and 
returned  again  unto  Damascus." 

Paul  didn't  go  to  Jerusalem  to  meet  the  other  Apostles,  instead,  he  went  on 
to  Damascus.   Paul  could  have  taken  the  easier  route  and  gone  to  Jerusalem, 
where  he  would  have  met  the  other  apostles  and  proven  himself  to  them.  But 
instead,  he  went  back  to  Damascus  where  the  very  Jews  who  were  applauding  his 
zealous  activities  against  Christians,  awaited  him  to  seek  his  life  for  turn- 
ing against  them.   He  stayed  in  this  area  for  three  years.   This  took  courage 
But  Paul  proved  over  and  over  aprain  that  he  was  a  man  of  courage. 
Probably  while  he  was  in  .Arabia  he  was  studying  and  learning  xe  as  well  as 
preaching.   It's  interesting  that  Jesus'  ministry  was  about  3  years,  and  here 
was  the  apostle  Paul  learning  for  three  years  much  like  his  Lord. 
Then  P  ul  writes  that  he  did  finally  return  to  Jerualrem  and  was  with  Peter 
for  fifteen  days  and  the  oily  other  apostle  xraxiEajrax^xtf  he  saw  was  James, 
Jesus*  brother.   From  there  he  travled  to  his  home  territory  of  Tarsus  to 
preach,  and  this  is  the  third  slide  that  Paul  presents  to  his  audiende 
He  may  well  says,  "See,  xx  this  is  a  picutre  of  me  as  a  preacher."   '//hat  were 
the  results  of  his  preaching?   He  says,  "But  they  had  heard  only,  that  he 
which  persecuted  us  in  times  past  now  preacheth  the  faith  which  once  he  de- 


-3- 

stroyed.   And  they  glorified  God  in  me."  The  result  of  his  preaching  was 

that  they  glorified  God.  From  these  actions  of  Paul  we  see  that  we  get  three 

distinct  pictures  of  hire  which  should  have  proved  to  anyone  in  the  Christian 

Church  that  he  was  as  much  an  Apostle  as  Teter  or  James  ajost  Johm  or  the  other 

He  was  first  of  all  a  persecutor  of  Christians,  then  he  became  a  believer  and 

then  he  became  a  preacher  of  the  very  gospel  he  once  despised  .   But  we  must 

also  point  out  one  other  thing  which  stands  out  about  Paul,  and  that  is,  he 

was  enthusiastic  in  each  of  his  roles. 

(Illustration  of  enthusiasm  sparked  by  coach  Bob  Zuppke  at  Illinois  Uiiv.) 
Bob  Zuppke  was  kxkbx  the  football  coach  at  Illinois  University  and  like 
his  contemporary  Knute  Rockne  of  Notre  Dame  he  believed  in  {fcivine;  his 
players  a  pep  talk  at  half time.   On  one  particular  occasion' when" the 
teams  retired  to  the  dressing  rooms  and  Illinois  was  hopelessly  behind, 
the  coach  addressed  his  players.   lie  told  them  that  they  probably  were 
too  far  behind  to  win,  but  they  should  go  out  and  fight  as  though  they, 
were  only  a  few  points  behind.   He  appealed  to  their  sense  of  dignity 
and  pride.   He  was  very  moving  and  eloquent  and  his  players  were  getting 
caught  up  in  the  enthusiasm  he  was  putting  forth.   As  he  concluded  his 
remarks  he  raised  his  voice  and  pointed  to  the  door  at  the  far  end  of  the 
room  and  said,  "Now  fellows,  let's  ero  through  that  door  and  on  to  victory 
The  team  rose  from  the  benches  as  one  man  and  with  tears  in  their  eyes, 
and  lumps  in  their  throats  they  dashed  through  that  door  and  plunged 
into  the  swimming  pool  on  the  other  side. 

That  isn't  quite  the  same  enthusiasm  Paul  had  for  his  work.  His  enthusiasm 
was  calculated  and  meaningful.   Whether  he  was  about  the  task  of  heinr  a 
very  good  and  devout  Jew,  or  whether  he  was  about  the  task  of  preaching  Jesus 
tEHrist  to  any  and  all  who  would  listen,  he  threw  himself  into  that  work  com- 
pletely.  It  didn't  matter  whether  he  was  accepted  or  rejected;  whether  ira 
his  life  was  in  danger  or  herwas  safe;  the  only  thing  which  mattered  to  Paul 
was  to  be  about  the  task  he  believed  God  had  given  to  him. 

There  is  a  story  told  of  Ivan  the  Terrible  who  was  considered  as  the  cruelest 
of  the  Russian  Czars. 

(Illustration  of  Ivan  and  monk  named  Teddy)  called 

One  day  Ivan  the  Terrible  was  approached  by  a  rasrged  barefoot  monk  bjudk£ 
Teddy,  who  was  very  much  respected  by  the  people.   The  monk  offered  a  bite 
of  meat  to  the  czar.   Ivan  refused  it  and  said,  "It's  Lent  and  I  cannot  eat 
meat."   "Ah,"  said  the  monk,  "you  do  not  eat  meat,  but  you  drink  blood." 
This  insult  enraged  the  caar  and  he  would  have  killed  the  monk  but  from  the 
surrounding  crowd  there  came  the  cry:  "Czar,  you  may  put  us  to  death,  but 
do  not  touch  Teddy,  because  he  is  man  of  God."  jekElatiansraxkaxBxaiwajns 

This  is  the  way  Paul  was  and  this  is  the  example  he  set  for  Christians  to 
follow.  T^ose  who  claim  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  should  he  willing  to  follow 
the  things  of  God  rather  than  be  concurred  with  the  power  or  might  of  men  and 
what  they  can  or  might  do.   A*  followers  of  Christ,  our  enthusiasm  should 
shine  forth  much  like  Paul's  did.   And  let  us  heed  the  advice  of  Faul  as  well 
that  everyone  of  us,  "be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind." 


St,  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
World  Wide  Communion  Sunday         October  7,  1984 
Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Danny  Mangel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +■  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 
Chimes 

Announcements,  Joys,  Prayer  Requests 

Processional  Hymn  No.  451,,JeEus,  Thou  Joy  of  Loving  Hearts 
Ascription 

Call  to  Communion  and  Confession  -  (Communion  folder) 
Prayer  of  Confession  -  (Communion  folder) 
Assurance  of  Pardon 
Praise 

Pastor:  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People:  And  blesses  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever. 
Gloria  Patri 
Offering 
Offertory 
Doxoiogy 

Communion  Hymn  No.  30  "Break  Thou  the  Bread  of  Life" 
Service  of  Holy  Communion  -  (Page  2  Communion  folder) 
The  Lord's  Supper 

Distribution  of  the  Bread 
Distribution  of  the  Cup 
Prayer  of  Thanksgiving 

Anthem  "O  Sing  Unto  the  Lord  a  New  Song" 
Scripture:   Galatians  2:  1-10 
Sermon:     "Born  Free:   From  the  Law" 

Closing  Hymn  No,  244  "Jesus,  What  a  Friend  for  Sinners" 
Benediction 
1  postlude 


+  +  +  + 


•Congregation  Standing  + 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  Altar  have  been  placed  by 
Mrs.  Louis  Zubik  in  loving  memery  of  her  "husband". 

Elders  and  Deacons  will  be  serving  communion  and  ushering 
for  this  mornings  service. 

Dan  Bosko,  Carl  Vinrae,  Art  Carney  will  be  visiting 
the  hosp/  '  '  and  shut-ins  this  week. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coyle  Fowler  will  greet  the  congreg- 
ation at  the  door  this  morning. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  this  morning  by 
Mrs*  Sue  Davis. 
The  attendance  last  week  was  117  with  6  visitors. 

— ^Hospitalized:  BMH  Avida  Miller,  Emerson  Wise,  and 
Judy  Bowser,  Armstrong  Co.  Mildred  Wiles 

— *  Monday  -  7:30  Women's  Mary  Prugh  Circle-  QV  ■""  fi*+£ 
Monday  -  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall  **Er 

Tues,  and  Thurs*  -  Aerobics  (no  aerobics  Tuesday) 
Thursday  -  Chancel  Choir  practice  7:30 

~~-^  SOUP  AND  SALAD  DAY  -  October  9th   Tickets  are 

available  today-  (see  Evie  Kennedy  or  circle  member 
or  you  can  purchase  your  ticket  at  the  door*  Bazaar 
items  will  be  accepted  on  Monday  before  3:00  PM  or 
Tuesday  morning  before  noon.  See  Betty  Tressler. 

^twFILM  SERIES  r"BUILDING  THE  FAMILY  OF  GODhr  begins 

tonight  at  7:00  PM.   The  series  is  for  every  Sunday 
night  ending  October  28th,  in  Rehoboth  Hall.   This 
is  open  to  the  public,  so  bring  a  friend  and  enjoy 
an  evening  of  fellowship  and  Bible  enrichment. 
We  are  planning  refreshments,  so  if  you  can  please 
bring  a  few  cookies  along.  See  you  at  the  movies!!:. 
Reminder  that  Apple  Butter  is  coming  up  on  October 
£Gth  and  27th*   Please  come  out  and  give  us  your 
support . 

There  are  some  reference  books  missing  from  the 
library,  please  check  if  you  have  them  and  return 
them.* 
^~—"We  wish  to  express  our  sympathy  to  the  family  and 
friends  of  Ralph  Meier  and  to  Mrs.  Sara  Stepp 
in  the  loss  of  loved  ones  this  past  week. 

*~-^r   Communion  cards  are  in  the  hymn  racks  for  your  use. 
If  you  would  like  your  church  notified  that  you 
have  communed  with  us,  please  fill  out  the  card  art'i 
place  it  on  the  offering  plate* 

Please  place  the  Communion  folders  in  the  hymn  racl 
or  on  the  pew  at  the  close  of  the  service. 
few  hooay  Monthly  on  Table  in  l.arthex=sreCial  price  $J 
please  take   use  for  .spiritual  enjoyment ,  upbuilding 


"Horn   free:    pv-oib  rne    law" 
ficrlpture :    Galatiana   2:1-10 

ftp        F  wrot  of  aptment  by  G  as  an   ipos    in  prev  chap 

How   tak  stan  ap-ln  thoz   wer  pervert  Go'pl  mesa;" 
.Gur  herd=U  cud  read  him  lik  a  buk+&  cult   prob  cudB 
sed    of   ftpoa    I1  especil   at    this   pt   minstry 
tragic  cano  ret  rru  feel  pasap  or  Sorip-letr  2  Gal 
;ordr   in  Gr   no  cum  thru   in  Eng 
J    a±<^trub   !i  writ    sho   It; spok   mind,  let   chip   fa.1   wher 
wen  went   Heru  was   erand   spk  spin  fala   teach  which 
was   tak  plac    :<pian  church 
&  he  now  convy  that  Tifo   2  Gal  corps   Pcombat  same   thini 
which   hapeninp    ther 
So  if  pictur  B  as   po  PJeru  disturb/angry  about   condi- 
ther  &"2s«™ba±  2confront   ldrs,&  then  pictur  P  as  re- 
liv   thoz   moments   as   put   in  writ,perhap  can  set  feel 
P  &  Barnbas  return  Antioch  aftr  1st  Bis    jurny,but    Jew 
LSglists   no   lik  report, evn  tho  P  &  barbas   excit  bouti- 
3o  they  cam   Antioch  &  Bgan  teach  Gent  had   ?Bcum   Jew 
M  eu'i    Bcun  -plan 
Lets   Ik   10  this  record   Acts   15tl-2-REAB 
(at    03c  deserib  here  past  histry  &  Jew  Xpians,(not  al' 
of  them)demand  Gents   B  circum   ordr   2B  complet  Xrians 
F  &  Barn  arfu  w/thera  &  no  resolv,so  determ  hav  conf 
in  Jeru=now  Ik  Gala  2sl-5-REAI) 
vss   l-2«ltotie»tujj  Titus   2;he   savd .convert ,uncir  Gent 
Si  if   anyl   argu  Getns   no   savd  who  no   circum=had   tuf 
time   convinc   Titus  of  this 
P  say=went  by  rev=mean  G  direct   him  ?po=not  his   idea 
He  want  all  2kno  no  go  PJeru  ?hsv  doctrin  strait   out 
went   ther  2hav  othr  Apos   stan  w/him  so   Judyizera 
wud  no  folo  rnd   undrmine  his  minstry  &  this  wat   end 
?  mean 
±&   Apos   non-com it l,s of t  thez   lepliata  his    min?try 
2   Gents   wudB   in  vain 
vss   5-5=Titii3   test   case;he  complet  Gent, no   Jew  blud 
P  say  evn  tho   sum   Jew  legliata  had  sneaked   in2   ther 
midst, they  cud  caus   Xpians    2go  bah   in  bondag  airin 
Bcuz   of  fals  teach  doctrin  liv  up2  MW 
i   say  tru  Xpian=Born  Free  wen  aavd  by   Ja   &  he   FREE 
FROM  THE   LAW 
Also  say  no  giv   in2  thez    Judylzers   &  continu  ?preach 
Tru  Gospel.      Wat   la  TRU  GOSFEI?-l  Gor .   IS  :1-8=?.EAD 

THERE  it   is=Js   died   &  Rose   agin  6  ?een  by  many=pruf 
va  6=F  stat   emphatic    nun  thoz   in  Jeru  who   wear  as 
ai     .ortativ   no   iropres  him 
He  withstud   then  2faces    Ss  r.s^    wat  had  2aay 
t  4  Paul   it  wasnt   peac   of   Ch,or  peac   anv  price   so 
eomp  cudB  reach* insted, it  was  "ruth  of  Gospel   "■  2hira 
thia    all   that    mattr. 


it    ment  iais  aoctrin  ea  put  awn,'*  tnoz   wno  sprea     2/ 
falF  doctrin  B  put  dwn  with   it-so  R  it 

T--<x  only  room  1   IGospl   in  Ch  of    Js   Xp  ?■  that   Is  *k 
TK.    'GOSPEL  of    Jb    Xp 

mus   eontinu  ?rjwar   thns   eay»Yes,Bibl    "i'e     ford, but   let 

me  shar  with  I!  wat  els  He  reveal  thru  this  or  that, 

ot  thru  this  persn.or  that  persn 
St     in  we  confront  by  sects/cults  whowil  ad  wat  cal 
ft.    Jhr  revelatin  2  Word   of  G,mus   stan  ap-in  as   preach 
£   teach  falsly  6.  wronely 
vss   7-8=F  pt  out  Petr  ?B   Apos  2   Jews=wat   circum  mean 

He  F  2B  sent  2  Gents-or  unclrcura 
both  them  ?B  eirpowr  by  H  Sp  2work  efeotiv  in  ther 
respectiv  rols   ?   Jew/Gent   as   F  pt   out   vs   8 
vs    9=i    relat   how  receiv  by  cert   Apos 
James-not   Apos,  Reus   he   martyr  B4  thia   ?■■  this   James    is 
L  *s   brothr  vjho  had  Ecum  hed    Jeru   Ch 

it   ironic   he  welcum  P  warmly  Bcuz  he   was   strict   lep> 

11st,  Jewish  in   evry   senr    of   word 
But    ovrcan   lerlism   &  knu   Tru    Gosp   no   entail   folo   IAV,' 
So   James/Petr/Jn  Freet   S   exten  rt  hand   felship 

This   sifnif   Bcuz   not  '+malty;we   shal  hands, no  mean 
Bak  then.handshak  ment   acpt  brothr  in  faith-Xplan 
vs   10=mean  they  shar  needs  2B  fnd  in  Ch  8fc  help  thoz 
need  hilp  &•  ther  wer  many 

wher  works  cum  in?  pictur  &  works  no  perform 

2rain/fet  salvatin  as  sum  peop  mistaknly  think 
Thez  Judyizera  thot  this  5:  they  wer  wrona: 

wanot  Rain  hvn  by  ushr, choir , preach , etc 
B  lvatin  provid  thru  Js  Xp  alone, no  efort  our  part 

Bcuz  we  savd, we  sho  luv  Pward  Him  by  our  works  S 

reach  out   shar  luv  w/othrs 
"Yus .emulat   Him   in   a   sens, but    l*gllBtlc    acts    no 
iv   salvatin  &.  thir  wat   F  say     this  Scrip 
T""is   was   pud   exemp  how  peop  work  ?please  Gad 
(13 us  wife,  1st  hus   5-  rules; 2nd   hus   &  rules) 
&  U  C,this   exactly  wat  fi  want  from  us 

He   no  concern  4us   2keep   list  do's/don'ts   in  ordr  2 

pleas   Him 

He  wants  us   21iv   livs   in  luv/servic   as  exr.resin 
our    luv   ?   Him   &  4   Him 
It   isnt  keep   letr  of  LAW  that  maks   us    Xpians, 

Insted,it  hav   Him  as  Caviour  &  liv  4  Him  each  day 


"Born  Free :  From  The  Law" 

Scripture:  Galatians  2:1-10 

The  Apostle  Paul  wrote  of  his  appointment  by  God  as  an  Apostle  in  the  prev- 
ious chapter.   Now  he  takes  a  stand  against  those  who  were  perverting  the 
Gospel  message.   I'm  sure  we  have  all  heard  the  expression,  "You  could  read 
him  like  a  book,"  and  quite  probably,  if  this  expression  could  be  said  of 
anyone,  it  could  be  said  of  the  Apostle  Paul.   It's  rather  trgic  that  the 
true  feeling  cannot  come  through  the  passages  of  Scripture  we  are  reading  in 
this  letter  to  the  Galatians.   There  is  a  disorder  to  the  Greek  which  cannot 
be  given  in  the  English.   Paul  was  disturbed  and  his  writing  showed  it. 
Paul  spoke  his  mind  and  let  the  chips  fall  where  they  may.   When  he  went  to 
Jerusalem  he  went  there  on  an  errand  of  speaking  out  against  the  false  teach- 
ing which  was  taking  place  within  the  Christian  Shurch.   But  he  is  now  con- 
veying this  information  to  the  fcfrmcEK  congregations  in  Galatia  to  combat  the 
very  same  thing  which  is  happening  there.   So  if  we  picture  Paul  as  being 
very  disturbed  and  anrrry  about  the  conditions  of  the  early  Church  as  he  went 
to  Jerusalem  to  confront  the  leaders,  and  then  picture  Paul  as  reliving  those 
events  and  experiences  in  putting  this  down  in  writing,  perhaps  we  can  get 
some  of  the  feeling  involved  in-between  the  lines  of  this  passage, 

£^«ISXjraXX3HK«XSBXtXB*XWaSXXXeBHf8KlIliaBXalCBn^XtfeRXgk5XXtXHllxiHat«rHXilHMx±KX 
^8XMXHXBHXa^X±k±ax±XXXREI»t8HXXBXRXf^iX^<iBXtHHXiX±teXEimx±BX0CBfx*EtXXX 

Paul  and  Barnabas  had  returned  to  Antioch  after  their  first  missionary  jour- 
ney and  they  were  excited  about  what  God  had  done.   But  the  Jewish  legalists 
in  Jerusalem  didn't  like  their  report,  so  they  came  to  Antioch  and  began 
teaching  that  a  Gentile  had  to  become  a  Jew  before  he  could  become  a  Christiai 
Lejj's  look  at  these  events  as  they  are  recorded  in  Scripture.   If  you  will 
turn  to-the  15th  chapter  of  Acts,  (without  losing  your  place  in  Galatians, 
we  will  see  what  took  place.   In  verses  1  &  2  of  Acts  15  we  read,  (read  this), 
In  Acts,  Luke  is  describing  some  of  this  past  history.   The  Jewish  Christians, 
not  all  of  them,  but  a  certain  number,  were  demand  inn:  that  the  Gentiles  be 
circumcised  in  order  to  be  complete  Christians.   Paul  and  Barnabas  argued 
with  them  about  this,  but  could  not  resolve  the  argument  and  so  it  was  de- 
cided that  a  conference  needed  to  be  held  in  Jerusalem. 

Paul  says  of  this  in  Galatians  2:1  &  2,  (read  these).   Notice, he  not  only  tool 
Barnabas,  but  Titus  as  well.   Titus  was  a  saved,  converted, Hmsttim   uncircura- 
cised  Gentile,  and  if  anyone  was  going  to  argue  that  Gentiles  were  not  saved 
who  had  not  been  circumcised,  they  would  have  had  XEmsxxxiffxBiBXB  a  tough 
time  convincing  Titus  of  this.   But  Paul  also  says  that  he  went  up  by  "revela- 
tion," meaning  that  God  directed  him  to  go.   It  wasn't  his  idea  and  he  wanted 
all  to  know  that  he  wasn't  geing  to  Jerusalem  to  get  his  doctrines  straight- 


-2- 
ened  out,  he  went  there  to  have  the  other  Apostles  stand  with  him  so  that 
the  Judaizers  would  not  be  following  him  around  undermining  his  ministry. 
Tv,is  is  what  he  is  stating  at  the  end  of  the  2nd  verse.   If  the  apostles 
were  non-commital,  or  soft  on  these  legalists,  his  ministry  to  the  Gent ilea 
would  have  been" in  vain." 

Then  ^aul  writes  in  verses  5  through  5,  (read  these).   Titus  was  a  test  case. 
He  was  a  complete  Gentile  with  no  Jewish  blood  in  him  at  all.   Paul  is  saying 
that  even  though  some  of  these  Jewish  legalists  had  sneaked  into  their  midst 
spreading  their  false  doctrine  of  livinrc  up  to  the  Jewish  Law  which  would 
put  all  Christians  back  into  bondage  apain.   Paul  says  that  the  true  Cbristia 
is  "Free",  that  he  is  "Born  Free"  when  he  is  saved  by  Jesus  Christ  and  he  is 
"Free2  "From  the  law."  But  he  also  adds  that  they  didn't  give  in  to  these 
Judaizers  and  continued  to  preach  the  "true  Gospel."  What  was  that  "true 
Gospel?"   It  is  found  in  1  Corinthians  IS: 1-8,  (read  this).   There  it  is \ 
Jepus  died  and  rose  again  and  was  seen  by  many  as  pro6f , 

Paul  states  very  eraphaticaliby  in  the  6th  verse  that  none  of  those  in  Jeru- 
salem who  appeared  as  authroitative  impressed  him.   He  withstood  them  to 
their  faces  and  said  what  he  had  to  say.   For  Paul,  it  wasn't  the  peace  of 
the  church,  or  peace  at  any  price  so  that  a  compromise  had  to  be  reached. 
Instead,  it  was  the  "Truth  of  the  Gospel,"  that  mattered.   If  it  meant  there 
was  false  doctrine  to  pit  down,  and  those  who  were  spreading  these  false  doc- 
trines along  the  way,  so  be  it.   There  is  only  room  for  one  Gospel  in  the 
Church  and  that  is  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,   I**"  must  continue  to  beware  of 
those  who  come  along  and  tell  us,  "Yes,  the  Bible  is  God's  Word,  but  let  me 
show  you  what  else  He  has  revealed  through  this  or  that  person."  And  when  we 
are  confronted  with  the  sects  and  cults  who  will  add  what  they  call  "Further 
revelation"  to  the  Word  of  God,  we  must  stand  against  them  as  preaching  and 
teaching  falsely  and  wronprly. 

Paul  points  out  in  the  7th  and  8th  verses  that  Feter  was  sent  to  be  the  Apost 
le  to  the  Jews,  which  is  what  "the  circumcision"  means;  and  he,  Paul,  was  sen 
to  the  Gentiles,  or  the"uncircumcision. "   And  both  of  them  were  empowered  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  work  effectively  in  their  respective  roles  to  the  Jews  and 
the  Gnntiles  as  Paul  points  out  in  verse  9. 

Then  Paul  relates  how  he  was  received  by  ±im   certain  of  the  apostles,  in 
the  9th  verse,  (read  this).  The  James  mentioned  here  is  not  the  apostle 
James.   He  had  been  martyred  prior  to  this  and  this  James  is  none  other  than 
the  Lord's  brother,  and  he  had  become  head  of  the  Jerusalem  church.   It  is 
Ironic  also  fiaxixtfe  that  he  should  welcome  Paul  so  warmly  because  he  was  a 
strict  legalist,  Jewish  in  every  sense  of  the  word,   But  he  overcame  his 
legalism  and  knew  the  "True  Geepel"  didn't  entail  following  the  old  Jewish 

LqW. 


-3- 

3o  James,  the  Lord's  brother,  John,  and  Peter  the  apostles  greeted  aul  and 

extended  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.   This  vms  significant  because  the 

handshfcke  was  not  merely  a  formality  extended  to  anyone.  We  shake  hands  and 

it  doesn't  mean  much.   But  back  then,  the  handshake  meant  mgatimj*:  accepting 

another  person  as  another  Christian;  a  brother  in  the  faith. 

And  then  Paul  writes  in  the  10th  verse,  (read  this).   This  means  that  they 

shared  together  the  needs  to  be  found  in  the  church.   There  were  many  poor 

people  who  needed  help,  and  they  pledged  themselves  to  help  the  poor.   Now 

here  is  where  works  come  into  the  picture.   Works  are  not  performed  to  gain 

or  get  salvation  as  some  people  mistakenly  believe.   No  amount  of  works  will 

gain  heaven  for  anyone.   Tt  isn't  how  many  years  as  an  usher,  choir  member, 

or  preacher  that  gains  a  person  heaven.   Tt  is  xsx-Kxy  the  Salvation  which  is 

provided  through  Jesus  Christ  which  grants  heaven  to  anyone.   No  amount  of 

effort  on  our  part  can  do  it.   But  it  is  because  we  have  been  saved  by  our 

Lord  and  in  response  to  Hi?  love  for  us,  that  we  reach  out  to  share  our  love 

to  others.   Thus  we  emulate  Him  in  that  respect,  but  ao-ain,  our  works  do  not 

grant  us  passage  into  God*^  eternal  kingdom.   Thin  is  what  Paul  was  speaking 

against  in  this  Scripture,  because  the  Law  did  not  need  to  be  added  to  the 

Grace  which  T-od  had  provided  through  Jesus  Christ.   'This  wss  a  r^ood  example 

of  people  seeking  to  work  to  please  God. 

(Illustration  wife,  first  husband  and  rules;  second  husband  and  rules) 

Tvere  was  once  a  woman  who  was  married  to  a  very  tyrannical  husband  who 
demanded  that  his  wife  c  nform  to  ricrid  standards  which  he  gave  to  her. 
He  made  her  several  sheets  od  do's  and  don't's  and  expected  her  to  live 
up  to  them.   She  was  renuired  to  do  these  things  as  his  wife,  as  a  mother, 
and  as  a  hornemaker .   In  time  she  actually  came  to  hate  her  husSand  as  much 
as  she  hated  his  list  of  rules  and  regulations.   But  then  me  day  he  died 
very  suddenly. 

dome  time  later,  she  fell  in  love  with  another  man  and  married  him.   She 
and  her  new  husband  lived  on  an  almost  perpetual  honeymoon,   .She  threw 
herself  into  her  new  marriage  joyfully  and  sought  to  make  him  comcletely 
happy.   One  day  she  ran  across  one  of  the  sheets  her  first  husband  had 
prepared  for  her  to  follow.   To  her  amazement  she  discovered  that  she  was 
doing  aixxsf  for  her  second  husband  all  of  the  things  her  first  husband 
demanded  of  her,  and  he  had  never  once  suggested  any  of  those  things  to 
her.   She  did  them  as  an  expression  of  her  love  for  him  and  her  desire 
to  please  him. 

And  you  see,  this  is  exactly  what  God  wants  from  us.   He  isn't  concerned  in 

us  keeping  a  list  of  do'&  and  don'ts  in  order  to  please  Him.   He  wants  us  to 

live  our  lives  in  love  and  service  as  an  expression  of  our  love  for  Him.   It 

isn't  keeping  the  letter  of  the  law  that  makes  us  ^totatia  true  Christians. 

Instead,  it  is  having  Him  as  our  Saviour  and  living  for  Him  each  day. 


St*  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 

Butler,  Pennsylvania 
))  Eighteenth  Sunday  After  Pentecost         October  14,  1984 
Rev.  Ralph  Link,,  Pastor 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Dawn  Carney,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 
ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 

Prelude   "Come,  Thou  Almighty  King" 
Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who's  lifho  in  the  Pew 
Joys,  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Requests 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  557  "Christ  is  Made  the  Sure 

Foundation" 

*  Ascription 

*  Exhortation 

♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "Lord  God,  our  Saviour,  you  have 
been  faithful  in  your  promise  to  deliver  us  from  the 
guilt  of  our  sins,  and  make  us  acceptable  to  you  and 
your  kingdom.   But  too  often  I  have  not  been  faithful 
in  following  my  promise  to  obey  your  will,  and  I  have 
not  loved  my  neighbors  and  enemies,   I  humbly  ask 
forgiveness,  Lord.   In  Jesus  name.   Amen." 

*  Kyrie 

*  Assurance  of  Pardon 

*  Praise 
Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 
And  blessed  be  His  Glorious  Name  forever  • 


Heard  the  Voice  of  Jesus  Say" 

The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  Spirit 
Let  us  Pray 


Pastor i 
People: 

-  Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  51   "I 
Call  to  Prayer 

Pastor : 

People: 

Pastor: 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory:   "Cavatina" 

Anthem:   u0  How  Happy  Are  They  Who  The  Saviour  Obey" 
Scripture:   Galatians  2:  11-21 
Sermon:    "Born  Free:  Through  Whom?'1 
k  Closing  Hymn  No.  634  "0,  How  I  Love  Jesus" 
Benediction 
Pastlude    "Trumpet  Voluntary"1 


The  Lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Howard  McLaren  in  memory  of  Fred  &  Ella  Da,y   McLaren, 

Ushers  today  will  be,  Dutch  Bowser,  Barb  Vargo,  Jean 

Pflugh,  and  Diane  Hollefreund. 

Mr,  and  Mrs.  Chester  Stauffer  will  greet  the  congregation 

at  the  door  this  morning. 

Nursery  will  be  provided  by  Mrs.  Bonnie  Gannon. 

Dick  Mangel  and  Bob  Dellen  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week. 

Attendance  last  week  was  139  with  7  visitors. 

Hospitalized:  BMH  -  Herb  Shearer  and  Judy  Bowser  and 

Mildred  Wiles  is  at  Hill  Crest  Nursing  Home  in  Grove 

City,   Amelia  Leighton  is  now  at  the  Riemer  home* 

Helen  Grouse  has  been  recuperating  at  her  sons  home 

at  145  Hampton  Court. 

FILM  #2  -SPIRITUAL  PARENTING  will  be  tonight  at  7:00 
in  Rehoboth  Hall. 

We  are  in  need  of  helpers  to  distribute  flowers  after 
the  service  on  Sundays.   If  you  are  interested  in 
please  contact  Dutch  Bolam  or  the  office.  Thank  you. 
During  the  month  of  November,  the  church  will  be 
pushing  wheelchair  patients  at  the  VA  Hospital*  so  if 
you  are  called  upon  please  volunteer  to  help.   Please 
contact  the  office  or  Harry  Fry.     Thank  you. 
College  Informational  Spectacular1  will  be  held  on 
October  20th  from  9:00  am  to  3pm  at  Community  Alliance 
Church.   This  for  those  people  who  are  seeking  inform- 
ation about  Christian  Colleges,  Contact  the  office 
for  further  information. 

APPLE  BUTTER  TIME  -  is  fast  approaching.   We  still  need 
volunteers  to  help  on  Friday  October  28  and  October  27 
for  making  apple  butter »   Also  please  turn  in  your 
orders  as  soon  as  possible.  We  also  need  squeezes 
for  making  applesauce  and  kettles  for  cooking  out  of 
doors.   Please  let  Marilyn  Snyder  or  Ginny  Mangel  know 
if  you  can  help. 

The  Daily  Bread  booklets  and  Moody  Monthly  magazines 

are  still  available  and  can  be  picked  up  before  or 

after  the  service  in  the  Narthex.  £  Ml      y 

Chancel  Choir  -  7:00  PM  Thursday 

Monday  -  Volleyball 

Tuesday  and  Thursday  —  Aerobics 


' 


Congregation  Standing 


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Scripture;    Galatians   2 t 11-21 

Thus   far   letr   ?cow  Gal  F  anser  critic   sevrl  waya 
1st    tol   conversin  by  G   as   an  apostle 

i      ;  anser   lep;lisn  cum  'tth   fr/thex   coirm   "    expl  how 

came   thine-  put  dwn  conf    in  Jeru 
.:o      pel   furthr   situatin   tuk  pLac   •"«   h«    inatru    setl   rtiap 

EWo  conf    Jem   ?  &  Barn  return    '.ntiocb  &  ^period   tim< 

all   ro  wel  &  durinsc  this   time   Petr  also   cura  Antioch 
erly  church  eat  feast   cal+Apape   Feast= (EXPLAIN) 

(Bcuz   feast   Xpians  runtime   rersecut   Bcuz   canibals ) 
In  Ch    lat.   all  thor   in  Ch  partuk  of   feast=no  mattr   if 
Jews  ,'7ents  =  all   shar   in  common 

I  Ln    tat   BUM  time  eat  w/Gents  &  C  no  harm  do  so 

&.  P  expl   this  Pconps   Sal   'Vet   pt   aero--    ".  so  wrot=== 
vss   ll-13=Ke   aay  Petr  cub  Ant,ther  4awhil ,then   J  Xpiar 

cum  &  suposed   gent  by  James  (prob   ly  Bcuz    .James   no 
tel   folo  law, or  hav   othr  Xpians  do  so) 
Si  wen  3p:in  spk  bout   Gents/Jews  eat  2pethr,Petr  stop  ^ 
only   eat    w  'Jew-Xpians 

Othrs   saw  ft.   folo   suit    &  evn   Barn  knu  betr  do   ssrre 
?  3ay=vs   ll=tol  Tetr  off   Bcuz  caus  disension  %  no  nee< 
73   14- F'  tel   conversatin  w/Petr 

he    3ay   tuk   Petr  Stable   ?cuz    Tetr   a    Jew, was    liv   as   Gen1 

&  po  bak  SB   Jew=he   knu  betr 

(Ilus   Petr  &  no  eat  unclean  fflood/visin  of  G.etc) 
Petr   eat  w/Jews   Ss  deman  othrs=Gente=do   likwis 
vss   15-16=In  vs   15=no  sinr3   of  Gents=derostory  tern 

Gents   eal^doFIR   &  Jews   no  hav   anythin  ''do  w/them 
i    say=We   who  born  snecil,  Jews   by  birth, R  not   same 

leapue  with  the  Gent  11  dops 
t^        list   wat   they  kno=Law  duz   no  sav.or   .Iustfy  man 
B4    -,only    Je    Xp 's   sacrifiic   aeomplish  4anyl 
vs   17= If   persn  who  Xpian,continu  delib  sin  as  B4  cum 

2    (p,duz  mean  Xp  minster   of   sin???? 
God  forbid!    lik  we  say=~erish  the   thot 
Wat  mean=If   G'.s   erace   encourao:  man  ?sin,that   man  has 
wronp  conceptin  wat  G's    prace  realy  is=expl  4thur= 
TB   18=  If   I  tro  bak  2  law  wh/Js  made  nul/void  by  deth, 

then   I  stil   in  my   ain,un4givn  thru   Kp=conclud  thot== 
vs   19=lnce   arin  mean=law   of  no  efeet  ^salvatin  &  G 

provid  real   sub  4   Law  which  was    Js    Xp 
V  Ik  at  cros    of   Js        0  apony.sufr  tuk  plac   6  spirtuly 
pictur  self    as   crucfy  w/<?avior=unlik  Savior   P  no  ded 
or  did  he   dv  as    Is   had    2  8    saya=VS  ?0»READ=  (livth  me) 

Ins  id   P  ther  liv  persn  St  that  persn   Jn   Xp  ft.  ultimat 
of  '■his    is»V3  20-remaindr  va  =  READ 
1      ied   try  liv   lif   obed   ?ruls/repa   lik  I'os   Iaw,P  now 

yield  self   ?    '•   3p   ">liv   lif  pleas   3   God«G  plac    in  him 

sub  4  Law 


I   ( llus   Drier   dufc  ■*.  rases;  =/ 

(This  wat   P  say  ?peop  cons-   "al=it   not   our      celvs   that 

anythin, or  anythin   cum  out   us  own  strent 
Insted ,wat   G   put    inP   us    that    maks   us   wat   we    R 

iKiv    Js    Xp  4  &  in  our  liva   ".-  wen  H   Rp  sho   from 

within  our  livs.then  thez    livs   H  worthy  of  that  call 
!       *da-V8  21=HEAD 

i    Ivizers  want   .^mix  Law/Grace   "    P  say   this   imposibl 
2go  bak  2Law  is  2set  ar.id  that  which  G  had  dun  thru 
Js   Xp 

P  stat   if  this  the   case, then  Xp  died   for  nothing 

His   sacrific   wasnt   necesary   if   Law  stil   in  efect 
(I llus   boy   hear   preach   bout   crucifixion   Es  cry  bout    it 
t  isnt  this   norml  react   2most   all   Xpians? 

.v'e  kno  wat   tuk  plac  t-us   in  lif/deth/res    Js  Xp,but 

hov/   duz    affect   us? 
R  we   evr  mov  by   it? 

We  hear  mesap  Hun  aftr   Gun  &  walk  away  aa   nuthin 

evr   hapen 
P   purp  ^-'jjrit    not   only   stir  up   peop   2whom   specif   writ, 
but  ?atir  up  any  who  may  read   futur  wna 

'Je  hav  bin  BORH  TREE,   but  do  we  3mo    "  CRO   ,.','nOK? 
Can  we   sny   with  P-VE   ?0=P.EAD   ?????? 

If  we   cant  then  we   striv   liv  thru   law 'works   or  sum- 
thin  arart   from  Gospl 
Do  we' hear   &  kno   truth   Of   Him  THRU   WWK  we   hav  bin 
BORN  FREE???? 
or  do  we  hear   it        walk  away  as   nuthin  evr  hapen? 

G  grant  we   may  hear,B  mov  by   it   21iv  it.or  el«=== 
JESUS  is  ded    in  vain. 


"Born  Free:  Through  Whom?" 

Scripture:  Galatians  ?:  11-21 

Thus  far  in  this  letter  to  the  centre rat Ions  in  Galatia,  Paul  has  answered 

his  critics  in  several  ways.   First,  he  told  of  his  conversion  and  selection 

by  God  as  an  apostle.   Then  he  answered  the  legalism  which  was  coming:  forth 

from  these  congregations  by  explaining  what  had  happened  at  a  conference  in 

Jerusalem  to  put  down  this  very  thine;.   Nov?  in  this  Scripture  he  tells  of  a 

further  situation  which  took  place  in  which  he  was  instrumental  in  settling; 

a  similar  dispute. 

Following  the  conference  in  Jerusalem,  Paul  and  Barnafeas  returned  to  antioch. 

For  a  period  of  time  everything  seemed  to  be  going  well.   During  this  time, 

Peter  also  came  to  Antioch.   In  the  early  church  of  this  time  it  was  custon- 

ary  to  share  together  what  was  known  as  the  "Agape  feast,"  or  meal.   The  word 

"Agape"  is  Greek  for  "love."   Now  this  word  is  one  of  four  which  define  love, 

but  this  derivative  speaks  of  a  pure,  deep  love  such  as  God  has  shown  to  man. 

»vhen  it  ias  used  to  speak  of  the  meal,  or  feast  shared  by  fellow  believers, 

it  spoke  of  a  special  love  that  fellow  Christians  had  together,  something  the 

shared  in  common.  These  Agape  meals,  or  love  feasts  as  they  were  called, 

consisted  of  everyone  contiibuting  what  they  had,  meager  as  it  may  have  been. 

Freouently,  at  the  close  of  their  fellowship  together  they  would  all  partake 

of  the  lord's  Supper  and  this  is  why  the  early  Christians  were  presecuted. 

Those  outside  the  church  heard  that  they  "ate  the  body  of  Christ"  and  "Drank 

His  blood"  and  so  they  were  accused  of  cannibalism,  because  they  didn't  tinder 

stand  what  this  was  all  about.   So  it  was  that  those  in  the  church  in  Antioch 

shared  these  "love  Feasts"  together.   All  of  them,  that  is!   It  didn't  matter 

that  some  were  Gentiles  and  some  were  Jews.  They  saw  no  distinction  between 

themselves  -.3nd  they  shared  together  and  in  common. 

So  Peter  had  been  In  Antioch  for  sometime  eatin^  with  the  Gentiles  and  seeing 

no  harm  in  doinr  so.   Paul  explaining  this  to  the  congregations  in  Galatia  to 

get  his  point  across  wrote  in  verses  11  through  1J ,  (read  these).   So  he  is 

saying  that  after  Peter  was  there  for  a  while,  some  Jewish  Christians  from 

Jerusalem  came  to  Antioch.   Supposedly  they  claimed  to  be  sent  by  James,  but 

they  must  have  lied,  because  James  would  not  have  told  them  to  dontinue  to 

follow  the  Law,  or  have  other  Christians  do  so.   Now  when  they  began  to  speak 

out  against  Gentiles  and.  Jews  eatinn-  together,  Peter  who  had  been  doing  this 

stopped  eating  with  Gentile  Christians  and  only  ate  with  Jewish  Christians. 

Others  saw  what  he  was  doing  and  they  followed  suit  even  to  the  point  that 

Barnabas,  who  had  been  with  Faul  and  knew  better,  began  to  do  the  same  thing. 

So  Paul  says  in  the  11th  verse,  "I  withstood  him  to  the  face,  because  he  was 

to  be  blamed  "  He  says,  he  told  Peter  off  because  he  was  causing  dissension 
in  the  C  urch  and  this  wasn't  needed. 


-?- 

Then  Paul  tells  of  his  conversation  with  ""eter  starting  in  the  14-th  verse, 
(read  this  verse).  Paul  is  saying  that  1b  took  Peter  to  taks  because  Peter 
being  a  Jew  was  now  living  and  acting  as  a  Gentile,   Peter  knew  better.  You 
may  recall  that  as  a  devout  Jew  he  would  not  eat  with  Gentiles  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  ministry.   A.t  this  point  God  gave  him  a  vision  in  which  he  was  in 
structed  to  eat  Gentile  food  because  it  was  not  unclean  as  he  had  pronounced 
it.   So  here  he  was,  some  years  later  eatinf  like  any  ordinary  Gentile.   But 
when  some  Jewish  Christians  came  along  and  demanded  that  this  practice  be 
stopped,  Peter  went  back  to  eating  with  Jews  only,  but  also  demanding  that 
the  Gentiles  beprin  to  live  as  the  Jews  did. 

Then  Paul  goes  on  to  explain  this  position  in  a  logical  manner  for  Peter  to 
see  for  himself  as  we  read  in  verses  15  through  15,  (read  these).   In  the  15t' 
verse  the  term,  "and  not  sinners  of  the  Gentiles,"  is  a  rather  derogatory 
manner  of  speaking  of  the  Gentiles.   Jews  weref orbidden  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  Gentiles.   A  Gentile  was  called  "a  dog,"  which  *fe  was  the  worst  term 
which  could  be  applied  to  anyone.   So  Paul  says,  "•■'e  who  are  born  special, 
Jews  by  birth,  are  not  in  the  same  league  with  the  Gentile  dogs,"   And  then 
he  lists  what  they  happen  to  know  which  is  that  the  Law  does  not  save,  or 
justify  man  before  God,  only  Jesus  Christ's  sacrifice  can  accomplish  that  for 
anyone . 

And  he  adds,  (read  verse  17).   ''/hat  Paul  is  saying  here  is  that  if  a  person 
is  a  Christian,  but  continues  to  deliberately  commit  the  same  sins  he  did 
before  he  came  to  Christ,  does  this  mean  that  Christ  is  the  minister  of  sin? 
In  other  words,  imsxxtiiir  do  the  actions  of  some  §o  called  "Christians"  make 
the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  of  little  value?  His  answer  is,  "God  forbid."  7/e 
might  say,  "Perish  the  thought."  Paul  means  that  if  God's  Grace  encourages 
man  to  sin,  that  man  has  the  wrong  conception  of  what  God's  Grace  is.   And  he 

gives  further  explanation  of  this  in  the  18th  verse.   "For  if  I  build  again 
the  things  which  I  destroyed,  I  make  myself  a  transgressor." 

In  other  words,  If  I  go  back  to  the  Law  which  Jesus  made  null  and  void  by  His 

death,  then  I  am  still  toack  in  my  sins  and  unforgiven  through  Christ,  which  1 

what  T,aul  is  declaring.   And  he  concludes  this  thought  in  the  19th  verse  when 

he  says,  "For  I  through  the  law  am  dead  to  the  law,  that  I  might  live  unto 

God."   ind  once  aeain  he  means  that  the  law  is  of  no  effect  for  salvation 

and  God  has  provided  the  real  substitute  for  the  law  which  was  Jesus  Christ. 

Then  Paul  sums  all  of  this  up  and  adds  a  richer  deeper  meaning  to  all  that  he 

has  written  as  he  says  in  the  ?Oth  verse,  "I  am  crucified  with  Christ." 

Paul  looks  at  the  cross  of  Jesus  and  there  he  sees  the  agony,  the  suffering 

which  took  place  there  and  spiritually  he  nictures  himself  as  being  crucified 

with  His  oavious.   But  unlike  the  Saviour,  Paul  is  not  dead,  or  did  not  die  a 

Jesus  had  to  and  he  says,  "Nevertheless  I  live;  yet  not  I  but  Christ  liveth  ' 
in  me , " 


-3- 

Insi&e  of  Paul  he  is  saying,  there  is  a  Person  living  and  that  person  is  Jesus 

Christ.   And  the  ultimate  of  being  indwelt  by  Jesus  is,  "And  the  life  which  I 

now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  jcai 

gave  Himself  for  me."   Instead  of  trying  to  live  his  life  in  obedience  to  a 

set  of  rules  as  found  in  the  Mosaic  law,  Daul  yields  himself  to  the  Holy 

Spirit  to  live  a  life  pleasing  to  Cod,   God  has  placed  in  him  a  substitute 

for  the  law. 

(Illustration  of  brier  bush  and  roses) 

There  is  a  fable  of  a  common  brier  that  grew  near  a  rose  garden.  One  day 
the  gardner  came  along  with  his  spade  and  dug  it  up.   As  he  lifted  it  from 
the  ground  the  brier  said,  "Doe3  he  know  what  he  is  doing?   Doesn't  he  know 
that  I'm  only  a  common  brier?"  The  gardner  took  the  brier  and  planted  it 
in  with  the  roses.   Again  the  brier  spoke  and  said,  "What  a  mistake,  plant- 
ing me  among  these  beautiful  roses,"  Then  with  a  sharp  knife  the  gardner 
task  cut  a  laree  kx  amount  of  the  brier  away.   And  on  the  main  stem  he  made 
a  slit  into  which  he  placed  the  stem  of  a  rose  bush,  and  he  bound  the  wound, 
The  nest  year,  when  the  roses  began  to  bloom  beautiful  and  fragrant  roses 
burst  forth  from  the  common  brier.   The  gardner  passed  the  garden  and  stoop- 
ed and  smiled  as  he  said,  "Your  beauty  old  brier  is  not  due  to  that  which 
came  out  of  you,  but  to  that  which  I  have  put  into  you,"  Tvis  is  God's 
Grace  in  His  people's  lives. 

This  is  what  Faul  was  saying  to  the  people  in  the  congregations  In  p-alatia. 

isKxaufBxsB*  It  is  not  we  ourselves  that  are  anything,  or  anything  that  comes 

out  of  us  in  our  own  strength.   Instead,  it  is  what  God  has  put  into  us  that 

makes  us  what  we  are.   He  has  Riven  us  Jesus  Christ  for  and  in  our  lives  and 

it  is  when  His  Holy  Spirit  shows  from  within  our  lives  that  these  lives  are 

worthy  of  that  calling. 

But  Paul  then  adds,  "I  do  not  frustrate  the  grace  of  God:  for  if  righteousness 
come  by  the  law,  then  Christ  is  dead  in  vain." 

The  Judaiaers  wanted  to  mix  grace  and  law  snd  Paul  is  sayinp  that  this  is  im- 
possible.  To  go  back  back  to  the  law  is  to  set  aside  that  which  God  had  done 
through  Christ.   Faul  states  that  if  this  is  the  case,  then  Christ  died  for 
nothing.  His  sacrifice  wasn't  necessary  if  the  law  is  still  of  effect, 

(Illustration  of  boy  hearing  preaching  about  the  Crucifixion) 

A  younr  boy  was  taken  to  church  on  Good  Friday  to  hear  his  uncle  preach. 
The  uncle  preached  an  eloouent  sermon  about  the  Crucifixion.   The  boy  was 
so  moved  by  this  horrible  event  and  story,  that  he  began  to  cr#.   He"  looked 
around  because  he  was  suddenly  aware  that  people  were  staring  at  him.  All 
that  he  noted  was  the  unmoved  people  who  were„looking  at  him  as  though  he 
were  sorre  sort  of  oddball.   later  he  said,  "T,  ey  all  walked  away  as  if 
nothing  had  happened. 

And  isn't  this  the  normal  reaction  of  almost  all  Christians?   We  know  what 
took  place  for  us  in  the  life,  death,  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.   But 
how  does  it  affect  us?   Are  we  ever  moved  by  it?   We  hear  the  message  Sunday 
after  Sunday  and  we  walk  away  "as  if  nothing  had  happened."   Paul's  purpose 
for  writing  was  not  only  to  stir  up  the  people  to  whom  he  was  actually  writ- 
ing, but  to  stir  up  any  and  all  future  generations  of  Christians,   We  have 
been  "Born  Free"  but  do  we  know  "Through  Whom?"   Can  we  say  with  Paul, 


-4- 

"I  am  crucified  with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  live;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  livetl 
in  me:  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the 
ion  of  Cod,  who  loved  me,  and  ^gve  Himself  for  me." 

If  we  c^n't,  then  we  are  striving  to  live  by  the  law,  or  by  works,  or  some* 

tiling  apart  from  the  Gospel.   Do  we  hear  and  know  the  truth  of  Him  "T^rouprh 

'■■/horn,  we  have  been  "3orn  Free?"   Or  do  we  hear  it  and  walk  away  as  if  nothing 

had  happened?   Hay  God  prant  that  we  may  hear  it  and  be  moved  by  it,  to  live 

it,  or  else  Jesus  is  dead  in  vain. 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 

Butler,  Pennsylvania 

Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor         October  21, 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Dawn  Carney T  Acolyte 

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ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 


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Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joy S ,  Cone ern ,  and  Prayer  Reques ts 
»  Processional  Hymn  No.  377  "Joyful,  Joyful,  We  Adore  Thee" 

*  Ascription 

*  Exhortation 

*  Confession  (In  Unison)  H  We  offer  unto  thee  our  Father, 

Praise  for  the  gift  of  thy  spirit.   We  ask  for  thy 
Spirit  at  the  times  when  we  are  filled  with  doubt; 
when  we  are  filled  with  hatred^  when  we  are  devoid  of 
patience;  when  we  show  forth  selfishness.   In  all 
circumstances  which  are  contrary  to  thy  will,  send 
thy  Spirit  to  help,  to  heal,  and  may  we  know  thy 
forgiveness,  through  Christ.   Amen" 

*  Kyrie 

*  Assurance  of  Pardon 

*  Praise;    Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  -  And  Blessed  be  his  Glorious  Name  forever. 

*  Gloria  Patri 

Hymn  No.  35  "Near  to  the  Heart  of  God" 

Call  to  Prayer;   Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 

People  -  And  with  thy  Spirit 

Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 

*  Doxclc-gy  No.  362 
Installation  of  Church  Staff 
Anthem:   Gaither  and  Stevens  Medley 
Scripture;   Galatians  3:1-5 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:   Law  vs.  Faith" 
Closing  Hymn  No.  71  "Faith  is  the  Victory" 

*  Benediction 
Postlude 


7 


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•■Congregation  Standing 


The  Lovely  Flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr*  &   Mrs.  Ed  Walker  to  the  Glory  of  God. 
Ushers  for  today  are  Hob  Vinroe,  Robert  Dellen,.  Randy 

Dellen,  and  Brian  Kennedy. 
Mr.  Martin  Henry  will  greet  the  congregation  at  the 

door  this  morning . 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Julee  Vargo. 
Paul  Campbell  and  Arthur  Snyder  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week. 
Attendance  last  week  was  102  with  5  visitors. 
-Hospitalized:  BMH  Mrs.  Cathy  Rearick 

'  FILM  #3  MARKS  OF  A  DISCIPLE  will  be  shown  tonight  at 
7:00  P.M.  in  Rehoboth  Hall,  fallowed  with  refresh- 
ment3i 
During  the  month  of  November,  the  church  will  be 
pushing  wheelchair  patients  at  the  VA  Hospital,  so 
if  you  are  called  upon  please  volunteer  to  help. 
Please  contact  the  office  or  Harry  Fry.    Thank  you. 

'APPLE  BUTTER  -  Friday  October  26  and  October  27  will 
be  working  days  in  Rehoboth  Hall  and  we  need  lota 
of  helpers  for  both  days.   Please  contact  Marilyn 
Snyder  or  Ginny  Mangel  if  you  are  willing  to  help  out 
either  day*   Pack  a  lunch  for  Friday  and  enjoy  the 
day  with  us.   Saturday  is  pot  luck  lunch. 

The  slate  of  people   for  election  in  November  are; 
Elder  -  Paul  Riemer     Deacons  -  Kevin  5nyder, 
Delorea  Herrit,  and  Sandy  Sheppeck. 
Monday  *■*  Spangs  Volleyball 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  -  Aerobics 
Thursday  -  Chancel  Choir  at  7:00  P.M. 
Wednesday  -  7:00  P.M.  Senevolence  Comm.  meeting 
We  recently  received  the  new  address  for  Rob  and  Cyndie 

SP4  R. K«  Sybert       (they  are  now  in  Germany ) 

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NOTICE:   NOVEMBER  4,  1984 

Election  of  Elders  and  Deacons 
Presentation  and  Adoption  of  Budget 
Voting  on  Revisions  of  Constitution 

This  will  held  immediately  after  the  service 
in  Rehoboth  Hall.  Please  plan  to  attend. 


'Horn   iree :    uev  vs.    --a:T;n 
[Scripture:    Gelatiana   5:1-5 

thez  vss   I'   apeal  ?  Gals   Precal  persnl  exper  wen  came 
2   IT"  &  vrer   saved 

Kt     >2this   sectin=vs  4=SUFFERED=translat   experienced 
word   has   many  defs=(Ilus    of   two   of   them-R 
I   f     -   ohvius  exper  wat   pet   fr   liv  thru   many  sitiatina 

Bti„  prob»h;at   has   this /that   exper  taut   us?   Hav  lern? 
P  ask   membrs    eonrs    Gal    Ch   same   nuests 
va  la^poplr  suprstltin  bout   Evil    Kiye  ft  thez  Gals   not 

only  suround   thez   para  Bliefs,but   mos   had   cum  out 

that   envirnment   S-   bakpround 
So  not   2dif  2^0  bak  Pthat   line   of  thinkintr/Blief 
P  ask  how  cud  resort   2thez  pern  Idea  6  noB  perceptiv 
enuf   Punderst   no  1  can  put  evil  eye   on  anyl  else 

They  no  Bwitch  as   Bay  hav  bin  think 
vs   lb=EET  FORTH-spit  public  anouncmen/notic  poplr  then 

probly  trunr  mod   bHborad,smalr=pertain  dif   thinp-s 
lfreount   use=I   no   lonpr  responsbl  any  debt  son  incur 

P  no  say  placard  bin  post  tel  Xp's  crucifix, but  iapl: 

is   that   he  ,P, public  proclaim  truth  this  4any'all  hea] 
P  had  preach, they   seen  w/mftnd's   eye  ft.  acpt  w/harts 
the  Taviour  proclaimed 
vss   2-J-P  aak  peop  bout  relatship  2  Xp 

import  quset^Did  they  receiv  fpirit  by  do  works   of 
law, was  by   own  flesh»od  di  receiv  by  faith??? 
anser-Fp  came   in2   livs  wen  Beam  Blievr   in  '<p, invite 

in2  harts   &  livs 
Js   sed  this   wud  hapn=JOHN  IS : 7-14= Read   &  brief  explaii 
Wat  hapn  is   this=Wen  persn  acpt    Js  Xp  as   Saviour,"      t 
sum  in2  persn'?   hart  &  reside  ther 

B'-'-   Elievr   has   renponsbilty   2  H   Ep  &  this   2walk  Sp 
Ke,    .s=he   seek  obey  by  read  G's   V/ord, pray, daily  walk   J 
P  say  letr   Eph=shudB  fil  w/^pirit 

meriy  mean  as   hav  thirst   watr  evr  d*y,ft  ouench  w/wat: 

ouench  things   of  3, seek  2hav  His   Sp  fil  livs  evr  day 
It   onpo  proces  wh/nevr   stop  &  we   R  eithr   mor  full 
or   lea   ful  depend  how  serius  tak  faith  in  Xp 
vs  4=Hav  U  exper   all  thes   things  ft  it   has   ment  nothin 

2U?   Has   evrthinr  0   hav   lern  bout    Xrianty  bin  of   no 

valu   2u  at   all? 
&   then   add    sarcasticly=IF   IT   BE  YET   IN  VAIN 

He   say  thev   ,i'us  use   excus   they  didnt  underst  wat   sal 

all  bout   &  so  hav  bin  seek  2add    law  2ther   Xpianty  & 

pr/teach  not   in  vain  Bcuz   knu  betr 

(Illus   Warren  Wiersbe   idea   on  this) 

Thi      wat  P  say*U  kno  U  R  born  atfin  thru  faith   &  faith 
alt     U  no  lontrr  need  2hgv   law  w/all   its   litl  do's, 
dent's, if  a    andB,&  buts=U   HA?  XF   S.  U   P.SCEIS   HIM  by 

FAITH   ALOKE 


vs     ^7™*     afiA     j.     i  J-iix     uucsli  £/ 

Nho»HE  mentin  th/vs?    =    it    is   Godl 

G   giv  mi  bifcth  2all  cum  tjtf  2   Christ 
It   G  who  diree   His  9  ""p   in2  lif  ea  nu   Elievr  &  it 

t    law   &  all   men  cud    produc   Pkeep  man   on  corse    of 
J.J.V  by  works   &  frud   deeds    in   ordr  Pmeet  w/G  's   aprovl 
S-  t^is  was  corse  thez   Gals   wer  folo  Bcuz    Judyizers 
wh     *rer   insist   in  ordr   Ppleas  G,2B  rite  w/Him,they  hat 
2hav   the   law  as  wel  as   Xp 

All   wat   P  had   Pwrit  2thej£  peop  can  %.  shudB  Ik  at   in 

this  part   of   Church  ape    Sc  perhaps  can  ilus  w/two  ilu! 
(Ilus   Nancy   Jones   old  maid    in  midwest) 
nothin  of  note  cudB  record  bout   lif  such  as  this  ft  if 
she  wer  a   Xpian  ther   is   no  evidenc   of   it,   nun  at  all 

Contrast   this  with  another  woman 
(Ilus  woman   in   London, her  smile, her  Bible) 
Was   eithr  woman  of   note    or   prominence?    No! 
both  comon  peop, but  do  U  C  efect   they  had   on  socity? 

This   esenc   wat   F   aret   at 

(Ilus    Dr.    Richard   Halvers on, Chaplain  UF   Senate=witnes 
The   Jews   spent   untol   hrs   ouestion  St  arpu  who  was   tru 
Xpian  Bcuz  wat  did/didnt  do  reeard   2  law 

But  P  pt  out  tru  Xpianty  is  that  wh  liv  by  FAITH 

Xpainty  is  that  which  iss  shown  daily  livs 
It  isnt  add  up  deeds/acts  wh/G  meticulous  mark  dwn 
His  blakbord  besid  our  names 

It  simpl  ordnary  things  of  lif  which  sho  cum  from 

hart  which  is  attuned  to  God 
Can  only  hapn  if  steep  livs  in  thinrs  of  God 
t.eed  Pread/study  Bibl  daily  basis 

Need  2pray  many  times  during  day, spk, talk  2  God 
Need  2seek  ?B  fil  by  H  Sp  by  liv  livs  clos  2  lord 
Tt"    exact  wat  F  <ret  at  wen  ask  Gals  ouest=vs  cj=READ 

And  anser  2this  questin  of  Faith  vs  .  Law  always  cums 

out  that  it  is  by  FAImr  f-   not  the  law  that  God 

desires  from  Hip  peopl. 


"Born  Free:  Law  vs  Faith" 

Gcripture :  Salatians  3tl-5 

As  we  come  to  these  5  verses  at  the  beginning  of  this  3rd  chapter  we  find  tha1 
laul  appeals  to  the  Galatians  to  recall  their  personal  experience  when  they 
came  to  Christ  and  were  saved.  The  key  to  this  section  is  found  in  the  4th 
verse  where  wRxrgad,  "Have  ye  suffered  so  many  things  in  vain?"   The  word 
"suffered,"  can  be  translated  "experienced,"  As  we  think  of  the  word  ex- 
perience, we  know  there  are  all  sorts  of  definitions  for  the  word. 

(Illustrations  of  two  of  these) 

"The  difference  between  education  and  experience:  Education  is  what  you 

get  from  reading  the  small  print.   Experience  is  what  you  get  from  not 

reading  it.   -  Author  unknown 
"When  a  person  with  experience  meets  a  person  with  money,  the  person  with 

soffBKy  experience  will  get  the  money,  and  the  person  with  the  money  will 

get  some  experience."   -  Leonard  Lauder,  CEO  of  Estee  Lauder 

I'm  sure  it  is  obvious  that  experience  is  what  we  get  from  lifing  through 

many  situations.   But  the  problem  isxx±awy  seems  to  be,  "What  has  this  or 

that  experience  taught  us?  Have  we  learned  anything  from  it?"  And  Paul  is 

asking  these  members  of  the  congregations  of  the  Galatian  church  the  very 

same  questions, 

Paul  begins  by  asking,  "0  foolsih  Galatians,  who  hath  bewitched  you,  that  ye 
shouldn  not  obey  the  truth?" 

T^ere  was  a  popular  superstition  atound  at  this  time  which  was  believed  by 
many  people  concerning  the  evil  eye.  *?axy  These  Galatians  were  not  only 
surrounded  by  these  pagan  beliefs,  but  most  ofvthem  had  come  out  of  that  en- 
vironment.  So  it  wasn't  too  difficult  to  go  back  to  that  line  of  thinking 
and  belief,   ^o  Paul  is  sx^zxikx  asking  how  they  could  resort  to  these  pagan 
ideas  and  why  aren't  they  perceptive  enough  to  understand  that  no  one  can  put 
an  evil  eye  upon  anyone  else.   They  are  not  bewitched  as  they  may  have  been 
thinking. 

Then  he  asks,  "Before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  hath  been  evidently  set  forth, 
crucified  among  you?" 

The  words  "set  forth"  sneak  of  a  public  announcement  or  notice  which  were 
popular  in  that  age.   It  was  probably  the  forerunner  of  our  outdoor  bill- 
boards, but  on  a  smaller  scale.   Many  of  these  public  announcements  were  post- 
ed pertaining  to  different  things.   One  whoch  was  used  freauently  was  by  a 
father  who  had  a  wayward  son  and  he  would  post  a  notice,  "I'm  no  longer  re- 
sponsible for  xix  any  debts  my  son  may  incur."   Now  Paul  didn't  mean  that  a 
placard  had  been  posted  telling  of  Christ's  cruxlfixion,  but  his  implication 
is  that  he,  Paul,  publicly  proclaimed  the  truth  of  this  for  any  and  all  to 
hear,  Paul  had  preached  this  and  they  had  "seen"  with  their  mind's  eye  and 
accepted  with  their  hearts  this  saviour  proclaimed. 
And  mow  Paul  continues  to  ask  these  people  about  their  relationship  to  Christ 


-2- 

as  we  read  in  the  2nd  and  3rd  verses.   "This  only  would  I  learn  of  you, 

received  you  the  Spirit  be  the  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  of 

faith?   Are  ye  so  foolsih?  having  beprun  in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  now  made 

perfect  by  the  flesh?" 

Ee  is  asking  the  important  ouestion,  "Did  they  receive  the  Spirit  by  doing 

the  works  of  the  law,  was  it  by  their  own  flesh?   Or  did  they  receive  it  by 

faith?  The  answer  of  course  is  that  the  Spirit  came  into  their  lives  because 

they  came  to  Christ  and  invited  Him  into  their  hearts  and  lives,   Jesus  said 

this  would  happen  and  we  read  of  this  promise  in  John  16:7-14-  -(Head  this.) 

What  happens  is  this :  When  a  person  accepts  Christ  as  their  Saviour  the  Holy 

Spirit  comes  into  that  person's  heart  and  resides  there.  But  the  believer 

has  a  responsibility  to  the  Holy  Spirit  and  this  is  to  Walk  in  the  Spirit, 

This  means  he  is  seeking  to  obey  by  reading  God's  Word,  by  prayer  and  by  a 

daily  walk  with  Jesus  Christ.   Paul  tells  us  in  his  letter  to  the  "Ephenians 

that  we  should  be  filled  with  the  Spirit.   This  merely  means  just  as  we  have 

a  thirst  for  water  every  day  and  we  auench  that  thirst  by  drinking  water,  so 

we  should  auench  our  thirst  for  the  thing3  of  God  by  aeeking  to  have  His 

Spirit  move  us  in  our  daily  lives.   It  is  an  ongoing  process  which  never 

stops  and  we  are  either  more  full  or  less  full  than  others  depending  upon  how 

seriously  we  take  our  faith  in  Christ. 

Then  Paul  asks  in  the  4th  verse,  "Have  ye  suffered  so  many  things  in  vain?" 

The  question  is ,  "Have  you  experienced  all  of  thes  things  and  it  has  meant 

nothing  to  you?  Has  everything  you  have  learned  about  Christianity  been  of 

no  value  tovyou  at  all?"   A.nd  then  he  adds  sort  of  sarcastically,  "If  it  be 

yet  in  vain."  He  is  saying  that  they  are  using  an  excuse  that  they  didn't 

understand  what  salvation  was  all  about  and  so  the:/  have  been  seeking  to 

add  the  Law  to  their  Christianity  and  that  the  preaching  and  teaching  was  not 

in  vain,  because  they  knew  better. 

(Illustration  of  Warren  Wiersbe  idea  on  this) 

The  illustration  of  human  birth  is  apnropriatechere .   Two  human  parents 
are  reauired  for  a  child  to  be  conceived  and  born  ?nd  two  spiritual 
parents  are  required  for  a  child  tocbe  born  into  God's  family;  The  Spirit 
of  God  and  the  Word  of  God.   When  a  normal  child  is  born,  he" has  all  that 
he  needs  for  life;  nothing  need  be  added.   When  a  child  of  God  is  born 
into  God's  family,  he  has  all  that  he  needs  spiritually;  nothing  need  be 
added!   All  that  is  necessary  is  that  the  child  have  food,  exercise  and 
cleansing  that  he  might  grow  into  maturity.   It  would  be  strange  if  the 
parents  had  to  take  the  child  to  the  doctor  at  one  month  to  receive  ears, 
at  two  month?  to  receive  toes  and  so  on." 

-  'Warren  Wiersbe,  from  "Be  Free."  - 

T  is  is  what  Paul  is  saying.   You  know  that  you  are  born  again  through  faith 

and  faith  alone.   You  no  longer  need  to  have  the  Law  with  all  of  its  little 

do's  dent's,  ifs  ands  and  buts .   You  have  Christ  and  you  receive  Him  by 

faith  alone. 

And  then  aul  asks  one  final  ouestion  in  the  5th  verse,  "He  therefore  that 
ministereth  to  you  the  Spirit,  and  worketh  miracles  among  you,  doeth  He  it 
by  the  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith?" 


-3- 

Who  is  the "He"  mentioned    in  this  verse?      It   is   God!      God  has  given  the   new 

birth  in  the  life  of  everyone  who  comes  to  Christ.   It  is  God  who  directs 

His  Holy  Spirit  into  the  life  of  each  new  believer  and  it  is  not  the  law  and 

all  that  man  could  produce  to  keep  man  on  a  course  of  living  by  works  and 

pood  deeds  in  order  to  meet  with  God's  approval.   And  this  is  the  course  these 

Galatians  were  following  because  of  the  Judaisers  who  were  insisting  that  in 

order  to  please  God,  or  be  right  with  Him,  they  had  to  nave  the  law  as  well 

as  Christ. 

All  of  what  Paul  had  to  write  to  these  people  can  and  should  be  looked  at  by 

those  of  us  in  this  rt  part  of  the  church  age.   Perhaps  we  can  illustrate 

what  he  was  trying  to  say  with  two  illustrations. 

(Illustration  of  Nancy  Jones  the  old  maid  in  the  midwest) 

Miss  Jones  an  elderly  spinster  lived  all  of  her  life  in  a  small  town  in 
the  midwest.   She  was  known  as  the  oldest  resident  in  the  town.   So  when 
she  died  the  editor  of  the  local  newspaper  wanted  to  print  something  ap- 
propriate for  her  in  the  paper.   But  he  could  find  nothing  to  write  about 
her.   She  had  never  gotten  any  notoriety  and  had  done  nothing  ±b  worthy 
of  printing.   The  Editor  went  to  the  local  restaurant  for  a  cup  of  coffee 
and  he  met  the  man  who  had  the  tombstone  business  in  that  town.  He  asked 
him  if  he  had  any  information  to  give,  but  the  tombstone  man  said  he  was 
as  much  in  the  dark  as  to  what  to  put  on  her  tombstone  as  the  editor  and 
his  paper.   The  editor  decided  that  when  he  got  back  to  his  office  he 
would  give  this  assignemnt  to  the  first  reporter  he  met.   The  only  report- 
er available  was  the  sports  editor.  To  he  told  him  he  wanted  a  small  art- 
icle about  Miss  Jones  for  the  paper  and  perhaps  he  could  share  itvvrith 
the  tombstone  man.   Supposedly  if  you  walk  through  that  town  you  will  see 
a  tombstone  in  the  cemetary  which  states: 

Here  lies  the  bones  of  Nancy  Jones, 
For  her  life  held  no  terrors. 

She  lived  an  old  maid.   She  died  an  old  maid. 
No' hits,  no  runs,  no  errors. 

Nothing  of  note  could  be  recorded  about  a  life  such  as  this  and  if  she  were 

a  Christian,  there  is  no  evidence  of  it.   Hone  at  all.   But  contrast  that  witl 

the  woman  in  London. 

(Illustration  of  woman  in  London,  her  smile,  and  her  Bible) 
One  day  a  woman  was  crossing  a  street  by  London  station  when  an  old 
man  stopped  her.   He  said,  "Excuse  me  ma'am,  but  I  want  to  thank  vou." 
She  looked  at  him  and  asked,  "T,.ank  me?   .'/hat  for?" 

He  replied,  "Yes  ma'am,  thank  you.   I  used  to  be  the  ticket  collector, 
and  when  you  went  by  you  always  gave  me  a  cheerful  smile  and  a  good  morn- 
ing.   I  knew  that  smile  must  come  from  inside  somewhere.   Then  one  morn- 
ing I  noticed  you  carried  a  little  ^ible  in  your  hand.   So  I  bought  one 
too,  and  I  found  Jesus." 

Was  either  woman  of  note  or  prominence?   No!   They  were  both  common  people. 
But  do  you  see  the  effect  they  each  had  on  society?   Tvis  is  the  essence  of 
what  Paul  was  getting  at.   The  Jews  spent  untold  hours  of  questioning  and  ar- 
guing as  to  who  was  a  true  Christian  because  of  what  they  did  or  didn't  do  in 
regard  to  the  old  Law.   But  Paul  pointed  out  in  all  of  his  wiiitngs  that  true 
Chri  tianity  is  that  which  is  lived  by  faith.   Christianity  is  that  which  is 


shown  in  our  daily  lives.   It  isn't  adding  up  deeds  and  acts  which  God  metic- 
ulously marks  down  on  His  large  blackboard  beside  our  names.   It  is  the  simpl 
ordinary  things  of  life  which  show  thay  come  from  a  heart  that  is  attuned  to 
God.   This  can  only  happen  if  we  steep  our  lives  in  the  things  of  God,   .Ve 
need  to  read  and  study  the  ^ible  on  a  regular  basis;  we  need  to  pray  many 
times  during  the  day;  and  we  need  to  seek  to  be  filled  by  His  Holy  Spirit  by 
living  our  lives  close  to  the  Lord. 
T,,is  is  exactly  what  Paul  was  rrettins  at  when  he  asked  the  Galatians  the 

question:  "He  therefore  that  ministereth  to  you  the  Spirit,  and  worketh  mira- 
cles among  you,  doeth  He  it  by  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith 

£»  And  the  answer  to  this  question  of  Faith  vs  the  Law  always  comes  out,  that 

it  is  by  faith  and  not  the  law  that  that  God  desires  from  His  people. 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor         October  2B,  1984 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Kelly  Mangel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +»  +  +  +  +  ♦  +  +  +  «■  +  +  +  +  +  ♦  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP'  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who ' s  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys,  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Bequests 
■•Processional  Hymn  No.  S47"The  Church's  One  Foundation" 
■•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•  Confession  (In  Unison)  "  0  God,  »e  recognize  that  ire  have 
been  created  by  thee,  but  we  have  fallen  airay  from 
thy  creation.   We  confess  that  we  have  not  been 
obedient  people,   tfe  acknowledge  that  we  have  loved 
ourselves  too  much  and  our  brother  too  little.  For" 
eive  us  0  Lord,  through  Christ  our  Lord.   Amen." 
*Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise:   Pastor  -  Blessed  by  the  Lord  God 

People  -  And  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever. 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  Ho.  526  "Faith  of  Our  Fathers" 
Call  to  Prayer:  Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  Vou 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
•Doxology  Mo.  382 
Anthem:   "I  Have  Only  One  Life  to  Live" 
Scripture;   Galatians  3:6-13 
Sermon:       "Born  Free:  By  Justification" 
Closing  Hymn  No.  116  "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  our  Cod" 
•Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 

Postlude 


7* 


P> 


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■"Congregation  Standing 


The  Lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Von  Maloney  in  memory  of  her  mother. 
Ushers  for  today  are  Richard  Mangel,  Don  Kingsley, 

Ed  Walker,  and  Gary  Penar. 
Miss  Deb  Helton  will  greet  the  congregation  at  the 

door  today • 
Nursery  will  be  provided  by  Mrs,  Sue  Gamble. 
Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the  hospital  this  week. 
Attendance  last  week  was  113  with  13  visitors. 
Hospitalized!:  BMH  Ron  Brown,  Alvin  Sbakely,  and 

Mrs.  Grace  Riddle.   VA  -  William  Johnston 

ILM  #4  PERFECTING  THE  FAMILY   will  be  shown  tonight 
st  7:00P.M.  in  Reno both  Hall,  followed  with 
refreshments  and  fellowship. 

During  the  month  of  November,  the  church  will  be 

pushing  wheelchair  patients  at  the  VA  Hospital,  so 
if  you  are  called  upon  please  volunteer  to  help  * 
Please  contact  the  office  or  Harry  Fry. 

The  slate  of  people  far  election  in  November  are: 
Elder  -  Paul  Riemer 

Deacon  —  Kevin  Snyder,  Delores  Herrit,  and 
Sandy  Sheppeck. 

Monday  -  Spangs  Volleyball 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  -  Aerobics 
Thursday  -  Chancel  Chair  at  7:00  P,H, 

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Notice:   NOVEMBER  4,  1984 

Election  of  Elders  and  Deacons 
Presentation  and  Adoption  of  Budget 
Voting  on  Revisions  of  Constitution 

This  will  be  held  immediately  after  the  serv_ 
in  Hehobc-th  Hall.   Please  plan  to  attend. 

Apple  Butter  Orders  may  be  picked  up  in  the  Kail 
immediately  after  the  service  today. 


i 


"Born  Free;    By    Justification" 
Scripture:    Galatians   3:6-18 

How  many  kno  wat   PROCRASTINATION  means? 
(II       boy,preachra   son,   &  techr  ask= Procrastination) 
Mow  contrar   Blief   alon^  thez    lines, we   try  no  preach 
procBastinatin,or  2  supest  we  practice    it 

TKi   portin  Pfs    letr  deal=  Justification 
vsl    j-7=P  say  rirrteousnes   place   Ab   act,Bcuz    Bliev   G's 

proms ;words=act   ?=fr/word   impute=plac   2   l's   act 

wen  sinr   acpt   Xp   &  salv,G's   ritenes   plac  his   act 
(lik  plac  money  frends   bank  act  4  himj 
redeem  sinr  noB  brot   2,yud;~men  4sins, slate  wipe  clean 
&.  G8s  ritnes   plac  Shis   act 

&  P  say  whethr   Jew/Gent, erthly  childrn  of  Ab  Bcuz 

folo  wat  he  did 
Vss   8- 9= Heat hn= Gents; &  P  say  no  matr  who  cum  2  Xp  is 

son  of  Ab  Bcuz   do  wat    Ab  did    &  that  js    cum  2  G  by  Fait 
Jew  Bliev   had  2b   Jew  2hav  relatship  w/Ab  &  Bliev    it 
inherit, pass  dwn=v  peop  2day  Bliev  bout   Xpianty 
P  say  2    Judyizers    say  ad    law  2   Xpianty, WRONG 
vss    10-12=sumup  vs    11= READ, nobody  cud   liv  complet   Law 

2B  kept  bus   keep  100^= if  brk  l,brk  all,nol  cud  do 
vss   15-14= P  ask^Duz   law  put   sinrs  undr  curs?  Xp  redeen 

fr/curse;Do  U  want   bles    of   Ab?   Cum  thru   Xp 
Do  U  want   Rift   of  Sp?,but  R  Gent?=giv  thru   Xp  4  Gents 

All   U   need    is   Xp  &  no   need    go  bak  Law  S-.  Moses 
Curse=sep  fr/G,doom  2  hell=Fxpl  tree   &  curse 
vss    15-18=spk   Stime   Fromis    ■'    promis   erth  thru   Ab  bles 

Cov  agrment  btween  G  &    Ab,no  chanp-  cept  by  parties 

Sc  G   no  chan.fr 
430  yBS??    No  dif  ,wat   say=G   giv  law  Ht  Sinai  &  Law  no 
supfced,tak  precedenc    ovr   Cov=G  fulfil  thru   Xp  Ss  He 
al       ;hat   need   4   salvatin 

But    Judyizer   say  had   2B  Xp   +   law, cermon, days ,wks ,etc 
1516=0ct   31, All   Sts.   Eve, Germ  priest   preach  agin  RC-Ct 

Pr  among  Pr's<=Rorae  &   Pilate   Stair,! 's   Prayr  Ea  step, 
(28)   &  top  releas   soul  purgtory=ask=Is   it   so??? 

Cum  bak,pr   Psalms , then  Roms   &  Kaiqo   l:17=3ust   liv  fait 
&  so,G  t   51»1516  preach  serm  Bcuz= 
(Ilua    indul   ences   &  relics    of   church  et«£) 
Oct   51,1517   95  pts   door   Ch  V,Titenbure;,Germny 

we   2day  cal   Protestants , Bcuz    suposedly  protest   any- 
thing wh/pr, teach  xryiia±»  salvatin  by  anythin  else 
&  this   cal= Justification  by  Faith 
Persn  made   ritous    site   of   G  by  Blief    Js    Xp   sacrifice 

He    ivib  4us   &  this   P  say=Read  vs   11 
A'en  jorn  King   of   G,wen  acpt    Js    Kp,L  &   Sav,we  born 
Free    in2  G's   famly   &  mak  child  of   God   &  dun  by   Justif 
Lik=Just   as    If    I   nevr   sin  &  G   no   ask  whethr    Jew/Gent; 
cert   natinalty;Amercin  or   anythin  else 


All  ask  4-U   ?B   plnr  cum  2   Xp  by  faith, by   faith  receiv 
in2  Ur  hart/life 
then  G  Bgin  21iv  Ur   lif  thru  H  Sp 
■"    only   Js    Xp   need,&  nut  bin  else   8-.  this   wat    ?  try 
t^l  any  &  all  who  wud  re ad /hear  words 


"Born  Free:  By  Justification" 
Scripture:  Galatians  3:6-18 

Eow  many  of  you  know  what  Procrastination  means?  Good!   Then  I  can  tell 

the  following  story. 

A  minister'r  son  had  heard  his  dad  preach  on  Justification,  Sanctif ication 
and  all  of  the  other  "at ions"  of  the  church.   So  he  was  ready  when  his 
Sunday  School  teacher  asked  if  anybody  knew  what  "procrastination"  meant. 
He  answered,  "I'm  not  sure  what  it  means,  but  I  know  our  church  believes 
in  it It 

Now  contrary  to  any  belief  along  these  lines,  we  try  not  to  preach  procrasti- 
nation, or  to  j!Ea2±iBExii  suggest  we  practice  it.   But  this  morning  we  are 
going  to  look  at  "Just  if ication. "   This  particular  portion  of  Paul's  letter 

to  the  Galatians  deals  with  this  theme. 

First  Paul  ooints  out  in  verses  6  and  7,  "5ven  as  Abraham  believed  God,  and 
it  was  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness.   Know  ve  therefore  that  they 
which  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  the  children  of  Abraham." 

Paul  is  saying  that  God's  righteousness  is  was  placed  to  Abraham's  account, 

only  because  he  believed  God's  promises.   The  words  "accounted  to,"  are  from 

which  Paul  used  m  Romans,  which  is  "imputed, 
a  word  nssii:x±zLxi3tiiaix?!HrtsxBfx36Eri?i*naxEXHrkiEiixis      This  word  actually 

means,  "to  put  to  one's  account,  to  place  in  someone's  account,"   'alien  the 

sinner  trusts  Christ  for  his  salvation,  God's  righteousness  is  placed  in  his 

aceount.   5txisx2±kHx^M  It  would  be  similar  to  placing  money  in  a  friends 

bank  account  for  his  use.   But  the  difference  of  course  is  that  in  God's 

sight,  the  redeemed  sinner  will  not  be  brought  into  judgement  for  his  sins. 

His  slate  is  wiped  clean  because  God's  righteousness  has  been  placed  in  his 

account.   Here,  Paul  says  these  people,  all  who  accept  Christ  whether  Jew  or 

Gentile  are  the  earthly  children  of  Abraham  because  they  are  following  exactl; 

what  he  d  id . 

But  Paul  knowing  the  Jewish  mindset  he  is  dealing  with  ouickly  adds  in  verses 

8  and  9,  "And  the  Scripture,  foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the  heathen 
through  faith ;  preached  before  the  Goppel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  'In  thee 
shall  all  nation?  be  blessed,'   So  then  thev  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed 
with  faithful  Abraham." 

The  word  "heathen"  in  verse  8,  simply  means  "Gentiles."  And  what  Paul  is 

pointing  out  is  that  anyone,  no  matter  who,  who  comes  to  Christ  is  a  son  of 

Abraham  because  he  is  doing  exactly  the  same  thing  Abraham  did  and  that  is  to 

come  to  God  in  faith.   The  Jews  believed  that  you  had  to  be  a  Jew  to  have  a 

relationship  with  Abraham.   They  believed  that  this  was  something  which  was 

inherited,  handed  down  from  SarfctemExtB  beinr  a  member  of  the  Jewish  family. 

koine  people  today  have  the  idea  that  if  yu  a  person  is  born  into  a  Christian 

family,  that  person  is  automatically  a  Christian  and  this  is  simply  not  true. 

>'.rhat  Paul  was  trying  to  3ay  to  these  Galatian  Christians  was  that  for  the 

Jewish  Christians  among  them,  the  Judaizers ,  who  demanded  the  Gentiles  accept 

the  law  in  order  to  be  a  complete  Christian,  was  completely  wrong;.   He  was 
saying  that  all  who  are  true  believers,  who  are  of  faith,  are  blessed  with 


-2- 

with  believing  Abraham. 

Then  Paul  adds  in  verses  10  through  1?,  ""^or  as  many  as  are  of  the  works  of 
the  lav;  are  under  the  curse;  for  it  is  written,  'cursed  is  every  one  that 
continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
their..*   But  that  no  man  is  justified  by  the  law  in  the  sight  of  God,  it  is 
evident:  for, 'the  just  shall  live  by  faith.'   And  the  law  is  not  of  faith; 
but,  the  man  that  doeth  them  shall  live  in  them." 

Iv'hat  Paul  is  sayinp-  here  is  summed  up  in  the  11th  verse  by  the  words,  "The 
just  shall  live  by  faith."   Nobody  could  ever  live  completely  by  the  law. 
It  was  impossible  to  do  so  then  and  it  is  impossible  to  do  so  now.   In  order 
to  keep  the  law,  all  of  it  must  be  kept  100^  of  the  time.  To  break  one  of 
the  laws  is  the  same  as  breaking  them  all  because  the  law  demanded  perfect- 
ion, which  man  does  not  possess.   But  God  knew  that  man  could  not  keep  the 
whole  law  so  He  provided  for  man  and  this  is  what  Paul  is  saying  in  the 

l?th  and  14th  verses.   "Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law 
being  made  a  curse  for  us:  for  it  is  written,  'Cursed  is  every  one  that 
hangeth  on  a  tree:'  that  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gent- 
iles through  Jesus  Christ;  that  we  mip;ht  receive  the  promise  of  the  Spirit 
through  faith." 

Paul  is  asking,  "Does  the  law  put  sinners  u-der  a  curse?"   Then  Christ  has 
redeemed  us  from  that  curse!  uo   you  want  the  blessiner  of  Abraham?   It  comes 
through  ChristDo  you  want  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  but  are  a  Gentile?  This 
gift  is  given  through  Christ  for  Gentiles  !   All  you  need  is  Christ  and  there 
is  no  need  to  go  back  to  the  Law  and  Moses."  The  curse  Paul  is  talking  about 
here  is  to  be  removed  from  a  relationship  with  God  and  doomed  to  hell.   Jesus 
died  on  the  cross,  or  the  "tree"  as  Paul  calls  it,  and  was  considered  as  being 
cursed  because  this  was  what  happened  to  those  outside  of  the  law.  But  Paul 
says  this  was  the  means  that  God  used  to  bring  salvation  to  everyone,  both 
Jew  and  Gentile. 

Now  in  the  next  four  verses,  15  through  18,  Paul  speaks  of  the  "Promise"  and 
uses  this  word  eight  times  in  these  verses.  *bk  Paul  was  saying  that  the 
promise  was  that  through  Abraham  all  the  earth  would  be  blessed.   This  was  a 
covenant  as-geement  and  like  all  pacts  of  this  sort  could  not  be  chanr-ed  years 
later  and  if  it  was  to  be  chanp-ed  it  could  only  be  done  by  the  two  parites 
involved  in  the  agreement.   Those  parties  were  God  and  Abraham.   And  if  was 
God  who  made  the  covenant  with  Abraham  and  not  the  other  way  around.   It  was 
God's  covenant  of  Grace,   So  now  Raul  says,  about  430  years  after  this,  and 
he  was  not  giving  a  hard  and  fast  period  of  reckoning,  and  the  exact  time  is 
not  all  that  important  anyhoV.   What  he  was  saying  was  that  a  period  of  time 
after  the  covenant  was  made  by  God  with  Abraham,  God  gave  the  law  at  Mt. 
Sinai  to  Moses  and  the  people  of  Israel.  This  law  in  no  way  superceded  or 
took  precedence  over  the  covenant.   And  so  what  Paul  is  sayinp  is  simply  that 
the  law  was  of  no  effect  and  that  God  fulfilled  the  promise  of  His  covenant 
through  Jesus  Christ,  and  Jesus  Christ  was  all  that  was  needed  for  salvation 


-3- 

But  those  Judaizers  were  saying  that  it  was  not  just  enough  to  have  accepted 
Christ  and  to  have  becone  a  Christian.   It  had  to  he  Christ,  plus  the  law 
with  all  of  its  ceremonies  and  observances  of  days  and  weeks  and  months. 
In  the  year  of  1516  on  October  31st,  All  Faints  Eve,  a  younr:  German  monk 
33  years  of  age,  preached  against  a  practice  taking  place  within  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  which  had  caused  him  to  reflect  upon  the  truth  of  it.   This 
monk  was  a  jnxaaixamDB^xxaB  nriest  among  priests.   By  his  own  admission,  i^  it 
were  possible  to  have  salvation  through  good  works,  he  had  it  because  of  his 
dutiful  obedience  to  following  all  of  the  rituals  and  ceremonies  of  the  churct 
He  had  returned  from  a  trip  to  Rome  several  years  before  and  ±t   while  there 
had  observed  firsthand  the  flippant,  irreligious  actions  of  the  clergy, 
A2±E3c  He  had  climbed  the  28  stairs  called  Pilate's  stairs  which  had  supposedly 
stood  in  front  of  Pilate's  -palace.   If  a  pilgriffl  climbed  those  stairs  on  his 
knees  repeating  ax  the  Lord's  Prayer  on  each  step,  when  he  reached  the  top,  a 
soul  would  be  released  from  Purgatory.   This  priest,  Martin  Luther  byname, 
climbed  those  stairs  on  his  knees  repeating  the  lord's  Prayer  on  each  step, 
and  when  he  reached  the  top  he  questioned,  "can  it  be  so?"  He  returned  from 
Rome  and  began  to  preach  and  lecture  on  the  Psalms  and  it  was  here  that  he 
began  to  question  the  church  'a  teachings.  Then  he  began  to  preach  and  teach 
on  the  letter  to  the  Romans  and  in  the  1st  chapter,  the  17th  verse  he  read, 
"The  just  shall  live  by  faith,"   It  was  at  this  point  that  he  questioned  more 
deeply  what  he  had  been  taught  to  believe.   And  it  was  this  which  caused  him 
to  preach  on  that  All  Saints  Eve  in  1516  a  sermon  against  the  common  practices 
which  were  taking  place . 

(Illustration  of  indulgences  and  the  relics  of  the  church  and  so  on) 
From  this  sermon  he  progressed  until  on  October  31st  151?  he  posted  95  ppints 
of  argument  against  the  church  on  the  church  door  in  Wittenburg  Germany. 
This  was  the  start  of  fchat  became  known  as  the  "Reformation,"   It  was  called 
this  because  it  did  indeed  reform  the  entire  church  and  brought  forth  the 
portion  of  the  church  in  which  we  find  ourselves  known  as  "Protestants"  be- 
cause we  supposedly  "Protest"  against  anything  which  preaches  or  teaches  sal- 
vation by  any  other  means  than  by  faith.   And  this  is  known  as  "Justification 
by  faith."   In  other  words,  a  person  is  only  made  righteous  in  the  sight  of 
God,  or  is  justified,  by  simple  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  One  who  made 
the  sacrifice  of  "imself  on  the  cross  as  a  substitute  for  each  person.   That 
simple  belief  is  faith,  and  it  is  through  this  faith  alone  that  anyone  is 
made  right,  or  righteouss  or  is  justified  in  God's  sight.   This  is  exactly 
what  Paul  is  sayin"-  once  a°:ain  in  this  letter  to  the  Galatians  in  the  11th 
verse,  (read  this).   itxixxxE*  When  we  are  born  into  the  kingdom  of  God, 
that  is,  when  we  accept  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  we  are  BBorn 


-4- 

Free."      We   are   born   into  Sod's    family   and   that   makes   us   each  one,    a   child   of 
God.      This    is  done    "By   Justification."      Someone  has    3aid  the   way  to  explain 
this    is   to   say   it,    "Just   as    if    I  never   sinned,"      and   that,    plain  and   simple 
is    justification.      God   doesn't   ask  you   to  be   a    Jew;    or   to  be    a  Gentile;    or  to 
be    of   a  certain   nationality;    nor  to  be   an  American,    or   anything   else.      All 
that   He    ask?    is   for  you   to  be   a   sinner   who  comes   to   Christ  and   by  gaith  re- 
ceives Him   into  your  heart   and   life.      It   is   then  that   God   can  befin  to   live 
in  your  life   throurh  ll±s   Holy  Spirit,      It   is  iMMaida   Jesus   Christ     that  we 
need   and   nothing  else,    and   this    la   what   Paul  was   tryincr  to  tell  iiwjqpHEjdtK 
any  and    all   who  would   read    and   hear   his   words. 


St,  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler t    Pennsylvania 

Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor  November  4,  1984 

Mr*  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
David  Andrews,  Acolyte 

+  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  4  +  +  +  +  +  f 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A«M, 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who's  Who  in  the  Pew 
Joys*  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Requests 

•Processional  Hymn  No.  318  "Come, Thou  Fount  of  Every  Blessing" 
^Ascription 
•Exhortation 

^Confession  (In  Unison)  "Father,  we  have  erred;  we  have 
strayed.   We  have  followed  our  own  desires.   We  have 
offended  your  will.   We  have  done  those  things  we 
shouldn't  have,  and  have  not  done  those  things  we 
should  have.   Have  mercy  on  us*   Restore  us.   For  we 
are  truly  sorry  for  all  our  sins.   Through  Jesus 
Christ.     Amen." 
■•ftyrie 

Assurance  of  Pardon 
*Praise:  Pastor-Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People-And  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever. 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  36  "No  One  Understands  Like  Jesus" 
Call  to  Prayer:   Paster  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray. 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
•Doxology  No.  382 

Anthem;  "The  Lord  Bless  You  and  Keep  You" 
Scripture:   Galatians  3:19-29 
Sermon:    "Born  Free:  Why  the  Law?1' 

Closing  Hymn  No.  520  "Lord,  Dismiss  Us  with  Your  Blessing" 
■"Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 
Postlud'3 


The  Lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  place  by 

Mrs.  Lois  Stokes  In  memory  of  late  husband  Earl. 
Ushers  for  today  are  Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko  and 

Martin  Henry. 
Mr.  Dan  Bosko  will  greet  the  congregation  at  the  door 

this  morning, 
Nursery  will  provided  by  Mrs.  Sue  Gamble, 
Bill  Thompson  and  Marty  Henry  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week.  ///ij^* 

Attendance  last  week  was  125  with  12  visitors.  ftfiD     **M£>i 
^Hospitalized:   BMH  Mrs.  Grace  Riddle  and  Kenneth  Hoover. 
VA  -  William  Johnston  - 
Monday  -  Women's  Mary  Prugh  7:30  in  kitchenette 

-  Spangs  Volleyball 
Wednesday  -  Church  Council  at  7:00  PM 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  -  Aerobics 
WOMEN'S  CRAFT  DAY  -  Wednesday  Nov.  7  at  10:00  am,   A  day 

sponsored  by  the  Women's  Fellowship.   Tray  favors  for 

the  VA  hospital  will  be  madef  followed  by  a  salad 

luncheon.   Women  are  asked  to  bring  a  small  salad. 

All  women  of  the  church  are  invited  tD  join  in  this 

day  of  fellowship. 
Chet  Stauffer  would  like  to  express  his  thanks  for  all 

of  the  cards  and  best  wishes  sent  to  him  upon  his 

retirement. 
We  are  still  in  need  of  people  to  help  distribute  flowers 

after  the  service  on  Sundays.   We  would  like  those 

who  place  the  flowers  on  the  altar  to  please  take  them 

after  the  service. 


2* 


'O'LAY  IMMEDIATELY  AFTER  THE  SERVICE  IK  REHQBQTH  HALL 
Election  of  Elders  and  Deacons 
Presentation  and  Adoption  of  Budget 
Voting  on  Revisions  of  Constitution 

The  slate  of  people  for  election  today  are; 
Elder  -  Paul  Riemer 
Deacon  -  Kevin  Snyder,  Delores  Herrit,  Sandy  Sheppeck 


The  things  that  go  in  one  ear  and  out  the  other  don't  hurt 
as  much  as  the  things  that  go  in  one  ear,  get  all 

mixed  up,  and  then  slip  out  the  mouth. 


) 


•Congregat i on  Stand ing 


"God  can  make  you  anything  you  want  to  be, 
have  to  put  everything  in  His  hands." 


but  you 


1 orn    "Tee  t    -my    rne    ten  i 
•.Scripture!  Oalatiane   5  :  n  ■ 

(ilus    of  laws   &  Jewish  law) 

shud    gin    idea  extrems   of   law;  J  law   time       had 
eve        many  minute  fibservs   £   J  Xpians    Insist      en1 
add    Law  21ivs  or  wen   not   totl    ■'plans 

T.     ;   peop  kno  as    Jl  !    prevlent   ctrars  Galatia 

ntimi  defens   tru   Xpianty  seek  prov  puepos   law 
was    intend   2  serv 

vs  19a—Wat  pnrpos  law  serv?=we  wud  ask-Why  the  T5»? 
vs  lfb-F  anser  own  que.°t  "  pt  out,  vf/out  law  who  kno 
he    comit    sin?  &   so   law  pt   up  need    of   a   Saviour 

P  spk  seed   8c  we   pt   our  las  wk  G  made  prom   Abe   thru 

him  worl  wudB  bles  &  from   him  cum  seed   Pbrinc;  bout 
law   givn   til   tire   wen   reed    cum   8:  that    SB    Xp 

P  add=anfls/raediator=G  iriv   law  anrls^then  Koses^med . 
vs  20=  i    say  med=lik  Hose, go   tween  G   ft  peop, but  G  no 

need    2jgiv   rrom   2   Abe  direot;whil   med  work  w/2  fTps 

G   is   OHE  '     oprat   on  One   2  One  basis 
vs   21-?  rals   nuest   law/vs   prom=anser=both   neces   Bcuz 

,-justf icatin,B  made  rite  w/G,no  pnsib   thru   law 
vs   ?2=continu  anser  this  vs 

law  sho  all  men  slnrs   6  r  crip  draw  this   conclusin  & 

this  nak  posib  prom  2B  fulfil  thru    Js    Xp  a   faith   in 

Him  riv   completin  of  prom-t-rivnes .eternl  lif  w/G 
vs   ?:5=termnolP'y  mankind  kep  pri3n=shutup,or   lok  away 

await  rev    Js    Xp  as   1  to  set  ur-   free 
as   t.'i     evr   1    B*l    Kpxxxa  own   2   ''  ■  ,sit  deth  row 

(Illus  3   execut   this  wk;complain  deth   sentenc   R-.  mus 

not   Eliev  law  wud  d'   wat   sed   do) 
&  this   sltuatin  nan  find   self   in  prior  ecpt    Js   Xp  as 
pr     i  1  sent   fr/G 

^om   -Him   in   2B  fred   from  deth  row,hav   sent  comut   2 

lif  eternl  w/Gvs  2t-=  P  use   analp-y  Qr/Hoa  oultur 
BkulaB.str«PAIMG0G0F2Enfr-Pedagogue,S  mean  teachr 

(Examp  trust   plav  srardian  ynr  boyr.   houshol;taut   obed 
disciplin;tuk  ska]    evr  dayjsaw   2safty  B  was   2keep 
boys   fr/temptatin  cudP  rais   2manhood) 

Dar   law  2  slav  B  say  brot   n    tj   wher  cud  reach 
maturty  &  B   justfy  by  our  faith 

vs  25- wen  persn  receiv   Xp  as   Sav  no   longr  need   suml 
2seek  Plead   us   2maturty  6   this   funotin  law  served 
Wen   Js  cair   rron  fulfil   B  law  had   serv  purpos 

vsb   26-27-P  nak  pt   say  thofc   who  hav  cum  2  Xp  R  child 

ren  of  G 
Ho  talk  universl  fatherhud   of  G=all  peop  childrn    . 
anE  certin  G  concern  all   peop  walk   erth,but   not 

alj.   them  Hie-   childrn 
thoz   outsid    Xp,G   canot    claim    His, they  childrn   Devil 

&  ?atan  who  they   T'lonr  2 


vs   27  I    talk  bartism 

his    no  watr  baptism  anykind,it  bar   of 


2/ 


Spirit 
'/Jen  persn  acpt   Xp  as   Bav, persn  receiv      bar 
othr  word-H   Sp   tak  ip  residenc   that  persns   lif 

we      P  say-thoz  cun  2   Xp   R  baptiz   in2  Him   ft  in  a 

ne-'S   hav   "put  Him  on" 
I         :r   nothr   custom  tuk  plac  homes   Pom  boys   wen  cum 
of   are=dres    tosrn    of   adult, put   off   robe    of   child 
vss  28-29= Jew   Pharisee   sed   ea  morn=I  thank  thee  God 
that    I   am  a    Jew,    not    a  Gentile;    a   man,    not   a   woman; 
and    a   freeman,    not   8    slave, 

P   state   here   no    need    pre.iudic   ar-in    r.ents, women, elavi 
He  say  in    Ir, all   R   equal 
No  arru  equalty  of  sexes   as   sum   interp;he   Bliev  6 
ritely   roflnale  /female   creat   by   G    *apeci£   purro^ 'task 
wh/uninu   2them   individ 

Here   he   say   in  Xp  »rvrl  who  Blon*  Him,Elonh  w/out 

class  , race  , or   sex},   interfering 
&   then  add=if   Blon^  2Xp,evn  tho  Gent ,whlt ,blak,yelo 
red, we   spirtuly   -'ib's   reed   B   Rcuz   this  heirs   promis 
G   p;iv  thru   Abe 

(Ilus   Yates   pool   in  west   Texas) 
this  ?;ud   examr    Kpian  lif 

far  2many  of   us    own   it, but    no  poses    it 

We  confes   2B  Spain, but   no   actuly  roses   it   &  mak  use 
of   it 

This   wat   F  try  tel  thez   peop  Gal;ea   them  an  heir  of 
Xp  w/out  po  thru  ritpl   of   law 

They  receiv   rift   G's   Gr-'Ce,but  wernt  poses   it   Bcuz 

sum  othrs  wer  plac  doubts   ther  minds  bout  wat   Grace 

was 
B-       all  time  thers  4   tak  and   the   liv   of   it 

.    nt  we   Bgin  2day  2tak  that   Grace  rfx  pivn  by  G 

thru   Jx  Xp  &  poses   it? 
Why  not,    jus   wasp  wat   G   ofr  %.  oontinu  ?ofr  'ea  S 
evr   1  who  wil   tak  it? 
tak   it   &  claim   it,v   then   make   claim  as    r    rut   '4-th 
KEAB  vs  29 

Tak  it.iV.  claim  it, its   Urs    from  God, thru  Christ 


"Porn   Free:    '//by  The    lav;?" 

Scripture:  Galatians  3:19-29 

(Illustration  of  laws  on  books  in  certain  states,  #556  Sunday  Sermons  Illus.) 

Israel  Shenker  wrote  an  article  for  the  Sew  York  Times  Magazine   on  September 

11,  1977  in  which  he  said,  "In  the  Talmud,  (acollection  of  writingseonstitut- 
ing  the  Jewisg  civil  and  relirious  laws),  the  Jew  lived  and  found  his  law, 
ethics,  history,  philosophy,  folklore,  and  God;  it  told  him  how  to  set  up 
in  the  morning,  how  to  go  to  bed  at  night,  and  everything  in  between." 

This  should  give  us  an  idea  of  the  extremes  of  the  law.   The  Jewish  law  at 
the  time  of  Paul  had  evolved  into  many,  many  minute  observances  and  the  Jew- 
ish Christians  were  insisting  that  the  Gentile  Christians  add  the  law  to 
their  lives  in  order  to  be  complete  Christians .   These  people  were  known  as 
Judaizers  and  they  were  particularly  prevalent  in  the  congregations  in 
Galatia.   And  so  Paul  continues  his  defense  of  true  Christianity  by  seeking 
to  prove  ,just  what  ifaE  purpose  the  law  was  intended  to  serve. 
do  we  read  in  the  beginning  of  the  19th  verse,  the  ouestion,  "Wherefore  then 
serveth  the  lav/?"  He  is  asking,  "What  purpose  does  the  law  serve?"  We  would 
probably  ask,  "Why  the  Law?" 

And  then  as  usual,  °aul  begins  to  answer  his  own  question.   He  says,  "It  was 
added  because  of  transgressions,  till  the  seed  should  come  to  whom  the 
promise  was  made;  and  it  was  ordained  by  angels  in  the  hand  of  a  mediator," 

Paul  is  pointing  up  that  without  the  lav;,  "Who  knows  that  he  is  committing 
sin?"  So  the  law  was  given  by  God  to  point  up  man's  need  of  a  Saviour.   And 
Paul  adds,  it  was  given,  "Till  the  seed  atoms  should  come  to  whom  the  promise 
was  made . "   We  had  said  last  week  that  God  had  made  a  promise  to  Abraham  that 
through  him  all  the  world  would  be  blessed.   And  from  him  would  come  a  seed 
to  bring  about  that  blessing.   ?o  the  law  was  eciven  until  the  time  when  the 
promised  seed  would  come  forth  which  provided  that  Saviour  and  that  was  Jesus 
Christ.   And  then  coming  back  to  his  discussion  of  the  law  Paul  adds,  "And  it 
was  ordained  by  angels  in  the  hand  of  a  mediator."  The  law  was  given  by  God 
to  angels  and  they  in  turn  gave  it  to  looses  who  was  the  mediator  for  the  peo- 
ple of  Israel.   liBitxxfxxHxEBiEpaxBxthaxiiiliErEEEH  So  having  said  this,  Paul 
now  adds  in  verse  ?0,  "Now  a  mediator  is  not  a  mediator  of  one,  but  God  is 
one."  Paul  is  saying  that  the  law  was  passed  from  God  to  angels  and  then  on 
to  Koses  who  was  the  mediator  for  the  Jews.   But  when  compared  with  the  pro- 
mise, it  was  given  by  God  directly  to  Abraham.  The  law  was  given  thirdhand 
and  the  promise  was  given  firsthand.   Faul  says  a  mediator  works  between  two 
groups,  but  God  doesn't  and  hasn't  worked,  this  way.   He  is  One  and  He  opera- 
tes on  a  One  to  One  basis. 

So  Faul  elaborates  on  this  and  we  read  in  the  31st  verse,  "Is  the  law  then 
against  the  promises  of  God?  God  forbid:  for  if  there  had  been  a  law  given 
which  could  have  Riven  life,  verily  righteousness  should  have  been  by  the 
law. " 


-2- 
rftides 

Here  Paul  aaks  the  auestion  of  the  law  versus  the  promise  and  he  answer  it 

by  stating  that  both  the  law  and  the  promise  were  necessary  because  iaaxa 

urns    justification,  or  being  made  ririieous  before  God  is  not  possible  through 

the  law.   And  he  continues  to  answer  this  argument  by  adding  as  we  read  in 

verse  22,  "But  the  Scripture  hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  that  the  promise 
by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  ^iven  to  them  that  believe." 

The  law  showed  that  all  men  are  sinners  and  Scripture  has  drawn  this  con- 
clusion and  this  then  made  it  possible  for  the  promise  to  be  fulfilled  throSg 
Jesus  Christ  and  faith  in  Him  gives  the  completion  of  the  promise  which  was 
forgiveness  and  eternal  life  with  God,   That's  what  happens  with  "Them  that 
believe. " 

In  verse  23,  °aul  writes,  "But  before  faith  came,  we  were  kept  under  the  law 
shut  up  unto  the  faith  which  should  afterwards  be  revealed." 

The  terminology  used  by  Paul  here  is  that  all  mankind  was  kept  in  prison  as 

it  were;  "Shut  up,"  locked  away  in  other  words  awaiting  the  revelation  of 

Jesus  Christ  as  the  ene  to  set  us  free.   It  is  as  though  every  .person  before 

comin^  to   Crist   is   sitting   on  death  row  awaiting   the   punishment   for   sin. 

(Illustration  of  two  executed  this  past  week) 

These  two  men  paid  for  their  crimes  with  their  lives.   Both  of  them  com- 
plained of  the  injustice  of  havins-  to  die  for  killing  someone  else.   The 
one  claimed  that  he  was  sorry  for  killing  the  pras  station  attenedant  in 
front  of  the  that  man's  wife.   Evidently  they  didn't  believe  the  law  would 
do  what  it  said  it  would  do. 

This  is  the  situation  all  mankind  finds  itself  in  prior  to  accepting  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  promisee]  One  sent  by  God.   To  come  to  Him  is  to  be  freed  from 
death  row;  to  have  the  death  setnece  commuted  to  life  eternal  with  God. 
Now  aul  uses  an  aiasucy  analop-y  which  the  people  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  cul- 
ture knew  very  well.   In  the  24th  verse  he  says,  "Wherefore  the  law  was  our 
schoolmaster  to  brinp;  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  mierht  be  justified  by  faith." 

The  Greek  word  for  schoolmaster  here  is  "PAIDAGOGUS"  from  which  we  derive  our 

English  word,  "Pedagogue"  which  means  teacher.   Now  Paul  was  not  actually 

speaking  of  a  schoolteacher,  but  of  a  trusted,  slave  most  households  had  whose 

duty  it  was  to  be  the  guardian  of  the  young  boys  of  the  household.   He  taught 

them  obedience  and  discipline,  but  the  main  part  of  his  job  was  to  take  the 

child  to  and  from  school  each  day.   He  saw  that  he  got  there  safely  and  that 

he  got  home  safely  as  well.   His  duties  were  such  that  he  trmed  to  keep  the 

child  from  temptation  so  he  could  be  raised  to  manhood,   Paul  compares  the 

law  to  this  slave  and  says  that  it  brought  us  to  Christ  where  we  could  reach 

maturity  and  be  justified  by  our  faith. 

Then  Paul  adds  in  verse  25,  "But  after  that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer 
under  a  schoolmaster." 

When  a  person  receives  Christ  as  Saviour  there  is  no  longer  the  need  of  some- 
one to  seek  to  lead  us  to  maturity  and  this  is  the  function  the  law  served. 
But  when  Jesus  came,  the  promise  was  fulfilled  and  the  law  had  served  its 


-3- 

purpose . 

In  verses  26  and.  27,  Paul  says,  "For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith 
in  Christ  Jesus.   For  as  many  of  you  as  have  »k±  been  baptized  into  Christ 
have  put  on  Christ. 

Paul  makes  a  point  of  sayinc  that  those  who  have  come  to  Christ  are  the  child- 
ren of  God.   He  is  not  pointing  out  ±kx±  the  universal  Fatherhood  of  God  as 
some  people  want  to  preach  and  believe.   That  belief  of  course  is  that  all 
people  are  the  children  of  God  regardless  of  what  they  believe.   We  can  be 
certain  that  God  is  concerned  about  each  person  who  walks  this  earth,  but  not 
all  of  them  are  His  children.   Those  who  are  outside  of  Christ,  God  cannot 
claim  as  His  children,  because  they  are  still  the  children  of  the  devil  and 
God  will  not  lay  claim  to  anyone  who  belongs  to  Satan.   r'o  Haul  says  that  all 
of  those  who  have  claimed  faith  in  Christ  are  the  children  of  God.   Now  in  th< 
27th  verse  he  talks  about  baptism.   This  may  or  may  not  refer  to  being  bap- 
tized with  water.   When  a  person  accepts  Christ  as  3„viour,  that  person  xx 
receives  the  baptism  of  the  &Oly  Spirit.   In  other  words,  the  ffolf  Spieit 
takes  up  residence  in  that  person's  life.   Go  what  Paul  is  probably  saying, 
ie  that  those  who  come  to  Cvrist  are  baptized  into  Him  and  they  have  in  a 
pense  "Tut  Him  on."   Paul  is  referring  here  to  a  custom  which  took  place  in 
the  homes  of  ax^BBBxxxsn  "Roman  boys  who  came  of  acre.   SjcByxKRiK   ISach  boy 
went  through  a  ceremony  in  which  they  were  dressed  in  the  toga  of  an  adult 
and  put  off  the  robe  of  a  child. 

Paul  closes  this  portion  of  Gcrinture  by  saying,  "There  is  ! either  Jew  nor 
Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor  female: 
for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus.   And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye 
Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise." 

The  Jewish  liariree  would  pray  each  morning,  "I  thank  Thee,  God,  that  I  am  a 
Jew,  not  a  Gentile;  a  man,  not  a  woman;  and  a  freeman,  and  not  a  slave." 

ul  is  stating  that  there  is  no  need  for  prejudice  against  Gentiles,  women, 

or  slaves.   He  is  saying  that  in  Christ  all  are  eaual.   He  is  not  arruing 

the  equality  of  the  sexes  as  some  would  interpret  this.   He  believed,  and 

rightly  so  that  male  and  female  were  created  by  God  for  certain  specific 

tasks  uniaue  to  them  individually.   But  here  he  is  saying  that  in  Christ 

everyone°belon?rs  to  Him  wiifc»MSx«3£s'M$c'M8£  belongs  to  Him  without  class  or 

race  or  sex  interfering. 

And  then  he  adds  that  if  we  belonr  to  Christ,  then  even  thouerh  we  may  be 

a  Gentile,  black,  yellow,  or  red  skinned,  we  are  spiritually  Abraham's  seed. 

And  because  of  this  we  are  heirs  as  God  has  promised  through  Abrrham, 

^iiiMstxatiBfixBfxiaxiKTiEHXKrfxAxsfeiaxHHiixAKafeaxRHAxwiafeKXxfaHBBtx^ 
xx^BSiosxiiaxxBKSsxwasxaxiJriiixkxxEkBiarxxTEBiiiiBrxaBixHMfciiBEx 

(Illustration  of  The  Yates  Pool;  Mr.  Yates  owned  the  land,  but  didn't  oossess 

it! 
in  west  Texas  there  is  a  famous  oil  field  known  as  the  Yates  Fool.   During 


-4- 

the  depression  thin  field  was  a  sheep  ranch,  owned  by  a  man  named  Yates. 
Kr.  Yates  was  unable  to  make  enough  money  to  support  his  family,  pay  the 
mortgage  and  so  he  was  in  danger  of  losing  his  ranch.   So  to  make  a  living 
he  was  able  to  get  a  government  subsidy.   Bay  after  day  he  grazed  his  sheep 
on  the  rolling  hills  of  his  ranch.   Then  one  day  a  seismopraphic  crew  came 
to  him  and  asked  if  they  could  have  permission  to  drill  a  wildcat  well. 
So  he  signed  the  lease  and  they  bepan  to  drill.   At  1100  feet  they  struck 
a  huge  oil  reserve  that  jrave  up  to  80,000  barrels  of  oil  a  day.   And  30  years 
after  the  discovery  the  well  was  still  able  to  yield  l.?5,000  barrels  a  day. 
And  Fir.  Yates  owned  it  all!   The  day  he  purchased  the  land  he  rot  the  oil  and 
mineral  rights  for  the  property.   He  was  a  multi-millionaire  living  on  welfari 
What  was  his  problem?   He  didn't  know  the  oil  was  there.   He  owned "it,  but  he 
didn't  possess  it. 

This  is  a  good  example  of  the  Christian  life.   Far  too  many  of  us  own  it;  we 
confess  to  being  a  Christian.  Eut  we  don't  actually  possess  it  and  make  use 
of  it.   Thin  is  what  Paul  was  trying  to  tell  these  people  in  Galatia.   Each  oJ 
them  was  an  heir  of  Jesus  Christ  without  going  through  the  ritual  of  the  law. 
Tvey  had  received  the  gift  of  God's  grace,  but  they  weren't  possessing  it 
because  soae  others  were  olacin?-  doubts  in  their  minds  about  what  that  grace 
was.   But  all  the  time  it  was  the±rs  for  the  taking  and  the  living.   And  can'1 
we  jjttst  begin  today  to  take  that  Grace  f?iven  by  God  through  Jesus  Christ  and 
possess  it?   Why  not  just  grasp  what  God  has  offered  and  continues  to  offer 
to  each  and  every  one  who  will  take  it?   Take  it  and  claim  it  and  then  make 
the  claim  as  Paul  put  forth,  "And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's 
seed,  and  heirs  accord inr  to  the  promise."  Take  it,  and  kkHth   claim  it,  it's 
yours  from  God,  through  Christ. 


St,  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 

Butler,  Pennsylvania 

Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor  November  11,  1984 

Hi-.  Dale  Ricet  Organist 

Kelly  Mangel j  Acolyte 

+  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +■  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Who  '  s,  Who  In  the  Pew 
Joys,  Concerns i  and  Prayer  Requests 
*Processional  Hymn  No,  322  "When  Morning  Gilds  the  Skies" 
•Ascription 
♦Exhortation 

♦Confession  { In  Unison) "Lord  we  believe  In  thee;  help 
thou  our  unbelief.   We  confess  we  love  thee;  yet 
not  with  our  whole  hearts.   We  long  for  thee;  yet  not 
with  our  full  strength.   We  trust  in  thee;  yet  not 
with  our  whole  selves.   Make  us  contrite  0  Lord, 
that  we  may  be  renewed  from  our  sinful  selves  into 
men  and  women,  according  to  thy  will  and  in  the 
name  of  Christ.      Amen. 
♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise:   Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  -  And  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever* 
♦Gloria  Patrl 
Hymn  No.  625  "Lord,  Speak  to  Me" 
Call  to  Prayer:  Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray. 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
♦Doxology   No.  362 
Anthem:  "Go  Not  Far  From  Met  0  God" 
Scripture   Galatians  4:1-20 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:  Before  and  After" 
Closing  Hymn  No.  628  "He  Touched  Me" 
♦Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 
Postlude 


The  lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarence  Sherman  in  memory  cf 

"Laved  Ones" . 
Ushers  for  today  are  Lois  Stokes,  Joan  Campbell, 

Marilyn  Snyder,  and  Dutch  Bolam, 
Mrs.  Marilyn  Snyder  and  Kevin  Snyder  will  greet  the 

congregation  at  the  door  this  morning. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  by  Beth  Tait. 
Deb  Melton,  Mary  Lou  Davis  and  Ann  Williams  will  be 

visiting  the  hospital  this  week. 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  115  with  5  visitors. 
"^*  Hospitalized:  BHH  Mrs.  Grace  Riddle, ^KenKeth~Hoover 
0«4r  Mildred  Wiles,  and  Sue  Shearer.  VA  -  Wm.  Johnston 
Monday  -  Nov.  12  7:00  PM  Board  of  Christian  Education 

meeting  in  Undercroft* 
Monday  -  Spang's  Volleyball 
Tues.  and  Thurs.  -  Aerobics 
Thurs.  -  Chancel  Choir  practice  7:00  PM 
Thursday  November  15th  6:30  PM  Butler  Area  Laymen's 

Dinner  and  Meeting  at  St.  John's  U.  C.  C.  in 

Evans  City.  See  J.  Walter  Harmon  for  tickets. 
~>SC0FIELB  BIBLE  STUDY  -  will  not  meet  until  notified. 


i   ■ 


> 


+  + 


"Congregation  Standing 


+  +  +  +  + 


FAMILY  THAKKOFFEHINU  SUNDAY  NOVEMBER  13th  "FOOD  DAY" 
We  are  asking  our  congregation  to  get  involved  in 
a  day  of  food  collection  fur  the  needy  families. 
Please  bring  a  bag  and  not  a  can.   They  will  be 
brought  forward  during  the  service  for  dedication. 
A  special  envelope .for  Thankoff ering,  Is  enclosed  in 
your  envelope  set.   Please  use  that  for  the  offering 
to  go  to  the  American  Indians. 

There  is  a  silent  moment 
Twixt  the  darkness  of  the  day* 
When  all  the  cares  and  trials  of  life 
Seem  far  away. 

God  holds  the  heaven  in  His  hands, 

And  parts  the  veil  of  night 

With  reverent  gentleness,  He  pushes 
Forth  the  dawns  first  light. 

I  feelhis  presence  everywhere. 
As  sunlight  fills  the  land 
It  is  as  if  my  Cod  above 
Were  holding  fast,|j»  hand. 


I 


"I'prn   wee:    felore   Ana    After" 
Scrip:    Galatians   4:1-20 


(IA1us   eldly  man  admit   nurs   homejabout  childhood) 

wud    interp   intent   portry   man   2nd   child  hud   &  enjoy   it 

tMs   pt   F  mak  2   Gals; they  recrts    in   faith   sted   4ward 
It.     *dy   B  lep;listic,lk  lik  sp  maturtv  wen  Tact   ?nd  cM 
In  Gal    Judyizers   Switch   la2  think  law  wud  direc  2B 
hetr  Xpians,wen  fact   lead  bakward  &  rearer   in  faith 
sumwat   lik=(Ilus   plane, pilot , say  nav   lose  way/pud  time 
P  try  tel  them  ther  no  need  wandr  bout  seek  ntor   or 
2hav  sumthin  ad  2   Xpianty,insted ,hav  all   need   Ja      r 
(Illus   SS   elas  &  boy  quote  23rd    Pralm-T  dont  want   nuth 
This  may  noB  wat  2?   Is   say, but   truth  in  disguise 
a'en  hav   L  lead  us  &  kno  pav   self  4u», WE  DONT  HEED 
NUTHIH,  we   have   it  all 

This  Scrip  P  pt   out   B4  *xmitT  of  ther  faith   1  wat 
shud  E     the    Aftr   of    it 
5  aerir.ents-1 -?=«.;    8-lI-#2;    12-20-^3 

vas   l-2=merly  pt  out   sumthin   ouit  elmentry=smal  child 
mayE  positin   inherit, undr  teach  Vards   til   of   are 
then  can   inherit, but   not  B4 
P  compar   2wat   Sale    knu   B4   knu    '■  p   !'r  writ   vs    J-READ 

say  B4   Xp  evrl  undr  law,&  law  bonda<-,kep   nersn  pardst 
i.3  ire nts   of  world" ABCa   which  law  taut  &  teach  of   law 
2  prep  4fulfil  prom  wh   Js   Xp  1  bk  Rev   say  Alphay'Omee'a 
Fe    A  thru    Z,evrthin  tha<~   was    need    4  fredum   law/bondap 
vs  4»Evrthin  made  redy  4fulfil  G's   nroras 
Sp   relm=aftr    Bah   captivty   Ezra   put   Prethr   scrolls   &. 
Jews  had   OT  which  tol   of   cutt   Messiah 
Syns   estab   princpl  city  mak  posibl   Jew  conp  &  lern 
'  "\  G  8t  plan 
cu_  „urly=thru   Alex   Grt   spred   Gr  thru   worl,brk  dwn  bar; 

of   speech 
politcly=P.omn   Emp.bilt  rds  ft  hiways   link  city /towns 

so   ponibl    travl  a  then  decree  4 taring ,G  made   redy 
}=  sed=G   sent  4th  His  "on, made   of  woaan=identfy   Jr   as 
God/man=ther4   not    ,ius   iivin.nor   Jus   nothr  human 
Bad  ?B  G   ordr  fulfil   rol  as  ^av;a]»-e  human  ordr  2 
liv   as    man  did 
&  also  had    ?B  undr   law   as   vs   rt    out    "j.  thru    law   He 
stud   acus , condemn   ?deth,      sufr   punirhment 

by  that   deth, abolish  law,provid   noes   3  God   wh 
law  cud   not  do 
vs   5-purpos   of    Js   cominK=T5KD:v1-i  ='-mJ    fp  =  i>  ueop  underst 
mr      cud   "o   -lav  mrkt,buy  slav=he   redeeic=then  keep/fn 
t(.      ther   60nil   Slavs    Roinn   slav   mrkt 
vs  6»P  ilus   Trinty=spk  G,'  Sp   of      ob-H  Bpjg    riv  r^  pvok 
fr   individ,luv  4  God    much  deenr  than   Jus   cal=F9thr 
elicit   respons- ABBA- Armaic ,includ    Gr   Bcuz    Js   use 
k 


Jus    'ithr;Vn   luv  fr  child  2  Father 

JS   Bcuz   apecil   luv  4  G,thi?   nu  relatship        1-vs   7™ead 
so     waa   heir,rais  by  servp   until  old   enuf,R-  dur   this 
ti.   .    conrldr   same   as   serv 

F  use   analry  2pt   out  wen  reach   aaturty  receiv   inheri- 
n  nersn  cum  2   Xp  he   heir  all   3  has  4  him  thru   Js 
vs      .' lCK-spk  obrerv   npecil   times   etc 
(Ilus   .-'."   tfnchr        liream  talk   Js)   '■■  this   wat   F  say  in 
vs   12=irnt  reli.Tin  liv  by  set  rules  'laws , hut  evrt'nlnp 

G   has   4us    in   Xp   Js 
vss   12-20=.}    sumup  much  wat   hapn  erlier 

takn  sik  erlier, prob  tuk  2higher   ~r 

in   Gal   2recup;v.'hil   here   pr   £   reop   Bliev/liata  &  no 

of  end   by   apearanc 
vs   14-DESPISE.gud   4nothin;REJECT»spit   6  so   say=U   Gala 

no  think  me   as    no  gud   4nuthin  S:  didnt   spit  on  me 
avn  ~o  go  far  complimen  B  wil  sacrif  rros   precius   pos 
had  &  that  was   eyes , 

he  say  want  nuthin  but  best  4them   expres  Bwildrmen 

concern  ther  actins    Sc  Bhaviour   &  this    in   e^enc   say 

vss    l«-20 
Lltl  Childrn-endear  terra  lik  Jn  urn   many  time 

GIL   l's,S-  lik  ";iv  birth  in  pain  P  want  brinp; 
thez  peep  2Xp  8:  4   Xp  2B  shown  ther  livs 
Conclud  =  exrres   concern   lanf-uar  ofend    them  *   so  wilinr 
2   chanr  tone   of  voic   in  orflr   rp*:   ^underst 

Thez   GalF.   acept    Xp;knu  wat   Gof>pl  all   bout;but   wer    E 

T^ersuad   didnt   hav   all  needed    2B   a   conplet    «:pian 
(Illus   Lizzie   Johnson  &  life    of   service  tho  crippled) 
lizzie    Johnpon  perv  G   flat   on  her  bak  Si  nevr  thot   it 
was  a  limitatin  ?her  abilty  2serv 

r     hap   lik  peop  Gal  we   questin  our   limited    service  9 

L    I  feel  we   need   ad  sumthin  ?it 
But   need   ?kno  watevr  capacty  may  serv,"  wants  that 
perv  repardles  how  smal/insirnif  we   nay  think   it   is 

we   need   2rest   in  His    luv        kno  as   F  Fed^vs   7=" 


_ 


. 


"Born  Free:  P-ifore  And  After" 

Scripture:  Galatians  4:1-30 

(Illustration  of  cartoon  of  elderly  man  being  admitted  to  nursing  home) 
In  a  riKgit  cartoon  there  was  dericted  axitraxi  an  elderly  man  being 
admitted  to  a  nursing  home.   The  administrator  was  questioning  him 
and  he  asked,  "What  was  your  childhood  like?"  The  old  man  replied, 
"Its  been  pretty  good  so  far." 

Now  perhaps  the  intent  was  to  show  this  centleman  had  never  gotten  out  of 

his  childhood,  or  it  was  reeking  to  portray  that  he  had  gone  into  his  second 

childhood  and  was  enjoying  it.   T  would  opt  for  this  interpretation,  simply 

bedause  that  is  a  -art  of  the  point  that  Paul  was  trying  to  make  in  this 

portion  of  Scripture.   One  of  the  tragedies  of  seeking  to  be  legalistic  in 

spiritual  matters  is  that  it  may  appear  to  show  spiritual  maturity,  when  in 

fact  it  xkEws  leads  a  believer  back  into  a  "second  childhood."  The  Galatian 

Christians  were  in  this  situation.   The  Judaizers  had  bewitched  them  into 

thinking  that  the  law  would  ±KX$.x±Bx±ksic   direct  them  to  be  better  Christians 

when  in  fact  it  was  lesdinr  them  backwards  and  they  were  regressing  in  their 

faith.   It  is  something  like  the  plane  passengers  who  heard  the  voice  of  the 

pilot  come  over  the  intercom.  He  said,  "Our  navigator  has  lost  our  course 
and  we  have  been  flying  aimlessly  for  over  an  hour.  That's  the  bad  news. 
The  good  news  is  that  we  are  making  very  srood  time." 

:Jaul  Is  still  trying  to  tell  them  that  there  is  no  need  to  wander  about  seekii 

more,  or  something  to  add  to  their  Christianity.   Instead,  they  have  all  they 

need  in  Jesus  Christ. 

(Illustration  of  ounday  School  class  and  boy  quoting  23rd  Bsalffi) 

In  a  Sunday  School  class  in  California  recently  the  children  were  asked 
to  nuote  their  favorite  Scripture  passage.   One  7   year  eld  boy  said  the 
?5rd  'salm  was  his  favorite  and  he  bep-an,  "The  lord  is  my  shepherd, 
I  don't  want  nothin." 

Tv,is  ±x  may  not  be  exactly  what  eh  Pdalm  says,  but  it  is  truth  in  disnruiae. 

When  we  have  the  lord  leading  us,  and  know  that  He  gave  Himself  for  us,  we 

don't  need  nothin,  we  have  it  all.   In  this  Scripture,  Saul  points  out  the 

Before  sxsbcsxiKr  of  their  faith,  icxxxfcai  and  what  should  be  the  "After"  of 

it.   This  is  broken  down  into  three  segments;  verses  1  through  7;  verses  8 

throuph  ll^and  verses  1?  through  20. 

In  verses  1,  he  writes,  "Now  I  say,  that  the  heir  as  long  as  he  is  a  child, 
differeth  nothing  from  a  servant,  though  he  be  lord  of  all;  but  is  under 
tutors  and  governors  until  the  time  appointed  of  the  father," 

Paul  Is  merely  pointing  out  something  which  is  quite  elementapy  and  that  is, 

Ball  child,  even  though  he  may  be  in  a  position  to  inherit  a  vast  sum  of 
money,  or  estates  and  property  from  his  father,  is  under  teachers  and  guard- 
ians until  he  becomes  of  acre.   Then,  and  only  then  is  he  in  a  position  to  in- 
herit what  is  his  from  hi-  father.   So  ~aul  compares  this  to  the  pmm5  Gal- 
atians before  they  knew  of  Christ  and  he  writes  in  verse  %  "Even  so  we 
when  we  were  children,  were  in  bondage  under  the  elements  of  the  world.' 


-2- 

Paul  is  saying  thatvbefore  Christ,  everyone  was  under  the  law  and  the  law  was 
bondare,  it  kept  the  person  under  a  guardianship.   The "elements  of  the  world" 
of  which  he  speaks  are  the  ABCs  which  the  law  taucht.   The  teaching  of  the  lai 
was  to  prepare  them  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  which  was  Jesus  Christ 
and  Joss  in  the  book  of  Revelation  3c  Lpt  ^    ~  ■"    us,  "He  is  tha  Alpha  and 
the  Ornera."   He  was  the  A  through  Z,  ever7v-thing  that  was  needed,  and  the  free- 
dorr  from  the  law  and  bondage. 

And  so  }aul  adds  to  this  in  the  4th  verse,  "But  when  the  fulness  of  tixs  the 
time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  His   on,  made  or  a  woman,  made  under  the  law." 

Everything  had  been  made  ready  for  the  fulfillment  of  God's  promise.   In  the 

spiritual  realm  after  the  Babylonian  captivity,  Fzra  had  put  together  all  of 

the  scrolls  and  so  the  Jews  had  the  Old  Testament  which  told  of  thisr  cominp- 

Messiah.   Synagogues  had  been  estbalished  in  all  of  the  principal  cities  so 

it  was  possible  for  the  Jews  to  congregate  and  learn  of  ^od  and  His  plan. 

The  world  was  prepared  culturally  through  Alexander  the  Great  who  had  spread 

the  speaking  of  Greek  throughout  the  world  thus  breaking  down  the  barriers  of 

speech.   The  world  was  rrepared  politaclly  throurh  the  Ionian  empire.   She 

Romans  had  built  roads  and  highways  linking  towns  and  villages.   And  so  all 

was  made  ready  for  the  coining  of  God  'a  promise  and  Faul  said  when  all  of  this 

was  in  readiness , "God  sent  forth  His  Son,  made  of  a  woman."    By  saying  this 

Paul  identifies  Him  as  being  both  God  and  man  which  separates  Him  from  being 

just  another  human  amonp-  humans,  or  a  divine  beinr  who  would  never  endure  the 

things  sir  a  normal  human  beinc?  roes  throunh.   He  had  to  be  God  in  order  to 

tvtt±   fulfill  the  role  of  Saviour.   But  He  also  had  to  be  human  in  order  to 

live  as  all  other  men  did.   But  He  also  had  to  be  under  the  law  which  Pail 

points  out  hiS  at  the  end  of  this  verse.   It  was  through  the  law  that  He 

stood  accused  and  it  was  through  the  law  that  He  suffered  punishment  and 

death.   But  by  that  death  He  abolished  the  law  and  provided  access  to  God 

which  the  law  could  not  do. 

Then  Haul  points  out  the  purpose  of  the  coming  of  Jesus,  "To  redeem  them  that 

were  under  the  law,  that  we  misrht  receive  the  adoption  of  sons." 

a 

The  word "redeem"  has  ifcE  meaning  which  tr.H3?«8  these  people  understood.   A  man 

could  go  to  the  slave  market  and  pay  the  price  for  a  slave  and  either  keep 

that  slave,  or  set  him  free.   By  paying  the  purchase  price  he  had  "redeemed" 

that  slave.   And  we  are  told  there  were  approximately  60,000,000  slaves  for 

sale  in  the  Roman  empire . . 

Then  Paul  adds  in  verse  5,  "And  because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the 
Spirit  of  His  Ton  into  your  hearts,  crying  Abba,  Father." 

Here  Paul  illustrates  the  Trinity.   He  sneaks  of  God  who  sent  the  Spirit  of 
His  Son,  which  xzeaksxBf  rives  the  Father,  the  :on,  and  the  noly  spirit. 
And  the  riving  of  this  Holy  Spirit  evokes  from  the  individual  a  love  for  God 
that  is  much  deeper  than  .just  calling  Him  Father.   Paul  speaks  of  this  love 


-3- 

eliciting  the  response  of  "Abba."   This  word  is  Aramaic  and  is  included  in 

the  Greek  because  it  is  that  which  Jesus  called  God.   The  word  is  an  endearinj 

term  which  is  similar  to  "Baddy,"  or  "Tana."  So  it  is  more  than  just  Father! 

It  is  an  endearing  term  of  love  from  the  child  to  the  Father.   And  Paul  Pays 

that  because  of  this  snecial  love  for  God,  this  new  relationship,  "Wherefore 
thou  art  no  more  a  servant,  but  a  son;  and  if  a  son,  then  an  heir  of  God 
through  Christ." 

T-he  son  who  was  the  heir  and  was  beine-  raised  by  the  servants  until  he  was  ol( 

enough  for  the  inheritance,  was  considered  on  the  same  level  as  a  servant. 

And  so  Paul  uses  this  analogy  to  point  out  that  when  maturity  ex  was  reached, 

the  son  received  the  inheritance.   So  when  a  person  comes  to  Christ  he  is  the 

heir  of  all  that  God  has  for  Him  through  His  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

Next  Paul  speaks  to  the  Galatians  of  their  seeking  to  be  religious  by  the  law 

fend  the  living  of  days  and  times,  months  and  years,  (read  verses  8  through  11 

(Illustration  of  Sunday  School  teacher  and  dreaming  of  Jesus) 

A  Sunday  School  teacher  had  a  dream  about  the  Lord  Jesus,   He  asked,  "Where 
are  the  souls:  of  My  children?"   "Here  are  their  manners,"  the  teacher  re- 
plied.  "They  are  well-behaved  children  and  they  listen  respectfully  to 
everything  I  say."  \t   this,  Jesus  took  the  manners  of  the  children"  in  Kis 
hands  and  turned  them  into  dust.   "'.-/here  are  My  children's  souls?"  Jesus 
asked  again.   "Here  are  their  bodies,"  the  teacher  answered.  "They  come  to 
religion  class  promptly  every  week."   Jesus  took  the  bodies  in  His  hands 
gjcsxjB  and  asraixi  turned  them  into  dust,  arain.   "V/here  are  My  children's 
souls?"  Jesus  asked  again.   "I  can  give  you  their  brains,"  the  teacher  said 
"They  have  memorized  the  books  of  the  Bible;  they  know  the  major  and  the 
minor  prophets  and  can  recite  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount."   Jesus  took  their 
brains  into  His  hands  and  turned  them  into  dust.   "But  where  are  the  souls 
of  Fy  children,"  He  asked  sorrowfully.   At  this  the  teacher  awoke  and  cried 
out,  "I  thought  I  was  doing  the  best  for  my  children,  but  I  nerrlected  to 
communicate  the  Good  News  of  a  lovinr  and  forgiving  "od  who  loves  all  of 
them. 

This  is  what  Paul  is  Baying  when  he  remarks,  "I  am  afraid  of  you,  lest  I 
have  bestowed  upon  you  labour  in  vain." 

It  isn't  religion  lived  by  a  set  of  rules  or  laws,  but  ths  everything  which 
God.  has  for  us  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Then  in  verses  1?  through  20,  Paul  sums  up  much  of  what  happened  earlier. 
The  gist  of  it  is  that  Paul  had  taken  ill  and  it  is  thought  he  probably  con- 
tracted malaria  and  came  to  the  higher  country  of  Galatia  to  recuperate.   And 
while  here  he  preached  to  them  and  they  listened  and  believed  and  were  not 
offended  by  him  or  his  arpearance.   In  the  14th  verse  he  says,  "ye  despised 
not,  nor  rejected."   The  word  "despised."  meant  to  think  of  as  ?-ood  for  nothing 
And  the  word  "rejected"  means  to  spit.   So  he  is  saying,  "You  Balatians  didnV 
think  of  me  as  beinr  <~ood  for  nothing  and.  you  didn't  spit  on  me.   He  even 
goes  so  far  as  to  compliment  them  on  beinr  willing  to  sacrifice  the  most 
precious  possession  they  had  and  that  was  their  eyes.   He  is  telling  them  in 
a  very  nice  way  how  he  wants  nothin-  but  the  best  for  them  and  he  is  ex- 
pressing his  bewilderment  concerning  their  actions  and  behaviour.   TPir  in 


-4- 

e^sence  is  what  he  is  saying  in  verses  1Q  and  20.   "My  little  children," 

and  here  is  that  endearing  term  used  many  times  by  the  Apostle  John.   He 

says,  "My  srecial  ones,  my  little  children,  of  whom  T  travail  in  birth  again 
until  Christ  be  formed  in  you." 

He  is  expressing  the  feeling  that  it  Is  much  like  giving  birth  to  bring  these 

special  people  to  the  Lord  and  for  the  Lord  to  be  shown  in  their  lives. 

And  he  concludes,  "I  desire  to  be  present  with  you  now,  and  to  change  my 
voice;  for  I  stand  in  doubt  of  you." 

Paul  is  expressing  a  desire  to  be  with  them,  but  he  is  perpl  c  '  ■  tut  bhem 

and  is  wondering  if  perhaps  his  lanruafe  has  offended  them.   So  he  says  he  is 
willing  to  change  his  voice,  or  change  his  tone  in  order  to  get  them  to  under- 
stand what  he  is  talking  about. 

These  Galatians  had  accepted  Christ,  they  knew  what  the  Gospel  was  all  about, 

but  the;:  were  beins-  persuaded  they  didn't  have  all  that  was  needed  to  be  a 
complete  Christian. 

(Illustration  of  lizzie  Johnson  and  her  life  of  service,  though  crippled) 
lizzie  Johnson  lived  in  Illinois  and  at  the  age  of  13  was  injured  in  an 
accident  and  spent  the  remainder  of  her  life,  2?  more  years  flat  on  her 
back.   Her  only  view  of  the  world  was  through  a  mirror  mounted  above  her 
bed.   But  she  wanted  to  do  something  worthwhile  for  her  life.  She   heard 
that  an  African  slave  could  be  freed  for  $40,   Thla  was  back  in  the  early 
1900's.   So  she  made  a  nuilt  and  tried  to  sell  it  for  "!:'+0,  but  no  one 
would  buy  it.   So  she  directed,  her  attention  to  makinr  bookmarks  and  these 
she  was  able  to  sell.   Through  the  sale  of  these  bookmarks  she  was  able  to 
raise  ^1000  each  of  the  remaining  27   years  of  her  life.   She  used  every 
penny  of  that  money  for  worthwhile  world  projects.   One  day  a  bishop  from 
India  was  traveling  through  Illinos  and  he  -topped  at  her  house.   She  gave 
him  the  quilt  and  as  he  spoke  throughout  the  country  he  told  the  story  of 
Lizzie  Johnron  and  then  he  asked  the  audience  if  they  would  olace  an  offer- 
for  missions  in  the  quilt.   He  was  able  to  raise  't  100 ,000  for  missions. 
Shortly  after  Lizzie  Johnson  died,  her  sister  heard  that  a  rpominent  Japa- 
nese Christian  was  coming  to  Champaign,  Illinois  to  speak.   .She  determined 
to  go  and  see  if  this  was  the  same  man  her  sister  had  sent  money  to  Japan 
to  support  as  a  youn^  rtudent.   But  she  took  sick  and  was  unable  to  go. 
But  Mr,  Matsuffloto  was  told  about  this  and  he  asked,  "If  she  lizzie  Johnson's 
sister?"   When  he  was  told  this  was  so,  he  went  from  Ohampairn  Jro  the  sis- 
ter's house  and  told  her  he  had  to  go  to  the  cemetary  to  put  flowers  on 
the  grave  of  the  woman  who  made  it  possible  for  him  to  get  an  education. 

idfcksxiteBx^WBTCXBXK*  lizzie  Johnson  served  God  flat  on  her  back  and  never 
thought  that  it  was  a  limitation  to  her  ability  to  serve.   But  perhaps  like 
the  people  of  Galatia  we  question  our  limited  service  for  the  lord  and  feel 
we  need  something  else  to  add  to  it.   But  we  need  to  know  that  in  whatever 
capacity  we  may  serve  God  wants  that  service  regardless  how  small  and  in- 
significant we  may  think  it  is.   tf"  need  to  rest  in  His  love  and  to  know  as 

v_  Paul  has  said,  "Wherefore  thou  art  no  more  a  servant,  (or  living  under  the 
law),  but  a  son;  and  if  a.  son,  then  an  heir  of  God.  through  Christ." 


St*  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Fennsy 1  vania 
Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor  November  18,  1934 

Mr,  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis,  Acolyte 
Kelly  Mangel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +++  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting  (please  welcome  those  seated 

near  you, J 
Joys 

Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  394  "Rejoice  Ye  Pure  in  Heart" 
♦The  Call  to  Worship: 

Liturgist:  0  Lord,  how  manifold  are  Thy  works!   In 
wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  all:  the 
earth  is  full  of  Thy  riches. 
People:     Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget 

not  all  His  benefits. 
Liturgist:   I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  the  Lord  now  in 
the  presence  of  all  His  people,  in  the 
courts  of  the  Lard's  house* 
People:     I  will  offer  to  Thee  the  sacrifice  of 

thanksgiving,  and  will  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord* 
•Invocation:  (In  Unison) 

Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  the  fountain 
of  all  goodness,  who  openest  Thine  hand  and 
satisfiest  the  desire  of  every  living  thing,  we 
give  Thee  thanks  and  praise  that  in  Thy  mercy  Thou 
hast  brought  us  through  the  circuit  of  another 
year,  and  that,  according  to  Thy  promise,  seedtime 
and  harvest  have  not  ceased.   We  bless  Thee  that 
Thou  hast  crowned  the  year  with  Thy  goodness,  and 
hast  bestowed  upon  us  the  kindly  fruits  of  earth. 
We  pray  Thee  to  grant  us  grace  that  we  may  receive 
Them  thankfully  and  use  them  carefully,  for  our  own 
comfort,  for  the  relief  of  those  who  are  needy,  and 
for  the  glory  of  Thy  name.   Teach  us  to  remember 
that  it  is  not  by  bread  alone  that  man  doth  live,  and 
grant  us  evermore  to  feed  on  Him  who  is  the  true 
bread  from  heaven,  even  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

Amen. 


•Praise:   Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  I 

People  -  And  Blessed  be  His  glorious  name 
forever* 
•Gloria  Patri 
Thanksgiving  Prayer 
Thankof f ering  Explanati  on 

Regular  Offering  and  Thankoffering  envelope 
Offertory 
Special  Thankoffering  -  (food  and  monetary  gifts) 

If  you  have  brought  a  special  offering  please  bring 
it  forward  and  present  it  at  the  chancel  rail. 
Thankoffering  Prayer  of  Dedication 

Liturgist:   Almighty  God,  Creator  and  Sustainer  of 
all,  Giver  of  every  good  and  perfect 
gift:  for  the  joy  of  seedtime  and  the 
riches  of  harvest ;  for  life-filled  seed 
and  sacred  earth,  for  blessed  sun  and 
blessed  rain;  for  the  bounty  of  field, 
garden  forest,  and  mine; 
People:     We  give  Thee  thanks,   0  God, 
Liturgist:   Help  us  that  our  farms  and  homes,  our 

shops  and  factories,  our  bodies,  minds, 
and  strength  may  be  used  as  a  sacred  trust 
from  Thee;   that  we  may  be  good  stewards 
of  all  these  Thy  blessings,  and  that  we 
may  so  share  our  bounty  with  those  in  need 
across  the  world  as  to  cause  ail  lands  to 
break  forth  into  3ongs  of  Thanksgiving. 
People:     We  give  Thee  thanks,  0  God;  for  Thy  mercy 
is  everlasting;  and  Thy  truth  endureth 
to  all  generations . ...... *Amen. 

*Hymn  Wo.  334  "We  Praise  Thee,  0  Gad,  Our  Redeemer" 
Anthem:   Come,  Ye  Thankful  People  Come" 
Scripture:   Leviticus  23  r  33-44 
Sermon:   "Under  His  Shelter" 
•Closing  Hymn  No.  687  "God  of  Our  Fathers" 
•Benediction 

Closing  Chimes 
•Postlude 


+  +  + 


•Congregation  Standing 


COHMUNITI  BTBLK  CHURCH   -  SAGAMOHfi,    P».    -  NOVKHRKS  ?'( ,    liqf- 

PHKLDTIE 

GHEBTIHSS/JOYS/AIWODHCEHEdTS/PRATK)  REQUESTS 

TiniCWSinF   DINNER    -   ALLTNVTTED 
I  C  If  ■  «        -1'  IH*uj> 


J>       C//,  C     P      " 


•  8IMN 
PRAYER/OFFERING 

•DOXOLCX1Y  <  — 

"ORAL  PRAYER 

mrwi 

SCRIPTURE:    LEVITICUS   23S13-W 
Ki    "HHDWl   HIS   SHELTER" 

ST.    PAUL'S,    BUTLER    -  11/18-81* 
flYMN 

•benediction 
•postludt 

K/Ci-  -  f/n^    iuuh^,, 

(■ffi'rf   —  C  st  »-!?*. 


7&**>j*.  / 


_-  ^*«-it 


.'ieiter  ■' 


1  ure  :    leviticua    ?3r?3-44 


farmers  .    ■       -    -„t   aonkj,  uphUtpraehr  help 

Lae   yr   lnce   arin  Ik   liv-  ,,]f1nc,  n3!3e   on   F 

frur       h^ea  us.ther  I  whoa   luv.car  auroand   us  wbethr 

not. 

L„T?   hitU-'    ■*"    Cf^*S    '   °°   l28*r»o   art   -ay  thanks 
B*Pa*t=,5l8fln«;        fchis   wat     or  it,  bout   this   morn 
entir  23  chap  lev  devot   piv  rers  concern   feasts /featl' 
thir    portir      crip.  »   of    -TBb;P    of    Soothsjalso    cal    F   of 
Feast; ft.  aprop-Feast    Of    Inratherinsr 
istr   name   mak   apropriste    our   atentin   Thankof 
in  this    chap  G  riv   instrue  2  Mob, pas  2peoi 
concern  f 's   celbrat  Inr'  I      pt    lnatruc 

l>    01    floothf,or    Inratherinr   g,   30  rPa(j    v«.a    a^.xjj.] 
uonth-Tishri   of   Jew  calndr   £  eoxp  October 

Ot   10th   month.but    Jew  ealndr   Bgin    Sisan*  Luri]    I 
so   7th   months  Tirhri 
Day  Atonmen=hiee3t  holy  day  Jew  yr  celbrat   10th  ^i-^hr' 
_F  of   Booths   celbrat   l^th 

Day  atone  solem,nobr  holy  day-?  booth   ,1ovUs    ocasin 
J    las   7daya    Bgin  Eabath/ena    3abath-*ay  rest/worship 
8th  day   actul    Sabatb   end   Festival 
ea  day   ofers    3   lord   S   as   red   vss,thoz    oferfi    ovr 
abuv  any  rivn  ?  Lord   thrucut   yr, 
thez   specil   of   gratude/thankap-iv   '        taouadst  croc 
■otectln  He   provid   them 
vsa   39-W»Peop  tol   here   ?m«-k  booth 'duel   plac   oa1 

in  »h/liv,eat, sleep 
Thi?   celbrat  In  tuk  plac   near   eaactayj    BctM   o^ers  ««t 
Prendr   -   the    [    ea   of   7day.n,-    Btb  dav 
Be     h  erec  flat  roof  homes .fields .streets  wherevr  cud 

Bo6th-StrCG0TH«BcuB  ea   famly  erect   BOCCAB  or  booth 
dwn  thru  yrs   specif   in^truc  piv  by  rabinicl   law 
4ft  w/by  tft   lonr  &   no  higher   than   50ft 
2E  made   leafy  branch. roof  no  solid    C  sky   i   F  remind 
of  G  who  watch  ovr  them 

hil   liv  booth  think  ancestr   liv   tent/temp  d  re 1  1    ; 
how   S  delivr   them 
Jhaaic  rites   perform   at   feast 

1st   tuk  plac  irorn  1st  dayspeeil  act  pr   sent   2  pool 
of  '  iloan  w/goldn  pitchr  Pbrinr  watr  fr/pool=?altr 
watr  delivr  ?  tempi  w/blow  rams  horn 

«.tr   pour    in?  basin  base  altr  by  Ki  pr   \  ritul 
proyr  *tabundnt   rain  4nex   yr   Israel 

watr   rour       part   aysbolien  4ua   is   pour  out   of 
'"     r   by   G  upon  all   Klievrs  at   latr  time 
2.     'rite  tuk   plao   nite=templ    lit  4  hure   f'enorahs  or 
Tbranch  csndlstiks   >':-   ovrrie   oaadlatike   wiks   mad-    of 
worn  out   garments   of   priests 


lit  whol   fcaripl  area   •:    ad    ?tMs  tores  ea  celeDr^nt       2, 
who   cum  2templ»brlfce   completely   lit   up 
ea  nite   peop  a.sembl  ft  dare  torch   lite  dsne   2aeomp   of 
flut   play  S   Levits   chant  rs  ascer_t=l?0-lW 
On  ea   step   of  IS, one   thez    Pa   chant   as   went  dwn  steps 
f,      irt    of*lsites,to   cert    of  woemn 
at   latr  time   Ja   stud   h«re    &  sed*I    \K  TH  LITE  OF     "    !ID 
'.     )  day  of  F,hi  pr  pour  watr,whil  pr  blu  trumps, levit 
~ari|"  aacsed    Tijsic,peop  wav  palm  br  5   sanr  l; 
11^-lie   ■■    thir-   day  had   sped!   fesrianic   sir^inif 
G*t   I:al  =  Prai3    Jeh.or   Pr  G  .contain  vs   ?^-?6:Ts   118READ 

they  wer  cry»EosannB=wh  r«ein=:'3ve    Nov,  08 1  Isalvatin 
then' 8th  day  2B  specil  cathr  8  read  vs  ?6=PEa.D 
it  waa  this  day.no  watr  pour/    wen   Messianic   ferver 
at   hiest  pitch  read    Jn   ?:37-38-HEAB 

In   tears, Ja   proclaim  2peop  PHIRST!  GUI*  2   WE 

4Jew  act   past   event, liv  booth .portray  '+thent  releas 
fr   bondar    ft  slavry, 
lea  us,G  erec   FUJCCAtf.or  tent   in  wh/we   liv=bo*y/fe  lii 
4  that  we   need   2rejoic    S  riv   thanks, 

b«1     [uest-how  piv  thanks  4- rum  circum.wen  not   thankfl*' 
we   cart   riv   thanks  4-diseas  .aiknes  ,evn  deth 
but    atitud    musD,"    duz/wil   pronid    evn    in   midst    lifes 
darkest  moments 
;-.Timtim  mayE  lik  mist«re  &  piedllus   of  thia  bad   pie) 
In  gud   circum/bad  ,G   stil   ther   keep  watch    ovr   His    own 
P*  tho  mayno  want  clouds  xmcx-iins   S  rain  our   livs,God 
Is   2B  thanked, not  4darknes ,but  4   lite   midst   of   it 
4   Jews, booths   only  tsanstory ,but  whil   lan.-provid   sh 
they  wer   litrly-EKDH  -™? 

4this   fact   they  sbud  hav   bin  thankfl 
thia   time   yr.l^th  day,?th  morf.h    Bgan  celbartin  ?riv 

thanks,  -  then  promptly  trot   His   ble?inprs   aftr 
Lsremonies  were   ov°r, 
lound    fariliar? 
It   huran   natur   ?forp;et   wet   hav    if   srnt    remind    of    it 
nuite   often  6  so  we  rrumbl    *<  complain 

•:v   if  thot   of   evrday  emal  things    of   lif.we  wud 
remembr  2B  thankfl. 

the   litl   th   of   lif    imoort   ft  our  prob,all  vr-   as 
humnr    ir    21k  big   pictttT.S   couplet  4%et    BBHtl   ricbur 
wh/tak  pIbc    our  livs 
(llur    skulteachr   ft  pravr   clas   compos) 
arent   ther   few  thinr^   thir   childish   prayr  we   can  also 
E  thankfl  4? 
Duz   G  care  4U?      Duz   He   orovid   <HJ?«listn  wat    Js   say, 

I    &S25-33-KEAD  THEZ  » 

nu<-hin  2smal   or  trivial  4   G   ^tak  note   of  ;Pe   kno  all 

hi      .  ea   lus    '■  we   constantly  Undr  His   Pheltr  whethr  m 

we   aware   or   not;  let  us   riv  thankr-   ea  day  4  His    ccnti: 

bleaings    In  ea   our   live       reat-IJNDEH  ''T  '"   CARE 


qd 


«   6s25-33   ■>-  SERMON   ON   THE   MOUNT 

NUTHTN  IS  2SMAL  (  '  FOR   f,on  TO  TAK  CARE  OF  OB   TO  NOTE 

HE  KNOWS  ALL  ABOUT  DS  fc  WE  F  CONSTANTLY   "UNDER   HI:'.   S.TCLTEB" 
WHTHH  HH  H  m!WWW(P  HPT '""' ' 

T  II.    OIV    RIM   THANKS  EA    DAY  FOB   HIS  CONTINUAL  BUISSINGS   IN 

TA  BT'oTm  ITTS~ 


SCRIP:    LEV  23:"-'*'*i  8SPM;    "OHDEB   HIS  SHELTER" 

(IMS   FABKRS  WIF.   DONKY  PULL  LOAD.    HIHSTEH  PUSH) 
AT  TIME  OF  YH  WEN  FEALTZ  CUDNT  HAV  MADE  IT  COMPLETLY  ON  OUR  M 
THtR   ONE   tfHOZ   LtTV/CAHE   SUROUN  US   WHTH1     KN(    OR   NOT 
0   KN1I  NATHH  Of  HAN   FH/BGIN  8,   SO   INSTRDC   IN  ART  OF  SAY   THANKS 
>H  PAST  BLE5HK3S 
THIS   HAT  OUR   SCRIP  ABOUT  THT 
CHAP  ??  LEV.    DEVOT  ?GIV  OF  LAWS  CONCERN  CELBRATIN  FEASTS/FEETIVI 

J^TIN  SCRIP  DEAL  WITH  -  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES 
ALSO  a 

feast  of  booths  -  feast  of  to/lord.  -,-th/feast  -  th/feast  of 
"ingathering 

"  WLATTR'NAM   IK   WAT  MAKS  TT  APPROPRIATE   ON  THANKSGIV  SUNDAY 

VS_WHHS  CHAP  G  GIV  MOSES  IHSTRDC  2PASS   ON  2PE0P  CONCERN 
FEASTS   THEY   20RSERV   PURING   YR 

'     '  R    INSTRUCS   HCPT  FESAT   OP   BOOTHS,    OH    INGATHRBNG 

VSS    j't-^gMONTH   KOPKN   HSRE   IC,    -  TISHRI    It   IN  JEW   CAL  IT  60MPARS 
aOHR  MONTH  OF  OCTOBER 

'    CABS   PROR   RCUZ  OCT  10TH   MONTH  f.   NOT  7th    U  R  RIGHT 
BUT  JK"  CALENrR   START  W/NISAN  WH/OUR  EQUIV  OF  APRIL 
"n  ER/APRTL  TO   OCT  TS   7  MONTHS 
"VI/DAY   OF  ATONKENT   -  HIGHEST  HOLY    DAY   2B   CELBRAT  ON  10th    DAY 
RRI    -    (OUR   OCT), 
FOLLOW)  l?Y  TH/FEA"T  OF  BOOTHS    ON  THE  1STH 
DAY  OF  AT0N=S0U4, SOBER    ,HOLY  PAY 
•t   OF  HOOTHS   A  JOYUS   OCASTN 
IT  LASTD  FOP   SEV»    PAV:- 
VS    V>g    POINTS    OUT   -   'WB-tREAD  THIS) 


i  r  Bam  m/sab  observ  t  end  w/sab  obs 

TDTDAY   TF>--R  WEB   QTV   ?   Tll/LORD  ft   AS   RED  IN   VSS   THF.Z   OFFRS   WER 
OVR  R   ABTJV   ANT  OTRR   OFFRS   2B  OIVN   THRIIOUT  VR 
THEZ  SPECIL  OFFRS  OF  GRATITIID  &  THANKSGIV  TO  G    tARUNDNT  CROPS 
&  PHOTECTIN  HE  PHOVD  "iTHEM 

-  —  «HERE  H   TH/INST!!UCTINS   HO'v   PCET.HHAT  THIS   FEAST 
B«       3   2B   MADE-DWEL  IN   OUTDOORS  ,ATE  b   SLEPT  IN  THEN 
RCOTILS  ERECT  ON  FLAT  ROOF  HOUsiHELDS/STnKETS.CLOS  FHOXIM  SANCTU 
:     OFFRS  2B  RFNDR   EA   OF  7   DAYS  HMO 

HEB  WORP-SUCCOTH   FH/SPCCA    -  MEANS   SHELTR/BOOTH  &  CAL  EST   s:~ 
FA    BOOTH  SB   NO   LNOR  ^FT  BY  <tFT  WIDE  NO   FlIOHR    30  FT-TALL   PI  . 

fh/leaft  branches  v/out  :ci  id  roof  so  cud  c  sky  &  b 

REMIND  07  THE  GOD  WHO  WATCH  OVR  T"EH 

ALSO  WEN    MEL  THEZ   BOOTHS, WER  REMIND   AHCESTHS    LIV   TENTS   TFMPRARY 

DWELLS  &   HOW  G   DELIVRD  THEM 
3BASIC   PTTES   PERFORM  AT  THIS   FEST 
mSnflOmimKmiffimmiXmKftff^miSXKXlUIinimmmxm 

(TLBS   OF  THE?:  THREE  RITES) 

ON  TH/EIGHTH   DAY  FOLO   TH/FEA?T   THER   2B   SPBCIL  GATHRING  OF  PEOPL 
GAIN 
VS   Vi=TFL!,S  Pi"  THIS   -  (READ) 
(JO  WATFP  WAT  mtJPP  ON  THIS   DAY 
IT  ON  THIS   DAY  WEN  HESIANIC  FERVR     AT  HIGHEST  PTTCH     «■  APOSTL 
JOHN  WRITES   OF  THIS   IN  HIS  C 
JOHN  7i57-58  -  (READ  THESE  VSS) 


IN  TEARS   JS    PROCLAIM!)  ?TH/TEOPL   -  VS    3?B  *  (-£ 

IBB  Pi/ JEWS  THER   ACT  OCT  OF  EVENTS  HY  LIV   IN    BOOTHS,  PORTRAY  \$J 
'H'lM'IH  Tllt.lt  HI.UAS   FR/BOKDAG  &  SLATOT 

FOR  EA  IIS   G   HAS   ERECTD  A   '''SIIOGAH1''  OB  BOOTH/TENT.    OR  SWELLING 

""  I,-  THIS  BODY.   THIS  LIF  HE  HAS  GIVN  US 

■    WAT  WE  DO  HAV  WE  NEED  TO  REJOIC  &  GIV  THANKS 
BIIT  qllESTTH   ALWAYS   ARISES   "HOW  CAN   I  GIV  THANKS  WEN    THL'R   R    OFTN 
CIRCUMSTANCES  FOR  WHICH   I.  CANT,    B  THANKFUL?" 

■'  i NT  GIV  THANKS   FOR   SIKNES ,  DISEASE  &   FATO   DETH 
BUT  OU|g  ATITU1 i  NEEDS  2B  OWE  OF  THANKGIV   THAT  G   DUZ  t,  WIL  PRO- 
',']'    4m;  FVN  TTTLTFS  DRKEST  MOMENTS 

SHeS   WE  R   LIK   HINSTH  WHO  RECEIV   PIE  7H/MEKBF  CONG 
(IMS   KINI'TR   it   PIE  FR/BAD  COSK   IN  CONG) 

IN   (UT  ClSgUKS  OR   BAD  G   IS   STTL  THER  KEEPING  WATCH  OVR  HIS   OWN 
AND  T110  WE  HAY  NOT  WANT  TH/CLOUBS  !r  RAIN   IN  OUR  LIVS  G   IS  2B 
THANKD, 

not  4t!!/drknf.s,but  ithis  lite  in  th/midst  of  it 
'tth/jews  thox  booths  wer  only  transitory  whit,  they  lastd  s,  they 
providf:  sheltb 

they  wf'-  ltthly  "under  his  shelter" 

a"d  tcv  tuts  they  .".hud  hav  ht«!  thankful 


I  rth*lqFW*   DAY  OF  Tilt  7th   HCNTR 
:,VHN   2GIV  GOD  THANKS. 
AND  AFTR   TH/CELBRATIN  THEY   PROMPTLY  ^GOT  HIS   BLESSINGS 


SOUND  FAKILIAH???1 

ITs'miMN  HATUR   2F0RGET  WAT  WE  HAV  IF  WE   ARNT  REMINDED  OF   IT 
QUITE   OFTN 

.       WE  BROMBL  t,   COMPLAIN 

PERHAPS    IF  WE  THOT  OF  TH/SMAL  THINGS  OF  LIF  WE  WUD  REMEMBB 

?B   THANKFUL 
OUR  !>ROB,    ALL  OF  US  AS  HUMANS  IS  2LK  AT  TH/BIG  PICTUR  t,  BY 
DO  SO  WE   UGET  TH/SMAL  PICTHR  WH/TAK   PLAC  OUR  LIVS  EVRDAY 
(ILIIS   SCH00LTFACBE^J^PRAYR_EflB£Q3D  RY    H'^R  CI, .is.". I 

SHUT  thfr'a  FT: .    things  IN  this  childish  prayp  we  canb  thankful 
FOR???V? 

DU7  HF  PROVID  FOR  YOU'???  LISTEN  2WAT  JS  SED  -  MT  6  :?"}-33 


"Under  His    Shelter" 

aggjgcgjppc  she  il%&±*> 

Scripture:  Leviticus  25:55-44 

(Illustration  of  farmer's  wife  and  inability  to  get  donkey  to  pull  load) 
A  farmer's  */7ife  was  stru^glincr  to  get  her  donkey  to  pull  a  heavily  loaded 
wagon  up  a  hill.   The  village  preacher  ,iust  happened  to  drive  by  and  saw 
what  was  happening.   So  he  stopped  his  car,  rot  out  and  began  to  push  the 
wagon  and  with  the  donkey  pullinsr  and  him  pushing  it  reached  the  top. 
The  woman  stopped  the  cart  as  it  was  ready  to  start  down  the  other  side 
of  the  hill  and  said  to  the  minister,  "Thanks  so  much.   I'd  never  have 
made  it  with  one  donkey." 

We  are  at  that  time  of  the  year  once  again  when  we  can  look  at  our  lives  and 
realize  that  weccould  not  have  made  it  through  this  year  completely  on  our 
own.   There  has  been  for  each  of  us,  One  who^e  love  and  care  has  surrounded 
us  whether  we  know  it  or  not,   God  knew  tiixixicaxi  the  nature  of  man  from  the 
very  beginning  and  so  it  was  that  He  instructed  them  in  the  art  of  saying 
thanks  for  past  blessinsrs.   This  is  actually  what  our  Scripture  is  all  about 
from  the  Old  Testament  book  of  Leviticus.   The  entire  ?5rd  chapter  is  devoted 
to  the  giving  of  laws  concerning  the  celetntion  of  feasts  and  festivals. 
The  portion  of  Scripture  which  we  are  looking  at  deals  with  the  "Feast  Of 
Tabernacles,"   It  is  also  called  the  "Feast  Of  Booth^  .  "   It  was  also  called, 
"The  ^east  of  The  Lord,"  nuite  simply,  "The  Feast,"  and  very  appropriately, 
"The  Feast  of  Ingathering, "   T^is  latter  name  is  what  makes  it  significantly 
appropriate  for  our  attention  on  this  Thankoff ering  Sunday. 
Thus  we  read  in  verse  35,  "Again  the  lord  spoke  to  Fores,  saying,"   In  this 
chapter  God  was  giving  instructions  to  Mosea  to  ^ass  on  to  the  people  of 
Israel  concerning  the  feasts  they  were  to  celebrate  during  the  year.   At 
this  point,  God  is  goinf  to  instruct  them  about  this  "Feast  of  Eooths , "  or, 
"Ingathering,"  and  so  we  read  in  the  verses  54  through  58,  tread  these). 
The  month  spoken  of  here  is  the  month  of  Tishri  in  the  Jewish  calendar  and 
it  compares  to  our  month  of  October.   Now  if  that  plays  havoc  with  your 
thinking  because  you  say  that  October  ifi  the  10th  month  of  the  year  and  not 
the  seventh,  you  are  absolutely  right.   But  the  explanation  is  that  the  Jew- 
ish calendar  started  with  the  month  of  Pliaan  which  was  XKKksxiKstxfxBn  the 
enuivalent  of  our  April  and  so  the  seventh  month  would  be  October.   The  Day 
of  Atonement,  the  hirhest  holy  day  of  the  Jewish  year  was  celebrated  on  the 
10th  of  the  month  Tishri,  followed  by  the  "Feast  of  Booths"  on  the  15th. 
The  Jay  of  Atonement  was  a  solemn,  sober,  holy  day,  while  the  Feast  of  Booths 
was  to  be  a  joyous  occasion.   It  lasted  for  seven  days;  it  berran  with  a  Sab- 
bath observance,  meaning  a  day  of  rest  and  worship,  and  ended  with  a  Sabbath 
observance.   Each  day  there  were  offerings  rendered  to  the  Lord  and  as  we  read 
in  these  verses  those  offerings  wetfe  over  and  above  any  other  offerings  they 
should  r^ive  to  the  Lord  throughout  the  year.   These  were  special  offerings 
of  gratitude  and  thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  abundant  crops  and  protection 
He  had  provided  for  them. 
Kext  God  gave  the  instructions  how  they  were  to  celebrate  this  feast  as  we 


read  in  verses  39  through  44,  (read  these).   We  see  here  that  the  people  were 

to  make  booths,  or  dwelling  places  out  of  doors  in  which  they  lived  for  the 

7  day  period.   They  ate  in  these  booths  and  slept  in  thern.   This  celebration 

took  place  in  the  area  of  the  sanctuary  because  of  the  offerings  they  were  to 

render  to  the  Lord  on  each  of  the  7  days .   Bo  the  booths  were  erected  on  the 

flat  roofs  of  their  houses,  in  the  fields,  and  on  the  streets.   Wherever  they 

could  place  them,  this  thev  did.   They  were  to  make  the  booths  or  shelters, 

a  'f-.uccah  '  or  booth, 
and  the  Jewish  word  for  this  is,  "Snecoth,   because  each  family  erects^BKKx 

Down  through  the  years,  specific  instructions  were  set  forth  concerning  the 
construction  of  these  "Succah's."   Rabbinical  law  set  forth  that  each  booth 
was  to  be  no  longer  than  four  feet,  <"our  feet  wide,  and  no  higher  than  thirty 
f-^et.   It  was  to  be  made  of  the  branches  tf£g£3fe=8aeiiefi>  from  leafy  trees.   The 
roof  made  of  the  limbs  of  trees  was  not  solid,  thus  permitting  the  inhabitant 
to  see  the  sky  and  to  be  reminded  of  the  jod  who  watched  over  him.   While 
dwelling  in  these  temporary  booths  the  Jews  were  reminded  of  the  time  when 
their  ancesters  were  wan^erinr  in  the  wilderness  and  lived  in  tents,  or.  temp- 
orary dwellings  and  how  God  delivered  them. 

There  were  three  basic  rites  performed  at  this  feast.   The  first  one   took 
place  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day.  k   specially  appointed  priest  was  sent 
to  the  pool  of  Siloam  with  a  golden  pitcher  to  brinp-  water  from  the  p-ol  to 

the  altar.   The  water  was  delivered  to  the  Temple  with  the  Mowing  of  the 

into  a  basin 
ram  s  horn.  £aBh  come  of  this  water  was  poured  at  the  base  of  the  altar 

by  the  High  priest  at  which  time  a  ritual  praver  for  abundant  rain  for  the 

WAS      f.^AfEo 

nation  df  IsraeL.   The  wnter  was  poured  out  each  day  of  the  feast.   A  part  of 

the  symbolism  behind  this  is  that  God  ooured  out  His  Holv  spirit  ron  all 

believers 

ebx  and   not    just    Israel   at   a   later   time   in  history. 

The  second  rite   took  -lace   at  nipht.      The   ^emnle   area  was   lit  by  four   hupe 

Menorah's,    or   seven  branched   candlesticks.      These.candlesticks  had   wicks 

which  were   made   of  the  worn-out   garments    of  the   priests.      They   lit  up  the 

entire   temple   area.      Added    to   this   was   the   torches    of   each  celebrant   comirj-- 

Jro  the   temple.      £ach   ninrht   the   people   assembled   and   the   celebrants   danced    a 

torch   dance   to   the   accompaniment   of   flute   playinp-  and   the    Levites   chanted    the 

Psalms   of   Ascent,    which  are    120   through   1^4.      On   each   one    of   the    15   steps 

one    of   these      salms   was   chanted    as   they  went   down  the   steps   from  the   court    of 

the    Israelites   to  the   court   of   the    W0men.     jf*xwaxx*iar±»xxtisixx^a3tixiEfx*i5a 

XH£xfcx£texix>fexH5mifcEE£x±Kxaxix»xx±k±xx±±Kfe*xH^ 

EfxtkHxwEFtSxxx    k%   a   later   time   there   stood    Jesus,    proclaiming,    "I   am   the 

lirht   of   the   world." 

Then  on  the  last  dny  of  the  Feast,  the  zrisxts  high  priest  poured  the  water 

while  the  priests  blew  the  trumpets,  the  levites  sanp  sacred  music  while  the 
people  waved  palm  branches  and  san?  the  Hallel,  Psalms  113  to  IIP.   This  day 


-3- 

had    a   special   Messianic    significance.      Ax5xxx^xr£xwkK±xxkHXEKH:BXBXXiinxxix^:fckK 

"Great   Hallel    "   which   means,    "Frasie    Jehovah,"   or    "Praise    God,"  contained  5 

the  25th  &  26th 

verse  in  Isalm  118,  which  asks,  "0  lord,  do  save,  we  beseech  Thee;  0  lord, 

we  beseech  Thee,  do  send  prosperity!   Blessed  is  the  one  who  comes  in  the 

name  of  the  lord;  We  have  blessed  You  from  the  house  of  the  Lord."   They  were 

crying  out  "Hosanna"  which  means,  "Gave  now,"cand  thev  were  calling  for  sal- 

Un 
vat  ion.  StxxxBxwki(fxxtJlixxxHSB±sKi«3cf»xw»x»»KXH.txxt5rxi5xa1flHKtxi!S*Kl5x  the  8th 

day,  the  day  following  the  feast  axx^Ht-stg*  there  was  to  be  a  special  pather- 

ing  of  the  people  again.   In  the  35th  verse  we   re~d  of  this:  On  the  eighth 
day  you  shall  a  holy  convocation  and  present  an  offering  by  fire  to  the 

Lord;  it  is  an  assembly."    «,.  ..„. _„    .  „   ... 

'  ■      f«o  water  poured  on  this  day 

It  was  on  this  day,  when  the  Kessianic  xkxkx  ferver  was  at  its  highest  pitch 

that  we  read  the  words  of  John  in  the  7th  chapter  of  his  Gospel  verses  37  and 

38,  "Now  on  the  last  day,  the  great  day  of  ther^'MJesus  stood  and  cried  out, 
saying,  'If  any  man  is  thirsty,  let  him  came  to  He  and  drink.   Ke  who 
believes  in  Ke ,  as  the  Scripture  said,  'From  his  innermost  being  shall 
flow  rivers  of  living  water.'" 

In  tears,  Jesus  proclaimed  to  the  people,  "If  any  man  is  thristy, ?let  him 

come  to  Me  and  drink," 

For  the  Jews  their  actinp  out  of  past  events  by  living  in  booths,  portrayed 

for  them,  their  release  from  bondage  and  slavery.   &HexH$xx****#x*«axfcftS 

Sx'SSxxSxx'i?*'  For  each  of  us,  Cod  has  erected  a  "Succah,"  or  tent  in  which  we 

live.   It  is  this  body,  this  life  which  He  has  e*iven  us.  ±&£xee*s±i£hxbxx£M:h 

ijJxxxMHaixxixHXXKxitxxKXXB  For  that  which  we  do  have  we  need  to  rejoice  and 

give  thanks.  But  the  question  always  arises  ±fexx^k"Exxx£xnx3xiciXHxti35txkx 

"Kow  can  I  give  thanks  when  there  are  manv  circumstances  for  which  I  can't 

be  thankful?"   We  can't  pive  thanks  for  serious  illnesses,  disease,  and  even 

daeth.   But  our  attitude  needs  to  be  one  of  thanksgiving  that  God  does  and 

will  provide  for  us  even  in  life's  darkest  moments.   Perhaps  sometimes  we  are 

like  the  minister  who  received  a  pie  from  e  member  of  the  congregation  who 
had  a  reputation  for  beinr  a  very  bad  cook.   The  pie  was  definitely  inedible 
and  so  the  miniter'r  wife  threw  ifc  into  the  garbage  can.   T>,ey  knew  they  had 
to  thank  the  lady,  but  how?   After  all  they  didn't  want  to  tell  her,  her  pie 
was  no  good  and  they  threw  it  out.   But  they  had  to  be  truthful  about  it. 
So  after  much  thought  they  sent  her  the  following  note:  "Dear  Mrs.  Jones, 
Thank  you  for  being  so  kind  and  thoughtful.  Wf  can  assure  you  that  a  pie  like 
yours  never  lasts  long  at  our  house." 

In  good  circumstances  or  bad,  God  is  still  there  keeping  watch  over  Fir  own 

and  thourh  we  may  not  want  the  clouds  and  rain  in  our  lives,  God  is  to  be 

thanked,  not  for  the  darkness,  but  for  His  light  in  the  midst  of  it. 

For  the  Jews,  those  booths  were  only  transitory,  but  while  they  lasted,  they 

provided  shelter.   Tvey  were  literally,  "Under  His  Shelter".   For  this  fact 

they  should  have  been  thankful.   At  this  time  of  the  year,  the  15th  day  of 

the  7th  month  they  began  a  celebration  to  give  God  thanks,  and  then  promptly 

forrot  His  blessings  after  the  cereronies  were  over.   Sound  familiar? 


-fr- 
it's human  nature  to  forget  what  we  have  if  we  aren't  reminded  of  it  qjrite 
often.   fcnd  so,  we  grumble  and  complain.   Perhaps  if  we  thought  of  the  every- 
day rmall  things  of  life  we  would  remember  to  be  thankful.   Our  problem,  all 
of  us  as  humans  is  to  look  at  the  big  picture,  and  completely  ferret  the 
small  picture  that  is  taking  place  in  our  lives  everyday. 
(Illustration  of  schoolte?.cher  and  prayer  composed  bv  her  class) 
Aren't  there  a  few  things  in  this  childish  prayer  we  can  also^thank?  for? 
Does  "od  care  for  you?   Does  He  ^rovde  for  you''  listen  to  what  Jesus  says 
in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  Matthew  6,  verses  25  through  33,  (read  these). 
Nothing  is  too  small  or  trivial  for  Hod  to  take  note  of.   He  knows  all  about 
each  of  us  and  we  are  constantly  "Under  His  Shelter,"  whether  we  are  aware  of 
it  or  not.   Let  us  rive  T'im  thanks  each  day  for  His  continual  bless ings  in 
each  of  our  lives. 


St.   Paul's  Uniteo  Church   ot    Christ 
Butler,   Pennsylvania 
Rev.   Ralph  Link,   Pastor  November  25,    1984 

Mr,   Dale  Rice,    Organist 
Kelly   Mangel ■    Acolyte 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  4 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP   11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys,  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Requests 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  526  "God  of  Graceand  God  of  Glory" 
♦Ascription 
♦Exhortation 

♦Confession  (In  Unison)  "We  pray  Father,  that  this  day  we  ■ 
may  be  aware  of  our  membership  in  the  whole  body  of 
Christ.   Give  us  a  complete  sense  of  what  this  means 
by  forgiving  others,  as  we  also  wish  to  be  forgiven. 
Pardon  us  for  seeing  the  speck  in  our  brother's  eye 
while  neglecting  to  see  our  larger  sins.   Grant  us 
Your  forgiveness  for  the  many  things  we  have  said  and 
done  and  thought (  which  have  caused  us  to  be  sorry  and 
wish  we  could  undo  them.  These  things  we  ask  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,     Amen." 
♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise;   Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  -  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever. 
♦Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  622  "0  How  He  Loves  You  and  Me" 
Call  to  Prayer : Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray  - 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
♦Doxology   No.  382 
Anthem:  "The  Lord's  Prayer" 
Scripture:  Galatians  4:  21-31 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:   Enjoying  It" 
Closing  Hymn  No*  543  "The  Family  of  God" 
♦Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 
Postlude 

+  *  +  +  +  +     "Congregation  Standing     +  ■++  +  +  +■ 


> 


Tne  lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by- 
Mrs.  Ann  Williams  in  memory  of" loved  ones." 

Ushers  for  today  are  Richard  Mangel,  Don  Kingsley, 
Edward  Walker,  and  Gary  Penar. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mike  Nazaruk  will  greet  the  congregation 
at  the  door  this  morning. 

Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs*  Gloria  Walker, 

Lloyd  Link  will  be  visiting  the  Hospital  this  week. 

Attendance  last  Sunday  was  124  with  7  visitors. 

Hospitalized:   Mrs.  Irene  Holbein   Room  348 

Hillcrest  Nursing  Ctr.   Grove  City. 

Monday  -  Spang" s  Volleyball 

Tuesday  -  Aerobics 

Wednesday  -  7:00  PM  Board  of  Christian  Education  meeting 

Thursday  -  7:00  Chancel  Choir  practice 
—  Aerobics 

UPCOMING  DATES:   Dec.  3  Women's  Mary  Prugh  is  having 
their  Christmas  Dinner. 
Dec.  &  Church  Council  meeting  at  7:00 

PRAYER  CHAIN  -  We  are  still  seeking  volunteers  to  serve 
on  the  Prayer  Chain.   Contact  the  office  if  you  are 
willing  to  serve* 

FOOD  COLLECTION  -  will  continue  for  the  Christmas  holiday . 
Please  open  your  hearts  for  this  project*   It  was  a 
great  success  last  Sunday.   We  helped  to  make  this 
Thanksgiving  holiday  a  brighter  one  for  9  families. 

The  new  flower  chart  for  1985  has  been  hung  in  the 

Narthex.   Please  take  a  minute  and  sign  up  for  your 
flowers  now. 

There  is  a.  silent  moment 

Twixt  the  darkness  of  the  day, 

When  all  the  cares   and  trials  of  life 

Seem  far  away ■ 

God  holds     the  heaven  in  His  hands. 

And  parts  the  veil  of  night 

With  reverent  gentleness  He  pushes 
Forth  the  dawns  first  light. 
I  feel  his  presence  everywhere, 
As  sunlight  fills  the  land 
It  is  as  if  my  God  above 
Were  holding  Fast  my  hand. 


P0IHSETTA  TIME 

Name 


Price  is  $5*25  each 


In  Memory  of  ^ , 

Order  deadline  is  December  9,  1984  Pit   'order  now. 


rrn    -ree :    &o    !" 
I       srips   Galatiana  t-:21-31 

As   note   nrr  ,      deal  w/situatin,conr=   "al   corcen 

ce"-*-   Judyizers   seek  hav   "tent   '-'plan  ad   elment   law   Plivs 
vt      19-20"      alnos   ovreum   emotin  but   now   lfinl  ai — umen 
H    Justficatin   faith   £   1  ik  yng  coup]   rsis   baby  by  buk 
(Ilus  yng  eoupl   &  rais   child   by   1' 
thif    aituatin   "al=thez    Jew  had   theory  hut   no  vil,or 

didnt  want   ?put   into  practic 
vs    21=  P  ask   Si  lik   Js    say, ears, but   no   hear 
prob   Jew  converts   wer  prob  steep   Jew  traditins 
sent  4-them  Scrip  bad    nor   than  1  mean   r-   ^eek   ^fulfil 
law  as   bin  taut, plus   folo    vpian  life 
2ovrcum  this   P  nt  bak  OT  c,   wel   kno  ilus   Ab 
realy   want   2E   undr   law,heBr   wat   law   Bay»V3S   22-23 
sons    Ab-Iah  &.  Isaac  =  Ish  b  Sagar; Isaac   b   ~arah 
■■  =  :  lave fSaran-Sree; Ish  b    -cue      arab   impatient 
'  ■    promise 
vs  24a=alerory  S    I    no  mean  nevr  hapn 
0     eontrary   E   ure   hintricl  event   &  riv   interp   Byon 

•   shown; not   nothr  mean  but  use   truth  ?sho  deepr 
meaninp- 
I    as   Thar   awar    think   of  rabbis   ft  how   interp  Scrip    St 
thus  cud   spk  this   manr  Ptheir  timer  pupils   '>  mak  pt 
4    Jev;  Rabbis     'crip  had   ^meanings  ;U   mite   want   ,1ot   dwn 
'    -=siopl,lltral  meaning 
sat    meaning 
DERUSH- meaning  cum  'i-th   thru   invest  rat  in 
f  OD=sle?"orical   meanln^ 
tak  1st   letrs  4wo-  PHDS-no  vowels   Hebrew 

writings   Si   add-hav   PARABISI 
was   Bliev   man  suceed   penetnt  4-dif   means  reach    Joy  of 
paradise , 

merely  do   wit   'abbi?  had  dun  teach  thea  now   con 
verted    Jews  &  sine  sed   this   T  proceed   tel  of  hidn 
meanings   of   Abraham  anr.    "    ions 
va   24=?  pt   2  two  covnants-Iiosaic   E"in   3inal  &  as   Hap-a 
brot  4th   slav, so  thoz  undr   law  B   Slavs 
imply  othr   oov  wh/Abrhamic  cov   of  prom  •"•  ra±r  thoz 
undr    it    R   free 
vss   25- 26=P  pt  2  two   Jeru*,Hapr  stud    1st  cent    Jeru 
wh  enslav  enslav  2   law, 

but  Tarah  comp  P   Jeru   abuv  wh/free   £   its   childrn 
'"ee 

-  tiar  her  2  mothr  of   all   childrn  of  irace   8: 
one   of   all   T^lievrs 
vs   ">■■=?  likn  birth    Cpians   2birth   Isaac  ;be  has   supr- 
n,_    url   birth   &   ea    '^pisn   born   suprnaturly  bu   cum   2 
p.    |  n0  childrn  slavry,but   ";    'lorn   °ree 


va   C7»j    cm  :  perscutm   Isaac   2fals   teacv 

psitin  of   31ievrs 
At    ,^an  Iskac   tuk  plac   are   5 ,  \b  riv  feast -Tsanouet 
Ish  bout   17,perscute   Isaac   Rcuz   fear   Isaac  tak  inner 
h     jfchot  was   his 
.    pt  out   lborn  flesh   perscut   lborn   spirit    .    continu 
lie   ment   perscutin  fr/thoz   no  lorn  arin  wud   continu   in 
•p  'r    church   as    time   went    on 

vs  30=  P  pt  wat   hap   Ish   mur3  dun  by  fials-Sarah  deraan 
Hagr        son   B  cast   out.Hcua    Ish  no  ritful  heir 
Gals  wer  2cast   out ,dissoeiat   selvs   fr/Judyiaers 
z   wer  not  truly  bornaerin  sons   of 
vs   31»P  cloj     Icrip  this   adfice 

ly   thoa   cuip  ?   Sp   R=Born  Free   S    no   longr   in  bonds 
2   sin        the    law 

try   Plupar   is    law  ty   ?seek  ^pleas   B  by  wat  dun 
or- how  1   livs   S    th/enslav   cersn  inrtei    of  ntak  free 
But   on  othr  hand   wen  pernn  recor  thru   fp=Born  Free, 
dlivr   fr/bond  sin  8c  law, he   In  positin   211tf   lif   2   its 
fullest, 
that   peern   in   poritin  to    ENJOY   IT 
(Ilus   road   trader   "■-.  pipn  on  front   Si  hack) 
Think   about    that! 

Isnt   it  tru   of  lif   5  especil  U  try   »lii    tpian  lif? 
suml   sed=tak  ?step  4ward,lbak, 
but  w/thoz   setbaks  ,w/thoz   nerscutina   St  road  bloks 
we    face   ther   thot    of    futur' await   all    Plievr^    S   that 
i     not    Jeru  here  on  erth  wh/brinr  bondag   ;     slavry, 
insted,it   nu   Ueru  wh/God   has   4evry   Blievr 
Listn  wat   Apos    Jn  say=Pev  21;l-4=Read 
Until   then,   G  want  un   2rest   Fis  care   here   on  erth, 
2    -'.ivn  the   lif  we  hav,kno  thru   Xp  we   R  Born-Free 


"Born  ?ree:  Enjoying  It" 
Scripture:  Galatians  4: 21-31 

As  we  have  noted  in  previous  sermons,  Paul  was  dealing  with  the  situation 
in  the  conrre rat  ions  in  Galatia  concerning  certain  Judaizers  who  were  seek- 
ing to  have  the  Gentile  Christians  add  the  elements  of  the  law  to  their 
Christian  lives.   At  the  end  of  the  previous  Scripture,  Paul  was  almost  over- 
come with  emotion  and  if  we  look  hack  at  verses  19  and  20  we  can  see  this, 

(read  these  verses).   But  now  Paul  switches  tactics  and  begins  one  final  ar- 

weaitny 

gument  for  .justification  by  faith.   His  approach  is  somewhat  like  the  young 

couple  who  were  trying  to  raise  their  baby  according  to  the  latest  hook  on 

child  rearing.   They  started  out  with  high  hopes  and  for  a  period  of  time 
everythinr  went  well.   Then  one  night  the  baby  was  wailinr:  and  they  didn't 
know  what  to  do.  They  stood  by  the  crib  looking  in  the  index  of  the  book 
for  the  solution.   rrnn  the  doorway  came  the  voice  of  the  Irish  cook  who 
also  had  been  awakened  by  the  baby'?:  cryinr,  and  she  said,  "If  I  was  younse 
I'd  rut  down  the  book  and  pick  up  the  baby." 

This  was  the  situation  in  Galatia.   These  converted  Jews  had  the  theory, 

but  they  didn't,  or  weren't  willing  to  rut  it  into  practice.   3o  Paul  begins 

this  assault  ibn  them  by  asking,  "Tel]  me,  ye  that  desire  to  be  under  the  law, 

do  ye  not  hear  the  law?"   like  Je~us,  he  is  saying  that  they  have  ears,  but 

they  do  not  hear.   The  problem  for  these  Jewish  converts  was  that  they  were 

_  probably  steeped  in  the  Jewish  traditions  and  that  meant  for  them,  Pcripture 

had  more  than  one  meaning  and  they  were  seekinr  to  fulfill  the  law  as  they 

had  been  taught,  plus  follow  the  Christian  life. 

To  overcome  this,  Paul  be^inr  by  pointing  them  back  to  the  Old  Testament  to 

the  well-known  illustration  of  their  father  Abraham.   5o  he  is  saying  to  them 

'::   if  you  really  want  to  he  under  the  lav/,  hear  what  the  lav;  has  to  say," 

and  we  read  in  verses  22  and  23,  tread  these).   The  sons  Abraham  had  were  of 

course,  Ishmael  and  Isaac,   Ismael  was  born  to  Hagar,  Parah'r  maid,  who  was  a 

bondrlave.   Isaac  was  born  to  Sarah,  Abraham  *s  wife  who  was  Abraham's  direct 

inheritor,  and  naturally  a  freewoman.   Ishamel  was  born  of  Hagar  because 

Sarah  became  impatient  and  didn't  believe  that  Pod  was  goins?  to  do  what  He 

had  promised  Pe  would  do.   But  then  finally,  Isaac  was  born  accrodinp  to  God'; 

promise . 

Then  Paul  adds  in  the  24th  verse,  "Whicl  tile   ..  . "   fe  must 

point  out  that  Paul  did  not  mean  these  things  never  happened.   On  the  contrar; 

Paul  is  using  a  historical  event  and  giving  it  an  interpretation  beyond  that 

which  is  shown.   It  isn't  riving  it  another  meaning,  but  it  is  using  the 

truth  to  show  a  deeper  meaning,   Paul  as  a  Pharisee  was  aware  of  the  thinking 

of  the  Rabbi's  and  SExkexKaaxxsiiwssMHiiflHiixtBxspKakxtExthHXc-cixixtfc  how  they 

interpreted  Scripture  and  thus  he  could  speak  in  this  manner  to  their  foremer 

pupils  to  make  his  point.  For  the  Jewish  Rabbi's  Pcripture  had  four  meanings 

You  might  want  to  Jot  this  down  because  P  think  it  is  rather  interesting. 


-2~ 

Peshat,  was  the  simple,  literal  meaning;  Remaz,  was  the  suggested 
meaning;  Derush ,  was  the  meaning  which  came  forth  throurh  invesitgation; 
and  Sod  was  the  allegorical  meaning.   Mow  taking  the  four  first  letters  of 
these  words  you  have  PRD6.   Since  the  ancient  Hebrew  writings  contained  no 
vowels,  if  vowels  are  added  to  these  letter  we  have  the  word  "Paradise." 
It  was  believed  that  when  a  man  had  succeeded  in  penetrating  the  four  differ- 
ent meanings  he  reached  the  $oy   of  paradise.   So  Paul  is  merely  doincr  exactly 
the  pane  thing  as  the  Rabbis  had  done  in  their  teaching  of  these  now  convert- 
ed &Ex£kxixfc±K33±fcx  Jews , 

So  now  that  Paul  has  told  them  he  is  o-oinr  to  use  the  same  method  as  employed 
by  their  Jewish  scholars,  he  proceeds  to  tell  them  the  hidden  meanings  of 
Abraham  and  his  two  sons. 

First,  in  verse  24-,  Paulspointed  to  two  covenants.   One,  the  Mosaic  had  its 
beginning  at  Ht,  Sinai.   As  Hagar  brought  forth  a  slave,  so  those  under  the 
law  are  slaves.   It  la  imrlied  here  that  the  other  covenant  which  was  the 
Abrahamic,  was  the  covenant  of  promise  and  those  under  it  were  free. 
Then  in  verses  25  and  26   aul  pointed  to  two  Jerusalems.   Hagar  also  stood 
for  the  first-century  city  of  Jerusalem  which  was  enslaved  by  Rome  and  was 
._  ensalved  to  the  law. But  Sarah  was  comparable  to  the  Jerusalem  above,  which 
is  free  and  its  children  are  free.   Paul  compares  her  to  the  mother  of  all 
the  children  of  grace  and  the  home  of  all  believers. 

Next,  Paul  points  to  three  comparisons.   First,  in  verse  28,  Paul  likens  the 
birth  of  Christians  to  that  of  the  birth  of  Isaac.   Isaac  had  a  supernatural 
birth  and  each  Christian  is  born  supernaturally  by  coming  to  Christ.   Christ- 
ians are  not  children  of  slavery,  but  are"Born  Free." 

Then  in  verse  29,  Paul  compares  Ishmael 's  persecution  of  Isaac  to  the  false 
teachers  opposition  of  believers.   At  the  weaning  of  Isaac,  which  took  place 
in  the  Jewish  family  at  the  are  of  three,  Abraham  s;ave  a  feast.   At  this  time 
Ishmael  was  about  17  and  he  made "fun  of,"  or  persecuted  Isaac  because  he 
feared  that  Isaac  was  going  to  take  the  inheritance  which  he  thought  was  his. 
And  Paul  points  out  that  just  as  the  one  born  of  the  flesh  persecuted  the  one 
born  of  the  spirit  so  it  continues.   Paul  meant  that  persecution  from  those 
who  are  not  born-again  sons  of  God  would  continue  In  Christ's  Church  as  time 
went  on. 

Then  third,  Paul  points  out  that  what  happened  with  Ishmael  must  be  done  by 
the  jalatians.   Sarah  demanded  that  Hagar  and  her  son  be  cast  out  because 
Ishmael  was  not  the  rightful  heir.   So  the  Galatians  were  to  cast  out,  or  to 
disassociate  themselves  from  these  Judaizers  because  they  were  not  truly  the 
born-again  sons  of  Cod. 


-3- 

And  then  Paul  concludes  this  portion  of  Scripture  with  this  advice,  'To  then, 

brethren,  we  are  not  children  of  the  bondwoman  but  of  the  free."  Paul  is 

saying  that  every  person  who  comes  to  Christ  is  "Born  Free"  and  is  no  longer 

a  slave  or  in  bondage  to  sin  or  the  lav;. 

What  Paul  is  tryinrr  to  impart  is  that  the  law  is  tied  to  seeking  to  please 

God  by  what  is  done,  or  how  one  lives  and  this  enslaves  a  person  instead  of 

making  him  free.   Put  on  the  other  hand  when  a  person  recognizes  that  through 

Christ  he  is  "Born  Free",  delivered  from  the  bondare  of  the  law  and  sin,  he  ii 

in  3  position  to  live  itxtsxttx  life  to  its  fullest.   That  person  is  in  a 

position  to  "En,joy  It," 

(Illustrations  of  road  grader  and  si"n  on  front  and  back) 

Host  of  us  have  been  the  victims  o*"  traffic  ,iams  caused  by  the  making  or 
improving  of  a  map'or  highway.   This  pant  summer  Fhirley  and  I  "were  caught 
in  a  horrendous  such  .iam  which  stretched  for  six  miles'  or  more  and  took 
an  hour  or  so  to  ret  out  of.   I  read  of  a  man  who  drove  one  of  those  huge 
road  (Traders  who  must  have  sypathized  with  the  plight  of  the  motorist 
caurht  in  one  of  those  jams.   He  placed  a  signs  on  the  front  and  rear  of 
his  grader  which  simply  said,  "The  road  to  happiness  is  almost  always 
under  construction." 

T,_ink  about  that!   Isn't  it  true  of  life  and  especiall-  if  -tou  are  trying  to 

live  the  C"Birsitain  life?   It  f-eems  like  someone  has  said,  we  take  two  steps 

forward  and  one  backward.   Put  with  those  setbacks,  with  those  persecutions 

and  road  blocks  we  face,  there  is  the  thought  of  that  future  which  awaits 

all  believers  and  that  is  not  the  Jerusalem  here  on  earth  which  brings  bondai  < 

and  slavery;  but  in-tead,  it  is  the  new  Jerusalem  which  God  has  for  every 

believer.   listen  to  what  the  Apostle  Cohn  had  to  say  about  it  in  the  vision 

which  God  rave  him  as  recorded  in  the  21st  chapter  of  Revelation,  toerses  1 

through  4 ,  (read  these). 

Until  then,  Cod  wants  us  to  rest  in  His  care  here  on  earth,  and  to  "Enjoy" 

the  life  we  have,  knowing  that  through  Christ  we  are  "Born  Free." 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
nev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor  December  2,  1934 

Mr*  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Megan  Hewis,  Acolyte 

+  +  +  +  +  +++   +  +  +  +++   +   +   +  +  +  +  +  +   +  +  +  +4-J- 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude   ihQuiet  Songs  of  the  Holy  Night" 
Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys,  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Requests 
Choral  Introit  "Be  Joyful" 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  166  "Let  All  Mortal  Flesh  Keep  Silence" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

"Confession  (In  Unison)  "Loving  Father,  we  pause  in  the  midst 
of  our  hectic  preparations  for  Christmas,  and  we  look 
back,  for  we  must  admit  that  we  have  left  the  Christmas 
spirit  far  behind.   We  are  harsh  when  we  should  be  gentle; 
indifferent  when  we  should  be  Caring;;  callous  when  we 
should  be  understanding;  selfish  when  we  should  be 
loving.   Forgive  us  we  pray  in  Jesus'  name.    Amen. 
•Kyrxe 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
•Praise:   pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  -  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever. 
•Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  203  "All  My  Heart  Today  Rejoices" 
Call  to  Prayer:  Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray. 
Prayer 
Offering 

Offertory  "The  Cradle" 
•Doxology  No,  392 
Installation  of  Elder  and  Deacons 
Anthem:  '"Mary  Had  a  Baby" 
Scripture:   Galatians  5:1-12 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:   Stand  Firm!11 
"Closing  Hymn  No*  169  "0  Come,  0  Come4  Emmanuel 
Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 
Postlude  "The  First  Noel" 


The  lovely  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  place  by 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Paul  Riemer  in  memory  of  Paul's  mother. 
Ushers  for  today  are  Art  Carney,  Dan  Bosko,  Martin 

Henry,  and  John  Snow. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul  Riemer  will  greet  the  congregation  at 

the  door  this  morning. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs,  Sue  Davis. 
Dan  Bosko,  Carl  Vinroe,  and  Art  Carney  will  be  visiting 

the  hospital  this  week* 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  122  with  4  visitors. 
^>tiospitalized:  BMH  Kenneth  Hoover  and  Lloyd  French.'*"'*"" 

Monday  -  December  2  the  Women's  Mary  Prugh  Circle  is 
having  their  Christmas  Tureen  Dinner  at  6,00 
Bring  tureen.   Meat,  dessert  and  beverage  will 
be  provided  * 

Tuesday  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
^Uednesday  -  Council  meeting  at  7:00  P.M. 

Thursday  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 

FIDELITY  BIBLE  CLASS  is  selling  vanilla.   If  you  need 
some  contact  Peg  McClymonds  at  283-9622 
RArER  CHAIN  -  We  are  still  seeking  volunteers  to 

serve  on  the  Prayer  Chain.   Contact  the  office  if  you 
are  willing  to  serve. 

FOOD  COLLECTION  -  will  continue  for  the  Christmas  holiday. 
Please  open  your  hearts  for  this  project  to  brighten 
■the  holidays  for  needy  families. 

Bill  Winters  will  be  celebrating  his  90th  birthday  on 

December  8th.   The  family  is  Inviting  the  congregation 
to  participate  in  a  card  shower  for  him.   Send  your 
cards  to:   Highland  Haven  R.D.#6  Penn  Dr.   Butler 

The  flowers  for  December  16  and  30th  are  open.   Anyone 
wishing  to  place  flowers  on  the  altar  either  Sunday 
may  do  so.   Please  contact  the  office  as  soon  as  you 
can.   Also  the  flower  chart  for  1985  is  now  hanging 
in  the  Narthex.   Take  a  minute  and  sign  up  now. 

REMINDER  -  Talent  sheets  and  1985  Committment  Cards  are 
now  due  in.   Please  make  sure  we  have  yours. 


y?v 


P0INSETT5  TIME 

Name  


Price   is   $5,25  each 


"Congregation   Standing 


+  + 


In  Memory  Of  ^^_^^^^^^^^^^_^^^^^___^^_^^ 
Order  deadline  is  December  9th.   Place  order  now! ! I ! 


Gal   5 i 1-12 

'     leti    Gal   divid  rsnl   ]    2suoctrinl  58*; 

t      tic]    r-' ':        all  of  letr  briri"    2    Fracticl  wh 
■  -   vr    l=chsp    5" 
no  chanc   statmen , insted  buk 

■Tak  fredur  hav    'p  seriu  ly,Bcuz     |      :  v  n 

]■:-    0 
adre>  grp   Xpiana   ~'"'^   Btenrpt   bak   "'lerlism 

9ed.      ,  !-.  -v   receiv     p,but   also  need   law.it    is 

Just  1  ■    nactif  plus 

o  •"   . 
ther  thoz    steal  mai 

wil  no  get   Ur  presen  Chn<7,ci™  w/us  we  hav  evrtl 
Thez  peer   no  win  souls  1      p,tl  eal  canveri 

vie   fnd   v?    1   i 
Pictui  "''-   i"-."1   fa  ,  indwel 

at    r,f   law, 
writr  adults  dice   I  \ 

eelvs  undr  rules   made    Cor  children 

ver.t-  act   lik  imatur  "'pians   by  ?law        no 

Lias]     ,  or   wid   hav  resi?   takovr  by  leglii 
trad  nt   hav  bin  lo 

ip  we lth  law  no  lik  caf- 

,  :her  pik    "■■  cboos  =  it  wnol   law   (roe!    '-or, no  parts 

I     ,     no  mean   Los         Lve        ,'-■■'    dug   neai 
11    thing  wh/oanB  our-   fr/G.if   ineishav 
k     apy  lif?»Gr}wat  keep  Xpiaa  go, wen  unBlj 

j  Lr?=  "r^    t 

enalt   us  :  ator=» 

■   aditi'nl  '  ievr 

1st   1race;then  Hope,  ,    ove 

Hope -as  :       '  '>rr;Iove»3s 

liv  w/othr 

-   -    Lievr  striv  li'_   •  Los    ,ti  progres 

:    u-e   anal  tire   S    here    pieta 

run  race,na'tbx  persn  run  nex   sudn  eros    ovr  same   lane 
his  wi  , ■  steFin 

fron        -  low    'lievr   dw  ,  '   "'  , '" 

care   of   U  ;,.  I    ad=C  didnt  do   this, this   persuasin,1 
sip  didnt  cun   frop 
1 
C3UF.  us   21os  watevr  sp  progres  we 
vrs   9-12-1     i    J     lievr  can   los   purity 

' 
jji     fer;  "ec  who]   batch  sou-'  ta    itl 

ioctrin       this   critic]    Bouz     •  I     lliev 
we   de  liv 

1    exprea  co  10  sho=5 


vs  11«P  acus   pr  beach   circum.  did    in 

■     Lf      bi]      o,why         eecui  in' 

beach,thoz  advocat  t^ach  law, no  pemecut 
-   ..     ■-,,,..-    invana    if   sre-.eh   circun        "    '  ,cros 
r.evi  i  '  as   1    sinners   ?  be   ssved 

say  wart   amt  tufesl 
'si  '    Camj  *  i-T   pa    n    -o;  -■  I  bel»E 

coco',  praotie  pr 's/worahipr  tl  bral      elva 

7    say  if  leglist   so  inten  hav  Dales   circus>,wby  no     o 
■'f-thr        castrat   sell  rot   "'law, 

buz  then  wud  hav  Bade  nor  gaerif  thnn  rciuir 
.e   ids  I    prob  thot  if  did  no, cud    hav   no  ofsprin 
Pr  Scrip    !  wat   "all  .  ■  Bar  f r 

ch,4  ha?  bin       will    cuakup   of  cl 

[til    seek   em  G's   favr  by  works   leg] 
Is   teach  within  ch 
(  :uote   Matthew  Tcnry) 

How  do  they  liv  jp]    do   th(  rdn  fal  on 

both   thor  <    thoz   sit  undr  Idrs 

bot)      '■ ."    ineasur   up2    itandrd  C-  renuir  in  T,is  churdh 
be ) 

'       "  -  jus    ]  ■'  '       ""1 
evrl   do    ther   own  thlz    ;  ;Tr   preach   anyth  wh 

on  peoplB  toes   Ecuz   U  dont  want   2get   anyl   nad;B  wishy 
washy/mamby 

-  ■       -       .  -: .-    .-.  .- 

in  bout   it   it   like=(Ilus   rouTto?       no 
nulpture    out   of   bldg»S    T;od   elarp   Nodi   ToGhrys) 
et   Tals    rloctrin/fals   teach    nut   oong 
Ince   permit, 
That  why  I    want  ."'nip   in  bud   '    did  by  atak  thoz   thing 
rud   bind   fredum  wh  evr  Plievr   shud   en^ov   3c  hav  in 

10  posibl  way  *anyl   7"    leglietio   5  °rr  way   into 


'  s   '  jrac  e 


we    shud    Btand    vir^   in 


That  can  only  cur  thru      ' 
ivm 

'            ""or   our  livs   shud  S    mus3-f tand   f- 

therefore   in  the    lit  hriet   hath   • 

n-i  be  not  ente      1  In  with   the  yoke  pf 
bondare.      S:l 


"Fern  Free:  Ctand  Firm" 
Galatians  5:1-12 

Paul's  letter  to  the  Galatians  can  be  divided  up  into  three  segments.   First, 

there  is  the  personal  part  found  in  charters  1  and  ?.   Then  there  is  the 

doctrinal  part  found  in  chapters  *>  and  4.   And  then  last,  is  the  practical 

part  found  in  xmrasx  charters  5  and  6«   '11  of  the  four  chapters  of  this 

letter  which  we  have  covered  now  brine:  ur  to  the  practical  application  which 

Paul  wants  all  believers  to  hsve  and  th^t  is  basically  summed  up  in  the  1st 

verse  of  this  <3th  chapter.   He  writes,  "Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty 
wherewith  Christ  hatb  made  us  free." 

T'bis  isn't  just  a  chance  statement,  instead,  it  is  the  sum  and  substance  of 
the  whole  book.   Paul  is  Baying  "Take  the  freedom  you  have  in  Christ  serious- 
Ija!"   And  why  would  this  be  necessary?   "Because,"  Paul  points  out,  "Christ 
hath  made  us  free."  T^e  is  sayin^  that  the  freedom  we  have  in  the  Christian 
Church  lias  bought  and  raid  for  b^r  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.   Once  again  at 
this  point  in  time  Paul  was  address inr  a  group  of  Christians  in  Galatis  who 
were  beinr*:  tempted  to  go  back  to  legalism.   A?  these  congregations  were  es- 
tablished, right  on  Paul's  heels  came  a  group  of  people  called,  "Judaizers" 
who  stepped  into  those  congregations  and  said,  "Took,  its  great  that  you  have 
received  Jesus  Christ,  but  you  also  need  the  law.   It  is  justification  by 
faith  plus and  it  is  sanctif ication  nlus."   They  were  adding  to  the  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Cflrist.   tad  the  same  thing  is  taking  place  today.   T^ere  are 
those  who  are  stealing  church  members  by  saying  they  have  something  extra 
that  you  won't  ret,  or  aren't  rettinar  at  such  and  such  a  church.   But  come 
and  ,join  with  us  because  we've  got  everytbinr  you  need."   These  people  are 
not  winning  souls  for  the  Lord,  the^  are  stealing  converts.   Paul's  advice 
to  them  is  an  ultimatum  in  verse  1,  "And  be  not  entanpled  apain  with  the 
yoke  of  bondage."   The  picture  Paul  is  painting  is  one  of  adult  Christians 
who  are  in  the  family  of  God  as  adult  son%  indwelt  by  God's  Holy  Spirit, 
n-oinr  back  to  the  strait- jacket  of   n  e  law. 

c    '       ■    1     hi  crib  like  1   >  .   Another  writer  says  bhey 
are  adults  putt         elves  under  rules  made  for  children.   So  we  can  see 
that  in  any  event,  they  were  acting  like  Immature  Christians  by  rubmittinr 
to  the  ]  '    king  their  freedo~  seriously  or  they  would  have 

resisted  this  takeover  by  these  legalists,  and  they  wouldn't  have  been  losing 
that  freedom. 

,   iu]  points  out  they  can  lose  their  spiritual  wealth  and  he  says  in 
verses  2  and  5,  (rerd  these).   He  is  saying  in  effect  that  Jg|xlaiixxi±y  is 
not  a  pick  and  choose  thing  like  a  cafeteria.   Tt  is  the  --hole  law  which  must 
be  kept  and  not  just  parts  of  it.   Ind  he  further  tells  them  in  verse  '1 , 
(read  this).     •  fallinr  from  fTace  doesn't  mean  the  person  loses  his 
salvation.   Put  it  does  mean  that  all  of  the  things  which  ire  can  be  ours  from 


God  are  not  our?-  to  have  and  en.joy  if  we  Insist  upon  havinr  the  lav;  plus 
Christ.   That  is  it  that  makes  us  happy  in  life'   Grace.   'hit  keeps  a  Christ- 
ian rein-  when  unbelievers  quit?   Grace,    hat  ~akes  us  sing  in  times  of 
despair?   "race.   It  is  God's  grace  that  enables  us  to  he  wealthy  fan  beyond 
what  the  world's  idea  of  wealth  actually  is.   But  there's  more  to  it  than 

that.   Look  at  verses  5  and  6.   We  rea  in  verse  5,  ""'or  we  through  the  r'pieit 
wait  for  the  hope  of  righteousness  by  faith." 

It     '  we  read,  "Por  in  0,  rist  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availetb  anythi:  , 
nor  uncircumcision;  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love." 

Tvere  is  additional  wealth  for  the  believer.   First  there  is  ^race,  then 

hope,  faith  and  love,   Grace  for  every  iayj  hope  as  we  look  toward  the  future 

love  as  we  live  with  others  in  the  church;  and  faith  in  our  relationship  to 

the  Lord. 

Then  Paul  points  out  that  the  believer  striving  to  live  under  the  law  can  lose 

his  spiritual  progress.   In  verses  7  and  8,   aul  ■■'i-ites,  "Ye  did  run  well; 
who  did  hinder  you  that  ye  should  not  obey  the  truth?   This  persuasion 
cometh  not  of  Pimthat  calleth  you." 

Paul  used  the  analogy  of  running  many  times,  "ere  he  pictures  someone  run- 
ninr  in   race  and  then  ±&a  another  person  running  next  to  him  suddenly  cross- 
es over  into  the  same  lane.     it's  what  he  means  by,  "Who  did  hinder  you?" 
That  other  person  stepped  in  front  and  slowed  the  believer  down  and  said, 
"Croon  -  run  wit]  u  .   WS'13  take  care  of  you."   ".nd  Paul  adds,  "God  didn't 
do  this,  this  persuasion,  this  promise  of     '   onal  help  didn't  come  from 
Him."   Those  cutting  in  front  of  us  and  seeking  to  less  us  by  their  stand- 
ards are  oausing  uc  to  lose  whatever  spiritual  progress  ,de . 
*nd  then  .'.  -    te  "                     12,   aul  syas  that  the  believer  can  lose  his 
purity.   He  uses  the  familiar  analogy  of  yeast  and  states  in  verse  9,  "  , 
little  leaven  leaventeth  the  whole  lump."   Just  a  small  amount  of  yeast  will 
infect  the  whole  batch  of  iough.   leaven,  or  yeast  is  used  for  evil  in  the 
Bible.   But  what  evil  is  Paul  talking  about  here?   It  is  false  doctrine  and 
this  is  crucial,  because  what  we  believe  determines  how  we  live  and  act. 
Paul  goes  on  in  the  10th  verse  to  express  bi^  confidence  in  these  believers 
that  they  will  do  what  is  right  and  he  says,  "I  have  confidence  in  you  through 
the  lord,  that  ye  wll]  he  none  otherwise  minded,"  and  he  adds,  "But  he  that 
troubleth  you  shall  bear  his  judgement,  whoso  ever  he  be."   In  other  words, 
the  one  who  seeks  to  lead  a  believer  aetray  In  any  way,  he  will  bo  judged  for 
that,  God.  will  take  care  of  it. 

Those  who  were  teaching  false- doctrine  asEKXESxisKix-Ef  and  urging  a  return  to 
the  law  along  with  their  G,  ristianity  were  saying  that  Paul  himself  taurht 
EZEMJCEXxima  that  every$&fiehad  to  be  circumci'-'ed  .   [hat  they  were  referring  to 
as  recorded  in  the  book  of  Acts  is  that  Taul  did  circumcise  Timothy  so  he 
would  be  accpetable  to  the  Jews  he  was  working  with.   But  other  than  that, 
Paul  saw  nr  need  for  all  ether  Gentiles  to  be  circumcised .   And  so  he  asks 


the  nuestion  in  verse  11,  "And  I,  brethren,  if  I  yet  preach  circumcision,  why 
do  I  yet  suffer  persecution"   Then  is  the  offence  of  the  cross  ceased." 

ing,  "If  I  am  preaching  this  doctrine  of  the  law  which  requires  ever; 
male  to  be  circumcised,  then  why  am  I  still  beln<-  persecuted?"   If  he  had 
been  beaching  this,  no  one  advocating  following  the  law  would  have  had  any- 
thin:'  to  say  about  him.   Hut  Paul  also  says  if  he  was  teachir     I  i  doctrine, 
thnt  would  make  the  cross  invalid  Bind   au]  never  said  the  cross  was  anything 
but  the  means  to  save  sinners. 
And  then  Paul  say  what  amounts  to  one  cf  the  toughest  statements  made  in  the 

entire  Ifew  Testament.   In  the  12th  verse  we  read,  "1  would  they  were  even  cut 
off  which  jtrBMislHtJnxTB'HX  trouble  you." 

The  Galatians  were  familiar  with  i  pagac  god  of  that  day  named  "Cybele , " 
(SIB  el  E).   It  was  a  common  practice  for  the  prip-  Lpera  of  this 

god  to  ■■  elves.   Paul  is  saying  in  effect  that  these  legalists 

were  so  intent  on  having  al]  males  circumcised,  why  didn't  they  go  one  3tpp 
further  and  castrate  them-elves  and  then  they  could  le  completely  devoted  to 
the  law  because        '    made  more  of  a  sacrifice  than  was  required.   And  be- 
yond this       ■  _  probably  slso  thii  '        in  this  way  if  they  castrated 
themselves  they  were  unable  to  sire  children  and  teach  them  to  be  legalists 
also. 
-  "ro-  this  Scripture  we  can  ^e  th       r-  which  those  lalatain  err,  re  ;ations 
were  grappling  with.   But  that  danger  didn't  disappear  from  the  church  it  is 
ane     ys  has  been  a  part  pr  its  makeup.    --■"-?   people  today  are  still  seek- 
ing to  earn  Jod '   favor  by  works  of  legalism  which  amounts  to  false  teaci  " 
within  the  churc  . 
Matthew  Henry,  the  Biblical  comment  tor  writing  about  th:      ,  "It  is  dan- 

■rous  for  Christian  churches  to  eneourar-e  those  who  follow,  but  especially 
thope  who  spread,  destructive  error0.   '_nd  in  reproving  sin  and  error,  we 
should  3lv.'a"r  distinguish  between  the  leaders  and  the  led."  In  other  words, 
look  at  the  leaders.  bl  ey  teaching?   fhat  are  the     •   itrating  in 

their  everyday  livesl    u1  also  look  at  those  who  are  the  members  of  the 
flock,  and  that  is  those  who  are  "The  led."  How  do  they  live'   'hat  example 
do  the-        he  hurden  falls  rsth  on  both  those  in  ]      'i1-  ro  iti< 
those  who  sit  under  those  leaders.   Both  should  measure  up  to  the  standard 
which  God  requires  in  His  church. 

Warren  ',/iersbe  writing  on  this  -ub-ject  says,  "Well  me.       slievrrs  who  put 
themr elves  under  leaglisticlegislatlon  are  like  cheerleaders  for  an  accid- 
ent,      et  on  church  bo        become  sanctified  obstructionists. 

hen  even  a  smattering  of  false  doctrine  gets  into  a  church,  it's  s  danger- 
ous situation.   The  whole  church  will  become  polluted." 

Getting  the  wrong  things  into  a  congregation  Is  simple.  Just  let  anyone  and 
everyone  do  their  own  thing.  Don't  ever  preach  anything  that  tramps  on  peo- 
ple's toes  because  you  don't  want  anyone  to  get  mad.   Be  wish-waj      :  mamby 


-4- 

pamby  and    never   take   a   firm   stand,      "lien  when  the   wrong   things    are   firmly  en- 
trenched  in  the  congregation  and   the   people,    try  to  do   something  about   it. 

It's    somewhat   like   the   man  who  wanted   to   scurt   a   large   masterpiece    of   multiple 
characters.      Ee   was   riven  the   op^otunity  by  a  xKixiiiy  wealthy  client.      His 
finished   product  was   to  be   placed   in  e    large   museaum   and  would   bring  him  fame 
and   honor.      He   worked   and  worked.      Year   after  year   he    tolied   at   his   master- 
piece  and   then  finally  it   was   finished.      The   world   was  ready   to  receive   his 
finished   product.      But   then  he   ^zxkts'kexeiI   made    a   horrible   discovery.      He 
couldn't    pet   the    lar^e    sculpture   out    of   the   room   in  which  he   had  worked   on 
it.      Ho   one   was   willing   to   ray   the   price   to  tear  down   the    large   building 
to   get   the   masterpiece    out.      Everything  he   had   done   was   captive    in  the   room 
in  which  he  hsd  worked . 

Mow  people   don't   want   to  believe    these   kinds    of   stories   but    I    Just   heard   this 
week   on  the   news    of   a   man  who  built   a    special   car   as   his  masterpiece.      T"e 
took  the   body   of  a   Hodel-T    Ford    and    rut   a  Chrysler   engine   in  it   and   altered 
the   car   as   he   saw   fit.      Fe   had    it   all   painted    and   ready  for   the   world,   but 
he   has    no  way   of   getting   it    out    of   his   mobile   home.      iHczsxzKxiiJofxSfeHXKXxfca 
HEKxtr^±xxx±EXBsrKxtkKisxKHXxtBxfcKHTnfiaxkTX'lsKaiiffiHJXxxS"are'ris   sotkin-  khxkkxbc 
do,   or     This   is   like   trying  to  met   false  doctrine   and    false  teaching   out  of 
a    congregation   once    it   las   been  permitted   to   expand    s.nrl    grow,      T^at    is   why 
Paul  wanted  to  nip  it   in  the  bud   and  he  did   tuis  by  attacking  those  things 
which  would   bind    the   freedom   which   every  believer    =hould   enjoy   and   have    in 
_     and  through    Jesus    Christ.      There   is   no   possible   way  for   anyone   to  be    legal- 
istic  and   earn  his   w:*T    into   God's   grace.      That   can   only  come   through   Christ 
and  we   should    "Stand    Tirm"    in   that   freedom.      Cur  watchword    "or    our   lives 
should   and  must   be,    "Stand   fast   therefore    in  the    liberty  wherewith  Christ 
hath  made   us    free,    and   be   not   entangled    again  witto   the   yoke    of   bondage. " 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
I  Rev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor  December  &,  19aV 

Mr*  Dale  Rice,  Organist 
Me£an  He* is,  Acolyte 
Kelly  Mangel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

i.'himing  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys,  Concerns,  and  Prayer  Requests 
Lighting  of  the  Advent  Wreath 
Choral  Introit  "Be  Joyful11 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  168  "Come,  Thou  Long-Expected  Jesus" 
•Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (  In  Unison)  "  Father,  forgive  our  excesses  at 
this  beautiful  and  expectant  time  of  the  year.   We 
are  too  loud,  too  selfish,  too  concerned  about  what 
we  want,  and  little  concerned  with  those  about  us. 
Tear  away  our  guilt.   Open  our  hearts  to  the  joy  of 
your  promise.   Give  us  the  happiness  which  the 
birth  of  thy  Son  would  bring,  and  help  us  to  sustain 
it  for  the  future.   We  ask  these  things  in  His 
name.        Amen,.1' 
*Kyrie 

*Assurance  of  Pardon 
♦Praise:  Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

people  -  Blessed  be  Hia  Glorious  name  forever. 
♦Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  177  "Good  Christian  Men,  Rejoice" 
Call  to  Prayer:   Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Fray. 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
•Doxology  No.  382 
Anthem 

Scripture;   Galatians  5:13-25 
Sermon:    "Born  Free:  The  Spiritual  Walk" 
♦Closing  Hymn  No,  170  ''Thou  Didst  Leave  Thy  Throne" 

Benediction 
1  Closing  Chimes 
Postluf 
■++-«-  +  +  +      -"Congregation  Standing      +  +  +  +  +  + 


Tine  lovely  flowers  on  the  aJ  tar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  William  Snyder  in  memory  of  Parents. 
Ushers  for  today  are  Mary  Lou  Davis,  Peg  Nazaruk, 

Sandy  Sheppeck,  and  Gloria  Walker. 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  Fflugh  will  greet  the  congregation 

at  the  door  this  morning . 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs.  Sue  Gamble, 
Robert  Dellen  and  Dick  Mangel  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week. 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  131  with  10  Visitors. 
J^>  Hospitalized:  Kenneth  Hoover  and  Chet  Stauffer. 

Monday  -  Spang' s  Volleyball  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Tuesday  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 
Thursday  -  Aerobics  in  Rehoboth  Hall 

-  Chancel  Choir  rehearsal  at  7:00  P.M.  We  are 
extending  an  invitation  to  you  to  join  in 
the  music  of  the  choir  during  this  joyous 
holiday  season,  and  all  year  long , 
"  >    OLD  FASHIONED  CHRISTMAS  PARTY  -  December  16th  at  7:00 
in  Rehoboth  Hall.   Come  join  in  the  festivities  of 
this  evening.   We  are  also  asking  you  tc  make  some 
cookies  for  this  evening.   If  able  please  sign  up  in 
the  Narthex  on  the  Cookie  Sheet.   Thank  you, 
'■p-^CAROLIHG  -  The  Church  is  going  Christmas  Caroling  on 

December  19th.   If  interested  in  going  along  for  some 
fun,  contact  the  office  or  come  at  6:00  PM  that 
evening.  More  information  in  the  newsletter. 
PROPERTY  COMMITTEE  -  is  meeting  on  Monday  night  at 

7:00  P.M,  December  10th. 
The  new  ferns  decorating  the  chancel  was  purchased  by 

Mr.  &   Mrs.  James  Gannon. 
Amelia  Leighton  sends  her  thanks  for  the  cards,  prayers, 
and  concerns  during  her  recent  hospitization  and 
recuperation.   She  is  now  at  home. 
POINSETTA  TIME   Price  is  $5.25  each.   Please  contact 
the  office  if  you  are  interested  in  one.   Today  is 
the  deadline.   Thank  you. 
FINANCE  AND  BUDGET  COMMITTEE  and  ELDERS  will  meet  on 
Wednesday  December  12,  at  7:00  P.M. 


"   orn  Free:   Th<  alk" 

:;      _2J 

I  wud   ima   in  by  now    '     '  '      " " '  •     '  -      !  •■ 

■    nsteril   ^T;  dolt    w    I 

nil4;    ^;-_i". 
■   '   ' 

latr   ""cuf;   inn  re]  or=i    Kay]      or? 

La   benf'icil 
;    ai  ort.wat   fr/wit 

duz   also   thi;      'Crip 
law   outsid  mal  .  ]  uv   on  inside 

-,-;her  duz    lvv   euij    from' 
■      '  ■  ■ :    .  luv    '■  this   wet   need  vithinus 

nientin  14-   times    t]  I 
muB   recopniz    H    jp   no    $w    influ   our   li  Lvine 

■■    ons 

■'!  US 

i:th   on  Cro    ,  p  apl7  Pour   li  wil 

i      direotlB 
Jecti'  "ho   Jtninstrvn  iv    ?   us 

Jisoovr  can   fulfil  law  of   luvjcan   ovrcum  r.v 

n  produc   frut,      this   all   ma.V  hru    "  Sj 

- 
!.i  or   thoz   say   sine         ■    fredui    thr 

do  anythin  war'  *  '    -■    eqd 

e     othr  extrem   thoz   Bade   clai!-"  only   thru   keep  law 
cud    tru 

:  -■   on   cros=nlso   free 
,  f   law 

uk   thez   t; 

o.arful  we  dont   use 
in"1   licens   do  watevr   feel   li 
it, we  .  erv    Inothr    in   luv  ulfil 

la  coo    M    v-    W-B»centrl   their   thi      La    »ord=IffV 
if  hav  liberty  plus   luv,wil   serv   feloman 

ibert-?   minus   Luv, wil  hav  licens.or    ilavry  2ain 
lb   luv  motivat  u  ,        : ■'■■*■   luv   caus  ur   : 

iv  with    othrs 

i   lif   shal   lo- 
1    find   it 
:  m   Free   thru    ■'. 
loa    ourselvs    in     ;e-v    ft    luv   othrs 
pt    out    H  •  " 

oi  "1  who  r 

■:   no  ent1oy,aor 

Lj . 


UUEi 

:  .  :   any/all   '  lievr  Ik  as  Ei 

Bllevr  wil   no  di 

"Vide  no 
I  n  rersns   lif 

iievr   pro 
- 

]   '  Lan  lif        Tre   un     rot  '+th/bjiit 

expres   Gward  Lan   lif 

ther   ir   luvoo  ^iUv  certd 

that   luv 
Kex=  ■  ■  oy  Be 

( 

all   undr 
i  pedum  in 

next 

i 

iour 
'"   Elnc  ~u  Him,we  want 

Semulat  Iiim  St  do  tl  .        how 

we   luv   o; . .  lve 

i 

direc  "ward   oi 
i         ■       i  i  all 

circumiitane    of 

■oi         Jp   enn   th.i 
at   centr   of  our   livs. 

:.e   tr ■'  .  Led  by 

lif  wil 

manfe. 

CU!71     ' 

our   livi  ,our  walk.c  .  f    re- 

flec  the   Saviour  who  has   civn  us   fredui 

Tree   from    2boi 

o  , 

. 

of 

tx  Law. 


"  !orn  Free:  The  Spiritual  alk" 
Scripture:  Galatians  5'.\*>-25 

would  imagine  that  by  now  in  this  study  of  Paul's  letter  to  the  Galatians 
we  have  discovered  that  there  is  more  material  to  be  dealt  with  in  this  let- 
ter than  time  permits.   In  a  study  such  as  this  we  are  faced  with  the  choice 
of  dre;  i:  study  out  through  a  very  lone-  extended  period  of  time,  or 

d cine:  a  more  brief  study.   I  have  chosen  the  latter  because  extended  studies 
can  be  repititous  and  borinr.   I'm  also  aware  that  some  are  bored  from  the 
very  beginning  no  matter  how  brief  the  study.   But  I  trust  studies  such  as 
this  are  something  you  are  finding  beneficial  in  your  spiritual  lives. 
In  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  he  records  his  version  of  the  §ermon  on  the  Mount  in 
the  6th  chapter.   Jesus  told  His  disciples,  (read  verses  43-45).   Jesus  is 
sayii.     b  it  isn't  what  is  on  the  outside  which  is  of  importance,  but  what 
comes  from  within.   He  uses  the  illustration  of  fruit  trees  as  Paul  also  does 
in  this  Scripture.   It  isn't  the  law  on  the  outside  that  makes  the  difference 
.'■/hat  is  needed  is  love  on  the  inside.   \nd  where  does  that  love  come  fro 
From  Cod's  Holy  rrir\t   we  receive  the  power  to  love  and  this  is  what  we  need 

in  us.   The  Holy  Spirit  is  mentioned  at  least  14  times  in      letter. 
We  must  recornize  that  the  Foily  Spirit  is  not  -Just  an  influence  in  our  lives. 
He  is  a  Divine  "erson,  ,iust  as  Jesus  Christ  and  God  are  Divine  Persons.   It 
is  what  God  the  Father  has  planned  for  us,  and  ■■  .   on  has  purchase 

for  us  through  His  death  on  the  cro^s,  that  Sbs  the  Holy  Spirit  applies  to 
our  lives  as  we  are  willing  to  yield  to  Eim  and  His  direction.   In  this 
section  of  Scripture,  Pau!  shows  us  three  ministries  the  Holy  Spirit  rives  to 
ns.   fe  discover  that  we  can  fulfill  the  law  of  love,  that  we  can  overcome 
the  flesh,  and  that  we  can  produce  fruit,  and  this  is  all  made  possible 
the  Holy  3]  irit . 

Paul  tells  us  in  verses  15-15,  fread  these).   Paul  is  pointing  out  that  we 
are  prone  to  cro  to  extremes.   There  are  those  who  were  saying  that  since  they 

freedom  through  Christ,  this  freedom  permitted  them  to 
wanted  to  do  and  this  is  what  ^aul  is  referring  to  when  he  says,  "Only  as 
liberty  for  an  occasion  to  the  flesh."   it  the  other  extreme  were  those  who 

the  claim  that  only  through  the  keeping  of  the  law  could  true  freed o 
en.ioyed,  and  this  amounted  to  legalism.   But  between  these  extremes  of  legal- 
ism and  license  Paul  -peaks  of  our  calling.   tfe  are  "called  unto  liberty." 
The  Christian  is  a  free  man.   He  is  free  from  the  penalty  of  sin  because 
Jesus  died  for  him  on  the  cross.   Put  he  is  also  free  from  the  power  of  sin 
in  his  daily  life,  and  free  from  the  demands  of  the  law.   Jesus' took  all  of 
these  things  upon  Himself  and  set  us  free  from  them.    0   aul  says  that  since 
we  have  this  freedom,  we  Should  be  careful  that  we  don't  use  this  fre=dom  to 
-Senrate  Into  license  to  do  whatever  we  feel  like  doing.   He  pointa  out  that 


_2- 

v;e  are  to  serve  one  another  in  love  and  he  tells  us  this  is  fulfilled  in  the 

■andment,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  The  central  theme 

of  thii  is  the  word  "Love,"   If  we  have  liberty  +  love  we  will  serve  our 

fellow-man.   Hut  if  we  have  liberty  -  Tove  we  will  have  license,  or  slavery 

to  sin.   It  is  love  which  motivates  up  to  live  for  the  lord  and  that  Love 

causes  us  to  want  to  share  what  we  have  with  others. 

(Illustration  of  fiarian  Preminger) 

Marian  Preminger  was  born  in  Hungary  in  1913.   She  was  raised  in  a  castle 
with  maids  and  servants  anr;  everythin   she  ever  needed  or  wanted.   Her 
grandmother  who  liver"  with  them  insisted  that  whenever  they  traveled,  thev 
take  their  own  linens  because  she  believed  it  was  beneath  their  dignity  to 
sleep  between  sheets  used  by  common  people.  Zhe   attended  school  in  Vienna 
and  while  there  met  a  handsome  Viennese  doctor.   They  eloped  when  she  was 
only  18,  but  the  marriage  only  lasted  one  year  and  she  returned  home. 

■  desired  to  go  into  actinr  and  while  auditioning  for  a  olav  met  Otto 
Preminger.  They  were  married  and  thev  came  to  \merica  where  he  began  his 
career  as  a  movie  director.  But  Marian  became  caught  up  in  the  -litter 
of  Hollywood  and  very  soon  became  involved  in  a  very  sordid  life.  (<tto 
Preminger  divorced  her  and  she  returned  to  Europe  to  live  in  Paris.  In 
1948  she  saw  in  the  paper  that  Mbert  Scweitzer  would  be  visiting  Vurope . 

had  read  about  him  as  a  young  girl  and  wanted  to  meet  him.      called 
his  secretary  and  was  -iven  an  appointment  to  meet  him.   She  went  to  the 
place  where  he  was  s1       and  discovered  him  playing  the  organ  in  the 
village  church.   He  asked  her  to  turn  the  pages  for  him  and      id."  He 
invited  her  to  have  supper  at  his  house  which  she  did.   .he  said  that  by 
the  end  of  the  day  she  had  discovered  what  she  had  bee]  looking  ror  all" of 
her  life.   Shortly  after  he  returned  to  Africa  he  invited  her  to  come  then 
and  work  in  his  hosoital  there  and  she  accepted.   Ihe  changed  bandares 
bathed  babies,  fed  leper--  and  did  all  sorts  cf  unglamonous  things.   Here 
was  this  girl  raised  in  luxury,  who  had  been  waited  on  all  of  her  life 
working  amonsr  filfth  and  poverty,  but  she  found  she  was  free.   The  died 
in  1979  and  the  New  York  rimes  nrinted  her  obituary  and  included  in  it  her 
own  words.   She  raid,  "Albert  Ichweitzer  said  there  are  two  classes  of  oeo 
pie  in  the  world-the  helpers,  and  the  non-he]     .   I'm  a      c." 

Jesua  said,  "He  that  findeth  his  life  shall  lose  it:  and  he  that  loseth  his 
life  for  My  sake  shall  find  it.   If  we  are  truly  Torn  Free  throu      ius 
Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit  gives  us  that  love  which  permits  us  to  lose  our- 
selves in  serving  and  loving  other-. 
Then  raul  points  out  that  the  Holy   pirit  enables  us  to  overcome  the  fir 

explains  the  works  of  the  fles:     we  read  in  verses  17,  and  19  through 
21,  (read  these'.   "o--  again  we  must  understand  that  wl  .  ""hey 

which  do  these  things  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  cf  Sod,"  he  is  not  say- 
that  these  people  will  lose  their  salvation.   These  action-  do  not  give 
evidence  of  one  who  is  a  kingdom  citizen.   This  person  is  not  enjoying,  nor 
will  he  enjoy  the  completeness  of  his  salvation.   His  salvation  is  not  lost 
but  he  will  not  share  in  the  complete  '      Lc         be  his  through  Christ 
This  is  why  Paul  admonishes  all  believers  ss  we  read  in  the  16th  verse,  "   U 
1  say  then,  "Walk  in  the  'pirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfill  the  lust  of  the 
flesh."   The  Holy  Spirit  will  enable  any  and  all  believers  to  ".'all'"  as  He 
directs  and  the  believer  will  not  do  the    |    of  th{j 


'lesh  and  Paul  adds 


» 


-3- 

b  if  ve  be  led  of  the  Spirit,  ve   are  not  under  the  lav;."   The  believer 

•"Tn  Free  through  Jesus  and  is  not  under  the<*and  the  evidence  of  this 
is  the  working  of  the  uoly  Spirit  in  that  r.pycion'r-  life, 

then  Paul  says  that  the  Holy  Fpirit  will  make  it  possible  for  the  be- 
liever to  produce  fruit.   mhese  fruits  are  found  in  verses  22  and  23,  (read 
there).   Here  we  find  nine  fruits  as  evidence  of  a  Christian  life  and  the 
freedom  brought  forth  from  that  life. 

The  first  three  express  the  Godward  aspect  of  the  christian  life.   First, 
there  is  Love.   It  is  only  possible  to  love  in  many  situations  because  God 
has  given  us  that  love.   Text  there  is  Joy  and  it  is  only  possible  to  ex- 
Lence  -Joy  becuase  the  oly  '  pirit  gives  us  -Tnv  in  the  midst  of  problems 

cares  of  all  kinds.   And  then  there  is  Peace,  and  Paul  writing  to  the 
Phillipian  church  speaks  of  the  "Peace  of  God  which  passes  all  understanding 
This  peace  is  only  experienced  by  those  who  have  that  freedom  in  and  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  nex  three  qualities  are  expressions  of  the  manward  aspect  of  the  Christ- 
ian life.   "Longsuffering,  jtentlene   .         ,"  are  qualities  we  can  only 
show  to  our  fellowman  because  they  have  teen  shown  to  us  by  our  Saviour. 

since  we  belor      in,  have  been  set  Free  through  Him,  we  want  to  em- 
ulate Him  and  we  do  this  by  how  we  treat  our  fellowman.   Or  how  we  love  our 
neighbor  as  ourself.   7«  want  for  the-  i   have  and  so  we  are 

to  be  longsuffering  with  their  needs;  we  are  to  be  -entle  in  order  to  show 
then:  Jesus  Shrist;         re  to  be   ood  toward  bhem  because  he  has  been 

to  us  . 
Then  the  last  three  qualities  are  iireoted  toward  ourselves.   Faith,  meek- 
ness, temperance  are  assets  we  should  posses  in  all  circumstances  of  life. 

our  lives  are  under  control  and  Jesus  can  then  be  seen  at 
the  center  of  our  lives, 

(Illustration  of  Will  Houghton  and  agnostic!) 

An  agnostic  who  •■    lesperate  in  hif  life  because  it  seemed  to      no 

lating  end!      all,    ut  he  was  undecided  and 
&eiz±&k&   made  the  =  last  attepiprfct-to  find  meaning  For 

life.   He  tedded  that  if  he  could  find  a  preacher  who  lived  hj 
faith  he  would  listen  to  hi     .        o  v:e  hired    rivate  detective  to  follow 

■  certaj         c    i  id  ?atch  ]  i  .    hen  the  invest.'. 

turned  in  hi:  report  to  the  man,  it  revealed  that  the  minister's  life 

above  reproach.   He  reported,  "1   '    )r  real.   !'he  agnostic  went 
to  the  minister's  church  and  during  one  of  the  services  went  forward 
nd  accepted  Christ.   Later,  he  sent  hi  to   ooi  y  -ible  In- 

stitute.  The      ter  who  was  under  surveillance  was   LI]  '  oughton 
a  man  who  became  president  of  Moody  Bible  Institute  sometime  after 
be.t       minister  under  investigation. 

This  is  what  Laul  is  speaking  about  in  this  "cripture  written  to  the 

cot.      ionc  in  Salatia.   He  tells  them  to  "Walk  in  the  "'pirit,"  and 
to  he,  "Led  by       Lrit."  If  a  believer  is  walking  in     Jpiril  , 


and   is  being  led  by  the  "pipit  hi^  life  will  manifest  it  and  others 
will  see  it  giving  an  opportunity  for  them  to  come  to  Christ.   Je 
said,  "let  your  light  so  f1       '"ore  men  that  they  may  see  your  rood 
works  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."   Our  lives,  our 
walk,  our  talk,  everything  about  us  should  reflect      iviour  who 
has  given  us  the  freed  or  we  enjoy  in  Him  through  the  giving  of  Himself. 
'e  have  been  pel  "i-op  from  two  bondages  through  Christ.   Let  us  then 

the  admonition  of  Paul;  "Walk  in  the  spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  ful- 
fill the  lu:  t  cf  the  flesh,"  and  "If  ye  be  led  of  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not 
under  the  1   .    Thank  God  for  His  deliverance  of  all  believers  from  the 
curse  of  rin  and  the  curse  of  the  law. 


St*  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
Fev.  Ralph  Link,  Pastor        December  16,  1984 
Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Minister  of  Music 
David  Andrews,  Acolyte 
Megan  Hewis,  Acolyte 

+  +  +  +  +  +   +  +  +   +  +  +  +  +.I-  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF   WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys  and  Prayer  Requests 
Lighting  of  the  Advent  Wreath 
Choral  Introit  "Be  Joyful" 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  190  "Angels  from  the  Realms  of  Glory" 
*Ascription 
•Exhortation 

•Confession  (In  Unison)  "O  Lord,  send  us  forth  into  the 
world  in  thy  name.   Bestow  upon  us  thy  power,  that 
our  weakness  may  become  strength.   Grant  unto  us 
thy  love,  that  our  hatred  may  be  overcome.   And 
pour  forth  thy  peace,  that  our  anxieties  may  find 
comfort  in  thee;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  AmenV 
*Kyrie 

•Assurance  of  Pardon 
*Praise:   Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  -  Blessed  be  His  Glorious  name  forever* 
*Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  1BO  "What  Child  is  This,  Who  Laid  to  Rest?" 
Call  to  Prayer:  Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  -  Let  us  Pray 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
*Doxology  No.  382 
Anthem   "Ding,  Dong  Merrily  On  High" 
Scripture:   Galatians  5:26-6:10 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:   Sowing  and  Reaping" 
•Closing  Hymn  No.  178  "0  Little  Town  of  Bethlehem" 
Benediction 
Closing  Chimes 
iPostlude 


The  beautiful  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mr.  Arthur  Snyder  in  memory  of  his  father  who  would 

have  been  95  tomorrow. 
Ushers  tar   today  are  Rob  Vinroe,  Robert  Dellen,  Bandy 

Dellen,  and  Kevin  Snyder* 
Mr.  &  Mrs,  Paul  Campbell  will  greet  the  congregation 

at  the  door  this  morning. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs,  Sue  Gamble 
Art  Anyder  and  Paul  Campbell  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week* 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  123  with  7  visitors. 
Hospitalized;  Kenneth  Hoover 

Monday  -  Spang' s  Volleyball 
Wednesday  -  Golden  Circle  at  7:30 
Thursday  -  Mary  Martha  Circle  10:30 

-  Chancel  Choir  7:00  We  are  looking  for  some 
new  voices  for  the  choir.   Please  give  it 
a  try. 
TONIGHT!!  IN  at  7:00  P.M.  we  are  having  our  "Old  Fashion- 
ed Christmas  Party" in  Rehoboth  Hall.  Please 
plan  to  come  and  enjoy  an  evening  with  us 
and  Santa.   There  will  be  refreshments 
served  after  the  festivities. 
^CAROLING  -  note  the  change  in  tine....  it  is  now  6:30 
we  will  meet  in  the  parking  lot*   After  our 
caroling  we  will  join  in  some  fellowship  and 
refreshments  at  Dick  and  Ginny's  house. 
December  23  -  Christmas  Sunday  we  will  have  communion 

at  11:00. 
December  24  -  Christmas  Eve  Candlelight  Service  at 
11:00  P.M.  we  will  have  a  service  of 
Carols,  Communion  and  Candlelight, 
'Next  Sunday  the  Pcinsettaa  will  grace  our  chancel.   If 
you  would  like  to  have  your  flower  remain  for  the 
Christmas  Eve  service  we  would  appreciate  it  because 
they  help  bring  beauty  to  the  service  and  season. 
Following  the  December  23rd  service  leave  your 
flower  and  you  may  pick  them  up  ofter  the  Christmas 
Eve  Service . 


^Congregation  Standing 


I 


DOS  '     '" 

an   liv   apart   fr      ,  : 

ic   vs  car  letrs, 

,  or  seek  hsv   Him   lead,direc  livs.wil 
i     "      ij    ofr    "■   that    ls=Lif   evrle?it:- 

no   lor,    salvati:  ,  s    ;     if 

liv  worldly  lif   In.  ■.-.■■  rd    j    prom   ~thoz 

ho  : ' 

lid    rais 

KI=let   cute   kid  do   wa 

1  us   seen  rude,  .obnoxius   adults    !   thez   were 

.:   childrn       this  result   reap  rn   in 

1     tociwty  mus  rear    U  icomf  'misfortun 

F  sez=vs   9=knu   mindset   tru   Blievra   frhoz     ■ 

ud    turn  them  ba 
iut  al30  othrs   thot   had  all  rp   "■■  flaunt   that  nt/ther 

weary  wel  doin  -   vr   feel    lik  chuc" 
ont   feel   want,   quit?    .Tot   evr   itak  want   Pvalk  awaj 

r:,fixido  nofchin 
oke    of   man  wan!  i     L3    Xpian=f ishee    B   loafs) 

can  ident  wat   auk   i 

■  son  S    Cmas   alone) 
is    lif    cud    T iv   Blon   complet 

rth  J . 

us   ?liv  w  ~   ev  circumstane  lif 

vj/us 
je  need   i ■  I  one 

t  we   also  nee^   «  .    ■      : 

■     h    ,.i       lif   with 
er  strent!.    '    helj    w«    can  reSeiv  helj 
siat  ea   othr 

we    can   lern    fron   ea    othr    <    can  nr 
I 

■ 

of  Hia 


: 


this   why  cur 


I  'crip   in?  vss   arout 

.  foer  arour 


) 
. 

sat  prob   misplac  el 

Logi<        eua 
I  thot  & 

rip  i  :ay 

■    eh   not   on]  ,  "   " 

Olil      ■ 
■it  in 

refi   ?fact  Li  B 

carnl   wal  -  Taw 

ir.       wrot   " 
was-eithr  feel   superior/act   i 

P,or    rolo   law  cud    Bgin   lord   ovr 

othr  considr    ■  rez=vs   ] 

rtak  perss 

ud   taunt   1 

law  ke  -  l5fc    "■r:L3n 

•  ;alB0  ure    .  : 

'     ■ 

iv    3   un?  I'.luv 
-•a  othr  longwa;  :  Mr  cares 

concerns  ,burc  i  us   aMn 

-iv  all  ne«  ,"'11 

it   no  wet  hav.achiev.&complish.bul 

,      -z  persn]  soap] 

'"  '"orl  „ 

,  lnts  we  use  He   giv   ua 

Him 

. 
tr  &  not    litl  "T"    In  lif 

a  too 
ontredio  v     '"  , 
I 

! 

borne, it    lik    Js   se 

.  ,  i  in 

,ahar  all    : 
.  Lch 

j.  1th 


^ 


w 


"Born  ^ree :    Sowing    \ud   Rea 

Scripture:    Galatians   5=26-6:10 

re    bold    that   a   man  naned   '  tephen  divided   the     criptures  :    into  verses 

around   1551   and   the   -i->iblp   was   divided    into   chapters   by   Cardinal   St.    Cher 

around   1250 .       It   this   point   in  Galatians   we   have   a   good   example    of   what    is 

probably   a   misplacement    of   chapter   endin^   and   chsptp-r   beginning.      In   ^11 

pol       : i ity  verse   ^6   of   the   5th  chapter   svo   Id  be  ver  e    1  of   chapter  6. 

It    is    more    lo~ical   since   ver-p    25   ^nr!^    one   thought   and    verse    ?6,    plus   verse 

1    of   chapter  6   begin  another   thought.      T1- '  the   reason  for   the   division  in 

case   you   may  have  been  wondering   about    it  . 

The   mort    important    issue   facing   fc   e    church   not   only    in   Paul's    la;;,    but   in  cur 

day  as   well   is   holiness.      Sin   ~ust   be   dealt   with  not   only   in  the    individual's 

life,   but   in  the   body   of   the   congregation  as  well.      ka   we    3aid    before, 

was  addressin  factions   within  the   congregations   of   Salatia.      There  were 

the   spiritual   ones   who  were   walking   in   the   Spirit    and    there   were   the   carnal 

ones   who   were   walking  by  the    1;"  i   the  danger  hje£   of   either  position 

and  he   wrote,    "Let   us   not   be   desirous    of   vainglofly,    provoking   one   another, 
err.  one   another." 

The   danger   was   that   anyone    in  eit1  et  to   the   point   of   feeling 

and   acting   superior   to   the    other   group.      Those   '-'ho  were   stronger    in  their 

following   of   the   Spirit,    or    of    fallowing   the   lav;   conl^    begin   to    "Lord"    it 

over   the    other  on   they  considered    '■■eT,--er.       3o  he    advises   them,    "Prettueeh, 

if   a   man  be    overtaken    in  a   fault,    ye  Lritual,    r«  "tore    such  an 

one   in  the   spirit   of  meekness;    cr  'ing  thyself,    lest  thou  also  be   tempted 

b   here    is    not    of  ion   who   is    caught   in  a   sin,   but    instead,      it 

is   sin  which  has    overtaken  the   person.  who  were   livin^   in   the   Spirit 

could  very  easily  have   taunted    the    lawkeepers  with,    "Unless   you  have   thi 

irit  being   evident   in  your   life,    you   don't   have    it.      And   the    3     ■    : 

lawkeepers   could    bos  c    bl         pi       ;ual  one,-,    "You  don't  observe   the   law  and 

o    "ou   aren't   a    Cr-ristian.      It   was    a   case    of   the    le  spirit- 

ual  living  people.       '■   classic    example   of   bhls    type   of   thinking   is    Found   in 

pel   chapter   8,    (read    verses    3-11).      Paul  draw  -   his   ans 
action:     of    Jesus      and   he  shh   uses    the   w03  such  an   one    in  the    sprit 

of   meekness."      The   word    "restore"   has    the   me  reek   of   a  doctor   or   sur- 

geon setting   a  broken  bone.      The    same   word    is  used    in    I  "l_ 

read   of   -Jaffies   and    John   mending   their   nets   when    Jesus    called  them.      Je-aTse" 
read    this  word    ir  Lans  4:12     rhere    -i  sf    "perfecting  the   saints." 

o   the  word    "Restore"  —1,    to   make   perfect  we 

are   to  be   about  with  our   fellow-Christians. 

And   laul   aids   to   this,    "Pear  ye   one   another1-   burdens    and    so    fulfill    "he    law 
of    Christ."       .'hat    is    the    "law   of    Jvrist?"      Jesus   said,    "A  new  commandment 
give    I  unto  you,    that    ye    love    one    another."      We   are    to  help   each    other   along 


the  way;  we  are  to  uplift  each  other  and  to  share  our  cares  and  concerns, 
our  sorrows  and  the  problems  which  can  bog  any  of  us  de- 
Then  Paul  adds  in  verses  ?  and  4,  'Tor  if  a  man  thinks  himself  to  be  something 
when  he  is        .        Lveth  1  imself .   But  let  every  roan  prove  his  own 
work,  and  then  shall  be  have  rejoicing  in  himself  alone,  and  not  in  another'.1 

Here  is  the  formula  for  self-conceit.   The  person  who  thinks  he  has  it  all 

needs  to  be  careful  because  he  '      headed  for  a  fall.   It  isn't  what  we  know 

or  what  we  have  achieved.,  or  accoi       ,     what  God  has  clone  in  us  and  fra 

us.  These  6     i  only  ;  ild  ever  boast  of.   "ersona]  abilities 

and  accomplsihments  do  not  glorify  Sod,  ru^   what  can  do  in  us  and  we  then 

are  able  to  use  these  talents  for  Him,  these,  glorify  our  Father  which  is  in 

heaven.   The  hymnwriter  states,  "Nothing  in  my  hands  I  bring,  simply  to  Thy 

cross  I  cling."   It  is  Christ  and  Christ  alone  who  matters  and  not  the  little 

"I"  in  this  life.   T-e  must  increase,  and  we  must  decrease  as  John  the  Baptist 

raid  of  Him. 

Paul  says  in  ver-e  5,  "3'or  every  man  shall  bear  hois  own  burden,"      if  we 

thin"       bo  the  2nd  verse  we  automatically  think  this  is  s    contradiction. 

But  it  isn't.   Two  different  Greek  words  are  used  for  burden  in  these  verses. 

In  the  2nd  ver~e  Paul  is      i    of  s  very  heavy  burden  which  need.s  to  be 

shared  in  order  to  carry  it.   In  the  5th  verse  ~aul  is  speaking  of  s  lighter 

burden  similar  to  the  pack  soldiers  carried  on  their  back-.       s  a  persona! 

pack  and  didn't  need  the  help  of  others  to  he  borne.   In  this  context  it  is 

like  the  burden  .Jesus  was  talking  about  when  He  said,  "Come  unto  Me  all  ye 
that  labor  and  ere  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.   Take  My  yoke  upon 
you  and  learn  of  Mej  for  I  =>m  meek  and  lowly  in  heart:  and  ye  shall  find  : 
for  your  souls.         yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is  light," 

sn  in  the  6th  verse  Paul  says,  "Jet  him  that  is  tuap-ht  in  the  word  communi- 
cate unto  him  that  teacheth  in  all  rood  thin""." 

is  saying  that  each  and  every  one  who  has  been  taught  about  God  should  in 

turn  share  '      '      i  v    people.   He  means  a  common  sharing  of  all  bhings 

and  in  particular  to  pick  up  those  who  are  falling  and  failing.  Give  to  them 

the  Good  Mews  which  you  have  so  they  can  be  restored  to  spiritual  kjealth. 

And  then  laul  comes  t< 


}Q  his  concluding  thoughts  in  this  portion  of  Fcripture 
and  8th  verses  , 
;h  jrer.SE,  "Be  not  deceive  ;   od  is  not  mocked:  for  what: 


and  we  read  in  the  ?th  xeihk,  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked:  for  whatso 
ever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.  "or   he  that  soweth  tn  his  fP 
shall  o      riesh  reap  corruption;  but  ho  that  soweth  to  the   .  irit  shall 
of  the   pirit  reap  1  in<--  everla^in^. " 

:>e  idea  here  is  of  a  per-on  who  turns  his  nose  up  at  3od  and  this  is  what  h? 
means  by  "God  is  not  mocked."  You  cannot  turn  your  nose  up  at  God,  or  ignore 
id  expect  your  life  to  be  happy.  You  can  live  apart  from  God  and  T'c  wil 
let  you.  But  your  life  will  hear  the  fruit  which  you  sow.  Notice  in  the  8th 
verse  the  ■  '.  "  pirit"  is  in  capital  letter-,  or  it  should  be.  That  refers 
to  God's  Poly  Spirit  and  those  who  sow  to  the  Holy  >irit)  or  seek  to  have 
lead  and  direct  their  IP-  .   11]       hat  the  Pol"'  !  pirit  offers  and 


-5- 

that   ic~    "life   everlasting,"   Fau]    sa;     .      T"ow   once    again  we   mur-t   point   out  he 

is   not   saying    that   the   believer  will  Jose   his    =alvation.      But   he   is   saying 

that   if  he    lives   a  worl    ]      life   ^°   will    ose   some    or"  precious   rewards 

Lch     ^od'has   promised    to   those   who   ^eek  to   live    for   Him.      There    are   all 

sorts   of   ex  car.  cite   fro:"  life   experiences  to  prove  what   Taul   is 

saying  here.      Tut   one  which  I  believe   we   have    "11   seen  and  know  of   is   the 

exa  :•  n  rained   without  discipline.       ;hen  he   is    little 

and  he  does   m  ings    or   says  nasty  t" •  '  i       '■•r-^'"-   listen  the   parents 

may  think  he   is   so  cute.      But   when   he    gets    to   be   rebellious    little   boy 

there    i  Lpline   he    ia    called   a  brat.       Ind  all   of   uf   have    seen  grown 

brats   who   always   want   and   demand   their    own   way;    or   who   are   selfish    and   rude 

and   obnoxious    in   many  ways.      That   is   the   result   of    rowing  seeds    in  earlier 

years   and   the   rest    of   society  has   to  re  ose    seeds   to   the   misfortune    end 

discomfort    of   many. 

I  0    paui's    advice   to   any  and    all  believers    is,    "And   let   up   not   be   weary   in 
well-doing:    for   in  due   season  we   shall  reap,    if  we    faint  not.      \a   we  hi 
therefore    opportunity,    let   u~   do   good   unto  all   men,    especially   unto 
who  are   of  the   household    or   faith." 

]    knew   the    mindset    of    the    true   believer.-    in   those   congregations    in   GalatiaJ 

They  were    surrour  those   who  would    turn   the-   bad 

could   be   complete   Christians,    according  to  them.      But   the  had  those      ' 

went,   the   other  route   and    flaunted    their   8hristianity  because   according  to 

them,   they  had   it  all.      Paul's   advice   was,    "Do  "a     be   weary   in  well-doin    . 

you  at   times   feel   like   chucking   it   all  :  11? 

Aren't    bhere    fcj  our    jot   whatever    it   may  he   you  to   nuit   and 

o   you   ever   think  how   nice    it   would   be    to   go   to  a   tropical  climate 

and   sit   by  the   shore   doing   nothing   the  rest    of   your   life?      I  think  we   can 

ide]  these    thoughts    and    bhis    exactly  what   Taul     -■  Lnst. 

jga^lxknsx^xhatxxHMXEHaxixrurnxHwaxxr^ 

faKBxxxxtBxitxaBiSTxaxKin-  ±s--:H.B±xxfesxxxwKxx 

(Illustration  of    leor  '  as   alone) 

George    Mason  was   a  thmesmamnd   his   whole   life    centered    arou  Ji'iness. 

lived    alone   and    or   this    one    particular  "  i   refused    all    in- 

itions,  said   he   was    roin  ;  to   i  Lstmas    "lone,      i  n  -as 

s,    after  his    employ  Left,    "' p   went   into   the    office  vault   to   get    a 

little   extra   cash.  ■  uge   door  barman  to   close 

silently  on  its   well   oiled   hinges.  rkness   and    the  final 

click   of   Jhe   automatic    lock   startled   him   into   panic.       "iesperately  he 

>unded    on  the   o'oor   only   to  realize    that   no   one    could  hear  hi     .  -oryone 

was    gone    includi-  cleanin  •   woman,  imself   that   he" 

could   make    it    overnight,    bu  n  he  rememb'-    ■  e   next   day  was    Christmas 

and  no   one   would   come   to  the    office.      His   heart    poundin ;  with   fear,   he 

idered    3  '  have   enough  sir   since   it   was   a  new  vault   and   proba- 

bly  airl  ..      But   then  he   remembered   hear!  "  bout   a   '       fty 

hole."  id    in  the   darkness    and   finally   located   it   at   the 

of   the   back  wall.      It   was    too   small  for  buz  .    but   enough  for  air. 

->o   ne    set    i  ult    feh      __„_.,_      _    _.  __,_,_ 


rault     ;he   remainder  -istmas    Eve,    and   all  of   Christ- 


ma?  "lay.   He  was  alone  as  he  had  planned  with  no  one  to  bother  him.   3ut 

was  uncomfortable,  he  was  hungry  and  thirsty  and  he  hated  the  black  dar] 
ne?s  of  the  vault.   The  day  after  Christmas  the  chief  cashier  arrived  and 
llocked  the  vault,  but  did  not  open  the  door,   rithout  anyone  seein:  him 
George  Mason  staggered  nut  and  walked  to  the  water  cooler.   After  taking 
a  long  drink  '      b  out  o^  the  office  and  hailed  a  taxi  and  went  home 
and  freshened  up.   Back  at  the  office  nobody  even  missed  him  and  tc 
matters  worse,  no  one  even  inquired  how  he  had  spent  Christmas. 
He  had  missed  Christmas  because  nobody  had  missed  him.   ifter  that  ex- 
perience he  place     -  r<   i  b  on  the  wall  of  the  vault  to  remind  him. 
It  r    ,  "  o  love  people,  to  be  indi.^ren^able ,  somewhere,  that  is  the 
purpose  of  life.   That  is  the  secret  of  happiness." 

God  knew  that  no  one  in  this  life  can  live  completely  alone  and  this  is  why 

lie  came  to  earth  in  I      -son  of  Jesus.   He  came  amonr  us  to  live  with  us 

that  in  every  circumstance  of  life  He  can  and  will  walk  with 

us.  'if   need  never  be  alone.   But  we  also  need  each  other.   We  cannot  get 

along  without  fellow-Chri       to  share  this  life  with.   It  lr,   from  their 

strength  and  help  that  we  can  receive1  help  to  b      others.   .'e  can  learn 

from  each  other  and  we  can  help  each  other.   This  in  what  haul  i'~    saying  as 

he  sums  uj  this  letter  to  the^e  con~regationr  in  "alatia .    c  have  "od  with 

us  each  day  and  we  can  share  that  gift,  Jesus  Christ  with  those  who  are  in 

need  of  him. 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler,  Pennsylvania 
lev.  Ralph  Linkt  Pastor  December  23,  1984 

Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Minister  of  Music 
Mr.  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
David  Andrews t  Acolyte 
Kelly  Mangel,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +++  +  +  +  + 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys 

Lighting  of  the  Advent  Wreath 
Choral  Introit   "Be  Joyful" 
♦Processional  Hymn  No.  193   "0  Come,  All  Ye  Faithful" 
^Ascription 
*Call  to  Worship 

Pastor:  The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen 

a  great  light. 
People:  They  that  dwell  in  the  shadow  of  death*  upon 

them  hath  the  light  shined. 
Pastor:  For  unto  us  a  child  is  horn. 
People:  Unto  us  a  Son  is  given?  and  the  government 

shall  be  upon  His  shoulder. 
All:    And  His  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 

Counsellor,  The  mighty  God*  The  everlasting 
Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace. 
Pastor;  Let  us  pray  1 
*Prayer  of  Confession  (In  Unison)  "Almighty  and  most 
Merciful  God,  You  created  light  and  life  and  as  we 
come  into  Your  presence  we  would  hide  ourselves  in 
shame.  Our  thoughts,  words,  and  deeds  are  dark  shadows 
upon  us.   Like  men  of  old,  we  have  strayed  from  Your 
ways,  losing  sight  of  Your  light.   You  came  as  The 
Light  of  a  darkened  world  and  we  too  have  failed  in 
times  past  to  perceive  You  in  the  fulness  of  Your 
coming  to  us,   Remove  from  us  the  shadows  that  we  might 
stand  in  the  radiance  of  Him  who  is  the  Light  of  the 
world,  our  Saviour,  Redeemer  and  Lord,  even  Jesus  Christ, 
Amen. 
"Assurance  of  Pardon 
Offering 
Offertory 
*Doxology 


The  Communion  Hymn  No.  202 
•The   Institution  and  Consecration  of  the  Elements 
Distribution  of  the  Bread 
Distribution  of  the  Cup 
*The  Prayer  of  Thanksgiving 

Anthem:   "Even  So,  Lord  Jesus,  Come" 

Scripture:   John  1:1-14 

Sermon:   "The  "Whys"  Men  Still  Seek" 
•Closing  Hymn  ffo.  179  "The  First  Noel" 
•Benediction 
•Postlude 

++++++  "Congregation  Standing  ++++++ 

Elders  and  Deacons  will  be  serving  Communion  and 

Ushering  for  this  mornings  service. 
Harry  Fry  will  be  visiting  the  hospital  this  week- 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  136  with  1Q  visitors* 
^-  Hospi taliaed:  Kenneth  Hoover,  Mrs.  Catherine  Pflugh 

Tuesday  -  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  !!!!?!!! 

Wednesday  -  Spang's  Volleyball 

Saturday  -  Basketball 

December  30  -  Installation  of  Council  Officers  during 

the  worship  service. 
All  Treasurers  -  please  secure  signature  cards  from  your 

bank  to  change  names  on  the  accounts  you  hold  for 

the  new  treasurers. 
Financial  Secretary's  Books  will  close  on  December  31st. 

Please  help  me  by  submitting  anything  necessary  to 

close  my  books,   Thank  you,   Ginny. 
All  financial  reports  for  the  year  book  should  be  turned 

into  the  office  by  January  13th  if  not  sooner. 

^CHRISTMAS  EVE  SERVICE  -  December  24th  at  11:00  P.M.  we 
will  have  a  service  of  Carols ,    Communion  and 
Candlelight. 
Nursery  will  be  provided  today  by  Mrs.  Sue  Gamble. 
-If  you  would  like  to  have  your  flower  remain  for  the 

Christmas  Eve  Service,  we  would  appreciate  it  because 
they  help  bring  beauty  to  the  service  and  season. 
If  you  choose  to  leave  it  today,  please  do  so  and 
pick  it  up  after  the  Christmas  Eve  Service* 


i 


> 


i^JJ_        J.II      UJJ.U.       WUi  4-M-      UOIIVII 


was   nothr    "WHY"    Ja   cane 
chap  12  read    Jp   rid   triumph  in?   Jeru  &  Bad  aim   King 
Cpivary  stretch  Bt   Kim  wh  wud  bring-  deth  &  He   knii  it 
in'-ecif!    .1  war   many   Jew  ldr3   Bliev   in  Him 
vss  42-43- Js   cal  2tak  -tan  on  sid  wat  G  reveal 
vs      S=He  was    lite   G  provid    in  darknes   ?•   that    "  Wean 

It      ironic    "WHY"  tak  plac  end   of   lif 
chaplP-Js    P   quest   by    Pilat   P4   sentenc   hand    dwn  on   Him 
Pilat   ask-vs   37-REAB 

i    an3er=vs    37B=Read 
en   Ja   born   Beth  !*ien   aclaira  as   kin^s    own  rite   came 
seek   £  ask+Whar   i<^   :Te   bhat   is   hem   K   of    Jews?" 

At  trial   B4  deth  His   .lucv  ask«Art   Thou   a   King:?" 
(Huh   cartoon  woman  e*rl    Smaa   2  yng  "on) 
But  evn  tho  many  peop  wil   go  thru   Holy   B«a8on  S   nevr 
kno   wat    Kmas   all   about, ther  P  thoz    2wh.om   it    stil   is 
revealed  . 

(Hue   eld  woman  6  conscious   Has  mas   is) 

The   only  import   "WHY"  of  cum  of   Ja   Xp   in2  world   is 
2B  the  Saviour   of   each   of   oa 

He  didnt    jus   cue  lnce,nor   ia   it    ivr-    lnce   a   yr 
lie    canB   a   part    of   our   liva, 
Fe   isnt   lik  Santa   Clau?    in  this   re1  pect 
He   came    i  livd   amon-  us    &  is   now  at  rt   hand    of  G   the 
Father  wher   He   llvs   2mak   lntereeeln  4us 
He  canB  v/us   ea  dav  our   live    if  we   let   Him 
Fe    is    ■■.rr>manuel=0  w/ua    '■■   "'kno  Pim  as   BUOn    ia   ""hav 
all   the   wisdom  of   the   ages    in  our   crasp   7   °hiv   the 
I"   Han  'till    "  eek  answered  completely. 


The    '"«nys"   ran  ami    iees 
t'cri'oture  :    John  1:1-14 

Bed    Js   pub   minstry  brot  wlthit   respona   iretinl   unBlie 
j-">   tn  set  discips  cast  2  pr 'tea  bout  Him, seek  Plead 
[,     ly   othrs   persnl   realat3hir  vj/T'im 
iiDe^'snts   6  peop  low   estat   no  aerius   hurdl   rvrcum 
B      /how   do   1     apS    ^intelrentia.lernd,0-  convinc    that 

,:uon  E   jus   lik   them  abl  rais  peop  fr/fled;heal 
incurbl  diseas;or  dy  self  S-   ssum  aliv   fr/grav  3<Iays : 
How  cud   posib   convinc   them  PBcum  folo  th/peran? 
That   dubius   distinc   fel   Pman  only  claim   ^educatin  was 
?]>,  abl   catch   fish  Olivine;,  .„../, 

thru   Gr  of   G   this   man=  Jn   abl  stan  B4  lerned  GeBte/Jei 
t  proelaim  2tca»-IH  TBI   BGIl     I  \(p.ead) 

Many  wud  pas   off  as   old.senil  man   incapl  of  serius 
or  prolonged   thot 
wat   Jn  chos   carfulv-LOGOS  term  use   widly  Gr  philsopn 
teach  as  wel   fnd    Jew  »iada  &  philosophy   literature 
LOGOf  =  translat='vord,mean  spk  mesar  or  words, thot, 
concept, ^  expresin  thoz  thots   or  concept? 
Jn  <-pk  thez    intels   &   lerned  peop  way  cud   understand 
But'tru  purp  identJs   Xp  not   only  aa   mod    man  liv  mira. 
&  supnat   lif, but   as   1   cud"  trac  tak  ?orig  all  things 
1  resent   as   E  w/G   at  creatin  fc  as   B  G  Himself  6  wen 
cum  Perth  no  receiv  as   such 
Jn   alFO  elabrat   fulfil  proph-Jn   Bap  as   4runer 
But   evn  tho  go  detail=thoz  who  did,*  wil   aak«WHX.< 
■      did   G  do  this?  *.v_™*. 

Fe   only  anser  part   thez    "  fays"   1st  chap, but  throut 
Gospl  deal  many    "WETS"   -    let  us   Ik   few   this  morn 
I-  3rd  yr    Js  min  mirac   fed   =IOOO,nnlScmirecli-*ecord 

4   Gospls   othr  thancreaurrection 
(flips  bov  b  SS  1st  time   &  why  no  tak  2   Kc3onalds5 
(Ilua    ™r   scientist    $  Pasteur   on  train) 
•Vftr   Js   ^"ed   5M  sep  self/crcwd  &  dur   nite   went   othrsid 
lak,but   peop  folo  &   Js   tel   Bcuz   fed  , they  then  4^or 
in  Vs    38  chap  fS=Read 

Then  expl  wat   Wil   of   G   is   i.  vs  40  readiHead 
As  brief  as   canB  fcol-Why   of    J?   cum  erth  is?  grant 
eternl   lif   2  all   mankind 

Jn  chap   9  read   man  heal  blind    sine  birth  6  Fhars  re- 
fus   Bliev   rairacl  perf  S    Js   sed-va   ^9= Head 
Utho  Phars   &   lernd   Jews   among   peep  prof   hav   eniite 
need   they  walk  darknes   &  man  heal  abl   say-va    25 
The   man  had  both  phys   &   -piritul   site        bbia    nnothr 

"    Jp   cum   in^   world 
r\      .  10= Js   liken  Pshep  fe  cal   self-Gud   ^hep 
as  that   gud   shep  tel   of  Ewil   e-iv   lif  4aheep   St  proof 
of   ■  -iv    of   pelf   wud    do   Fe   tel   vs    10-HEAB 


till  Peek" 

Scripture:   John  1:1-14 

The  end  o"  Jesus  Christ's  public  mini-try  brc  Lth  it  a  response  of  ir- 
rational unbelief.  It  was  into  this  setting  that  the  disciples  of  Him  were 
car^t  to  teach  and  preach  about  "it?,    seekinr  to  ]  a  per- 

sonal relations^!    L  h  Him.   Hor  the  peasant"  and  people  of  low  estate  this 
was  not  a  serious  hurdle  to  overcome.   "       do  you  speak  fn  the  intelli- 
£entia  and  convince  them  that  a  man,  a  human  being;  Just  like  thei      able  to 
rai-e  people  from  the  dead;  or  to  completely  heal  incurable  diseases;  or  to 
die  Himself,  and  come  alive  from  the  f?rave       "-ays  later"   How  could  you 
possiblg  convince  any  of  them  to  become  a  follower  of  thi*   ersc      lat 
dubious  distinction  fell  to  a  man  whose       ilaim  education  was  to  be  able 
to  catch  fish  for  a  living.   But  without  roT-^R\   education  or  training,  thj 
man  named  John  was  able  by  the  "race  of  Rod  to  <.  'ore  these  learned 

Hetniles  and  Jews  and  proclaim  to  them,  "In  the  begining  was  the   ord ,  and  th« 
ord  was  with  God,  ai       ord  was  Sod." 

rritten  1      enile  old  man  in- 
capable of  serious  or  ;  -:ohn  ea.B&gnf.±-pKx-&&<;_ 
carefully  chose  th©r tern  "                     used  in  Hreek  philosc 
te             n  as  beir^  flo&na  in  Je      risdom  and  philosophy  literature. 

k-  _1-'-1  woi      os,"  tr.-        "Word,"  nt,  "~r;  or  words," 

it   meant,    '  t,    concept,    and  the   expressions    of   those   thoughts    or   con- 

certs." to    these   intellectuals   and   learned  le    in   a 

way  which  they   could   understand. 

But   his    true   purpc  o    identify    Jesus    Christ   not  is   the    modern  day 

man  w£c   lived    a   miraculen  ral    life,    but    as   the 

who  could  be  traced  al]  baek   to  the   origin  or    !.V<*   everythia    , 

-asents  wit]       od  at   the    ere    tion  an  -  !    Himself  and 

en  He   care    to  earth   in  a   human  '  ot   received   as    such.      John   i 

elaborates   o  ulfillment    or    ire  I  i  >tant    to   these   scho- 

lars,  and   he   tells    of    Jc  forerumner   God  jpheey. 

1    even  thou7h   he   went   into  in  all   of   this,    there   have 

been  and    \  111  be    those   who    'M.:'1    -     ', 

't    of   fchof  e   "  '        irsl    chapl  er,   '-<i:4 

out   thii  >el  he  de  - .  ' 

in  thi  ipel. 

In    bhe    bhird    year   of   Jesus'    ministi  iraculously  f  ,     •    ich    I    -   the 

way   is   the    only   miracle  rec  |  urrect- 

(II]  ion   of   little  Cool   and    feeding  of   " 

...  T  f  ir  ; 

'  "        '  the   50 


nhe   explained  that  a  little  ves  and  two  fish  and  how  Jesus 

Le  all  of  them  sit  on  the  ]  were  filled. 

3  '  point  the  little  boy  raised  his  hand.   The  teacher  responded,  "ves, 
Jchi       b  is  it'."   He  remarked,  "IT 

trouble  to  feed  all  of  those  people.  e  then  all  to 

onald  's?" 

Almost  a  century  ago  an  old  man  was  traveling  alone  on  a  train  in  France. 

younger  man  ;ot  on  and  sat  next  to  him.  \s   the  ■  gain, 

the  old  man  reached  into  his  traveling  case  and  pulled  out  a  Bible  and 
to  read.  "What  are  you  reading?"  bhe  ,   "I'i 

miraculous  fee  i  eople,"  the       n  answered.  Lnt  the 

young  nan  began  to  rive  the  old  man  an  intellectual  discourse  oi 

believed.   re  ."aid,  "TV-  s  3cientj   ,    3  anyone  with 
an  ounce  of  somethj     icl   ::  thai  never  happened.  Hive  me 

its,  provable  facts.     a  man  of  science  I  can  have  nr  3les." 

ut  I  cannot  expect  you  to  fcfrliHvsxiss'K'eir' ;  -  ■  like  that." 

>oint  the  train  began         own  -nd  the  old  m  '  , 

"This  is  -         b  off."  The  younger  mar  ans     ,  "     is  nice 
you  Mr.... I'm  sorry  T  didn't  set   your   name."      old  man  reached  into 
po<         ulled  01  :ard  on  which  was  the  name,  Eouj     stamp," 

i  one  cr   the  world's  greatest  scientists. 

After  Jesus  :  )0C  T'e  separate      'elf  from  the  crowd  and  durinr 

the  b  to  the  o1  Lake,         people  follows 

and  Jesus  bhey  [followed,  they  want*         '  .     told 

then  .      in  the  J8th  verse  ue   te]  ]  ';    bhem,  "  or  I 

,  "  " '        Lne  own  will,  but  the  wi11  o1,  Rim  un 
Me. " 

ined  what  the  "'ill  of  frod"  is  and         )th  verse 

we  reac ,  '  .    his  is  the  will  of  Eim  wh<        .    at  ever 

the  Ton,  ana  believeth  on  Him,  :       -.-ill  raise 

him  up  at  the  last  da  ." 

briefly               Id,  the  "V/hy"  c  us'  coming  is  to  granl     nal 
life           '  Lnd. 

In  the  9th  chapter  we  read  of  Je  .--..,           torn  blind. 

the                       that  s  miracle  been  performed  and       said 

as  we  i  verse,  "kr.  said,  '"or  Judgement  '  e  into 

this  world ,  that  the  - 

be       lind." 

sugh  the     Lsees,  ople  profe      o  have 

the  enlighten        ed,  they  were  walking  in  the  man  healed  of 

his  lifeloi     Lndaess  was  able  tc     In  the  25th  verse,  "'  I         be  a 
sinner      ,     ow  not:  one  thing  I  know,     ,  wherea        blind,  now  I 
see,  " 

The  blind  man  hs^         bh  phyiscal  and  spiri   "  ... 

for  Si  into  the  w< 

the  10th  chapter  Jesus  is  likened  to  a  shepherd  and  cal]   [imself  "The 

"cod  Shepherd."     that  rr.         }   He  tells  of  being  willing         is 

Lfe  for  the  proof  of  wha    '    ivinp  o      elf  would  do,  lit 

tells  in  the  10th  verse.   "The  thief  cometh  not,     Cor  to  steal,  and  to 

111,  and  to  ■    -■-/:    I  am  com     b  thev  mieht  have  HfP,  and  that  they  max 
might  have  it  more  abundantly."  K     ve  llle' 


_5- 

I  if  e  in  the  midst  of  the  world  '  \    life  to       ".lest  for  ever;'  be- 

liever is  another  "Why"  Jesus  cane. 

Tn  the  lPth  chapter  we  read  of  Jesus  riding  triumphantly  into  Jerusalem 
being  acclaimed  as  a   i   .   dalvau      tched  before  Bin  which  would  bring  Hid 

death  &  :■        e  knew,  •  -   of 

the   religious    leaders    secretly  believed    in   Him.      John  tell"   u?    in  verses  42 

and  43,    (read  these).      Jesus   was  calling  them  out   to   take    bheir  nd   on  the 

of   wh  revealinr   and  we   read   in   thi  .  am   come   a 

light    into   the  world,    that  whosoever  believeth   on   Me    should  not   abide   in 
darkne;:     . 

Lght    Sod    provided    to   oveT>co-e    the  of   life   and  that    ia 

e   came. 
last    ironic    "         '         kes    place    >  b    the    end    of   TTia    life.      In   the    18th   chap- 
ter   Jesus    is   bei  si ioned   by      ilate   before   sentence   can  be  handed  down  on 
Filate    asks   the    "Uestior    '  verse,    "Art    Thou   a  king   then." 
swered,    "Thou   sayest   that    I  Lng.     To   this  end    was    I  born,   and 
for   this   cause   came    I   into   the   world  ,    that    7    should   be  -.ess   unto    t 
truth.                                  it    is   of   the   truth  hearet'-    .y   voice." 

was   horn   in   Bethlehem,    men  who  were   acclaj  '       -    in   their 

own  right   c      f       eekin         La    i         inquiring,  bhat   is  of 

the    Jews?"      At   the   trial  before  fudge    asks,    "Art   "hoi;   a    kin   '   ' 

ebon  of                 in   Ftore   explain-"  her   young   ?on) 

'-   cartcon   showed                  a  in  a  very   crowded   departmer  for   e 

moment.      ~er   arms    are    filled   witl  :         es    and   the    see    ■ 

d    hurtle   ai  eaning   <               of 

'"pr-   explanation    bo  him    is,  "No   one    is    quite   aure   hoi            Lstmas   worked 

out   like         i        ear.        tit    theologj  Lng  very,   feery  hard    on  that 
question  right   now." 

But    evpn  though     many,    many    pe<  Lll  oly         tson  and   never 

•  «?  what      '    ■'  ip    all    about,    bhere    arc    bhose    bo  whom   it    is     still  reveal- 

llustration  of  '  :    mother   and   corinr   around   enoi:  i    b- 

mas   really    is 

o   lived    on  a   farm  in      irginie    bells   of  having  her  mother  come 
. 
then  one  morning  Lented.  I  Lme  went 

"se .  -unics    ■ 

one.  •  j  'rem  their   church 

carre    a-  Lstmas    enrols,       Lmoi  '         Lfe. 

Lng  the  hot   chocols 

"    •  •  tor  '        rj  "-     an  '         •'  '         to  visit 

with   her    nu  .  '  '  tor ' 

""    ■'.■  Lng   over  her   said,    "Grandmother,    it' 

response 
sad  '  3aid,    "  rrar  ,    '  I  ' 

,   the 
,  ille   "he   r 

in   a^  clear  3ng  voice ,    "  Lt's  birthd  -•       •ocious 

laviour."  .        -  ,     . 


o  use.  ]  )ke ,  but  it 

the       can  and  does    still  reveal  the  "why"  of  all  of  it. 

The  only  in  "  of  the  coming  of  Jesus    '    into  the  world  is  to 

be  the  Saviour  of  each  of  us.   But  He  didn't  just  come  once,  nor  ir  it  Just 

lves.  He  isn1  a  Claus  in 

this  respect.  lived  amor--  -■■-■■  it  the  right  hand  of 

God  the  Father  where     Lves  ho  make  inte:     "       us.  He  can  be  with  us 

-■  of  our  live:.-  if  we  will  1-      .  He  is  Emmanuel,  '  od  with  us  and 
to  know  '  ages  in  our       and  to 

have  "The  "       ie«rStill  'ee;-,'    wered  completely. 


. 


St.  Paul's  United  Church  of  Christ 
Butler ,  Pennsylvania 
Rev. Ralph  Link,  Pastor  December  30,  1985 

Mr.  Dale  Rice,  Minister  of  Music 
Mr*  Roland  Thompson,  Saxophonist 
David  Andrews,  Acolyte 
Megan  Hewis,  Acolyte 
+  +  +  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +■  +  +  +  +  ++  +  +  +  + 
ORDER  OF  WORSHIP  11:00  A.M. 
Prelude 

Chiming  of  the  Hour 
Announcements 
Congregational  Greeting 
Joys 

Choral  Introit   "Be  Joyful" 
•Processional  Hymn  No.  134  "HarkI  the  Herald  Angels  Sing" 
^Ascription. 
*Exhortation 

"■Confession  (In  Unison)  "Our  Father,  we  confess  before  you 
that  our  lives  are  not  what  they  should  be.   We  do 
undesired  sin,  and  we  permit  temptations  to  overcome 
us.   But  we  know  there  is  forgiveness  with  you  when  we 
do  confess*   So  as  we  humbly  seek  forgiveness,  we  ask 
far  new  strength  to  lead  a  more  Godly  life,  far  we 
pray  in.  the  Master's  name.      Amen. 
♦Kyrie 

♦Assurance  of  Pardon 
*Praise:   Pastor  -  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 

People  _  Blessed  be  His  Glorious,  name  forever- 
^Gloria  Patri 
Hymn  No.  205  "Go,  Tell  It  on  the  Mountains" 
Call  to  Prayer:   Pastor  -  The  Lord  be  with  You 
People  -  And  with  Thy  Spirit 
Pastor  —  Let  us  Pray. 
Prayer 
Offering 
Offertory 
*Doxology 
Installation  of  the  Council  pfficers 
Anthem:   "Lullaby  of  the  Shepherds" 
Scripture;   Galatians  6:11-13 
Sermon:   "Born  Free:  The  Only  Boast" 
•Closing  Hymn  No.  199  "Redeeming  Love" 
Benediction 

losing  Chines 
rostlude 


>£ 


> 


The  beautiful  flowers  on  the  altar  have  been  placed  by 

Mrs.  Florence  MacKinney  in  memory  of  Parents* 
Ushers  for  today  are  Alvin  Tait,  Mike  Nazaruk,.  Gottlob 

Kradel,  and  James  McClymonds. 
Mr.  Art  Snyder  will  greet  the  congregation  at  the  door 

this  morning. 
Nursery  will  provided  today  by  Beth  Tait. 
Bill  Thompson  and  Marty  Henry  will  be  visiting  the 

hospital  this  week. 
Attendance  last  Sunday  was  170  with  17  visitors, 
ospitalized:  Ken  Hoover  and  Becky  Shearer. 

Monday  -  Basketball  10-12  and  2-5 

Tuesday  -  HAPPY  NEW  YEARS!  1  !  I  !  !  ! 

Wednesday  -  Spang" s  Volleyball  and  Council  at  7:00  P.M. 

Saturday  -  Basketball 

Flowers  are  needed  for  the  next  few  weeks.   Please  take 
a  minute  and  sign  up  now,  or  contact  the  office. 

COMMITTEE  CHAIRMEN  -  please  stop  in  the  office  and  pick 
up  a  copy  of  committee  guidleines  for  1985  to  share 
with  the  rest  of  the  committee. 

Ali  Treasurers  -  please  secure  signature  cards  form  your 
bank  to  change  names  on  the  accounts  you  now  hold  for 
the  new  treasurers. 

Financial  Secretary's  Books  will  close  on  December  31st* 
Please  help  me  by  sending  your  money  for  flowers,  etc. 
before  December  31st.   Thank  you,  Ginny. 

All  financial  reports  for  the  1935  Yearbook  should  be 
turned  into  the  office  by  January  13th  if  not  sooner* 

DOMINATIONS  -  Starting  next  Sunday,  January  6th,  and 
every  Sunday  in  January  the  congregation  has  the 
opportunity  to  make  nominations  for  Church  Council. 
The  success  or  failure  of  this  venture  rests  squarely 
upon  those  doing  the  nominating  and  those  being  nom- 
inated.  We  would  ask  that  all  of  you  prayerfully 
consider  names  to  be  placed  in  nomination  and  for 
those  of  you  who  are  nominated,  please  prayerfully 
consider  accepting  the  nomination-   It  may  also  be  a 
big  help  if  someone  you  are  considering  nominating 
be  contacted  by  you,  not  for  permission  to  do  so,  but 
to  encourage  that  person  to  consent  to  the  nomination- 
Attendance  on  Christmas  Eve  was  113  with  27  Visitors . 


t 


•Congregation  Standing 


/ 


"Born  ''ree:    TVs  Only  Boast 
|      crip:   Oalatians  6:11-18 

cr    tmary  dur  d8  o       '  writr  'ho  auth  t-  writi 

n._Jy   letra    I    dictat  by  b.iffl/2  sec   who  '-'rot.   i  -■- ,        ■  ' 
end    letr   I    wrot  conclu3in   own  handwrit   sho  fr/him 
no   rurpris   rend   vs    11" R 

sua   lnti spk  peo  con!-,   "al  bout    length   letr 

eay-C  wat  lrg  lettrs   writ  with  suss 

diseas   ev  6  cane  writ  big   2C  wat  writ-thorn, et 
othr"   F  wrot   entir   letr  by  aelr-Eicpl   profes   writer 
who  writ   Semitic , but   prob  not   Gr   St  so  blf   letr 
letr  she  deep   luv/concerr.  a    Xpian   'ssn^   "    crov  by 
tens   of  vs»past   tense-I  hav  write n 

VG8   12-1J-1   las  def   leglist   in  con--    Sal        I    say   the? 
,Judyisere  wer   no  ask  them  2B  folora  ncx 
oro:-s    Js    -    ,but  folors    law    $     erv    2   nurps    in   this 
lst=5eek  placat   othr   Jews   rnd   no  acpt    Js   Xp  as    Msaa, 
l      o        an    "      delivrer jcudnt   acpt   Ecus   execut   cros 
jew  -   baut   21    execut   this   way  PR  scots 

curbed   themselves 
(Ilus   Jn  MacArfchur        Jews   use   Chapel   c,nly  days) 
from  this   C  cros  sumthia  evn  mod    Jews   hate /despise 
?nd=thez    leglists   seek  mak  mor   converts   ?  bra"-  bout 
cua  ow  many   "nop   I  won  2  Lord   5.  purp/aim 

not   i.  Cp,      b   v   ~ro  3rac,insted,ada   nu 

?  ch  '+  brag  purposes 
it   no  wrong  seek  convert?   1   Kp,but   main  purp/motiv 
2brin^  ?   Xp  ^salvntin,"    nutt.ur  then   in  faith 
2many  eh's   2day   interest   mtmbra   gane-how  many   Doisii 
made' '+   Xpjbow   man:'  baps  hav   take  plac 
task  of   ch   is   Pseek  bring  nuirhrs   ?   Xp,no   jua   hav 
mos   vir-trs    in   twn,or  hav    Ixgea    Benship   roles 
musB  carefl   seek  qualty  t   Xp.not  quantity 
if  work  at   Xpiantv  this  manr.G  wil   ad   both  cpny/numl 
/r    15-16= P  ad   litl  mor  ?"work3  'ritnes "   wh/legliat   wer 
?eekintr  _    . 

L    taut   letr   ''otrnr   bout   2    Maae-lst     idan>  disobey 
brot  sin.deth   in5  worl 
?nd    Mar   obey   G    '■   byot   salvatln  '■    lif   thru  obedience 
thru   our   ob'ed   2   2nd    Adam-Ja    Cp  we    :-:  made   nu  crentin 
it  no  by  folo  code   ethics, or   lak   folo  that  we  hav 
this   peace    8    mercy 
It  thru   folo   only   Js   Xp  Himself   that  we   R  nu  crea- 
tures  seurat   fr 'curs   sin, which  is   deth  8    inherit 
all   that   0  has  this  wat  P  cal=Tsr  of  God   & 

bhi-     T::r    or   "    ia    Xpian   Oh-it    *koz  brrn   i-"1   famly  of  G 
who       Bade    fi-oa  ix  of    law   St  all   its   encumbrances 
Same    Israe"      a   who   strive   w/G,God  .    od   rules 

,:h     ...  'S^l'f'  BgrfJ  ??iT  tt 

or Lngi 


Ither  was   time   wen  P  cud  brag  bout  his  mark  of   mar. 

of    '-he    law.of   beinp   amonr  thoz  circumcized 

pian  an   ;: —    bovrt  fp   on  him 

litrl  marks  nails   lik  St.   Francis   sefl   had 
but   he  mark  man  apart   fr/rest  wor] 
he   wish  4-them  very   her,    :    wal  them=Brethrn   &   mean-- 
;Cpjfelo  heirr  pjfelo  childrn 

■:     his  wish  is.Grac  bem  always 

vie  purposly  pas  by  vs    ]  '    bhene   lettr-  ■ 

jhin  w/3fold 
l  rt-he   knu  person  of  erf 

erly   yr.=    as    Rabbi   cud   boast    B  COI  w.but    in 

Phil  ?:?j-in  wrot-B 

P  knu    Js   Xp  persnly        ^hi(:   '-.'ah   •■'of'^'how  vs   10  mean 
it   intmat,closnes  ,persnl   knowledg   :'    exper  w/Js    '    this 

oud    now  boast   bout 
2nd*!1  knu   ^owr   of   cros 
as    sen    PA, cros   means    of   salvatin,repulsiv  all    Jews 
lenu  as   Rabbi   Mesiah  Pxum,but   B4  conver  ?think 
iiah  wudB  kil   on  instrument   lik   cros   unthinhle 
Put  aftr  rer3nl  exper  w/Js   cud  wrlt=l  Cor   1:25-RBAD 

bout   powr   that  cros   &  cud  boaat  bout   it,rathr 
than   B  repel   by    it    as    lnce   was 
5rd-P  knu  purpos   of  cros 

was    Pcrent    Israel  of   G 
nothr  sed    record  chap  4<tl-7-! 

Any  S   all  who  cum  2Xp  P.  a  part  that   nu   Tfit   o'1 

:  a  lar  madeup  thoa  childrn  who  R  heirs  thru  'r 
All  profes  mtse  Js  heir1? ,  ,int-heirs  of  all  G  has  4all 
l-lievrs 

In   Js  ,we  Born   :,'re<= 
':■  wat  wud  advie    F  ^iv  us   as   foe  mod   age  wher  ch    • 
litl, if   anytb  2aiany  peop? 

he    te]    us    as   fac    so  many   uncomit    oeop   w/in 
conga  if  that  Ch? 
(Ilua    Winston  Churchill  2   class   at   P.errow) 

In  Xp  we    R   "jth  ™ree 

[•ever  five   it  up  !  r    ^h.a 

(  nly  bos?fc  we   hav   in   fch/lif    Is   that^ros  '-   the 

worl    is   crucified   un?   me    I    I  unto  the    worl 


"Born  Free:  The  Only  Boast" 

Scripture:  Galatians  5:11-16 

It  was  customary  during  the  days  of  the  Apostle  Paul  for  a  writer  to  show 

authenticity  for  his  writings.  ±":BX±xiE*±E:rxx-£ikEx:fe}iiJXB  Many  of  the  letters 

of  Paul  were  dictated  by  him  to  a  secretary  who  wrote  them  down.   Then,  at 

the  end  of  the  letter,  Paul  wrote  a  brief  conclusion  in  his  own  handwriting 

to  authenticate  those  letters  as  cominr  from  him,   So  it  isn't  surprising 

to  read  in  the  11th  verse,  "Ye  see  how  large  a  letter  I  have  written  unto 
you  with  my  own  hand . " 

Some  interpreters  have  taken  this  to  mean  that  Paul  is  speaking  to  the  people 
in  the  congregations  in  Galatia  about  the  lennrth  of  the  letter.   Other  £ikiE 
translations  of  the  Bible  translate  the  verse  to  read,  "See  with  what  large 
letters  I  write,"  or  something  of  that  nature.   Their  reason  for  this  is  that 
perhaps  I aul  had  contracted  an  orients!  eye  disease  which  made  his  appearance 
repulsive  and  in  order  for  him  to  see  he  had  to  write  in  very  large  letters. 
This  is  one  explanation  of  the  "thorn  in  the  side"  which  laul  wrote  about  and 
which  was  his  physical  disoreder.   But  the  third  and  most  plausible  intereta- 
tion  is  that  Paul  wrote  this  entire  letter  himself  in  his  own  handwriting. 
This  is  probably  the  case  since  there  were  two  types  of  Greek  writing.   One 
was  writing  very  neatly  with  small  even  letters  and  this  type  of  writing  was 
done  by  professional  scribes.   The  other  was  in  a  more  bold  less  neat  hand- 
writing and  this  was  done  by  those  who  were  not  professionally  trained  scribes 
laul  was  a  Hebrew  scholar  and  could  probably  write  fcery  neatly  in  the  Semitic 
languages.   But  Greek  was  probably  not  a  language   aul  was  trained  xm  to 
write  and  so  his  handwriting  was  with  the  larrer,  coarser  letters.   But  he 
also  could  have  deliberately  written  in  larre  letters,  seeking  to  show  his 
deep  love  and  concern  for  his  Christian  friends  in  the  congregations  in  Gala- 
tia.   It  is  also  very  probable  that  Paul  wrote  this  entire  letter  because  of 
that  dee;,  love  and  it  is  proved  by  the  tense  of  the  verse.   Tvat  is  t;e  past 
tense,  for  he  says,  "I  have  written,"  and  this  speaks  of  his  own  creative 
writing  to  them. 
We  read  in  verses  l"1  and  13,  one  last  definition  of  the  legalists  who  were  in 

the  congregations  in  Galatia.   Paul  says,  "As  many  as  desire  to  make  a  fair 
shew  in  the  flesh,  they  constrain  you  to  be  circumcized;  inly  lest  they 
should  suffer  persecution  for  the  cross  of  Christ.   For  neither  they  them- 
selves who  are  circumcized  keep  the  law;  but  desire  to  have  you  circumcized, 
that  they  may  -lory  in  the  fler=h." 

aul  is  sayinr  that  these  legalist,  the  Judaisers  were  not   asking  them  to  be 

followers  of  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  to  be  followers  of  the  law.   TJjey 

were  servin^  two  purposes  in  this.   First,  they  were  seeking  to  placate  the 

other  Jews  around  them  who  would  not  accept  Christ  as  their  Messiah,  their 

Saviour,  and  the  One  Sod  sent  to  be  their  deliverer.   They  couldn't  accert 


-?- 

Pirn   as   beinr-   that   because   He   was   executed   on   a   cross   and   their    Jewish   law  had 

always    taught   that   to  be   executed    in  a   maimer  such   sh  thin  was   to  be   accursed 

and   to  brinr   a   curse    on  themselves. 

(Illustration   of    Jo^n    MacArthur   and    small   chapel   sharing  with    Jewish  nei-hbor; 
John   MacArthur   tells   that   at   one   time   their   church   shared   their   email 
chapel  with  the   Jewish   people   who  were  in  the   niephborhood  because  they 
didn't   have   a   Snyagogue.      He   said   that   there  were    no  problems   and   they 
came   and   worshiped   freely.      But   then   John's   church   was   remodeled   and   en- 
larged  and  with  that   remodel inr  came   the   hanc^inr7,   of   a   larre   wooden  cross 
in  the   front   of   the   sanctuary.      So   when   the    Jewish   people   came   in   for  the 
first   time   he   said   you    should  have    seen  the    look  of    horror   on  their   faces 
when  they   saw   the   cross.      3o  tksjr  before   they  held   services,    they  covered 
the   cross   with   sheets    to   hide    it. 

From  this   we   can  see   that   the   cross    is    something  which   even  modern  day    Jews 
hate   and    despise. 

And  then  secondly,    these    legalists   were   seeking   to  ksYK   make   many  more    con- 
verts  so   they  could   bra.p-  about   them.      They  could   say,    "Look  how  many  people 
I   have   won  to   the    lord."      Tveir  purpose   and    aim  was   not   to   lead    people   to 
Christ   and    seek  to  have    them  grow   in  that   grace,    instead,    it  was   to   add    num- 
bers  to  the   church   for   bragging   purposes.      It   i1-   not   wrong  to  seek  converts 
for  Christ.      But   the   main  purpose   and    motive    ip   to  bring  them  to   Christ   for 
salvation  and  then  to  nurture   them    in   that   faith.      Too   many  churches   today 
are   only    interested    in   the   numbers    rame;    how  many  are    in  church;    or   how   mapy 
decisions    are   mad.e   for   Christ   and   how  many  baptisms   have   taken   place.      The 
task  of   any   church   is    to   seek  to   lead   numbers   to   Christ,    not   to    Just  have   the 
most   visitors    in  town,    or   to  have   the    largest   membership  roles.       .a    must  be 
careful  to   seek    duality  for   Christ,    not   ouantity.      And   if   we   work   at    Christ- 
ianity  in   this   manner.    Cod   will   add  both   converts,    and    a   quantity   of   them. 
Then  in  the    15th  vjgjtxK  Paul   adds  a    little   more   to  this    "works   righteousness" 

which  these    legalists   were   seeking,   by    ;  .    "    or    in   Cforist    Jesus   neither 

circumcision  avail eth  any  thing,    nor  uncircuracision,  but  a   new  creature." 

MaxisxxHyiEioctfea^ztxiiEBKK+txs:akHX5uayx*if#HrHaKRxif  xjrBjflxstERxsxtkBxi»iiBK±«g 

B*>rfch#XXK:fetHXXBfXit8KXTrn&XHXEXBX 

"And  as  many  as  walk  according  to  this  rule,  peace  be  on  them,  and  mercy,  and 
upon  the  Israel  of  God.1 

Paul  taupht  in  his  letter  to- the  Domans  of  the  two  'dams.   T>,e  first  '.dam  dis 
obeyed  Tod  and  brought  sin  and  death  into  the  world .   The  second  Yd  an  obeyed 
God  and  brought  salvation  and  life         obedience.   Through  our  obedience 
to  the  ""econd  Adam,  Christ  Jesus,  we  are  made  a  new  creation.   It  Isn't  by 
the  following  of  a  code  of  ethics,  or  a  lack  of  following  a  code  that  we  have 
this  peace  and  mercy.   .Rather,  it  is  through  following  only  Jesus  Christ  Him- 
self that  we  me  new  creatures  separated  ^rom  the  curse  of  sin  -which  is  death 
and  inheriting  all  that  Cod  has  for  us  and  this  takes  place  in  what  Paul  call 

"The  Israel  of  God."   This  "Israel  of  God"is  the  Christian  Church.   It  is  all 
those  who  are  born  into  the  family  of  "od  who  are  made  free  of  the  law  and 


-3- 

all  of  its  encumberances .   Phe  word  or  name  "Israel,"  means,  "he  who  strives 

with  God,"  or,  "God  strives,"  or,  "God  rules."  T,„ose  who  come  to  Christ  aparl 

from  the  law  are"strivinp  with  God,"  against  the  things  of  this  world;  they 

are  on  the  side  of  the  things  of  God  and  are  "Born  Free"  from  the  things  of 

thj  s  life  and  this  world  which  enslave  them. 

Paul  ends  his  letter  with  the  words  in  vers^   17     18,  "Prom  henceforth  let 
no  man  trouble  me:  for  I  bear  in  my  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
-thren,  the  grace  of  our  Lord-  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your  spirit.   "men." 

There  was  a  time  ',>;hen  '  aul  could  brar  about  his  mark  of  a  man  of  the  law,  of 
bein^  among  the  circumcized.   Rut  when  he  became  a  Christian  Iaul  began  to 
bra~  about  the  marks  of  Jesus  Christ  upon  him.   Tie  isn't  saying  that  he  lit- 
erally had  the  nail  prints  in  his  hands  and  feet  like  others  have  had.   St. 
Francis  of  kssissi  claimed  to  have  had  those  marks  on  his  body  brought  there 
mysteriously  by  God  because  of  his  love  for  his  Haviour  Jesus  Christ.   But 
Paul  i?  s-.;      hat  he  was  a  marked  man  because  of  his  love  for  Jesus  Christ. 
He  stood  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  world  and  for  it  he  was  a  marked  man. 
And  so  Paul  wishes  to  each  of  his  beloved  in  the  cor.-"re~-?tions  in  Galatia 
his  very  best.   He  calls  them  all,  "Brethren,"  and  th?t  means  simply,  "fellow 
believers  in  Jesus  Christ;   "ellow  heirs  of  Christ  and  with  Christjfellow 
children  of  God."   And  his  wish  for  them  is  simply,  "nvp  Crace  of  Jesus  C,_ris1 
to  be  with  them  always. 
But  we  purposely  passed  by  the  ultimate  theme  of  this  letter  which  is  summed 

up  in  the  14th  verse.   T^ere  we  read,  "But  God  forbid  that  I  should  slory, 
save  in  the  cress  of  our  lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified 
unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world." 

Paul  is  soyin>-  somethirr  here  which  is  threefold. 

First,  he  is  saying  that  he  knew  the  Person  of  the  cross.   In  his  early  years 
as  a  Jewishc  tahbi,   au]  could  boast  of  bein;-  a  complete  Jew.   Be  wrote  tovthe 
church  at  Philippi,  in  his  letter  to  the  Philippians  about  this.   This  is  re- 
corded in  the  3rd  chapter  verses  3  through  10,  (read  these).   no  Iaul  knew 
Jesus  Christ  personally  and  that  is  what  the  word,  "Know"  in  the  ] nth  verse 
means.   It  is  an  intimate,  closeness,  a  personal  knowledge  and  experience  ȣ 
with  Jesus.   And  this  is  what  Paul  khh  could  now  boast  about. 

econd,  Iaul  knew  the  power  of  the  dross.   Is  we  -aid  before,  the  cross  as  a 
means  of  bringing  salvation  was  something  repulsive  to  any  and  all  Jews.   And 
Paul  as  a  Rabbi  knew  that  the  Messiah  was  to  come.   But  for  Taul  before  he 
was  converted  to  think  that  the  Messiah  would  be  killed  on  an  instrument  of 
death  ouch  as  a  cross  was  unthinkable.   But  after  his  personal  experience 
with  Jesus  Christ  he  could  write  to  the  church  in  Corinth  in  1st  Corinthians 
1:?3,  (read  this).   Paul  knew  the  power  of  that  cross  and  could  boast  about  ±i 
it  rather  be  repelled   by  it  as  he  once  was. 


-4- 

Third,  Paul  knew  the  purpose  of  the  cross.   It  was  to  create  the  Israel  cf 

God.   We  shared  at  another  time  what  Paul  said  as  recorded,  in  the  4-th  chapter 

of  this  letter.   In  verges  1  through  7,  (read  these).   Any  and  all  who  come 

to  Christ  are  a  part  of  that  new  Israel  of  God;  that  new  nation  made  up  of 

those  new  children  who  are  heirs  through  Shrist .   .111  who  profess  the  name 

of  Jesus  Cv,rist  are  heirs,  and  Joint-heirs  of  all  that  God  has  for  tiuEH  all 

believers.   In  Jesus  Christ  we  are  "Born  Free!" 

And  what  would  be  the  advice  Paul  would  eive  us  as  we  face  the  problems  of 

this  modern  a~e  where  the  church  of  Jesus  Cv,ri^t  seems  to  matter  little  if 

anything  to  many  people?   '."/hat  would  he  tell  ua  as  we  face  so  many  uncomitted 

people  within  any  and  all  conpre pat ions  of  that  Church? 

(Illustration  of  Winston  Churchill  speaking  at  old  alma  mater  ,  Harrow) 
Toward  the  end  of  his  lonp-  and  illustrious  career  as  a  statesman  and  orime 
minister  of  Snrland ,  '-.'inston  Churchill  was  invited  to  speak  at  his  old  alma 
mater,  Harrow.   The  headmaster  wanting  to  prepare  his  students  for  the 
histroic  visit  of  Mr.  Churchill  spoke  to  them  several  days  before  the  date 
and  said,  "Gentlemen,  the  greatest  orator  cf  our  time  -  perhaps  of  all  time 
-  our  prime  minister  will  be  here  in  a  few  days  to  address  you.   It  will 
behoove  you  to  listen  to  any  sound  advice  he  may  pive  you  at  that  time." 
The  great  day  arrived  and  the  prime  minister  appeared  at  Harrow.   Following 
a  lengthy  and  glowing  introduction  of  him,  Sir  Winston  Churchill,  all  five" 
feet  five  in  ches  and  ?55  pounds  of  him,  stood  up.   After  he  had  acknow- 
ledged the  introduction  he  rave  the  following  speech:  "Youn  men,  never  give 
up,  never  rive  up.   Never  r-ive  up!   Never  rive  up!!   Never,  never,  never, 
never!"  And  he  sat  down. 

In  Christ  we  are  "Born  Free . "  Never  c^ive  it  up!   The  "Only  Boast  we  have  in 
this  life  is  that  in  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me,  and  1  unto  the  world.   ';.'  can  say,  "He  in  mine  and  I  am  His,  forever  and 
forever . " 


Ralph  C.  Link 
153  Keck  Road 
Sarver,  Pa.   16055 
(412)  352-1103 


Born:    April  9,  1929,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Married:    December  15,  1951 
Wife:    Shirley  Margaret  Neill 

Born:  December  8,  1930,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Children:   Ralph  Dale  Link,  born  May  11,  1955,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Lloyd  Alan  Link,  born  May  28,  1958,  Pittsburgh,  Pa 
Nancy  Lynn  Link,  born  March  15,  1961,  Butler,  Pa. 


SCHOOLING: 


Graduated  from  Perry  High  School,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
June  19  4  7 

Lay  Ministry  School,  Penn  West  Conference  of  United 
Church  of  Christ,  September  1965  to  May  1969 

Commissioned  Lay  Minister  June  1969 

Lancaster  Theological  Seminary,  Lancaster,  Pa., 
September  1970 

Graduated  from  Lancaster  Theological  Seminary  May  197' 

Ordained  to  Christian  Ministry  March  10,  1974 


PASTORATES: 


As  Lay  Minister:   short  term,  1  month  or  less  in 
various  churches  1965  to  1967 

Emlenton  Lamartine  Charge  of  United  Church  of  Christ 
1967  to  1969 

Short  term  in  various  churches  1970   until  Seminary 
entrance  July  1970 

July  1970  to  December  1973  Student  Pastor  at  Trinity 
Charge,  New  Bloomfield,  Duncannon,  Pa.,  Penn  Central 
Conference,  United  Church  of  Christ 

December  1973  to  present,  St.  Paul's  United  Church  of 
Christ,  Butler,  Pa.,  Penn  West  Conference,  United 
Church  of  Christ 


PERSONAL  TESTIMONY 
OF 

Ralph  C.  Link 


I  am  the  youngest  of  five  children.   I  was  born  just  prior  to 
the  onset  of  the  Depression.   Our  family  was  very  poor.   My  father 
was  an  alcoholic  and  my  mother  was  a  very  religious  person  who  was 
searching  for  the  Lord.   During  my  childhood  she  did  her  best  to 
teach  me  the  things  of  the  Lord.   Later  in  life  she  came  to  a 
personal  relationship  with  Him. 

I  grew  up  in  the  Evangelical  and  Reformed  Church  where 
salvation  by  grace  alone  was  not  preached  nor  taught.   I  knew  all 
about  Jesus,  what  He  did,  how  He  lived,  His  miracles,  His  death 
and  resurrection,  but  I  didn't  know  Him  personally. 

My  life  had  many  ups  and  downs  and  all  the  while  I  was 
attending  church  and  striving  with  my  good  works  to  please  God. 
At  a  very  low  point  in  my  life  when  we  were  deeply  in  debt  and  my 
wife  and  three  children  were  all  ill,  I  came  to  the  crossroads.   I 
watched  a  Billy  Graham  Crusade  on  television  from  some  distant 
city  and  the  message  he  preached  seemed  to  be  directed  right  at 
me.   I  wrestled  with  making  that  commitment  to  Christ,  but  didn't. 
The  next  afternoon  and  evening  at  work  on  the  4  to  12  shift  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  needed  to  make  that  commitment  to  Christ. 
It  seemed  like  there  was  no  other  choice  if  life  was  to  have  any 
meaning.   That  night  when  I  came  home  from  work  at  1:00  A.M.,  I 
laid  face  down  on  the  living  room  floor  and  told  God  that  I 
couldn't  live  my  life  in  my  own  strength  and  I  accepted  the  gift 
of  salvation  from  my  Savior  Jesus  Christ.   My  life  has  never  been 
the  same. 

Through  several  meaningful  circumstances  I  was  called  by  God 
to  serve  Him  in  the  Christian  Ministry  and  to  help  spread  that 
wonderful  message  of  salvation  through  the  shed  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ.   What  a  wonderful  and  rewarding  time  it  has  been  and  I 
give  Him  all  the  praise  for  my  salvation  and  the  opportunity  to 
serve  Him. 


STATEMENT  OF  FAITH 

OF 

Ralph  C.  Link 


I  believe  the  Bible,  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  to  be 
the  inspired  inerrant  Word  of  God.   I  believe  the  Bible  is  the 
complete  revelation  of  His  will  for  the  salvation  of  men  and  it 
is  the  final  authority  for  the  Christian  faith  and  life. 


I  believe  in  one  God,  who  is  eternally  existent  in  three 
persons:   Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit. 

I  believe  in  the  Diety  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  He  is 
true  God  and  true  man.   I  believe  that  He  was  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  that  He  lived  in  sinless  life,  that  He  performed 
the  miracles  recorded  in  Scripture,  that  He  died  on  the  cross 
as  a  sacrifice  for  our  sins,  that  He  bodily  arose  from  the 
dead,  that  He  ascended  on  high  where  He  is  at  the  right  had  of 
Almighty  God  as  our  intercessor. 


I  believe  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  that  He  comes  and  indwells 
each  believer  at  the  time  of  conversion.   I  believe  that  He 
lives  in  each  believer  to  lead,  to  instruct,  and  to  convict  so 
that  a  believe  may  live  a  more  godly  life. 

I  believe  that  through  the  shed  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
through  His  resurrection,  this  is  the  only  ground  for 
justification  and  salvation  for  all  who  receive  Him  A  Lord  and 
Savior  and  to  such  as  receive  Him,  they  are  born  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  become  children  of  God. 


I  believe  water  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  are 
ordinances  of  the  Church  but  are  not  means  of  salvation 


I  believe  in  the  personal  and  premillennial  and  imminent 
coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


I  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  for  the  believer 
to  resurrection  of  life  and  joy  with  the  Lord,  for  the 
unbeliever  to  resurrection  of  judgement  and  everlasting 
punishment .