Notes from Sunday - 04/05/09

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. And we were blessed to have a great day of worship and fellowship at the Shiloh Church. We did not add any elements to our worship service. But it was a special time nonetheless.

I am blown away that it is April already. This year is speeding along.

As is our custom on first Sunday's, we observed the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper in our 10 AM service. Praise God for those who were baptized. And thank God for the opportunity to remember our baptism in Communion.

I asked the church to join me in a simple evangelistic emphasis for Holy Week: Project 3-1-6. I am encouraging each member to pray for three unsaved or unchurched people for the six days of Holy Week, with the goal of bring one guest to church with them for worship Easter Sunday morning. May the Lord smile on all who take up this challenge this week.

My New Members Class was great yesterday. I did not have much time. And it seemed that the time flew by so quickly. But it was great. I fielded questions. And although I only had time to respond to a few of them, the questions were excellent and led to good discussions.

The choir was on fire all day long. They did a great job in setting the tone of the worship services (with an assist from M. Rodgers).

During the 10 AM service, I led the pre-sermon hymn with the choir. We sung Timothy Wright's arrangement of the hymn, "My Savior's Love for Me." It is a wonderful song of praise for the love of God expressed to us in the death of our Savior on the cross.

I preached from Matthew 21:12-17, where Jesus cleanses the temple immediately after the Triumphal Entry. I labeled the message, "Is the Lord Pleased with this House?"

My argument was that the cleansing of the temple is warning for every church to consistently ask itself, "Is the Lord pleased with what he sees?" I saw in the text four tests that help a congregation examine if the Lord is pleased:

    1. The Test of Divine Authority

    2. The Test of Godly Priorities

    3. The Test of Changed Lives

       A. Lives are changed by the compassion of Christ.

       B. Lives are changed by the power of Christ.

    4. The Test of True Worship

I count it a great privilege to preach to such a great congregation each week as SMBC. And I am grateful.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our services yesterday.

I am now looking forward to our Good Friday Service, this Friday at 12 Noon.

WrestleMania 25.