back to indexBerean Community Church - Sunday Service 7.19.20
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No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 00:13:08.320 |
to gather together outside to worship our God. 00:13:11.320 |
Throughout history, God's church has been a singing church. 00:13:15.320 |
Not just singing to God, but singing to each other. 00:13:18.320 |
As we recently studied in Ephesians 5, 19 to 20, 00:13:21.320 |
Paul commands the church, encourages the church 00:13:24.320 |
to speak to each other through hymns, through psalms, 00:13:36.320 |
As you've seen, the words will be on the app, 00:13:39.320 |
so if you don't have the words with you, it's on the app, 00:13:45.320 |
And then we'll begin with the time of worship. 00:18:20.320 |
Okay, before we begin, let me first say happy birthday 00:18:24.320 |
to some of our special people who are at home. 00:18:30.320 |
We have Edison Lee who is turning three this week. 00:18:51.320 |
Before we get started, again, obviously, you know, 00:18:54.320 |
we kind of had to scramble to get this ready. 00:18:59.320 |
As long as there's enough shade for you, that's enough. 00:19:02.320 |
Okay, so hopefully we can get the kinks out for next 00:19:07.320 |
We don't know how long we're going to be in this 00:19:12.320 |
But some people may ask why are we going through all 00:19:18.320 |
Hopefully God tells us we can get back together. 00:19:21.320 |
The corporate gathering of the church should not be 00:19:26.320 |
In Hebrew chapter 10, 22-25, the passage we're going 00:19:32.320 |
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without 00:19:37.320 |
The concern we have right now, according to the 00:19:40.320 |
statistics, the Barna report has come out and they 00:19:43.320 |
said among the millennials, which would be a large 00:19:46.320 |
part of our church, over 35% of people who regularly 00:19:49.320 |
attended church before the lockdown have already 00:19:52.320 |
moved away from their faith and they're not attending 00:19:59.320 |
I know even those who don't fall under that category, 00:20:04.320 |
Those are people who have physically left it. 00:20:07.320 |
These are people who were attending church before the 00:20:19.320 |
Then there is a large portion of people who have 00:20:24.320 |
There is a reason why the Bible tells us not to 00:20:29.320 |
In Hebrews chapter 10, 22-25, the people were 00:20:32.320 |
undergoing persecution and hardship was happening and 00:20:35.320 |
there was serious consequence for their gathering 00:20:40.320 |
They actually had Roman guards who were looking for 00:20:43.320 |
Christians gathering, looking for Christian leaders, 00:20:45.320 |
Christian gatherings so they can put them in prison 00:20:48.320 |
and obviously cause physical harm in order to stop the 00:20:53.320 |
So because there was tremendous fear, people were 00:20:58.320 |
Obviously, we're not in the same situation where there 00:21:01.320 |
is a concern of this disease that is spreading and we 00:21:06.320 |
But the physical gathering of the church, the corporate 00:21:09.320 |
worship should not be something that we should be 00:21:16.320 |
That's why we go through all of this because what we 00:21:21.320 |
It is not like -- we go online worship, we hear 00:21:27.320 |
Yes, it is a good replacement when you cannot gather 00:21:32.320 |
But as much as we can, we want to do our best to 00:21:35.320 |
signify and to gather together because there is 00:21:38.320 |
spiritual significance and God is honored by that. 00:21:41.320 |
So even though there may be some risk and we want to 00:21:45.320 |
do our best to honor the government that we are 00:21:50.320 |
But at the same time, we want the church to understand 00:21:55.320 |
So again, verse 25, not forsaking our own assembly 00:21:58.320 |
together as it is a habit of some but encouraging one 00:22:03.320 |
All the more as you see the day drawing near. 00:22:06.320 |
As it becomes more and more difficult to be a 00:22:09.320 |
church, we are not only preserving our faith but 00:22:12.320 |
we are active in preserving other people's faith. 00:22:15.320 |
We are thinking carefully about people who are 00:22:20.320 |
The people who are in your lives, in our lives that 00:22:25.320 |
So right now everybody is in survival mode and waiting 00:22:30.320 |
But this is the time we really need to engage. 00:22:33.320 |
Don't wait for the church to say let's do this 00:22:38.320 |
If you have family, friends, brothers and sisters 00:22:41.320 |
you have known and haven't talked to in a while, it's 00:22:44.320 |
a great opportunity for us to consider how to provoke 00:22:50.320 |
There is a spiritual battle going on and self-survival 00:22:55.320 |
This is when the church needs to be sober and think 00:23:00.320 |
That's the reason why we are going through what we 00:23:05.320 |
I want to thank you for the time you have spent this 00:23:12.320 |
Just enough so we can have some shade and this cool 00:23:25.320 |
But if you are able to come to the 830 service, I know 00:23:29.320 |
some of you cannot, especially the parents with 00:23:38.320 |
But if you are able to come to the 830 service and 00:23:41.320 |
there is no reason other than you have to wake up 00:23:44.320 |
earlier, we will ask some of you to try to come to 00:23:47.320 |
the 830 service because this service is going to get 00:23:54.320 |
Some people can't go to any other service but this 00:23:59.320 |
We will ask you to come to the 830 service so we can 00:24:07.320 |
First of all, next Sunday we have our members meeting. 00:24:12.320 |
At 230 after the second service we will have the 00:24:20.320 |
Elise Chen is going to come up and give her testimony 00:24:29.320 |
I think June is going to come up and give the 00:24:44.320 |
I actually tried to call Hans and Franz to come and 00:24:49.320 |
They told me that all of the flights from Austria were 00:24:54.320 |
You will have to deal with a less muscular person. 00:24:58.320 |
Our gospel night which had been scheduled for April 00:25:14.320 |
There is going to be a gospel presentation by one of 00:25:20.320 |
Then a Q&A session where people can anonymously text 00:25:27.320 |
There is going to be a flyer on our church Facebook 00:25:30.320 |
page through which we can use to invite people and get 00:25:35.320 |
We are also sending out a registration form and asking 00:25:38.320 |
people who are interested in joining to please register. 00:25:51.320 |
If you are inviting people, we ask that you please 00:25:59.320 |
Hopefully this can -- as Pastor Peter has been saying, 00:26:03.320 |
with the kind of spiritual battle that we are going 00:26:07.320 |
through now and have been going through, this can 00:26:11.320 |
really be an opportunity for all of us to join in 00:26:22.320 |
This outreach was scheduled before the lockdown. 00:26:28.320 |
We have been really encouraged because we have heard 00:26:32.320 |
so many people from our church who online has been 00:26:39.320 |
As much as we are excited about this, we are also 00:26:43.320 |
excited about the fact that we are going to be 00:26:49.320 |
As much as a lot of people in the church, again, 00:26:52.320 |
the universal church has been struggling being online, 00:26:55.320 |
there's also been a lot of people who have been very 00:26:59.320 |
active in sharing the gospel and bringing people 00:27:04.320 |
I have heard -- again, I have gotten e-mails from 00:27:09.320 |
I have gotten texts saying I have my roommate or 00:27:17.320 |
We want to encourage you that just because what we 00:27:20.320 |
are doing is different, we don't just watch and wait. 00:27:23.320 |
We are -- the new opportunities we have to be 00:27:28.320 |
You may have family and friends who may not normally 00:27:31.320 |
come to something physically, maybe because they are 00:27:34.320 |
intimidated, but maybe more open to do so online. 00:27:40.320 |
We want you to exercise that, be active and prayerful 00:27:47.320 |
Right after we will have the time for offering. 00:27:50.320 |
If you brought a physical offering, the box is to my 00:27:57.320 |
Gracious father, we thank you so much for your 00:28:04.320 |
No matter how chaotic the world around us becomes, we 00:28:07.320 |
know that all of this, Lord God, is under your sovereign 00:28:13.320 |
Help us, Lord, to anchor ourselves in Christ that we 00:28:16.320 |
are not swayed back and forth by every wind of 00:28:19.320 |
doctrine, every trend, everything that is going on 00:28:23.320 |
Help us, Lord, God, to know where our life is, our 00:28:26.320 |
hope, that we may covet the things, Lord God, that are 00:28:31.320 |
We pray, father, God, that as we have this time of 00:28:34.320 |
giving, may it be a true sacrifice, true worship in 00:28:39.320 |
We thank you, father, God, and may your grace and your 00:28:42.320 |
Holy Spirit through your word bless this time. 00:29:17.320 |
>> Let us stand together again as we continue worship.