Today's Verse

 

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THE PREACHER

Preaching is an oft misunderstood position, even by those who carry the name as a position.  I’ve seen a trend among a few congregations toward doing away with a located minister and allowing the men of the congregation the opportunity of filling the pulpit.  The question that is asked is; are these men called? 

“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” ” (Romans 10:15, NKJV)

“And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ” (Romans 10:15, ESV)

“And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” ” (Romans 10:15, NIV)

If a man is called to preach; he should preach! 

To be called involves a desire, a skill, and an opportunity.  The Bible tells us that a man should desire the position of an elder and often we hear of men who are asked to serve the church declare that they do not desire to do so.  They should examine their desires! Some desire, at least to please the Lord, should be in the heart of one called to preach.  There should also be a skill or ability to proclaim the gospel message.  Sometimes men will have the desire but not the ability.  There must also be the opportunity.  There are some with desire and ability who do not get or have the opportunity to proclaim the truth as one sent. 

If one finds himself in a position where he believes he is called, he should proceed with some formal training in the profession.  You would not want and untrained doctor, lawyer, policeman or school teacher attending your needs without proper training.  How much more would one expect from one who is to proclaim the message of salvation for your soul?

Then after one has acted on his desire, has filled his ability with a formal study of God’s word, and has been allowed to proclaim the Bible message of Jesus Christ for 10-15 years, he begins to understand what it is to preach; hopefully.  The congregation that has a man who is a lover of the truth, and has the spiritual blessing of being able to proclaim that truth, should rejoice and help that man with his needs; to allow him to spend his day and nights preparing, praying, and proclaiming, the Word of God.  There is always a need for good preachers and good preaching!

 

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REPENTANCE

 

We examined temptation and came to the conclusion that all are tempted, even our savior when he was on earth in human form.  He did not sin when tempted but we cannot say that.  We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  The result of our sin is death unless we repent.  Repentance is a turning away from our sin and turning back to God. 

·         We must repent because we have sinned.

·         We must repent because of Godly sorrow.

·         We must confess our sins or acknowledge that we have sinned.  Repentance begins with the statement, “I have sinned.”

·         We must repent and turn away from the sinful habits in our lives.  No one says this will be easy, but with God it can be done. 

·         We must be baptized for the remission of our sins. 

·         If we are already Christians then prayer is the key element of repentance. 

·         In repentance we allow the blood of Jesus to take away our sins. 

·         We then arise and walk a new life.

·         We rely on the Lord in this walk.

·         We bring forth fruit that is worthy of our repentance.

Everyone here this morning, who has the ability to determine right from wrong has sinned.  Unless we deal with that sin we will experience the second death, which is the eternal separation from God’s presence.  You first of all must confess your sins and that is simply acknowledging that you have sinned. 

Each one of us needs to regularly examine our lives to make sure that we have repented and been forgiven of our sins.  We need to repent as individuals because we have sinned.  We may need to repent as a church because we have not been concerned enough about the lost around us.  I know we need to repent as a nation and turn back to God. 

I plead with each of us this morning to give serious consideration to the state of your soul.  Is there sin in your life that has not been brought before the Lord?  Your eternal destiny and your relationship with God depends on this very important matter.  “At the time of ignorance God winked at but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

Acts 8:22 “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”

2^nd Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2^nd Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Acts 26:20 “…I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

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Summer Schedule

MIDWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST

 

The Midway church of Christ has been serving the Sarasota/Bradenton area since October 1964.  The congregation has had a building at the corner of Pearl Avenue and US 41 since 1967 which is where they continue to meet.  Midway is so called because it is midway between the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton and has members from both areas.  Located about a mile north of the airport on Tamiami Trail, the building has a Sarasota address but is in Manatee County. 

As is the case with a lot of aging congregations, Midway has a good representation of mature members but also seeks to serve new and potential members who may be seeking a change in their life and are turning to God for answers.  The congregation offers a friendly welcome to all who visit and have regularly scheduled Bible studies on Sunday morning at 9:30 and on Wednesday evenings at 7:00.  There are other studies through the week including a ladies Bible study on Tuesday mornings at 10:00.  Visitors are welcomed at any of the Bible studies and services.  The congregation has regular scheduled public worship each Sunday at 10:30 and at 6:00 pm.  The Lord’s Supper is available each Sunday.  It is the goal of the congregation to help as many as possible to obtain a closer walk with God and to help assure one’s destiny for eternity. 

The Midway church emphasizes the study of the Bible in everything that it does.  The Bible is considered to be the word of God and this is how God communicates with man today. All of the classes and services will use the Bible as the primary source of instruction and Midway offers free Bible studies on-line, by correspondence, and direct study to anyone wanting to learn more from God’s word.   

Midway is served by elders, deacons, and a full-time minister.  Gene Britton is the current minister, and has been with Midway since 2004.  Britton is from Muscle Shoals, Alabama and came to Midway from a work in Connecticut.  Britton is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, Heritage Christian University and Southern Christian University. For more information concerning Midway please call 941 355 6785 or email midwaychurch11@verizon.net.  The church would love to serve you in your desire to come back home to God. 

We are living in a time when God’s light is so needed. We need strong Christians and strong churches to be the example to the world that is growing further and further away from the Lord’s way.  The Midway church of Christ is one of those sources of light in the Bradenton/Sarasota communities and you are invited to come be a part of this exciting movement. 

If our society suddenly woke up and begin to live God’s way – just imagine the positive direction we could see around us.  It is high time that the people of God in this area, and in this country, and in the whole world moved toward God.  It is time for good people everywhere to proclaim enough is enough, and let us get back to the light of truth found in God’s word.  Let us truly be a people of God and let us seek to understand and obey His word.  As the church of Christ, we do not profess to be a congregation of perfect people.  We are a community of believers who love God, respect the Bible, and make an earnest effort to live righteous lives.