Jun 12 - Holding to the Sword
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, June 12th, 2005
Enter to Worship
| ! Prelude
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! David Witt
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| ! Invocation
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Michael Hollinger
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| ! Welcome and Announcements
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| ! Morning Prayer
| ! ………………..………
| ! Mr. Hollinger
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| ! Responsive Reading
| ! [See Right]
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| ! Offertory Hymn*
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! #428
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| ! “In the Garden”
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| ! Offertory
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Mr. Witt
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| ! Doxology
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| ! Scripture
| ! 1 Tim 3:13 - 4:5
| !
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| ! Sermon
| !
| ! Mr. Hollinger
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| ! “Holding Fast”
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| ! Concluding Hymn
| ! #337
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| ! “The Solid Rock”
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| ! Benediction*
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| ! Congregational Response
| !
| !
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| ! Postlude*
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Mr. Witt
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- Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
Please join us at Middleburg Baptist after the service, as well celebrate the tradition of Free Church Homecoming
Responsive Reading
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:
I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is.
Yet you are holding fast to my name
Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow;
it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account
- Rev 2:12-13, Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12-13
Title:
Text: 1 Tim 3.14 – 4.5
FCF:
SO: I want to remind the congregation that without the Word, we will continually drift into all sorts of error. Ideally, we should be in the Word regularly so as to avoid that.
Intro:
- April, 2003 – “Comical Ali” assures the world that Saddam Hussein is still strong and is going to prevail. The next day, everyone flees.
- 2001, Enron assures its investors – everything’s fine, right before its stock plunge to pennies on the dollar.
Truth is not a thing that we like. We try to avoid it.
How do you deal with a tumor? You cut it out! You undergo a surgery. Even before they had anesthetics, people would often undergo surgeries. They were not pleasant things.
Martin Luther once likened Preaching to surgery…
A sword cuts away, but can also dig in and hold – like an anchor…
10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.