Service Opening

Welcome & Announcements

Welcome

Lifelink Card

welcome to visitors

Prayer requests

drop in the baskets on the way out

Missions Focus

Jim Arcieri: Director of BFC Board of Missions

Bulletin Announcements

Moms of infants - preschoolers are meeting this Tuesday the 13th from 10-11:30 a.m. – They will meet in Fellowship Hall for teaching and discussion of relevant topics of this age-group. See Leslie Rayner for details and to indicate if you are planning to come. Please sign up.

Wednesday Night ministries are in full swing:

Table of Grace from 5-6 PM (pizza - signup)

Grace Kids (4 yrs - 2nd grade), Adventure Club (3rd - 6th grade)

Youth Group (7-12 grade)

Men’s and women’s Bible studies

Women of Grace are now offering a day-time bible study on Thursday afternoons at 1 PM. It will take place at the church and will follow the same schedule, material and format as the Wednesday night study. No childcare can be provided for this study. It began this past Thursday and will be meeting this coming Thursday. Questions can be directed to Rachel Miller or Meta Wells.

The Fall Sunday School Classes started today. James in the sanctuary and parenting class in Fellowship Hall.

Kindread Place: Sunday, Sept. 25 @ 2 PM - 1 year anniversary service. All families of the church are invited and refreshments will be served afterwards. See Howard Wells for details

Men’s Retreat: Oct. 14-15 (Fri-Sat) - sign up in the Narthex

Fall outreach picnic Oct 1 - Need people to serve- signup in the narhtex

Ministry opportunity to serve the growing international population of our community by offering English Language Development (ELD) classes. We need about 10 volunteers to make this work, so if you are interested, see Chris D, Pastor Steve or myself.

Church mailboxes

Children’s Choir

Call to Worship

From Psalm 26:8-12

CONGREGATION: O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.

LEADER: Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

CONGREGATION: But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

Invocation

Lord, we see various ways in which you manifested your presence to your people throughout your word.

After you delivered the people of Israel from Pharaoh’s relentless pursuit of them by parting the Red Sea, Moses and the people broke out in song celebrating your glorious triumph over their enemies.

After the people of Israel offered themselves in service to God, Deborah & Barak broke out in song to celebrate your triumph over their enemies. They acknowledged that the earth trembled and the clouds dropped water from the heavens.

After learning the she would be the earthly mother of the Messiah, Mary broke out in song declaring that her soul magnifies the Lord and that her spirit rejoices in God her Savior.

And so Father, we desire to continue this celebration this morning, because you have manifested yourself more miraculously and with greater victory than the people of Israel witnessed on the coast of the Red Sea, more gloriously than the sudden deluge of water from heaven and even more magnificently than the announcement that Jesus, who would save His people from their sins, would come into the world through a mere woman.

The fact is, we stand here together today as your people on the other side of your redemptive work. Our Savior, our God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He made Himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. And in response to this incomprehensible act, you Father, highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of you, Father.

We long for the day when our Savior will return and these events will come to fruition, but we are here now by your grace. So we invite you to drop down from heaven to this place, stir our hearts that we might fear you and celebrate you with reverent worship.

We pray this together in Jesus name. Amen

Declaration of Faith

Article 6: Creation

Q. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from His love. For all creatures are so completely in God’s hand that without His will they can neither move or be moved. (Job 1:21-22; James 1:3; Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18; Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:38-39; Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24-28)

Hymn of Praise

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We recognize that this ministry is and continues to be dependent on the provision of God. Praise God He has provided through the generosity of His people.

If you would like to give to the church today, you can give online through our website or here in person by dropping off your offering in one of the baskets near the doors of the sanctuary.

Psalm 107:8–9 (ESV) (Prayer based upon)

We give thanks to you Lord for your steadfast love and for your wonderful works among us. You satisfy the longings of our souls and fill us with all good things. May the name of Jesus continue to be magnified as we trust you to provide. In Jesus name, Amen.

Doxology

Scripture Reading & Pastoral Prayer

Commentary on Text

I invite you to take you bibles or turn in a pew Bible to page 987 where you will find 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

As you may know, the men’s and ladies’ bible studies just began a study on 1 Thessalonians. This combined with the sermon last Sunday, and what we will hear from the sermon today, the topic of the Day of the Lord has been on this church’s consciousness for the past couple of weeks. And as has been noted, the Day of the Lord is a massive consideration, and can be found addressed throughout the Old and New Testaments. The topic of eschatology has always garnered the interest and confusion of many in and outside the church, and while eschatology (the study of last things) is a worthwhile effort, it does appear that the intrigue in what lies ahead can often result in conflict in the church and a sense of frustration and even despair.

I say all this to contrast it with the clarity and hope that the Day of the Lord, that is, the return of Christ is meant to provide God’s people. The fact that Jesus is coming back is a wonderful truth. A sobering one to be sure, but wonderful and assuring.

As noted before, our reading will begin in 1 Thess. 4:13 and continue through verse 11 of chapter 5. And to emphasize the hope-filled theme of the Day of the Lord, I want to read v. 11 of chapter 5:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

So the fact that we know Jesus is returning, that the Day of the Lord is coming, is meant to be much of the fuel of our encouraging one of one another another.

You may know that when the Apostle Paul first visited Thessalonica, much fruit came as a result of his ministry.... especially among the gentiles. I say, especially among the gentiles because many of the Jews in Thessalonica rejected Paul and what he was proclaiming so much that they sought to discredit him and even kill him. He was smuggled out of the city. His time in the city was cut short, at least from Paul’s perspective, and as a result he was not able to complete his teaching. And as a result of Paul’s teaching ministry being cut short, some of the new Christians in the church began to struggle with the Day of the Lord. There was concern for people who had or would die before Jesus returned. Would the death of those who died before the return of Christ result in their eternal peril? Would they be lost forever? And much of what Paul says in the text we will read together addresses this faulty belief.

So I want to encourage us after the order of Paul’s encouragement. Find hope in pondering the return of Christ. Yes, when Jesus returns, death will no longer be a divider between the living in Christ and the dead in Christ. There will be a reunion of sorts on that day. But even more glorious than that, we will know and experience the presence of Christ in a way that we cannot begin to comprehend this side of heaven, but despite the incomprehensibility of the glorious truth, the fact remains, Jesus is coming back, and for those who are in Christ, that is certain hope.

Let’s read together. 1 These 4, beginning at v. 13.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Prayer

Psalm 33:17–22 (ESV)

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

that he may deliver their soul from death

and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

Thank you for the certain hope we, your people possess in the fact that we belong to you Father, and in knowing one day our Lord, our Savior will return to gather us to Himself. May we be a hopeful people.

But while we wait....

Romans 8:22–23 ESV

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Groaning is a good word. There is not anyone in this room who is unacquainted with grief and suffering.

Just mentioning today’s date reminds us of human suffering.

But there are others in this room this morning who suffer, and we cry out to you together this morning God that you would pour out your preserving mercy upon us.

Wendy Atkins (missionary in Africa): We pray that her foot would heal from the recent surgery. Thank you that the infection was caught and removed but we pray for wisdom regarding further surgery.

Linda Gipe: Thank you Father that Linda Gipe is recovering from her hip surgery. There is however, a long road to recovery ahead, so we pray for her to be strengthened and direction as physical therapy options are considered. We thank you for her testimony of faithfulness as she is praising you in the midst of this struggle and her longing to be with her church family soon.

Allison Maurer – Pray for her grandmother, Anna Bocker, had a fall and tore a few ligaments as well as fractured her kneecap. Surgery seems unlikely but she will be needing PT and rehab. She will be 95 next month. Pray for her as she deals with the pain and recovery from this as well as the emotional toll it will take on her.

Sue Barron – Her niece’s oldest son Jacob (age 11) was just diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. He’s in ICU at John Hopkins. The oncologist team met with the parents on Sunday to go over a plan of treatment. The family doesn’t know the Lord.

Julie Sherk – Julie has pulmonary fibrosis (permanent scarring of the lungs from the COVID infection). She has 1/3 of her lung capacity. She will be dependent on oxygen for the rest of her life unless there is dramatic healing. Pray that she can get down to under 5 liters, which would give her more freedom with a portable oxygen tank.

For those who for those who contend with anxiety, depression, loneliness or grief. There are 10k heartaches in this life, and they press down with a heavy weight. O Lord, deliver us and bring tender mercies and renewing grace to those weighed down.

We pray for the parents who are concerned for their kids. Whether young, and still under our care, or adult and living on their own, we pray God that you would care for our children. protect them, not only from physical harm, but more importantly from the spiritual darkness that can consume our hearts. We pray the light of the gospel of Christ would dispel the darkness and illumine their minds and hearts to the light of the world so that our kids would follow Christ and not walk in darkness.

We thank you for our missionaries. For the Moussas’, the Gudemans’, the Chmils’, Sara Varner and Wendy Atkins. All engaged in different ministries but all engaged in declaring the glories of Christ to a world that needs the hope of the gospel. We pray for their spiritual health, that they would meditate on the word of God day and night so that they would not depart from it. May they find encouragement in knowing that God still has people in their cities, and so their success is not dependent on their skills but on God’s sovereign ministry of His word.

All of us would seek refuge

Psalm 46:1 ESV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

And so Father, we wait and we groan now, but we know our groaning is not the end. The Day is approaching. Unite us, draw us to yourself, may we know the comfort that is ours in Christ.

Come quickly Lord Jesus.

In Jesus name, Amen.