So Much The More

Associate pastor pastor Ryan Crawford brought our Sunday morning message: “So Much the More.”

We stood for opening prayer and the reading of God’s word.

The scripture reading was taken from Hebrews 10:19-25.

In the old testament, God set up the Hebrews to follow many laws and sacrifice to Him with animal sacrifices to cleanse their sins. But due to their disobedient nature, these sacrifices were insufficient. It took a perfect sacrifice to remove that sin and allow us to come within the presence of God. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice.

With Jesus having wrought that perfect sacrifice, we as Christians are commanded to boldly exhort one another. The Lord is coming back! We’re not just to come and warm a church pew every Sunday. We are to be a part of the the assembly and participate in the body of the church.

Worship With Boldness

We are to worship with boldness. Hebrews 10:19 says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” The veil between man and God was ripped away the day that Jesus was crucified from top to bottom. There is nothing between us and Jesus. We are to go to the throne boldly and worship God. The worship we have is to be between us and God.

Enter boldly into His presence and worship. Go into Christ each and every day. Go in with reverence and worship boldly and joyfully. When we go in, we are to worship in spirit and in truth. This the basis of worship. We are to be crucified in Christ. Live in the Faith. We are to worship in the Spirit. It takes a crucified man. Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We can never truly worship God until we embarrass the flesh. Let the Holy Spirit move in you.

When we are worshiping with boldness, we should be moved to witness to sinners with boldness. Ezekial 3:19-21 says, “Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.”

There are sinners that are heading straight to hell that need to hear from you that Christ died for our sins. They need a Christian to worn them boldly. Christians need to have a boldness to witness to the sinners. It is not just inviting them to church, but witnessing to them and telling them how to be saved. Yes, you will be told ‘no;’ you will have doors shut in your face. But don’t give up. Remember, we are to warn the lost. If they are lost because you failed to speak up and witness to them, you will be held accountable. If they are lost because they refuse to listen to your words, it is on them.

More Than Scripture

There is so much more than scriptural belief. The world is decaying because of the lack of the the Bible. Hebrews 10:22-23 says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

So many churches are unable to accomplish what they should because they have no faith. Faith comes only through the hearing, reading, and studying of the word of God. So many churches are failing because they are no longer using the Bible to teach. They use booklet written by someone who has interpreted God’s word. The Bible washes our “body” in its pure water. If you really believe the Bible, you will work for God. You will participate in the church to serve Him. The more that you read the Bible, you have So Much the More of the Word of God. You read it. It is the inspired, infallible, itinerant Word of God! Instead of telling God what you will do for Him, ask God what He wants from you. Ask God what He wants you to do. Ask Him daily to show you His will.

Steadfast Behavior

We need to have so much the more in steadfast behavior. Christ was our example. He was faithful to us (Hebrews 10:23). How can we not be faithful to Him? He desires us to be loving, caring, and steadfast in our service to Him. Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” Because there is an expectation of who we are, people will be watching you. Because they are watching us, our actions can be a witness. They will follow your example of service to Christ. Christ teaches us that through the Bible. He’s instructing us on what we should be doing. It’s not just one thing that He is telling us what to do, but all good works. We are to exercise our spirit in Him, to strengthen our steadfast behavior. Be consistent!

We are to be so much the more!

Join us for church. We have two services. The Early Morning service is at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday School immediately afterwards. The Mid-Morning Service will start at 11 a.m.

Every other Saturday from 3:30-4 p.m., the nursing home ministry will be at Golden Living Center in Anderson.

Friday night, Bible Study will start at 6:30 p.m.

Kids for Christ is now happening during Wednesday night service. We are studying the Armor of God.

There will be a WMU meeting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 12.

Our Baby Dedication is scheduled after the business meeting following our Second Sunday Potluck July 10.

You can hear a rebroadcast of one of our pastors’ services on KURM radio, 100.3 on the FM dial, at 8:30 Sunday mornings. Or listen to our pastors’ services on our website at www.firstbaptistchurchpineville.com/ Sermons.html.

If you have no church home of your own, we would love for you to join us in ours (off the northeast corner of Pineville square, just behind U.S. Bank). No friendlier, down home church can be found anywhere in the four-state area.