Brunswick Reformed Church 3535 Grafton Road Brunswick, Ohio (330)

Transcription

1 Brunswick Reformed Church 3535 Grafton Road Brunswick, Ohio (330) Behold, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. Revelation 3:8 Ministers: The Congregation Pastors: Don Poest Dan Toot Worship & Christian Education Sunday 9:00 & 10:30 a.m.

2 Welcome to Brunswick Reformed Church s worship celebrations. To make our mutual experience more enjoyable today please: 1. Relax - At BRC you can rest assured that you will not be embarrassed, singled out, or put on the spot. 2. Fill Out a Welcome Card - These can be dropped in the offering plate later. The information won t be misused, and will help us know who s been here. It s also a great way to drop a note to, or request a contact from, a staff member. 3. Ask for Prayer - If you have a prayer concern to share, pick up a prayer request form from the cart in back. Give completed forms to an usher or the pastor before the service begins. 4. Know There Are Options for Children - - The small room in the right rear corner has rocking chairs where little ones can be rocked, quieted or nursed. - We have an excellent nursery for ages 0-3 at the far end of our education wing. 5. Join Us for Fellowship - Coffee and juice are served in the fellowship area after each service. Join us and get acquainted. We do ask that you not take drinks into worship with you. 6. Do Not Feel Obligated to Give - If you are a first-time guest, please do not feel obligated to participate in the offering. This is a time when members and regular attendees honor God by giving to his work through this church. Let today be our gift to you. 7. Stop by our Welcome Center for more information about Brunswick Reformed Church! 8. BRC is on the web Who Is BRC? We are a member of the Reformed Church in America, a Protestant denomination that goes back to the Reformation period in Europe when the Church was reformed according to the Word of God. We are a mixture of Christians from many denominational backgrounds, all seeking to grow in our spiritual maturity as we live by faith with Jesus as our forgiver and leader. You will find our calling, mission and core value statements on the back of this bulletin.

3 April 12, 2015 Welcome to worship! We thank many of the men who attended the recent renewal for singing their theme song for us at the 10:30 service today. They will also meet at 1:00 p.m. for a time of sharing about their weekend. Thank you to the worship team for leading us in worship through music. 9:00 a.m. Worship service 9:00 a.m.: Romans, Rm 4 10:30 a.m.: Worship Service 10:30 a.m.: Children s Sunday School classes for preschool-5th grade gather first in Room :30 a.m.: Through the Bible, Rm :00 p.m.: Join us for the Run for God program for some exercise in body and faith, Room 10. 9:00 p.m.: A.D.: The Bible Continues will continue on NBC

4 REACT Student Ministries... For Sunday, April 12 and upcoming events 9:00 a.m.: Middle School Sunday School class, Room 8. 9:00 a.m.: High School Sunday school class, Room 10. April-May REACT newsletter and parent pages are available today Youth Group activity today will be attending the movie, "Do You Believe" at 1:05 p.m. at Hickory Ridge Cinemas. Cost for the movie is $5. Pizza lunch will be provided at BRC after the second service and then the group will car pool to the movie. Please note: If you have not yet turned in your mission trip application and deposit, you are a week late. See Pastor Dan immediately. Friday: TNT Brunswick High school bible study, meets after school. Regular youth group on April 19.

5 THIS WEEK: Monday: Campus Life, 6:30 p.m. Monday: Grief Share, 7:00 p.m. Rooms 8 & 4. Monday: Elders meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1. Tuesday: Potter s Workshop meets at 6:30 p.m. in Room 10. Wednesday: Women s Study, 10 am-noon, Room 8 Wednesday: Mature Men s Bible Study, 10:00 a.m., Room 4 WEDNESDAY CONNECTIONS: 7-8:30 p.m. Foundations, discussing Glory to God, Room 8-9 James Bible Study, Room 1 Kids Club, K-5th, Room Thursday: God s Friends Forever (GFF) meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Worship Team rehearsal, 7:15-8:30 p.m. Friday: Shining Stars meet at 1:30 p.m., studying Acts. Saturday: Yoga Reformed meets at 8:00 a.m. in the Worship Area. Next week s message, based on Jeremiah 35:1-19, will be, Leading Through the Right Doors Attendance on Good Friday was 122 and on Easter 117 & 249, plus 72 for GFF on Thursday. Advance: Consistory meets on Monday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m.

6 Matthew 28: 2 says, An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. I ve always loved that picture! The door to the grave is wide open. And the angel is sitting on top of that stone as if to dare anyone to be foolish enough to try to roll it back. That s not happening; that door stays open for all who live by faith in Jesus Christ! The God who makes resurrection possible opens many other doors as well. John Ortberg writes about these in his delightful new book, All the Places to Go: How Will You Know? He writes, An open door is an opportunity provided by God to act with God and for God. With lots of credit to John Ortberg, this morning I begin a series of messages on Open Doors. For the next several weeks we ll be looking at a variety of ways in which God wants to lead us through doors he has opened so that we can know the significance of life lived with and for the risen Christ. One of the errors we sometimes make is to believe that these doors are only open to mega churches, super saints, or very mature Christians. This morning Matthew s Gospel will remind us otherwise. The early followers of Jesus seemed to have a lot more going against them than for them, except for this detail: it was neither the quantity of their faith nor the quality of their faith, but the object of their faith that made all the difference. And so it still is today! The Risen Lord Jesus Christ sets before us open doors. He has gone ahead of us through them. Will we have the courage to follow? Pastor Don

7 THE DOOR IS OPEN INTRODUCTION See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut Revelation 3:7 I know that you have little strength Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name These are good and important words to hear the week after Easter Jesus Christ is still alive, and will remain so eternally we have been commissioned to share this good news with others yet we seem so small and for the task MATTHEW 28:16-20 The Door Is Open This is the Great Commission, Jesus final words before departing earth These words have guided the of the church ever since the followers of Jesus are a people on the move we want to be a settled people, a resting people Jesus sent out the twelve and the seventy-two we are described as strangers, aliens, sojourners Make disciples of all nations help turn irreligious people into fully devoted apprentices understand that this is a ; make it intentional Baptizing them in the name of the Father.. Son... Holy Spirit mark them as belonging to the Triune God mark them as belonging to the family of God

8 Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you growth in knowledge is essential for a Christ follower knowledge without obedience is Now for two significant problems Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee twelve is the number of wholeness, completeness they have a significant problem in 3 years Jesus had gone from 0 to thousands to about 40 we often face a similar problem They worshipped him, but some doubted even within this group, not all were fully committed still trying to wrap their brains around the resurrection too many questions, too few answers, not all in they have a significant problem we often face a similar problem So how did they walk through that open door in front of them? they remembered the All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me that same authority has been given to Christ s followers today they claimed his Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age through his Holy Spirit Jesus is just as present with us CONCLUSION Here I come, ready or not! Here we go, ready or not!

9 PRAYER CONCERNS: Pastor Dan Sewell of New Hope Reformed, Fairview Park, is doing well after surgery to remove a section of his colon. Jim Welsh is recovering from shoulder surgery on Thursday to remove some scar tissue. Continue to pray for those with ongoing health concerns: Bob Beck, Bob & Vivian Cooperrider, Robin Faughner, Nancy Hanwell, Anna Henry, Peg Jenkins, Flora Kostyak, Rose & Bob Murray, Eileen Raich, Dick Read, Gini Reinke, Betty Sweet, Mary & Ted Szenger, Mary Trzop and Nickey Whited. Continue to pray for our military personnel. The Heidelberg Catechism Question 123. What does the second request mean? Answer. "Your kingdom come" means: Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil's work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. To get a cd of any of our sermons, simply write cd and the requested date on your Welcome Card. You ll then find your requested cds on the shelf across from the kitchen (usually by Tuesday.) The sermon audio files, sermon outlines, study questions, verses and bulletins are available on the church website

10 Sermon Questions THE DOOR IS OPEN Matthew 28: Have you ever been locked out of a home or a vehicle? What did you do? 2. Have you ever come home to find your front door or garage door wide open when you thought it was locked? How worried were you to go inside? 3. What does it mean that God has set before us open doors? How willing are you to walk through these doors? 4. Would you rather be settled down or always on the go? What does it mean to be settled in our faith, yet always following Jesus? 5. Are you involved in a process of making disciples of others? Why or why not? 6. Which is stronger for you, knowledge or obedience? Why do you answer as you do? 7. What is the significance of there being only eleven disciples? Do you ever feel that our numbers at BRC are too small for us to be effective? 8. Why do you think some still doubted? Do you? 9. How much comfort do you take from Jesus statements that he has been given all authority, and that he will be with us always? 10. What is one thing you will do differently as a result of this message?

11 Serving at BRC Sunday, April 12 Greeters (9) - Mel & Renate Wilk (10:30) - Jim & Eileen Smalley Welcome Center - Guy & Candice Lenart Nursery (9) - Kristin Toot (10:30) -Cheryl Wright, Renee Garapic, Madison Haynes Ushers (9) -Paul Morgan, Tom Michelson Assisting -Bob Jacobs, Dennis Parker (10:30) - Kenny Wright, Mark Herbert Assisting - Carol Rounds, Bonnie Ansel Verse Cards (9)-Earl & Karyn Gentile (10:30)-Gary Brualdi, Jeff Jansen Coffee-&Juice (9) - Emily Leight Sunday, April 19 Greeters (9) - Gail Bindel (10:30) - John & Robin Smalley Welcome Center - Dick & Rhyna Sensiba Nursery (9) - Barb Vega (10:30) - Sandy Goots, Elizabeth Kisner Ushers (9) - Dennis Parker, Bob Jacobs Assisting -Eric Raich, Earl Holzheimer (10:30) - Carol Rounds, Bonnie Ansel Assisting - Scott Epperson, Donna Cook Verse Cards (9)-Marilyn Zeigler, Nadine Hapney (10:30)-Jim & Eileen Smalley Coffee-&Juice (9) - Bob & Nancy Hanwell Sunday, April 26 Greeters (9) - Guy & Candice Lenart (10:30) - Mark Herbert Welcome Center - Jim & Renee Niedermyer Nursery (9) - Melissa Fazekas (10:30) - Kelly Rhue, Savannah Dickens Ushers (9) - Eric Raich, Earl Holzheimer Assisting - Rick Meyer, Gene Shuster (10:30) - Scott Epperson, Donna Cook Assisting - Ilze Fultz, Patty Walker Verse Cards (9)-Earl & Karyn Gentile (10:30)-Tim & Jackie Dalzell Coffee-&Juice (9) - John & Donna Cook

12 Brunswick Reformed Church Why Do We Exist? BRC exists to be a church where the love of Jesus is transforming lives. What Do We Do? BRC offers opportunities for Christ-centered worship, discipleship, fellowship, service and outreach. What Are Our Core Values? Scripture: In all of life the Bible governs, guides, shapes and sends us out. Humility: God and his grace is the lens through which we view and respond to ourselves and others. Compassion: The love of Jesus empowers us to value and love all people, and to serve those for whom God is equipping us. To What Values Do We Aspire? Discipleship: We will continue to develop a wise understanding of God s Word, an ability to discern God s will, and an eagerness to obey God s leading. Worship: We will continue to grow in our commitment and love for both personal and corporate worship. Kingdom-focused: We will place involvement in God s mission before personal preferences or human traditions. Faith sharing: With humble confidence we will live out our faith, sharing our stories and inviting others to join us on the journey as we have opportunity. Prayer: We will live all aspects of life dependent on God and in communication with him, sharing our hearts and listening for his leadings.