NO. LIVERMORE — At the Feb. 25 North Livermore Baptist Church service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Invocation/Lord’s Prayer were recited. The hymns that were sung were “Come, Thou Almighty King” “I Love to Tell the Story” and “Our God Reigns”. The service ended with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.
The sermon, titled “Jesus’ Journey to the Cross” and scriptures from Philippians 2:1-14. Pastor Bonnie began by saying that Jesus went to the cross a battered and beaten man. Even though He was still God, He became man to take our sins upon Himself on the cross.
Jesus was a humble, suffering, and broken man. When we come to Jesus to repent of our sins, we are to be a humble, suffering in our sins, and a broken person. When we do, God will forgive us when we repent of our sins.
Jesus knew He was going to the cross. He knew what was expected of Him. His mission was to save the world from the sin that we live in. Jesus came to earth with the right attitude. He knew what was expected of Him and He did it. He showed His humility and His grace to others. Jesus expects us to show that we can humble ourselves and to show grace to others as He did for us.
Jesus also came to this world knowing what He needed to do. His actions spoke many times more than His words. Jesus walked this world with what God provided for Him. In the same way, we should be living our lives in what God provides for us and not lean on our own selves to supply our needs.
Jesus gave up everything on the cross, even His clothes were called for. We all need to sacrifice things that God has asked us to. When Jesus asked the rich man to give up His wealth to follow Him, the rich man couldn’t do it. Jesus is asking us to give up the things in our life that we value more than Him. As we follow Jesus, we will be reward and blessed more than we ever thought.
The children’s game of “Simon Says”, mirrors what Jesus is telling us. The game plays by someone saying Simon Says to do something and the children must do it. When the person doesn’t say Simon Says in front of the command, the children aren’t supposed to do it.
God has given us a book, the Bible, with all the commands that God says for us to do. God has written down how we should live our lives so we will follow Him. Even the children’s game “Follow the Leader” gives us another example to follow Him. Jesus tells us to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God (Mark 10:14-15).
Jesus tells us to live like He lived, relying on His Father, our God, to provide for us. We are being asked to trust and obey Him. As Jesus has asked us to follow Him, He is also asking us to have a servant’s heart. Jesus reached out to those in need, and He expects us to do it too.
Folks, when you give to others with a servant heart, you realize that your life isn’t yours, because everything you do is for God, to please Him. If we have a servant’s heart, we will be committed in service to Him, in prayer, dedicated to Him in worship, in our tithing, using our gifts and talents for His glory, discipleship, and to growing a more personal relationship with God.
Announcements listed in the bulletin are that the congregation will be collecting canned spaghetti sauce for the Food Pantry in March. Bible Study: Tuesday at 1 p.m.
You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Tuesday’s from 9 a.m. to noon.
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