Being Real In A World Being Fake

Being Real in a world being Fake

Daniel chapter 1:1-21

Introduction-

Our leadership team has been down in Philly for District Assembly.

It happens once a year around this time and I want to talk a minute about it and its importance for the whole church not just those who are delegates that represent the Middletown church.

There are 63 churches represented in our Philly district and about 400-500 people are participating in church business and many more who take some vacation time because they want to experience assembly also… even if they are not delegates.

Our District Superintendent Kerry Willis gave his annual report.

One full day of Missions business and this year our guest missionary was from Papua New Guinea.

One evening service is dedicated where ministers are ordained into the church of the Nazarenes. They have done all their required studies and are recognized and prayed for by the General Superintendent laying hands on him or her and commissioning them as Elders in the church.

Biblical studies are not the only requirement, it comes after years of experience under local leadership and under the scrutiny of the board of Elders who determine who is or not ordained. I had many years of service in two other churches and the required biblical studies before I came to Rosedale and when I was ordained it was the most sacred moment in my life that I will never forget. Many of you experienced that moment with me when I was ordained at District Assembly 2007 in Lancaster, Pa. (16 years ago)

Our General Superintendent Gustavo Crocker spoke three times in two days on world events happening in the 168 countries that Nazarenes are in. Some countries we cannot name because Christianity is not allowed. They are there as teachers and other creative ways into the country. They are underground missionaries.

We had three days of great worship with all those people worshipping the Lord.

The tremendous fellowship of all the Nazarene in the services and even around town as we were in restaurants and hotels in the area. (You can almost tell the Nazarenes) you may not know them but you know them and when you talk together there is a bond and that bond is Jesus.

Two God moments while we were there-

Thursday night during service my legs and back were killing me… I don’t know a nice way of saying it- I don’t know if it was the change of weather but my rheumatoid arthritis was hurting and I just could not get comfortable and wanted to just lay on the floor but knew that would not go well. During the service I asked the Lord to touch me and when we had a break, I told our people sitting by me what was happening. As we standing there, I felt my back pop and it was instead relief… not totally gone but 80% better and I told Rev Porter. He said he was praying for me… I know because that is why I was telling him that. The Lord answered that pray

We had two delegates get sick at the last minute and not able to attend. We had bought missionary dinner tickets for them and did not want them to go to waste. So I was going to try someone to bless with these tickets. At a break in service I felt lead to ask Rev. Wayne Krell if he could use these tickets. Pastor Krell is a dear friend and also a former pastor here at Rosedale. He had a deer in the head light look on his face. He needed two tickets…he was willing to give up his ticket but didn’t know how to get the other person in. It is by reservation and limited because of space. About 200 of the 400-500 could get in.

God moments!

I want to share because it is important to know that we are not just one church in Middletown, Pa. We are a global church with over 5000 churches in USA and in 168 world countries and we are bigger and have a greater present in other countries than USA.

In other countries we have Nazarene hospitals and colleges all over the world.

We have 6 major colleges from coast to coast in the USA.

Why are we bigger in other countries? Because in third world countries they do not have all the toys and distraction we have here in the USA and they are hungry for the Lord.

We have for several weeks been looking at the church and the people who are called the body of Christ.

Today for a few minutes I continue that theme looking at Gods people living in a world that needs to see real believers. Real in the sense we know how we should act as believers . Saying and proclaiming one thing and living another way.