October 14, 2018 - Preparing for the Lord's Day
October 15, 2018Preparing for the Lord's Day
Connecting Missions from Sunday to Monday
That’s the theme of our Triennial Mission Conference, which begins this Sunday (see the attached flyer for a schedule of events). Our guest preacher for this Sunday is Robert (Robby) Hamd; he leads the Philemon Project in Beirut, Lebanon. Robby will help us wrestle with our belief that God only calls “qualified" people into His mission. As we look at Mark 1:14-20 this Sunday, we will see that God sends John, His messenger, to “prepare the way” for Jesus. Jesus, Who is sent as the one and only beloved Son and Messiah, then sends His rather “unqualified” disciples to bear witness to His kingdom wherever God places them. This is the same pattern God uses when He calls us into kingdom service as participants in the missio Dei (mission of God). He does so that we might draw our strength and inspiration from Him.
To aid us in rejoicing in the missio Dei, we will sing the Keith Getty hymn “May The Peoples Praise You,” which we sang last week for our closing hymn. During this hymn, Rivermont members will carry flags from the countries in which our missionaries serve. They will be led by the Christian flag, which is meant to be a visible reminder “that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11). We will also sing “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” for the Acclamation of Praise, closing with the hymn, “Lift High The Cross.” We will also welcome Rivermont member, Hattie Eshleman, who will share a moment for mission about an upcoming eleven-month mission trip she is making next January.
During the Sunday School hour, all adults (9th grade and up) will meet in the Sanctuary for a joint session with Robby and his wife Joyce. They will address some practical ways we can participate in themissio Dei, including the gift of hospitality. They are a dynamic pair and you will enjoy hearing ways you can “connect missions from Sunday to Monday."
If you are going to be out of town this Sunday, let me encourage you to listen to the sermon online (usually posted by Monday afternoon) or you can download the REPC podcast, which will be delivered to your mobile device.
Finally, let me encourage you to join us for our Mission Conference program Sunday night as we will hear special reports from Steve and Joan Tinsley as well as Robby and Joyce Hamd. Additionally, we will commission Hattie Eshleman as she prepares to follow God’s call to serve Him in missions. We will also enjoy a time of fellowship after the program in the Cheatham Center with some ice cream sandwiches, cones, klondike bars, etc.