EAST TAMPA CHRISTIAN CHURCH
7824 S. 24th Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33619 / (813) 626-2507
Terry Tyree, Minister
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Announcements
Prayer
Sermon
Invitation Song
Communion Song
Communion / Offering
Praise Songs
All the Earth
Come, Now Is the Time to Worship
You Are My King
Good God Almighty
Closing Prayer
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
ON THE CALENDAR
Today: Sunday School /Adults 9 a.m., Children 9 and 10 a.m.
Worship, 10 a.m.
Tuesday: Hunger-Free Mission / Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Food and clothing distribution, 10 a.m.
Wednesday: Bible study and prayer meeting, 6 p.m.
Thursday: Bible study, 11 a.m.
May 30- July 28: Lake Aurora summer camps / visit lakeaurora.org
THIS AND THAT
Offerings last week: $980 (general fund)
Meditations next week: Bob Bellone
FROM THE WORD
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
LUKE 18:1-8
ADDITIONAL
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT PERSISTENCE?
For the most part, the Bible presents persistence as a positive quality. It is linked closely with endurance and perseverance. Jesus praised persistence in prayer with an illustration – the focus of today’s sermon from Luke 18.
Persistence is positive when the goal is righteous. Persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1), in faith (Hebrews 11:13), and in doing good (Galatians 6:9) are all commended because the motivation is right. However, persistence is wrong when the motives are self-serving. If we persist in sin, the Bible commands other Christians to rebuke us (Matthew 18:15–17). In fact, those who persist in sinful lifestyles are not true Christians; they have not been born again (1 John 3:4–10). Persistent, willful sin is evidence that the Holy Spirit has not yet transformed our natures so that we desire godliness (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Persistent complaints are not praiseworthy, either. Proverbs 21:9 says it is “better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.” A spouse’s persistent nagging or complaining is a sign of selfishness, not godliness. To persist in lustful desire is also wrong. King Ahab is an example of such persistence, and in his case, it led to murder (1 Kings 21:1–16) and a pronouncement of judgment (1 Kings 21:17–26).
For us who desire to please the Lord, persistence keeps us from straying. We persistently put one foot in front of the other as we walk the path God has designed for us (Proverbs 4:25–26). Neither temptation, doubt, nor discouragement can destroy those who persist in following Christ. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Waiting for the Lord means persisting in righteousness until we receive His answer or His deliverance.
The Bible shows two opposing aspects of persistence. Jesus told His followers that those who persisted in faith to the end would be saved (Mark 13:13). The opposite is persisting in sin. Our sinful nature loves having its own way. We are not to give in to it, knowing “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7–8). Persistence is part of a godly character when its objectives are godly.
gotquestions.org
TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION
The invitation at the close of each worship service extends an opportunity for anyone outside of Christ to unite with him and become a Christian through belief (John 3:16); repentance (turning away from sin,
Acts 2:38); confession of belief in Christ (Romans 10:10); baptism into Christ for forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-8) and devoting the rest of your life to
Christ (Matthew 10:22).
The Lord’s invitation also is open to anyone desiring to rededicate his or her life to Christ; to baptized
believers wanting to transfer their membership to this congregation, or to request prayer support.
ABOUT US
For more than a half-century, we have been a restoration plea fellowship in unity with other independent New Testament church bodies. Certainly, we are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only.
In that regard, we assume no denominational name. We observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday to honor him and reflect upon his great sacrifice on our behalf (Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, Hebrews 10:25).
We teach directly from the Bible. Where it speaks clearly – such as the Gospel plan of salvation and other directions or commands – we seek unity. In matters of opinion, where the Bible does not expressly speak, we seek liberty. In all things, however, we speak love for one another, just as Jesus loved us and laid down his life for us!
If you agree with these matters, please join us to proclaim salvation and unity to those who need to hear it in the name of our blessed Lord and only Savior, Jesus Christ. We urgently invite you to do so since his glorious return is imminent.
OUR ELDERS
Jim Fairchild (813) 361-7809 jfairchild@famins.com
Dan Hefner (813) 244-9843 danshirlh@msn.com