The church service in the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on May 4, 2019 began with a welcome and announcements by Rich Sutton. Jeremy Westcott shared one of the observations Clifton Brandt shared with him. Clifton said that his wife, hospitalized in Chattanooga with cancer, felt the presence of God with her in her suffering.
Jacqueline Miller played an introit on the piano. Michael (junior) had the invocation. The congregation sang “Be Thou My Vision”. Rich Sutton had the main prayer.
Jissel (senior) called for the offering, which will go to local budget church budget. John and Daryll Ellis collected the church offerings. Jissel then prayed for the offering.
Carol Warley read a story titled “Learning to Trust” to the congregation (no children were present). A child met a guide dog. Her father had her close her eyes so she could experience what a blind child would experience with a guide dog.
A student music group sang, accompanied by Felix (junior) on the piano, for special music. Daryen (junior) read the scripture reading – Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Michael (junior) then spoke on the topic “How to Withstand Trials” The congregation sang “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”. Michael had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Clifton Brandt – works with Laurelbrook’s sewer, water, and boiler systems
Jacqueline Miller – semi-retired nurse living on the Laurelbrook campus
Jeremy Westcott – teaches some of the academy classes and works with the campus music department
Rich Sutton – Laurelbrook’s president
Following are some notes from the sermon:
- Sabbath is day of rest from regular work.
- Jeremiah 1:4-10 “4 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
- God didn’t plan for trials with no reasonable solutions. There are physical trials and spiritual hardships.
- Some trials come from mistakes we make. But other trials seemingly have no reason.
- Spiritually we are tempted to follow what our friends tell us instead of following God says. This may include playing sports instead of reading the Bible. Often we neglect Christ.
- Sometimes we want something to happen, but it is delayed. It may be that God wants us to learn a lesson.
- Jesus had the same trials.
- Prayer is the first tool in dealing with trials. There are two types of prayer – deep prayer communicating with God and daily prayer.
- Matthew 4:1-4 “1 ¶ Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
- A second tool is using God’s Word to combat temptation. This is what Jesus was doing – quoting God’s Word in dealing with Satan’s temptations. Satan came like an angel from God.
- Note that Satan was casting doubt about Jesus’ position as the Son of God and hoping that Jesus would do a miracle for Himself. After all, Jesus was at the end of His physical strength.
- Deuteronomy 8:2-3“2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
- Jesus had put Himself in the position the Israelites had been in – suffering hunger as a test of allegiance to God.
- When the devil or his angels attack us, we have to turn to Jesus and His power to overcome these evil beings.
- These evil trials remind us that God has the power to overcome our problems.
- Constant prayer, constant Bible study, and constant communication with God gives us the power to overcome our trials.