The Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church service on January 12, 2019 began with Rich Sutton welcoming everyone and making a few announcements. Members of a group from Hartland College in Rapidan, Virginia took part in the service.
Jeremy Westcott played an introit, accompanied by Benny (sophomore) on the trumpet. Raynald Sajous had the invocation. The congregation then sang “Standing on the Promises”. Rich Sutton had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Isaac (elementary) then called for the offering. Eric (senior) and his brother Eldric (sophomore) then collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to Georgia-Cumberland Ministries. The congregation sang the doxology, and Isaac prayed for the offering.
Ngwenya talked to the children about the value of people. Gleny Cherian sang ‘He Touched Me” as a vocal solo for special music.
Bryan Lim, one of the group from Hartland, then read 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him.”
Raynald Sajous, one of the group from Hartland, discussed the topic “A Powerful Generation”. The congregation sang “O for a Closer Walk”. Rich Sutton had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students and the Hartland Group:
Jeremy Westcott – one of the academy teachers / currently also working with the music department
Rich Sutton – Laurelbrook’s president
Following are some notes on the sermon:
- As King of Judah, Asa came to the kingdom after a wicked father, but he wanted to be true to God.
- 1 Kings 15:14 “But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.”
- 1 Kings 15:12 “And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.” He even removed his grandmother from being queen mother.
- An Ethiopian army invaded Judah, which had a much smaller army. Asa prayed and asked God tohelp him.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 “And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee.”
- Judah gained a victory over this massive army. You, too, can gain victories over the problems in your life.
- God helped Asa because Asa sought after God. If you seek after God, God will help us as well.
- In the Bible, the “heart” refers to our thoughts and feelings and tendencies. It could also refer to your will, your ability to choose. It could also refer to the intellect, our ability to think and understand things.
- Being perfect means to be complete, full, entire, whole, sincere, or submissive.
- 1 Kings 8:61 “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” Solomon spoke these words at the end of temple dedication.
- 1 Kings 9:4 “And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, [and] wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:”
- Solomon was known for wisdom.
- Hezekiah brought reform to the kingdom and revived the feasts and removed the idols, even the snake Moses made to heal the Israelites because it was worshipped as an idol.
- Today we tend to worship cars and movie stars.
- 2 Chronicles 25:2 “And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.”
- 2 Chronicles 25:14 “Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up [to be] his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.” This is after God gives him a victory!
- Ezekiel 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?”
- The rich young ruler had a stumbling block – his possessions. He rejected Christ due to his riches.
- Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money].”
- James 1:8 “A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.”
- Do you have a single goal you are working toward?
- God needs your whole heart. How we get a whole heart? We can ask for it.
- 1 Chronicles 29:19 “And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all [these things], and to build the palace, [for] the which I have made provision.”
- Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
- Isaiah 55:10-11 “10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.”
- Look at God’s promises in the Bible and ask Him for what you need.
- Asa started out with a perfect heart but didn’t keep it.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 “7 ¶ And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”
- Asa paid for another nation to attack his enemy instead of God.
- We can have continual wars or problems when we don’t rely on God.
- Psalm 101 shows the attitude we should have.
- Psalm 101:1-6 “1 ¶ « A Psalm of David. » I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. 2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me. 4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked [person]. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6 Mine eyes [shall be] upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me”
- God can help you get rid of evil influences in our lives.
- God watches the faithful whose hearts are perfect towards Him.
- God asks of us a perfect heart. In turn, He will have solutions for all our problems.