The church service in the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 15, 2019 began with Rodney Herra welcoming everyone and making announcements. He reminded the congregation that they needed to pray about the selection of a new Laurelbrook president. Ruan Swanepoel read the first reading of the Laurelbrook church officers for the new school year.
Jeremy Westcott on the organ and Leilani (senior) on the piano played an introit. Rodney Herra had the invocation. The congregation sang “Jesus Is All the World to Me”. Rodney Herra had the main prayer.
Michael (senior) called for the offering, which will go to the local church budget. Daryll Ellis and Eldric (junior) collected the church offerings. Michel then prayed for the offering.
Hanah Perez told the children a story. Denisse (senior) played “Be Still My Soul”, accompanied by her brother Freddy (sophomore) for special music, accompanied by. Michael then read 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”
Rodney Herra then spoke on the topic “Could Your Name Be Used?” The congregation sang “Rock of Ages”. Rodney Herra had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Daryll Ellis - works for the nearby stone company / local church deacon / Laurelbrook graduate
Hanah Perez – wife of Pastor Richie, Laurelbrook’s campus chaplain
Jeremy Westcott - taught some of the English classes and worked with the music program during the 2019 school year
Ruan Swanepoel – Laurelbrook farm manager
Rodney Herra – local head church elder / operates an auto repair business on State Highway 30
Following are some notes from the sermon:
- Job 1:1-3 “1 ¶ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.”
- Job’s livestock was worth in today’s money over a billion dollars. 2,208 billionaires today with an average of four billions. Job was worth about as much as Bill Gates.
- Job 1:6-7 “6 ¶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
- Satan represented the earth in God’s committee of all the worlds.
- Job 1:9-11 “9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
- God had put protection around Job.
- Job 1:13-20 “13 ¶ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he [was] yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 20 ¶ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,”
- Job lost his wealth and his children in one day. He worshipped God after these tragedies.
- Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
- The children were the biggest blow.
- Job 2:1-4 “1 ¶ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.”
- Satan tried to turn Job against God.
- Job 2:4-5 “4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
- One boil is painful, but Job had boils all over.
- Job’s friends. For seven days, no one talked. Then Job’s friends blamed Job for all the problems. His wife told him to curse God and die. She was supposed to strengthen him.
- Adam failed because of his wife Eve. Satan knew how to tempt Job, but Job stayed true.
- Job 13:16 “He also [shall be] my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.” He accepted the power of God to sustain him.
- Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
- We were created to reflect God. Do we really? Could each of us stand true to God in circumstances like Job’s?
- Ellen White says that Job vindicated his character and God’s also. Are we vindicating God’s character today?
- We often don’t realize that God gives us only the temptations that we could overcome by God’s power.
- We need to question whether we could love God enough to give up everything.
- As a result of Job’s integrity, Job got twice as much back in the end – possibly $330 billion.
- God does bless us even if it is not twice as much as before. Trust God with your life right now (you don’t have tomorrow right now). Do this a day at a time.
- In the End-Times, Satan will do just about anything to get you to stop trusting God.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”