{"id":9326,"date":"2015-11-18T16:10:55","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T20:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=9326"},"modified":"2015-12-22T09:39:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-22T13:39:00","slug":"the-worlds-first-gps-111515","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=9326","title":{"rendered":"The World’s First GPS (11\/15\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GPS<\/a>A GPS is your reference; it keeps you focused on your destination, it keeps you from wandering into “detours”, it teaches you new paths, it points out the most effective route to take.\u00a0 It even tells you when it’s time to “recalculate your route.” Kind of sounds like a Bible, doesn’t it?\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The 3rd Sunday in November is traditionally observed as “Bible Sunday,” and so Pastor Jim took a look at the significance of the Bible in our daily walk with God. \u00a0 Click the below “Play” button to start the recording, then scroll down to follow along.\u00a0 The recording is from the 11:00 service…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nhttps:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Sermon-2015-11-15b_-The-Worlds-First-GPSs-by-Pastor-Jim-Bolton-6kbs-mono_.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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The scripture reading was Luke 4:14-21, an account of what may have been one of the first “Bible Studies” led by Jesus Himself.\u00a0 Pastor Jim read from The Living Bible, and the New Living Translation is shown below.\u00a0 Click the drop down box to follow along…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Luke 4:16-21<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.<\/p>\n

17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:<\/p>\n

18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,\u00a0 for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.\u00a0 He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,\u00a0 that the blind will see,\u00a0 that the oppressed will be set free,<\/p>\n

19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”<\/p>\n

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.<\/p>\n

21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”<\/p>\n

Holy Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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You Get Out What You Put In…<\/span><\/h3>\n
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There’s a story about an older married couple who were walking out of a church on Sunday following the service.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The husband said to the wife,\n“Did you see the strange hat Mrs.O’Brien was wearing?<\/em><\/strong>“<\/span><\/p>\n

…\u00a0\u00a0 “No, I didn’t<\/span><\/em><\/strong>,” replied his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n

The husband remarked, “Bill, the usher badly needs a haircut, doesn’t he?<\/em><\/strong>“<\/span><\/p>\n

…\u00a0\u00a0 The wife replied, “Sorry dear, I didn’t notice.<\/span><\/em><\/strong>“<\/span><\/p>\n

Then with a bit of impatience in his voice, the husband said,\n“You know Margaret,\u00a0 sometimes I wonder if you get anything at all out of going to church.<\/em><\/strong>“<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

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What do you expect when you come to Sunday Worship?\u00a0 Unless you come expecting to have an encounter with the living God,\u00a0 all you’ll see is distractions.\u00a0 Think about the Israelites who showed up for Synagogue that one Saturday… what did they expect?\u00a0 What did they think when Jesus read this passage from Isaiah and then claimed that He was the fulfillment of it?<\/p>\n

This was something new; it demanded that they change course.\u00a0 Like them, do we need to have our “Spiritual GPSs” recalculated?<\/p>\n

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Keep Your Eyes on the Road…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Any GPS will warn you to “keep your eyes on the road”; don’t be playing with this electronic gadget when you should be watching traffic.\u00a0 In this passage, the thing that Jesus drew our attention to was the Scripture.\u00a0 And this was nothing new…<\/p>\n

It’s always appropriate that Scripture be read and focused upon in the worship of God.\u00a0 Take a look at these Old Testament passages…<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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