Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings

Camden Baptist Church

March 31, 2012

Our sixth and final night of special meetings was our best attended. There were people present who were not members of Camden Baptist Church and had not come to any of the previous meetings. It was obvious that the church members had invited friends knowing that the focus of the message would be the gospel. All 148 of us heard a message on the topic of hell that included things that were new to us. We enjoyed singing along with a group of instrumentalists that played a bluegrass style of music. The singing continued to be loud and uplifting.

The Aston family shared testimonies of God’s goodness and strength through the trial they have been undergoing since August 7. It was on that day that their sixteen year old daughter and sister, Kelly suffered a major stroke that paralyzed her from the waist down. The eight months since then have involved extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy in Chicago and Lorain. Each member of the family shared how God has given them opportunities to be a witness for Christ through this great difficulty. A slide presentation was shown of Kelly’s progress from day one till the present. Kelly has even begun writing a book about her experience and what God has been teaching her.

The final sermon preached by our brother, Dan Dark was entitled “Hell Is No Joke”. When the invitation was given several people came forward to rededicate themselves to evangelizing their lost friends and relatives and asking God to give them a greater burden for those headed for hell. One young boy prayed to receive Christ as Savior. Below are notes from the sermon.

“Hell Is No Joke”

Introduction: When Dan was seven years old, growing up in Africa, his family listened to a recorded sermon on the topic of hell. It disturbed him greatly. He went to his dad who explained to him the truth of John 3:16. Young Dan trusted Christ as his Savior at this time.

Four things everyone of us needs to know about hell.

1) Hell is a place of conscious physical punishment.

· It begins immediately after death.

· II Corinthians 5 – explains that the moment a believer dies he is present with the Lord. The opposite is true of a nonbeliever.

· Matthew 10:28 – explains that both the material (body) and immaterial (soul) are present in hell.

· Matthew 13:42

o Hell is a literal fire…that is continual.

o Illustration: People in a burn unit in a hospital experience horrible pain.

o Illustration: Dan shared the gospel with a man in the hospital who said he wanted to go to hell. The man died a short time later.

o “Gnashing of teeth”

§ To divert pain.

§ Fear and anger toward others.

· “Wailing”

o Illustration: New widows in parts of Africa would utter a death wail. It involved throwing themselves on the ground, cutting themselves and letting out very loud wails that could be heard far away. They would do this until they would collapse with exhaustion.

· Words in Scripture that refer to hell – Gahanna, Tartarus, Hades.

· Mark 9 & several other New Testament passages.

o Endless physical pain (throughout eternity).

o This applies to all the unsaved.

2) Hell is a place where the past is never forgotten.

· Illustration: There are approximately 1,000 suicides a day in the United States. Most of them are a result of guilt.

o Illustration: Dan was called on to visit a man who wanted to shoot himself. He arrived at the house to find the man sitting with a gun lying on the table in front of him. A short time before this man had angrily honked his car horn at a woman in a car in front of him who was waiting to pull out onto a busy street. The woman was flustered and, as a result, pulled out in front of a semi truck. The resulting crash killed the woman’s four year old daughter. This man was burdened down with guilt and was thinking about killing himself.

· Mark 9:43-48 – explains that in hell the worm never dies.

o Dan believes that this is a reference to man’s memory or conscience which will remember every invitation / gospel presentation ever heard.

3) Hell is a place where people are begging us to reach their loved ones for Christ.

· Illustration: Boy / young man who jumped into a pond full of cottonmouth snakes without knowing it. While in the water being bitten repeatedly he called out to his friends who were getting ready to jump in not to do so. He died from the snake bites.

· Luke 16:19-31 – the voice from hell pleading that someone be sent to warn his five brothers so they won’t have to go there.

o Others who go to hell do the same. Listen to the voice(s) of hell pleading with us to reach the lost with the gospel.

4) Hell is a place of no hope.

· I Thessalonians 4:13-18

o Christians will “forever be with the Lord”.

o No more goodbyes.

o We don’t sorrow like others who have no hope (vs. 13).

o From Rapture on we will never be separated from the Lord.

· Revelation 20:11-15 – Great White Throne of Judgment

o Believers will there as spectators to witness people being thrown into the Lake of Fire.

o They will hear Christ say to their loved ones on earth, “Depart from me, I never knew you”.

· Revelation 21:4 – Tears are wiped away by Christ.

o In hell the past is never out of mind.

o In heaven the “former things are passed away”. Dan believes that indicates that those in hell will never be brought to mind again.

· Good News

o None of us has to go to hell!

o Those who know Christ will be in heaven.

o Last breath on earth will be the first breath in heaven.

· Illustration: Man who started the Salvation Army said to his coworkers that if they could just spend five minutes in hell they would reach the world for Christ.

Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings
Camden Baptist Church
March 30, 2012

Our fifth straight night of special services saw 134 in attendance. More important than the number of people each night is the spirit that is present during our gatherings. There is an air of expectancy that God is doing something in our midst and wants to do even more. That was evident when the invitation was given and 17 people responded to rededicate themselves to a greater concern for lost souls.
The men’s quartet led the worship time prior to the message. It is hard to tell if the singing sounds so full because we find ourselves in a room with a low ceiling or because people are singing out. Either way it is encouraging to hear these timeless hymns of our faith reverberating off the walls. We sang: “What A Day That Will Be”, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, “I’ve Got A Mansion” and “Room At The Cross For You”. The quartet also sang for special music a song that was new to most of us. It was about having Jesus as our friend.
Nathan Nocella shared the gospel message using the wordless bracelet. He held up a multi-colored circle about the size of a frisbee and shared God’s plan of salvation with it. He then offered any children present a bracelet of their own so they could share the gospel with others. He will be doing the same thing in a little over a week when he travels to India on a mission trip with his dad and another man from the church (Dave Lake).
Dan Dark preached another stirring message, one that every church needs to hear. Below are notes from his sermon.

“The Lost Commitment” – Luke 15
Introduction: The last three great revivals in America began with the youth. The other commonality was the strong emphasis on evangelism.
· Question: When was the last time you shared Christ with someone? Think about one or two people you know that don’t know Christ.

1. The Lost Sheep – Divine Concern
· Our community is going to be reached one person at a time. The concern for the one.
· What are we doing to reach the one?
· Illustration: Dan went on a mission trip to the Philippines 22 years ago along with a number of other pastors. The main goal of the trip was evangelism. During one sermon that Dan preached a Philippino man named Philip came to one of the services, responded to the message and professed Christ as Savior. He had been the most feared man in the community.

2. The Lost Coin – Divine Commitment
· “She seeks diligently for the coin”
· Illustration: If you lost $1,000.00 cash in your home you would seek diligently for it.
· Illustration: When his wife used to lose her contact in the house they would seek diligently for it.
· “Commitment” means making something a top priority.
· Illustration: Muslims selling everything they have to afford a pilgrimage to Mecca to pay homage to a dead man. Jehovah Witnesses committed going door to door in all kinds of weather. The total commitment of the 9/11 terrorists.
· Question: Where is our commitment?
· We have the truth. We have what the world needs!
· Illustration: His grandpa (mother’s father) was not saved. He and his parents prayed for his salvation for many years. Three days before he died a pastor shared Christ with him in his hospital room and led him to Christ.

3. The Lost Son – Divine Compassion
· This story is more about the Father than it is the son.
· Sometimes we independent, fundamental Baptists have lacked compassion and been too quick to condemn.
· Illustration: Brother-in-law dying of AIDS. He has cut off ties with the family. They are praying that someone in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area will reach out to him in love and compassion and share Christ with him before he dies.
· Woman caught in adultery – Jesus was the only one qualified to throw a stone at her because he alone was without sin. Yet He did not do so because He had compassion on her.
· We won’t reach our community for Christ if we don’t have compassion.
· Question: When was the last time you wept over a lost soul?
· Illustration: Song by Kathy Troccoli entitled, “Go Light Your World”. The lyrics tell us to “run to the darkness” not from it.
· Camden Baptist Church is God’s work. He placed us here for a reason, not just to be a country club. We are a lighthouse.

Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings
Camden Baptist Church

Thursday night was family night at our special meetings. Pastor Dark preached a message entitled “What Makes A Family Strong” to the 137 in attendance. The passage he spoke on was Deuteronomy 6:4-13. Below is a summary of his message. People have made decisions for Christ each night of the meetings. Tonight’s invitation was directed specifically toward the men to take the spiritual leadership in their homes. Eric Hempel led us in some great worship songs including “Standing On The Promises” and “The Solid Rock”. We ended the service with the song “We Are An Offering”. Eric also provided the special music for the evening singing the song entitled “Your Grace Still Amazes Me”.
Andrew Nocella preached his Talents For Christ sermon on the topic, “God Is Love”. He shared how many people quote that phrase but there are many different interpretations of the phrase, most of them not Biblical. Some teach that it means that God approves of us no matter what we do and that everyone will get into heaven. Others teach that it means that God gives us religion so that we can earn His approval and work our way to heaven. The Bible teaches, however what “God is love’ really means and that is that He sent His Son to do what we could not do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and died to pay for our sins. Only those who put their trust in Him will gain His approval in the here and now and be welcomed into heaven some day.

Introduction:
· Quote from Max Lucado – “God is more than happy to meet us right where we are but He has no intention of leaving us there.”
· Israelites were getting ready to enter the Promised Land. This land was a very hostile environment, much like the world we live in today.

The Israelites were to…
1) Hear the truth continually (vs. 4).
· Church settings are not enough. This must happen in the home as well.
· We should not have more exposure to television than the Bible.
· We should hear the Word of God over and over again so we know it like we know a commercial jingle or an old song.
· Men, how much does your family hear the Word of God in your home?
2) Love the LORD fervently (vv. 5-6).
· The word “all” repeated in this passage emphasizes totality.
· It is impossible to transfer to our children what we ourselves do not embrace. We must love God ourselves.
· Truth needs to be transferred by our lives more than our lips. Show it, don’t just say it.
o Illustration: Dan grew up in Africa where he learned to love eating peanut butter and rice for breakfast and putting jelly on his grilled cheese sandwiches. His kids like these foods today because he introduced them to them.
3) Teach the young diligently (vv. 7-9).
· It is the parent’s responsibility to teach the Word of God.
· The word “teach” means to sharpen in Hebrew.
· Word “taught” means to talk informally. That is, it is part of our everyday lives.
4) Fear the LORD greatly (vv. 10-13).
· Fear – not terror or fright but reverence for His holy name.
· We respect Him too much to disregard His ways or disregard His will.
o Illustration: Mrs. Patton was an elderly woman Dan knew when he was a young man. He had so much respect for her that he didn’t want to do anything that would cause her to be disappointed in him.

Conclusion: Satan is attacking the family. We need to seek God’s help.

Pastor Larry Writes

Special Meetings
Camden Baptist Church

Wednesday evening’s service marked the midway point of our special meetings. A total of 130 were in attendance. The musical aspect of the worship was led by the youth choir made up of 14 high school teens. A smaller teen ensemble sang a special entitled “A Servant In Your Heavenly House”. It is obvious that their leader, Darcy Klier works very hard to prepare them to sing. They sound great.
Chris Kish preached a short sermon on the topic of “Standing Up and Standing Out”. He is competing this Saturday in the Male Public Speaking category for Talents For Christ. He began his sermon by sharing a memory of preaching to some of his childhood toys and stuffed animals when he was a young boy. Chris is a senior at Keystone High School in Lagrange and has sought to stand up and stand out for Christ on the basketball court, in the locker room and in the classroom.
Pastor Dan Dark preached his third sermon of the week. This one was entitled “Thinking Differently About Our Conscience” from I Peter 3:16. Below is a summary of the sermon.

Introduction: Our conscience either accuses or excuses us (Romans 2:14-15).
o Illustration: Our consciences are like windows that get dirty. Word of God is like sunshine flooding through our hearts. When our conscience is not clear the Word of God gets blocked out. The result is that we no longer know what is right and what is wrong. Revival is when we clean the window. Pastor Dark asked if we were in love with God’s love letter to us.

The Benefits of Keeping the Window Clean
1) A clear conscience fortifies us with courage.
· It gives us courage to do what is right
o Illustration: Daniel who did what was right as a teenager and an elderly man and was willing to suffer for it.
2) A clear conscience gives us peace in our hearts.
· Illustration: Son of a pastor killed in an automobile accident. The police officer came to know Christ as Savior as a result of the peace of God displayed by the grieving family.
· Illustration: H.G. Spafford, author of the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul”. He wrote this hymn after he lost family members in a sinking ship. He was able to do this because he had a clear conscience.
o Note: Pastor Dark mentioned that the last three times he has used this illustration this song has been song during the service without anyone knowing that he was going to refer to it. It was sung last night before he spoke.
3) A clear conscience removes from us the fear of what other people may know or say or do
to us.
· Illustration: Meeting pastors in Cuba who had all served jail time for the sake of the gospel.
· Illustration: While growing up in Africa Dan and his family prayed for 12 pastors from Chad who had been arrested and their church buildings burned to the ground. They were each given the opportunity to deny Christ and promise never to preach about Him again. When they refused they were buried up to their necks and given one last chance to live. Instead they began singing “Amazing Grace”. As a result they were each killed by having wooden stakes driven through their heads. They were able to stand and die for their faith in Christ because they had a clear conscience.
· Illustration: I John 1:9 promises us that “if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Pastor Dark remembered a couple he knew when he and his wife were newly married. This couple had been married for sixty years. He asked the husband how he and his wife handled disagreements. The man shared that when they got into an argument he would go for a drive for a while to cool off. When he returned home he would open the front door announce his return and toss his hat in. If his hat came flying back at him he would get back in his car and go for a drive and repeat the process until his hat was not forcibly returned to him. The fact is that when we confess our sins to God, He never throws our hat back at us. We are always forgiven, always cleansed of our sin!

Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings
Camden Baptist Church
March 28, 2012

Last night was our second night of special meetings. A total of 95 were in attendance to hear Pastor Daniel Dark preach to us from I Peter 3:15 on the topic of “Thinking Differently About Christ”. We were treated musically to a song by the choir entitled “Rain Down” and Pastor Bill led the congregation in singing some old hymns of the faith.
Gina Clark shared a brief testimony about what she called “the trial of her life”. She told how God had sustained her over the last year as she battled cancer and that she is grateful that God has brought her through this physical trial. She went on to clarify, though that the trial of her life was not cancer as she originally thought. The struggle she faces is to save her marriage. She is praying for restoration and reconciliation. Please pray with her as she seeks to honor God and remain a good testimony for Jesus Christ in the midst of this trial.
Below are some notes and quotes from Pastor Dark’s sermon.

Introduction:
· The different aspects of sanctification.
o Positional sanctification - God sets us apart positionally at the moment of salvation.
o Glorified sanctification - God sets us apart from the effects and presence of sin at the moment we enter heaven.
o Progressive sanctification – God gives us the ability to set apart Christ in our lives by making Him front and center.
§ Illustration: A sleeping cat can be awakened by the smell of raw meat waved in front of his nose – that’s revival.
As we set apart Christ…
1. We do not fear
· We will live in a world filled with fear.
· What do we have to fear when God is our God and we know He’s in control?
o David did not fear Goliath because He had God in the right place.
o The reason I fear is because my God is not big enough. Fear dissipates when we see God as big.
2. We will be ready with an answer
· We will know the Word of God and we will know God.
· We need a revival of the Word of God.
o Illustration: Killing a python with his knife while growing up in Africa. His point was that the Word of God is useless unless we use it like he used his knife. Take it, use it, apply it.
3. We will submit to Authority
· Submission to God…it is one of the most difficult things.
· We are totally dependent on God.
o Illustration: Pastor Dark was allowed to take the controls of a plane while flying. He then had to give the pilot back the controls to fly and land the plane.
· Quote: “God is the only One who has ever lived your life before.”
o It means God knows every moment of our future. Doesn’t it make sense to give Him the controls of your life?
o The reason we don’t submit to God is because we don’t trust Him.
o Romans 12:1-2 – When we submit to God we are willing to place ourselves on the altar.

Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings

Monday evening we kicked off our special meetings at the Camden Township Hall. One hundred twenty three were in attendance for the first night to hear Pastor Daniel Dark preach a sermon entitled “How To Kill A Giant”. His passage for the evening was I Samuel 17 which records the account of David killing Goliath. Below is a summary of his sermon.

Introductory Thoughts:
· David did not set out that day to kill a giant.
· We have a God who is bigger than any giant.

Outline:
1. David knew that the giant could be beaten (vs. 26)
· Remember that every giant has a point of vulnerability.
· Illustration: The points of vulnerability on an elephant.
2. David gained strength from remembering the past (vv. 34-36)
· David remembered past victories.
· Question: When has God ever failed you? If He helped you in the past He will certainly help you now.
3. David relied on proven weapons (vv. 38-40)
· God has given us His Word as a proven weapon.
· We often turn to everything else except the Word of God for help.
4. David claimed the victory (vv. 45-46)
· Even before a stone was ever thrown.
· Goliath fell forward after being hit by the stone in the forehead (vs. 49).
o The force of the stone impacting him was so great it caused a vacuum that propelled him forward instead of backward…God did this.
· God is just as powerful today as He was in David’s day.

Pastor Dark gave an invitation for any who raised their hands indicating that they had giants in their life. Several people came forward while the youth praise team led the congregation in the song “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us”. A prayer on behalf of these people was offered up to God to grant them the help and strength they will need to have victory over the giants in their lives.
Tonight’s message is entitled “Thinking Differently About Christ”. The Scriptural text is I Peter 3:15. We have been praying that God would do a great work among us as a church family this week. Last night was a good start. God’s Word went forth clearly and powerfully and it was well received. May God continue to work among us as the week goes on.

People Are Ready

It is clear that many in our number have been preparing their hearts for this week. People who have done so are readily dealing with God. Perhaps their example will spur others for openness to God.