Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church     
 
Pastor Tim Janiszewski - "The Hard Road to a Better Place"

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Messages of Grace

(Past Recorded Sermons) 














 
This Sunday
Sept. 28, 2014

Sermon Title:
"Something More Than a Meal Deal"

Scripture:
Luke 10:38-42




Picture of Pastor Tim
September 25, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

Every now and then, it is worthwhile in life to remember the bad things we've gone through in order to get to a better place. We recall the tough times so that we appreciate the good times, never taking them for granted. We don't remain in the past time of trial and run the risk of becoming trapped with bitterness. But neither do we banish the hard roads we've traveled, pretending that they never existed. I imagine each one of us has personal stories of how the bad can make it better when we trust in the Lord with all our heart, leaning not to our own understanding, committing our way to Him so that He directs our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

What is true of individuals also can be true of organizations-including churches . . . including our church. For several years, MLEPC traveled a hard road as we prayed, discerned, and then took action to part paths with the Presbyterian Church (USA). We familiarized ourselves with the many ways in which our congregation no longer matched with the shifting DNA of the PCUSA. We attempted to create a peaceable way of discussing our crisis of conscience with Pittsburgh Presbytery leadership, to no avail. We voted with over 90% agreement to disaffiliate from our previous denomination. And in an effort to live graciously, we then negotiated a final agreement that included the change of our church name and a parting gift of $215,000.

 

And we lost people from our fellowship. Some preferred to remain in the PCUSA with its diminished view of Scripture, attenuated understanding salvation through Christ alone, and compromised definition of marriage. Others asserted that our church had forgotten grace while pursuing truth and departed. Still others just got tired and left. Put plainly, none of it was easy or enjoyable. Hard times. Yet despite our fair share of human faltering, our church family truly sought to be transparent, faithful, just, and charitable. We stayed together and looked for a new place to serve Christ with a denomination of people whose heart beat with our hearts.

 

That denomination and those people are coming to be our guests this Friday and Saturday, September 26-27, as we host the Presbytery of the Alleghenies of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Nearly 130 representatives from over 60 churches will converge on our building. They'll come from as far away as State College, southwest New York state, Columbus, OH, and Morgantown, WV. With them, we'll seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, trusting Christ through the Spirit to add all good things to us (Matthew 6:33). We'll rejoice in the Bible as the inspired Word of God. We'll sing of Christ alone as the way, the truth, and the life. We'll joyfully abide in God's good plan that a man shall leave his mother and father and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. And as a member church of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies, we'll walk in the Spirit and Word, asking Christ to advance His work in the world through us. [NOTE: We are hosting a Worship Celebration on Friday evening, 7:30 p.m. for the POA commissioners. All MLEPC members and friends are invited! Please join us for the service and greet our EPC friends who are our guests!]

 

Let this gathering of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies at our church tell us that we now are in a better place, a place where we can know the blessings of our Lord and be empowered to communicate His blessings to others. But we had to travel a hard road to arrive here. Let's not forget that hard road. Rather, let us remember that road which our faithful God led us through to bring us to a good and healthy place where we may flourish for His glory.

 

Pastor Tim

 

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