See grace and how it added many people to the church and how many were now taught. Just a simple prayer changes perceptions. Just imagine what would go from us if we would just preach and pray. We have an open table that welcomes all people. (Ephesians 6:18-19)

Speaker(s): Pastor Steven Scibelli, Pastor Sam Muhima
Sermon # 11695
6:30 PM on 6/9/2019

P. Schaller

Jude 12 says these are spots in your feast of charity. These are the heretics that are there in the church. They are called spots in the feast of charity. Charity is another word for love. So we have a love feast. This is our fellowship. God is love and we have a feast. In the material sense of a feast, you got the turkey and ham and pork ribs and smoked salmon and the fish and the veggies and the fruit and the dessert. You have a whole feast, a smorgasbord. Ulla is saying amen! We know a feast of food but what is a feast of love? We have a feast of love. When you see a person you haven’t seen for a while and you are thinking about them in God and in love, you see them and embrace them and are so happy to see them. I was rejoicing at the sight of Titus. When Titus came, I was greatly encouraged.

Chris Arman flew into Boston and is in Marlboro preaching. Sam Mohima is here from Uganda. P. Scibelli is going to lead us in a message on prayer. We will have some prayer tonight. What is a feast of love? What is a love feast in the H.S. and in God? P. Steve said four dozen crabs with Old Bay and a wooden hammer with the newspapers and a fly flying around and you’re with your whole family. P. Scibelli said it’s forgiveness, love, doctrine. We can say our heavenly Father has children and we are the children and he is loving us. I can imagine when we come together and somebody says please forgive me. I’m so sorry. And they collapse in each other’s arms so to speak and there is tears and love. Forgiveness is a love feast. It’s a new life for us. It’s doctrine. When the Spirit speaks to us. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. When you tell me the truth, you love me. When our dad gave us a good word in the old school; when our dad had a firm hand and he loved us and told us what we needed to hear. Get up and go to school. Stop whining and get your own Cheerios. Pray for your mother. Pick up your dirty socks and do God’s will. This is a love feast.

Our Convention is a love feast and we are praying for that. God will be saying I love you. I’m after you and I care about you. I want the young men to grow up and be men of God. I want the young women to grow up and be women of God and us older folks grow up and be men and women of God.

A lot of good stuff is going on and happens by the H.S. dwelling in you.

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P. Scibelli

This is P. Sam Mohima. We met how many years ago? 1997. Twenty-two years ago. For those that are good at mathematics or have calculators. Twenty-three. Where are the Gorham’s? His son gave P. Sam a gospel tract and that’s how he came to the ministry. These are gospel tracts. Nate gave him a tract and he became part of Greater Grace. We have 79 churches in East Africa and how many in Uganda? Thirty-five and 75 in East Africa – Rwanda, Congo, Sudan and Sudanese refugee camps. He’s done an amazing work of grace there. Since I’ve known him, he’s been a grace man.

Welcome P. Sam.

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P. Sam

Good evening. Greetings from Uganda. Uganda is the power of Africa. If you want to know something about it, you need to come and see it yourself. Thank you. P. Schaller and P. Scibelli for the opportunity to speak. It’s a lot God does in a year. You can’t even try to trace.

It’s a lot, but there is this one story of a student we have now that comes from Chad in Central Africa. There are so many wars around Central Africa. Two years ago, he came to Bible school in Kampala. He saved his money and went to Cameroon. He bought his ticket but on the day he was supposed to come he got sick and missed the flight. He didn’t give up. He had to remain in Cameroon and then wait for another year and save money. Last year, he was able to get money this time and went early at the airport. Now he is in the Bible school. He’s an amazing young man and all that he is thinking about is grace and the finished work. Pray for him. Amen.

Briefly, 2 Sam. 9:7 this is a story about Mephibosheth and David’s kindness. King David. vs. 7, 13. Luke 14:13-14. I want to share about an open table. It’s a table opened for everyone. In the world, the table is not open for everybody. They are open according to social status. If you are rich, you are welcome to a certain table. The rich cannot sit with the poor. In other places, for example in Africa, it’s according to tribe. If you are my tribe, you can sit together. If you are not, we cannot sit together. Not everyone is welcome at the table in the world but with Christ, everyone is welcome. The poor, the lame, the crippled. Everyone is welcome at this table. It’s an open table for everyone. It’s amazing at this table you have the poor, the lame, the crippled, the blind and J.C. sitting at the table with such people. When you look at that group of people, you think there is no future. What kind of group is this? They have no eyes. They are poor. They can’t walk. They are crippled. Jesus Christ says this is the group I like. Not only that, when you read Luke 15, he actually eats with them at the same table. This is not in any way the world.

The world can look sometimes and that’s how we came in, poor, lame, crippled but we were accepted because the table was open for us. We were sitting with him and eating with him. The world says these are crippled people. They don’t think well. Jesus Christ says you may be lame, but I’m their legs. You may see they are poor, but I’m their riches. You may see they are crippled, but I’m the reason why they are whole. You can’t see that unless you come to this table he has opened. The table is widely open and we thank God for that. At this table, it’s a good menu.

In Africa we know it by we don’t serve that much. The menu is in the mind. Here in the states, it’s different. You go to a restaurant and they bring three menus. Sometimes, I ask P. Renaldo, you need to help me. I don’t know everything. The list is long. That’s the same thing on the menu. What is on the table? The menu is good. It’s the word of God. Sweet. The Bible says in Jeremiah it is sweet, Jer. 15:16. Sweet stuff from the table. Mt. 4:4. We eat it. We find it there. We find the grace of God. It causes us to grow.

Jer 31 the children of Israel found it in the wilderness. They found that food at the table in the wilderness and made them strong. Love we find there. Gal. 5. It’s on the menu. When we eat, we become strong. Then our inabilities are swallowed by his ability. Our poverty is swallowed up by his riches of grace because we are sitting at that table.

Sometimes God sets it in Ps 23:5. He set it in the presence of your enemies. It’s okay to have enemies. Sometimes we pray they go away. But it’s okay they remain because in their presence God sets a table. The reason why he sets it right there in their presence so you may eat of this food called love and when you love, Jesus Christ said if you love those who love you, what benefit is that? You need to love your enemies. Your enemy can see in Ps. 23:5 how anointed you are. It’s amazing God anoints the poor, the lame, the crippled. He anoints them. He puts it there. He allowed Judas to sit in this open table. He didn’t say get out. Love. He did.

He can sit there in the midst of your enemies. He can set it in the wilderness. When you are in those difficult situations, that’s the best place where God has set a table. What do you find there? The same thing the children of Israel found there. They found grace in the wilderness. A table was set for them, well-furnished in the wilderness. We thank God for the open table. Everyone is welcome. The reason we keep coming here is the table is wide open for us. We go back and feed other people. Thank God in our lives we have continued. Why? Because so many people have not closed tables on us. They kept on saying, come. Sit. Let’s eat. Let’s have fellowship. This love and forgiveness.

Continue to pray for the work in East Africa as we continue to pray for you. God bless you.

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P. Scibelli

Eph 6, I was thinking of praying and preaching this afternoon with the table he was talking about, the love of God. Love needs to be the foundation in my prayer life that God loves me and l love him. I think it’s good to talk to someone you love and speak to other people about someone you love. Preaching and praying have a great foundation of love.

vs. 18. A lot of ALLS there. All and always. vs. 19.

This morning. I did a Face Time. You know what Face Time is. I learned something about technology. I did a Face Time Bible study in Marrakesh, Morocco with 8 believers. They are Greater Grace all the way. They have been hearing messages for 15 or 16 years. I was amazed. I was speaking to them and spoke with the leader, Yosef. He said I have a surprise for you. There is a man you and P. Steve Morello witnessed to 18 years ago. His name is [?]. He used to be an imam, a mosque teacher. He got converted. There was so much pressure he had to flee. After all these years, he has come back. This man has such a grasp on the nature of God and God’s life. After all these years with nobody. With the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Amen. That was exciting to me. I wanted to skip around my room and dance up a storm in the afternoon. I have a bad left leg so I did a couple hops and steps.

I was thinking about these two as we look at our summer and think of our prayer meetings. Anyone that you can make: Sunday night, Tuesday night, Tuesday morning at staff meeting we have prayer 9 to 10; Wed. night after church, Thursday night after outreach, Friday night after the Bible college class, and Saturday afternoon. Seven prayer meetings a week. It will be a time available for us to pray as a Body. We heard a lot about the Body of Christ this morning from Ephesians. It’s such a strengthening opportunity for all of us. Tuesday night and Thursday night outreach. We have one on Friday at 11 and Friday night with the youth and we go out on Saturday. Great opportunities. Sure there is that intensity of fear but perfect love casts out fear.

Acts 11 they saw the grace of God. Remember that? The word is “experienced” grace. The verses that followed was much people were added and much people were taught. That’s grace. That’s amazing. We have an opportunity and praying and preaching and Paul says praying always with prayer and supplication and perseverance. Pray for me that I would have an open mouth to bring this gospel message to people. Spurgeon said in churches they are the most unattended meetings: evangelistic outreach and the prayer meeting. They are unattended. Talking to God about people and talking to people about God.

I was looking in Acts 2:41-47. What are they doing? Praying and preaching. Acts 4:31-34 what are they doing? Praying and preaching. Acts 6:4, praying and preaching. Acts 9 praying and preaching. Acts 11:19 praying and preaching. The Spirit said separate unto me Saul and Barnabas. Acts 15, Acts 17. The book of Acts is amazing. It’s all about praying and preaching. One thing interesting about prayer especially in sophisticated and advance cultures. Aren’t we good at everything? There is a computer system for everything. My granddaughter laughs at me because I don’t have a cell phone. Only so much space in my brain.

What an opportunity praying and preaching. An opportunity to talk to God. I think of problems in my own life and the cares of your own life and the ministry. We venture into everything but a simple prayer. I like David’s prayer. Help, Lord! He screams it out! Help! The grace man ceases from the children of men. Think of raising a family and situations at work, all the religions at work, all the trials and difficulties and the mountains, just giving myself to praying to God. I think sometimes God is waiting for me to pray. Maybe he holds back with all my sophisticated ways of solving problems. Just ask of me in Ps 2. It’s one of the things I’m probably not too excited about on a weekly basis. Yet, they so much go together.

One story: when P. Sam got up, it reminded me of a story. I think I told it but will tell it again because it’s relevant. I went to the post office because I was waiting for mail. I had no money or support. The support wasn’t coming. You know the mail system in Uganda. You get it a month later. I’m really not happy. I’m sitting there and a little bit discouraged. Maybe I should just go home. Maybe I should go back to the states. Is this God, anyway? Of course, you never had those thoughts! I heard some music. Amazing grace how sweet. It wasn’t as well sounding as I’m singing it. I heard the song and I walked around the corner. I saw two men singing it with gospel tracts. In my depressed discouraged, bad attitude. One guy was blind and the other had no legs. The blind guy carried the guy with no legs. This is a true story. Have you seen them? So don’t think I’m telling stories. A guy with no legs carried by the blind man. He’s the eyes for the blind man and the other guy is the legs for the guy with no legs and here is me depressed without money. Amazing grace. It’s incredible. They were praying and preaching. Preaching and praying.

We have opportunity in neighborhoods this year every Tuesday and Thursday to go out. Even if we are stumbling and drooling and make no sense. The first person I met [when he first got saved] I said can I talk to you about the Bible. What about? I don’t know. I know something happened to me and I got changed. I was in the worst area of Massachusetts you can find. I had no choice. It was God motivating me. Preaching and praying.

I wonder in my life that there aren’t some things if I would give myself to preaching and praying. When I’m 100, I can always pray and tell someone Jesus loves them even if that’s all I remember. Satan who is so sophisticated in 2 Cor 3 and…knows what he is doing. He wants to stop the mouths. Stop the mouths. One time one of my parents duct taped my mouth. I wouldn’t stop so they came in with a roll. He wants to stop people’s mouths. Don’t talk about him and don’t talk to him. Keep your mouth shut. God says open your mouth and I will fill it through the love of God and the foundation of preaching. God loves us and we love people. It’s compassion that makes a difference. In prayer, I want to speak to someone who loves me.

Let’s have an amazing summer this year. We’re starting on Tuesday night right there. It’s going to be a great time. You say I’ve never gone out or evangelized. That was all of us. One time we were all there. I’ll show you a simple way.

P. Steve is a Baltimorean crab eater. I’m knocking on his door. How are you doing? What do you want? I’d like to tell you how much God loves you and give you a gospel tract and how God cares for your life. God cares for you and it’s a simple message, Understanding True Love. It’s great. You’re interested, huh? Maybe. You’re not interested in being loved? I could take it or leave it. Really? Is that because of the way you have been loved your whole life which left you at a point where there is no fulfillment. Someone stole my trash can. God really cares about you. I know you have eaten crabs today. I know you’re not crabby! I’m preaching about Jesus Christ who loves you. A lot of people want you to join this or that or get baptized or give money. God wants to join you. He cares about you. You’re one of those witnesses? No, do you notice I don’t have a suit coat on or a black bag. No, no. I’m going to listen. Think about it. God paid for our sins. How did he do that? He shed his blood on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. That blood has power to deliver you from sin. I was born a sinner and God is holy. How does a sinner get to a holy God? One time I was evangelizing a guy in a mosque and I said to him, I notice you prepare for your service in your mosque and you wash everything. How did you wash your heart? It’s a good question. He said, what? How did you wash your heart? You’re going to tell me, right? He gives you a new one. Never forget God loves you. Whether you come or not, it makes no difference to me. God cares for you and gave his life for you personally. Understanding true love. It’s amazing. Thank you and hope to see you. Jesus Christ you can ask into your life at any time at all. It’s a simple decision of the will. Say I want Christ and want to be forgiven. Yes, I know he cares for my life. You have a great day. The tract is on me. Amen!

Some people don’t want to open the door and some will be quick. We also learn how to say something in 30 seconds. Let’s believe God this summer not only on outreach but have a couple gospel tracts with you. How many think God would answer this prayer: Father, give me one person this week. No, I’m not interested in your prayer. God is going to open a door and answer that prayer.

I went to get my van fixed and prayed that prayer and I was sitting next to a guy and he was getting his car fixed. The Holy Spirit was working on me to speak to him and I said no. It was sin. He left and I left and I was getting my van fixed and he was getting his fixed. All the way back to the plaza, I said forgive me God. I have sinned and was disobedient. I pulled in front of Newberry’s and the same guy was there. I said I have to tell you something. I’m a pastor and I wanted to tell you about Christ and I didn’t. He said I’m a backslidden Christian. Backslider meets backslider.

You know what? God, give me opportunity. A great and effectual door. Yes, there are adversaries. Preaching and praying. We’ll spend a little time in prayer before we close.

Let’s pray for souls in Maryland and in Baltimore specifically for the summer outreaches.
 

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