7/25/2021 AM Pondering God's Great Works

As the current pastor who has been here for the past 11 1/2 years, I believe I speak for the present congregation as we say thanks to God for His faithfulness to raise up all the faithful, obedient servants who came before us.

For founding Pastor Eugene Pansler and his wife Ruth who sacrificed so much to rebuild, remodel and expand the first facility located on Pat Colwell Road. Who worked tirelessly to raise up an Assembly of God in an area that doesn’t much care for Pentecostals.

The name of the church at the beginning , in July 1996, was Calvary Assembly Worship Center.

Sadly Pastor Pansler is unable to be with us today because he went to be with Jesus in 2009.

We are so glad to have his daughter Lois and her husband in service with us. Sister Lois, could you share what the Lord is speaking to you on the 25th anniversary of your dad starting this church?

Thank you for those words Lois! We are so thankful to God for giving us our founding pastor: Eugene Pansler.

We are also thankful for the second pastor of this church, Pastor Ron Broadhead and his wife Cynthia.

For 7 years they worked to build upon what Pastor Pansler began.

Pastor Broadhead will speak more about what God did here in, a few minutes.

Following Pastor Broadhead was Pastor Tommy Keith and his wife Jane.

Under Pastor Keith’s tenure the church changed its name to New Life Family Church.

During the time between Pastor Keith and myself, Pastor Jeff Lovell along with his wife Denise was the interim pastor for several months.

Living in Cornelia, Pastor & Sister Lovell travelled over the harrowing road of Blood Mountain in order to minister here in Blairsville.

Thank God for these faithful servants who came alongside this church to take it where God directed it.

Of course, it takes many more than a pastor to build a church.

Time is not sufficient to be able to tell of the many laypeople who helped build this church.

People like the late John Shaffer who led worship so powerfully in those early years.

People like the late Carl Baker who did so much construction and maintenance at the old facility.

People like Vincent Ziegenbein who is not able to be here this morning due to poor health, but who played such a huge part in getting us into this new facility.

So many others who kept and who keep the nursery, teach the children, serve on the Board, maintain the facilities, sing and play on the worship team, minister in the nursing home and give of their time and finances to advance the Kingdom of God.

Speaking of advancing the Kingdom, New Life has and is a missions-minded church. Even during the days when we were spending 10s of thousands of dollars to build this facility we were faithful to support missions here in the U.S. and all around the world. What a joy to to be able to share this past January, that according to Assembly of God records, New Life has given over $190,000 to Missions. Actually, because New Life supports local and non AG missions, we have probably given over 1/4 million dollars in the past 25 years.

Truly this church HAS had an impact and continues to have an impact.

This in spite of the challenging times in which we live.

This morning we are using Psalm 143:5-6 to guide us in recounting the blessings God has poured out on New Life.

Read Psalm 143:1-6

Especially Vs.5, 6

Notice in verses 1-4, the psalmist David tells of hard times — of people opposing him, the dark places of challenge.

But he says in Vs. 8: for I trust in You … to you I lift up my soul … I take refuge in You.

May the words that are spoken this morning inspire us to trust in God.

To lift up your soul to Him.

To make Him your refuge.

Pastor Broadhead

I Remember the Days of Old

(5 Minutes)

Remembering the founding pastor, the founding, the early years.

Pastor Broadhead

I Meditate on ALL Your Doings

(5 Minutes) Thinking about the last decade+ of growth, missions and a new facility.

In the last 11 1/2 years, it has been a blessing to work hard with many fine folk to get outside of the 4-walls of a building.

We have been in the Union County Nursing Home and at Branon Lodge.

One year we went every Tuesday to the Farmers Market.

We invited local law enforcement to Zaxby’s and fed them a meal and gave them a Law Enforcement NT.

We’ve been at Meek’s Park, Vogel State Park, Poteete Creek campground — witnessing, talking to people, handing out Gospel literature.

When covid broke out we began livestreaming our services and Wednesday Bible study. Taking the Gospel not just to shut-ins in our area, but to other nations.

After we built this new facility, with the indispensable help of RVMAPS, we began reaching out to the Overlook Apts — our neighbors just behind the church.

When we first built this facility, we immediately starting using it to reach out to area young people to give them a place to come on Friday and Saturday nights for Game Night, instead of getting into trouble.

And, of course, I want to give God the glory for this new state-of-the-art, mobility-friendly facility.

Yes, I am thankful for all who gave so generously of their finances.

I am thankful for all the volunteers who helped (the RVMAPS crew).

The church folks who helped.

But again, I want to give glory to God for how HE worked too bring about this beautiful facility that we have occupied these past 3 years.

As we got outside of the church building and worked very, very hard to reach the community, I would love to tell you that we saw dozens of people saved and baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit, but I can’t.

Only the Lord knows all that was accomplished.

But I trust that His work was accomplished.

I give Him thanks even for the things I can’t see.

I give thanks even though I cannot see all that God has done and is doing.

David said in vs. 5: I remember ... I mediate… I muse or ponder

Each of the Hebrew words used is very different from the other.

For those of us who speak English they sound very similar to one another.

But, of the word translated “meditate” the Complete Biblical Library, says that :

The primary meaning of this [Hebrew] noun appears to be "to utter incoherent sounds." This “meditation” is not removed from speaking, …[but probably] involved "muttering" or "reading in an undertone."

I like what C.H. Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, (A Baptist!) said about this verse:

The Treasury of David, Volume 6: Psalms 120–150 Exposition

When we see nothing new which can cheer us, let us think upon old things. We once had merry days, days of deliverance, and joy and thanksgiving; why not again? Jehovah rescued his people in the ages which lie back, centuries ago; why should he not do the like again? We ourselves have a rich past to look back upon; we have sunny memories, sacred memories, satisfactory memories, and these are as flowers for the bees of faith to visit, from whence they may make honey for present use.

I’m not content to mutter or speak in an undertone about the the previous “doings, the “great works,” the “great works” of God.

As a modern chorus that we sing says :

Even when I don't see it, God, You're working Even when I don't feel it, You're working You never stop, You never stop working.

Pastor Broadhead ...

I Muse (Ponder) on the Work of Your Hands

(5 Minutes) Thinking about the miracles God has done over the years. God is a miracle-working God. What He has done in the past He can do for you, today.

Pastor Broadhead

I Stretch Out My Hands to You

(5 Minutes) We depend on God for the future.

In verse 6, David says ...

As we come to the close of this unusual sermon, we come to a time when I urge us to seek after God.

Like I said at the beginning, Psalm 143 speaks of a difficult time for David.

David not only remembers what God has done in the past, he cries out to Him for the future.

David knows that nothing is impossible for God.

I pray that we too believe that nothing is impossible for God.

That revival in the church, in THIS church is not impossible for God.

That an awakening that begins in the north Georgia mountains is not impossible for God.

And David says: I will stretch ...

This is NOT effortless regurgitation of some trite prayer.

No!

This is grasping, reaching out, straining toward God.

This is a confident expectation that God has the answer.

I want to encourage you NOT to leave this place except you stretch out your hands toward God.

Don’t leave this place lost and apart from God.

Don’t leave this place bound or broken.

Don’t leave this place sick — Jesus still heals sick bodies.

Don’t leave this place hopeless.

We have have gathered in the Name of Jesus — He is here!

Oh, pastor, everything’s ok for me.

Wonderful, but what about others?

What about your family?

What are they going through — how are they hurting — how do they need God to intervene in their lives?

What about the lost nations, the lost people groups of the world?

Who will weep for them?

Who will stretch out their hands to God for them?

Please don’t pray another perfunctory, obligatory, ho-hum prayer...

I pray that a recounting of the things God has done for this church and for the individuals of this church for the past 25 years inspires you to believe God for the miracle you need.

Passionately seek after God, LITERALLY stretch out your hands to God and cry out with a loud voice!

My Soul Longs for You, like a Weary Land

(10 minutes)

God does great(er) things in response to our desperation/desire.

Conclusion

Altar Call

Pastor Broadhead

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