October 15 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

October 15, 2023

There Will Be Wars and Rumors of Wars

Matthew 24:3-8

Jesus warned his disciples about the things that would happen

in the world as the end of this age got closer and closer. We

have talked about this before, but the disciples were convinced

Jesus would come back for his people during their lifetime.

Obviously, that did not happen. Here we are 2,000 years later

and we are still waiting for Jesus to come for his church. All

throughout history since Jesus made this announcement to his

disciples the world has experienced wars and rumors of war.

That is still happening today. For over 1-1/2 years Russia and

Ukraine have been at war. The United States of America and

many other European countries have been giving aid to

Ukraine. Now just over a week ago a group called Hamas went

into Israel and killed and kidnapped Jewish people as well as

some American citizens. The brutality of what Hamas did have

caused most nations to condemn what they did. Once again

America is drawn into another inevitable war.

I am not going to go into why these wars are taking place.

However, I will say this about the war that is about to officially

happen between Israel and Hamas. When God promised a set

apart people to Abraham, he made this promise to Abraham.

Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever

curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed

through you.” As God’s church, we must pray for peace, yet at

the same time, the church and this nation I believe must

support Israel.

Before we move on, Peter reaffirmed what God had promised

Abraham a thousand years earlier. Acts 3:25   And you are

heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your

fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all

peoples on earth will be blessed.

I have mentioned the two wars that are catching the attention

of most Americans but there also continue to be wars in Africa

and civil unrest in South America and elsewhere throughout the

world. Even tough Jesus warned that wars and rumors of war

will happen, he also called the church, his people, to do what

we can to strive for peace. In what we know as the Beatitudes

Jesus said in Matthew 5: 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers for

they will be called the sons of God.” So, we have an obligation

to do everything in our power to seek peace. The sad reality is

not only are there wars in the world but seems to be the

equivalent of wars in this nation. One group after another

seems to have trouble finding ways to live at peace with

another.

Politics have become a nasty place in which neither side at

times is willing work with the other on anything. I still

remember hearing of how two leaders of their respective

parties dealt with their disagreements. In the 80s when Ronald

Reagan was president, clearly at that time he was the leader of

the Republican party. At the same time Tip O’Neal was speaker

of the House. As a Democrat most considered him to be the

leader of the Democratic party at that time. Throughout the

eight years Ronald Reagan was president he and Tip O’Neal

would have strong disagreements about what America should

be doing on a variety of policies. They would have meeting

after meeting to try to come to some sort of agreement. When

it was all said and done and the battles were over, they found a

way to not only not hate each other but on occasions go out to

eat together and do other things together. They found a way to

disagree without being disagreeable.

Whether we are talking about the wars going on around the

world or the ones going on in our nation, the church needs to

be committed to praying that the Lord can get all involved to

find a way to resolve their differences peacefully. In regard to

the wars going on in the world at this time that may be hard to

do because too many bridges may have already been burned.

However, in this nation and even in our churches, we need to

pray that the Lord can bring us together. In some cases, maybe

the best we will be able to hope for is to agree to disagree.

May we seek out God’s word for wisdom and guidance. May

the Holy Spirit reveal to us those things that can bring us

together. What Jesus told his disciples 2,000 years ago is sadly

true for mankind. There will be wars and rumors of war. This

will happen until the Lord calls his church home. That, however,

should not prevent us from doing all we can do to promote

peace in this nation in our churches and in the world. The most

important weapon in our warfare is prayer. That being said I

believe we should pray for the people of Ukraine to remain

independent of Russia. I also believe we should pray that Israel

remains a nation and that the most extreme elements of Islam

will be defeated. I also believe we should pray that our

churches and our nation can find a way to turn down the heat.

That all of us will be wiling to find ways to support in love one

another without demanding that we compromise on what we

believe. This is also true within families between friends, as well

as at the workplace. It can call start with you and me. Pray for

the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how and what to pray for. If

everyone would take the advice given in Romans 12:18, there

would be no more wars. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on

you, live at peace with everyone.” If we all would realize that it

does depend on us and I mean really all of us. God is still

changing hearts and minds one person at a time. May we

faithfully do all we can do to promote God’s holy and righteous

standard. I will say it again, “There will be wars and rumors of

war.” But God has given us a message of hope, of love and of

grace to share in a world, a nation, a community that is

searching for answers. You and I have been called to be God’s

ambassadors. May we answer that call in whatever way the

Lord leads us with, the starting point using our most powerful

weapon, PRAYER.

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

October is Pastor Appreciation month.

Sunday School 9:00

Tuesdays 9:30 Bible Study

October 17 1:00 Women’s Fellowship meets at the library—We

will learn about the history room.

Oct 21 1-4 p.m. Pumpkin Fest Oakley Brick Church

College Care Package snacks are needed by November 12. We

have 7 students so far.

Delegates needed for District Conference in Lanark Nov 3,4

Needed: Volunteers for Children’s Bible story in nursery during

worship. Please sign up in back.

Children’s message volunteers. Sign up in back.

Pastor Larry Traxler- (217) 454-2362

Keep in Your Prayers

Traughber family; Nora Hanaver; Jonah Martina; Jan

Bower; Larry Traxler; Randy and Michelle West; Mike Gentry; Carolyn

Hirsch; Eli Brunner; Nancy Fansler; Doug Larrick; Ron & Kathleen

Petersen; Debbie Leibrock; Dorthea Wood; Tina Wilhelm; Carl and

Wilma Cable; Mike and Carol Seidenstricker; Adiline Young; Kim

Lehmann; Doug Fansler; Mayo and Darlene Hanaver; Stacie Warren;

Nancy Gorrell; many unspoken requests; victims of disasters; victims

of shootings; shut-ins; the Nigerian church; Haitian Brethren; Ukraine;

Moracco; Israel and Hamas war

Military and Other Services and their families

Brethren Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the Walnut Grove congregation and

the COB in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

October 8 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

October 8, 2023

Who Wants to be a Servant?

Mark 9:33-37

Last week was World Communion Sunday. Jesus, the most

powerful man to ever walk the earth, became a servant to all.

Every time we share in the Love Feast, we catch a glimpse of

what Jesus’ example is like. Clearly the example he gave by

washing the disciples’ feet is overshadowed by his willingness

to be the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins. Jesus did not have to

do that, but he chose to go that far out of his love for the men

and women he created with God the Father starting back in the

Garden of Eden.

In his short novel, Journey to the East, German author Hermann

Hesse told the story of a group of men on a mythical journey.

One of the main characters is Leo, a servant who handles all the

group’s menial tasks and neds until he disappears. Without Leo,

the journey falls apart and is abandoned. Years later, one of the

original journeymen discovers that Leo, the servant, was the

head of the league that sponsored the journey. He was a

powerful and noble leader but had exercised his leadership by

being a servant to others.

This fictional parable illustrates what Jesus taught his disciples

about leading through service. When Jesus figured out that the

disciples were arguing about which one of them was the

greatest disciple Jesus showed what it really takes to be a true

leader. In the eyes of God, it takes a person willing to do what

needs to be done no matter how blessed you have been in any

one of a number of ways.

In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul puts it this way, “Do nothing out of

selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others

better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to

your own interests, but also to interests of others.”

As we look at all of the examples Jesus has given us, the

importance of being willing to serve one another stands out as

one of the most important. It is easy to brag about all the things

we have accomplished. And we should be proud of using the

gifts and talents God has given us to help others and to make

life more enjoyable for us as well. However, we are encouraged

to walk that line of being thankful for those gifts and talents we

have been blessed with, with the attitude of how great the

things we have accomplished are and taking all the credit for

ourselves. God needs leaders who are willing to, at times, take

on the servant’s heart and attitude. Yes, God does need

leaders.

When Jesus challenged the disciples, he knew they would be

the ones leading the way when he ascended back to the Father.

Sometimes through the years of experience we have the “right”

to lead in certain ways. That is not wrong. However, Jesus’

example shows us there are a variety of ways to be an effective

leader. In some ways I feel reluctant to share this message with

you because I believe virtually everyone of you have lived out

this example with your life. I believe, however, we all need to

be reminded from time to time of what an incredible example

of love, mercy and grace Jesus was during his time on this

earth.

And on the heels of World Communion Sunday, it seemed to be

the perfect time for the Lord to remind me, as well as the rest

of you, of Jesus’ amazing example. It is true we can never out

give God. When things are going well, it is a time to learn and

know God is in the middle of that. When things are not going so

well, God is also there in the middle of that as well. May each

one of us use all the gifts and talents God has blessed us with to

the best of our abilities. Some have and will in the future be

called to be in leadership positions. Sometimes that will mean it

will be necessary to take a strong and direct stand. Other times

those in leadership will be best served by taking a less

aggressive position, one more like a servant.

As God continues to use us in this church and in this community

may we seek God’s wisdom and guidance on when to be a

strong leader who stands firm in the beliefs of what needs to be

done and how it should be done. And when to be less

aggressive and more willing to draw others into whatever is

going on and encourage others to use their gifts and talents to

accomplish what God is doing. May God continue to help us

understand how we can be the best person and the best church

we can possibly be. I know you all know this, but it takes all of

us working together in fellowship with God to do what God

wants us to do with our lives and this congregation. At times

that means having a servant’s heart.

May each one of us continue to learn from Jesus’ example of

how to display God’s love, mercy, grace and righteousness

wherever he leads us. When we do that, there is no limit on

what God will accomplish through us and His church right here

in Cerro Gordo.

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

Sunday School 9:00

October 11 7:00 pm Executive Committee

October 17 1:00 Women’s Fellowship meets at the library

Delegates needed for District Conference in Lanark Nov 3,4

Needed: Volunteers for Children’s Bible story in nursery during

worship. Please sign up in back.

Children’s message volunteers. Sign up in back.

Pastor Larry Traxler- (217) 454-2362

Keep in Your Prayers

Sharon Lee Traughber (Bill’s wife); Nora Hanaver; Jonah Martina; Jan

Bower; Larry Traxler; Randy and Michelle West; Michelle’s mom; Mike

Gentry; Carolyn Hirsch; Eli Brunner; Nancy Fansler; Doug Larrick;

Ron & Kathleen Petersen; Debbie Leibrock; Dorthea Wood; Tina

Wilhelm; Mindy Sawyer; Carl and Wilma Cable; Mike and Carol

Seidenstricker; Adiline Young; Kim Lehmann; Doug Fansler; Shawn

Cain; Robert Cripe; Mayo & Darlene Hanaver; Patty Cripe; Stacie

Warren; Nancy Gorrell; many unspoken requests; victims of disasters;

victims of shootings; shut-ins; the Nigerian church; Haitian Brethren;

Ukraine; Moracco; Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip

Military and Other Services and their families

Brethren Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the Church of the Brethren Mission

and Ministry Board and denominational staff.