Most people love Sunday. Some love the day because they get to wake up late, enjoy brunch, or go shopping. The followers of Christ love Sunday for a totally different reason. They get to come together as a church, worship God, listen to a life changing Message, and fellowship with each other.
It was time for the Divine Service to be celebrated in Raipur and the congregation was overjoyed. District Apostle Helper David Devraj was accompanied by the Apostles Michael Naik, Christranjan Nanda, Aruna Naik, Bishop Kumar and many others from far and near. The whole atmosphere was one of excitement, and each one present had a special glow on their faces. The choir sung with such passion that every soul was lost in worship.
Learning to Flee from Temptation
Apostle David based his sermon on 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” He then shared that being tested was an important part of faith, and that each of us had to stay strong in our faith to attain Salvation. He reminded the audience that God would not lead them into any situation which they would not be able to overcome and God would also give them the strength to handle these situations. Apostle David concluded his Message by reassuring the congregation that God would help them during the tests they go through. All they needed to do is have faith.
Apostle Michael Naik translated the message to Hindi so that those who were not fluent in English would not miss out on any parts of the sermon. Everyone in the church was moved by what was shared by the Apostle through the Holy Spirit.
Priest Daniel was called up to serve along and he spoke in Odia. This was special because a number of brothers and sisters had come from Odisha, and many members in the congregation were able to understand what he shared. As the Service came to an end, the choir sang sweetly and softy during Holy Communion.
The congregation came out extremely nourished by the Divine Service. They enjoyed fellowship over a mouthwatering feast that was prepared for them. We asked a young sister how she felt after the service, and she summed it up beautifully: “What a blessed Sunday it was!”