Without God We Can Do Nothing

Summary

This Sunday gathering opened in worship and in remembrance of brother Leonid, who had just passed into eternity. The church was comforted by the word from Revelation that those who die in the Lord rest from their labors, and their deeds follow after them.

The main message pressed one conviction: we cannot accomplish anything that lasts without the Holy Spirit. Like Daniel and his friends who sought God before the king, like David whose harp quieted Saul not by skill but by God's anointing, and like Paul who refused human wisdom and chose to know nothing but Christ crucified, the preacher urged the church to lean on the Spirit's power in ministry, in the home, and in raising children.

A second word, from Psalm 127, taught that unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain. A God-honoring home rests on humility instead of pride, on a real altar of prayer, and on forgiveness, respect, and love among family members. The church then began a week of fasting and prayer for families, closing with intercession for the grieving, the sick, and the lost, and the assurance from Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from God's love.

Key Points

• Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, even our best efforts and education accomplish nothing.
• Daniel and his friends stood firm in a foreign culture because they kept the fear of God and could not live one day without prayer.
• David's music healed Saul not because of talent but because the Spirit's anointing rested on it.
• Like Paul, choose to know nothing but Christ crucified, and pay the price of time given to seeking God.
• Unless the Lord builds the house, all our building is in vain.
• A blessed home is built on humility, a daily altar of prayer, and on forgiveness, respect, and love.
• In every trial, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.