FROM THE WORD

Raise Your Expectations

The “father of modern missions,” William Carey, was famous for saying, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” He believed Luke 11:13. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Carey believed God wants His people to expect His blessings and to dare to attempt great things in His service.

How did this work out in William Carey’s life? First, we must note that his father was a school teacher who decided to apprentice William out to a cobbler, but William had a keen interest in science and a natural ability with language. At a very young age, he taught himself Latin and at 14, he taught himself Greek. Eventually, he took over a shoe shop and taught himself Hebrew, Italian, Dutch, and French while working on shoes. 

Secondly, Carey was inspired by reading about David Brainard and John Eliot’s gospel work among the Native Americans in the New England colonies. Reading the journals of the explorer James Cook led him to feel a great burden for spreading the gospel throughout the world. With the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul for his biblical basis, Carey wrote an essay calling for Christians to heed the gospel commission to evangelize the heathens. 

However, the Christians of the late 1700s believed that God had no expectations for the conversion of the heathens, and a missionary going to other lands was almost unknown. Against much resistance, Carey formed a missionary society, and one year later, in 1793, he went to India, beginning the “Protestant Missionary Movement.” 

Over the next several years, Carey translated the Bible into Bengali, Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic and several other languages and dialects, many of which had never been put into print before. Carey also started a college, and today there are nine known colleges and universities named after him. 

William Carey accomplished much in his life because he expected great things from God and attempted great things for God. What about us? Do we really believe the promises of God?

“God’s people seem to be incapable of comprehending and appropriating this promise [for the Holy Spirit]. They seem to think that only the scantiest showers of grace are to fall on the thirsty soul….They have not felt the need of reaching for the exalted privileges provided for them at infinite cost….

It is not because of any restriction on God’s part that the riches of His grace do not flow to men….If all were willing to receive; all would be filled with the Spirit. By resting content with small blessings, we disqualify ourselves from receiving the Spirit in its unlimited fullness. We are too easily satisfied with a ripple on the surface, when it is our privilege to expect the deep moving of the Spirit of God. Expecting little, we receive little.” (In Heavenly Places, p. 335)

Why are we so content with mediocrity? Do you expect great things from God and attempt great things for God? Do you need to raise your expectations? What holds you back?

Pastor Fred Dana

CENTRAL HAPPENINGS & NEWS

This Week (November 30 to December 5): 

• Tuesday @ 10:00 AM – Women’s Bible Study

• Tuesday @ 7:00 PM – Prayer Meeting with Pastor Chris Buttery – The Key to Life (John 3)

• Wednesday @ 7:00 PM - Spanish Group Prayer Meeting (Chapel)

• Various L.I.F.E. groups (in-home small group Bible studies) take place across Sacramento. To locate one near you contact our small groups’ coordinator, Richard Anger @ (916) 681-3990

• Sabbath @ 9:00 AM - Morning Manna – Aaron Earnest

• Sabbath @ 9:30 AM - Central Study Hour with Pastor Chris Buttery + Children/Youth/Adult Sabbath School Classes

• Sabbath @ 10:50 AM - Worship Service with Pastor Chris Buttery – “Limitless”

• Sabbath @ 1:00 PM – Small Groups Ministry Luncheon 

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Upcoming Events

Christmas Grace: Revealing the Mystery of God is this years Christmas concert being held right here at Sacramento Central Church. All are welcome to attend this free sacred concert which is being held on Sabbath, December 5 @ 4 PM.  Doors will open at 3:30 PM. Pick up flyers and posters to share with family and friends at the hostess desk in the church lobby.

Join Us for the Day: Bring a dish to share and stay for our fellowship potluck. Plan to attend Discipleship University with Pastor Fred Dana at 1:30 PM (starts early). Then at 4 PM, join us for Sacramento Central’s Christmas Concert!

Sacramento Adventist Academy (SAA) Christmas Concerts: Please join the Sacramento Adventist Academy Music Dept. in the gym December 11 and 12 for SAA’s annual Christmas concerts. The older students (7 to 12th grade) will perform on Friday, December 11 at 7 PM and the younger students (pre-K to 6th) will perform on Sabbath, December 12 at 4 PM. Together, let us remember the Nativity through music.

Healthy Plate is having a special cooking class on Sunday, December, 13, from 11 AM to 2 PM. Amy Maldonado will demonstrate Vegan Tamales. Space is limited to 25 at $15 per person. You will be able to make your own tamales and take them home. Lunch will be served. Please call Karen @ (916) 961-0289 to reserve a place. This class will be presented again in the spring of 2016 for those not able to attend this time.

Women’s Ministry Holiday Luncheon: We will not be having their usual fellowship meal in the Camellia Room next month. Instead, please join them for a Holiday Luncheon at The Old Spaghetti Factory (1910 J Street) at 11:30 AM on December 13. If you want to enjoy the fellowship, please call Jan Nichols at 916.729.4322 to RSVP.

Fountainview Academy Orchestra & Singers will be presenting “What Kind of King?” Sabbath, December 19 @ 4 PM, here at the Sacramento Central Church. Admission is free. More details to follow.

Ministry Opportunities

Gardening Ministry. If you consider yourself a green thumb or just like tinkering in the garden, Central church gardens could use your time and talents. Contact the church office to get details.

Family Matters

Giving Trees: In the spirit of the following words, “God would be well pleased if on Christmas each church would have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small…” (Adventist Home, 482), we will be placing two fragrant evergreens in our church foyer to provide our church the opportunity to help those in need within our congregation and Sacramento. Starting Sabbath, December 5, you’re invited to choose a decorative snow flake from off the trees that will contain a specific need that you can support. Those needs will be local families as well as Mary’s House Family Christmas Project here in Sacramento, which provides winter and other accessories for homeless families. You are invited to bring your gifts (with snowflake attached) to be placed in the baskets/bins provided starting Sabbath, December 12. All items will need to be returned to the church office no later than Wednesday, December 23. Thank you for giving during the holiday season.

Sign Interpreter: Robin Franzk will return to Sacramento Central on December 5. Please invite those you know who are hard of hearing or deaf to join us for the worship service on Sabbath, December 5.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a Center of Influence in Beirut, Lebanon (Bourj Hammoud Adventist Learning Center) that serves Syrian refugee children. They need Christian (Adventist preferably) storybooks for their young readers. If you have children’s books that you would like to donate, please bring them to Central’s front desk in the church foyer so we can send them. There is a person from our area that is traveling to Beirut in a couple of weeks. Thank you.

Adventists in the Spotlight: With the Seventh-day Adventist Church currently in the spotlight many people are asking questions about our faith that may have never asked before. An easy way to share more about Adventist’s is to share the CD or DVD of Pastor Chris’ message “Who & What are the Seventh-day Adventists?” Pick up your copies to share at the CD/DVD Ministry room here at the church. Another great new resource is www.WhoAreAdventist.org.

Watch Us on Television! Enjoy viewing Central’s flagship programs, Central Study Hour, every Friday night at 8 PM and Sabbath morning at 6 AM (PST) on 3ABN Proclaim! Also enjoy our Receiving the Word, 30-minute programs weekly on Sunday morning at 11 AM and Wednesday night at 8:30 PM on Sacramento Faith TV. These can also be viewed on our website (www.saccentral.org) and our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/thecentralconnection). Let everyone know where they can receive timely Bible messages!

Podcasts Available! If you didn't know, every Central Study Hour and worship service can be viewed and downloaded by going to our website (https://zqh.orf.mybluehost.me/saccentral/sermons). This is an easy way for you to invite friends and family to listen to important Bible messages coming from Central church.

If you want others to enjoy receiving this e-newsletter as much as you do, please invite them to sign up by going to https://zqh.orf.mybluehost.me/saccentral/central-happenings/

BULLETIN BOARD - An assortment of happenings, announcements, and resources from around the world Seventh-day Adventist Church

7X Match to fight Hunger. ADRA International currently has a 7x match to fight hunger. Every dollar you give will be multiplied by 7 to increase the amount of food that can be offered to starving people in many different circumstances. It also increases the gardening supplies that can be given to families to help them grow their own food. Click here to learn more.

Pew Research Report: A closer look at Seventh-day Adventists in America identifies us as "A Small and Diverse Faith..." and "among the most racially and ethnically diverse American religious groups," and "extremely devout by traditional measures of religious observance." Their data was drawn from the 2014 Religious Landscape Study, conducted June 14 to September 30, 2014. Click here to read the report.

Emotional Wellness Summit. Early bird rate expires Tuesday, November 17 for the summit in Orlando, FL from January 13 to 17. Learn how you can be equipped to extend the healing ministry of Christ for the whole person, focusing especially on the often neglected mental and emotional needs of people. If you are a mental health professional, general health professional, researcher, health ministry leader, or just interested in integrating ministry with the mental health needs of people, you will want to be part of this discussion. Early-bird rate is $299. After November 17 it is $349. Save $50 by registering now.

Human Sexuality Report. The North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church proposed a “Statement on Human Sexuality” at their Year-end Meeting on October 29, 2015.  After more than two hours of discussion, several revisions were incorporated into the statement, and the statement was approved on November 2, 2015, by a vote of 74-17. To read this statement that agrees with the General Conference guidelines human sexuality, marriage, family, homosexuality, and same-sex unions, click here.

Resources

2016 Devotionals. Go to the Adventist Book Center to pick up next year’s devotionals for you and your family. They can also be ordered online right here. Two addresses to choose from: 5207 Madison Avenue, Ste G Sacramento and 401 Taylor Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA.

Let Freedom Ring! This series of sermons by Liberty Magazine editor, Lincoln Steed, is an overview of how antagonism against Christianity is growing at an alarming rate. What should our response be to the reports of government takeovers, of world wide persecution, and of Christians being slaughtered? Understand to meet this challenge by clicking here.