It was a blessing to be in the house of God today as the brethren gathered to worship Him in spirit and in truth. You could feel the presence of the Lord right from the start of the service as the old-fashioned congregational singing lifted our hearts toward Heaven. Pastor Arville stepped up to the Sacred Desk to remind us that in a world full of temporary fixings, Christ is all we truly need to carry us through this life and safely home to Glory.
1. Stripping Away Worldly Excess and Vain Philosophy
Opening up in Colossians 2:6–10, the Bible warns us: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” There are plenty of churches out there operating on human philosophy instead of the Word of God, and plenty of Christians cluttering their lives with worldly things they don’t even need.
We can get by without a lot of things down here in this old house. It won’t kill you if your air conditioner breaks down and you have to sit in front of an old-fashioned fan, and it won’t hurt you a bit to skip a worldly vacation. Preacher recalled growing up back in the late 40s and 50s, watching his mother scrub clothes on an old washboard in a tub, cooking on a wood stove, and keeping milk cold in an icebox with a block of ice brought in with tongs.
“We’d sit out under the tree and stay cool till the house cooled down, then we’d all go in and go to bed… You can grow up under the things of God just as quick as you can the things of the world. But I’m talking about a lot of people haven’t grown up in the Lord. Now they’d live differently if they were.”
2. Punctuality, Church Attendance, and Living for God
When you love the Lord, it ought to show up in your dedication to the house of God. 1 John 2:15 tells us, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” That Scripture stopped Preacher dead in his tracks as a young Christian. If you can run off to the world and enjoy it, there’s something wrong with your spiritual appetite.
We ought to be just as punctual and faithful to God’s house as we are to our secular jobs. Preacher shared how he hates missing church—even after having urinary tract surgery and having to carry a collection bag around at home.
“I missed that one Wednesday night, buddy. I got—I took that thing out myself! I learned how to get it out of there, and I come to church that Sunday. Amen. I’d rather be in church than sitting at home nursing a urinator!”
3. Divine Deliverance in Times of Trouble
When real trouble comes, Christ is all we need. Preacher shared a personal story about getting hit with severe, ice-cold chills tied to a bad appendix infection. The doctors called him back to the hospital right before Camp Meeting, warning him that his blood work showed something dangerous that could turn septic.
With all kinds of thoughts racing through his mind about who would moderate the meeting, Preacher laid it before the Lord in prayer. After re-testing his blood, the doctor came back surprised and said his blood was as pure as it could be. God cleared it out! Colossians 2:10 declares, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” Whether the devil comes snooping around or sickness tries to knock you down, Jesus can always be found.
“When trouble comes around, He’s all I need… Through His blood, we have been freed. Ain’t nothing can get you into heaven but the blood of Jesus!”
Scripture References (KJV)
Key passages brought from the Sacred Desk:
Colossians 2:6-10 — “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
Deuteronomy 14:2 — “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”
1 John 2:15 — “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Application & Invitation
There are plenty of “niceties” in this life we can do without, but we cannot do without the Lord Jesus Christ. His Precious Blood paid our complete sin debt on the cross, and through Him alone, we have victory over sin, sickness, and death. If you have something standing between you and God today, don’t let it drain your spiritual life—bring it to the old-fashioned altar, get it settled, and find the help you need in Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be “complete in Christ” according to Colossians 2:10?
To be complete in Christ means that His salvation, righteousness, and spiritual provision are entirely sufficient for the believer. You do not need worldly philosophy, human traditions, or extra-biblical rituals to be accepted by God; Jesus paid the entire debt on the cross.
Why does the King James Bible call believers a “peculiar people”?
In Deuteronomy 14:2 and 1 Peter 2:9, the word peculiar means set apart, purchased, and preserved as God’s own special possession. It means Christians should look, act, and live differently from the surrounding worldly culture because they belong directly to the Lord.
How should a Christian handle fear when facing sickness or death?
Because Christ conquered death through His resurrection and washed away our sins through His Blood, the believer does not need to fear physical death. When trouble or sickness arises, we are instructed to lean on the Lord in prayer, rely on His present help, and keep a clean conscience by settling any unconfessed sin at the altar.