Week commencing Sunday 20th February

Prayer

You are holy Lord, the only God

And your deeds are wonderful

You are love, you are wisdom

You are humility, you are endurance.

You are rest, you are peace.

You are joy, you are gladness.

You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.

You are beauty, you are gentleness.

You are our protector,

You are our guardian and defender.

You are courage,

You are our haven and hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord.

God almighty, merciful Saviour

(St Francis of Assisi)

Reading. John 10: 22-30

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Prayers

Father, I pray for fellow believers who are week spiritually, that they will be strengthened with might in their inner man by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I pray for my country that your truth will reign supreme and that your light will dispel every darkness.

Today, I pray for Grace to abound unto good works that Christ may be glorified in me.

“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2: 1-2)

Hymn

In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. MP 639

Jamie Owens- Collins

(Upbeat version by Petra)

Sermon

When we last looked at Psalm 23 we thought about what it means for the Lord to guide us in “paths of righteousness”:

His path of righteousness. We are credited with his righteousness. Christ is the perfect one. The Father accepts us on the basis of Christ’s righteousness and atoning death for us: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

This is all to do then with God’s grace and mercy: “He took my sins and my sorrows/ He made them His very own; He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone. How marvellous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be; How marvellous, how wonderful is my saviour’s love for me”

Died today taken to heaven, accepted because of Christ’s merits. “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me”

Living holy lives.

Though saved on account of Christ’s merits and his atoning sacrifice for our sins, that doesn’t mean we are now free to live our lives any way we choose. Or even worse, as some were saying in the early church- “let us continue to sin so that God’s grace and mercy may abound even more”- such an attitude comes from people who are not truly converted; “such people are already condemned” says Paul.

Rather, the Lord expects us to live holy, righteous lives. By His Spirit He will prompt us to get rid of old attitudes of the sinful nature and put on the new virtues and qualities of the Holy Spirit

Colossians describes how Christians are to take off the old grave clothes of sexual immorality, impurity, lust, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lying, economic and national prejudice (Col.3:5-11). Rather, we are to put on the new clothes of our new nature: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another- love binding all these virtues together (Col.3: 12-14).

One person in a previous church where I was pastor cited to me examples of Christians he knew who were part of a church family and had taken offence at what a person in that church had said, this had escalated to the point where they were no longer talking to one another. He gave another example of a professing Christian who upped and left his young wife and children for another woman. Where have the standards gone?

Partly Christians taking cue from the world, rather than from God’s Word. But also there is the loss of holiness of life. The failure to see that when you come to Christ you embark on a life time of discipleship. Christ leads us into paths of righteousness. A sanctified life. A life more like Jesus Christ. A holy, godly life. Anyone doubts that then read His Sermon on the Mount.

So, the Good Shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

How is our leading holy lives connected with His name?

It has always been the Lord’s purpose to call a people who will reflect His holiness: “Be holy because I am holy” and “You are a people holy to the Lord your God” (Deut.7:6).

People of Israel. When other nations saw the people of Israel, then they would know their God is the Lord. They were meant to see in Israel a people belonging to the Lord- chosen and fashioned by Him. Their conduct would reflect back on His name. He gave them the 10 commandments and ceremonial laws so that they would reflect the Lord’s purity and compassion in their conduct before God and in their life together.

Most of all, others were to look at Israel and see that their faith in God. Not through this people trusting in their own resources, but even cutting back on these- as the Lord guided Gideon to radically cut back on his numbers of fighting men- in order to illustrate the battle is the Lord’s.

When the gentiles saw the people of Israel living like that then their conduct reflected back on God. It exalted His name and brought Him glory. The gentiles were to think “The people are like this because that’s what their God is like- He has done this in them/for them.”

The Lord led the People of Israel in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. “Be holy because I am holy”

As Christians we have the Holy Spirit at work in us who gives us power to live holy lives, several times in the New Testament we are told not to grieve Him: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God; with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…”(Eph.4:30) We live holy lives because to do so is consistent with the holy God to whom we belong. Such conduct glorifies His name.

So we should ask ourselves: “When I make this decision, When I speak these words- will it glorify God? Will it speak of the Lord to others? Will others be able to say of us- “I can understand why you did it that way- it’s because you are a Christian”

In America a few years ago a young man joined a Bible study at a church in Charleston, America. After a period of time he opened fire killing a number of people there. Two days later tearful relatives confronted the killer in court with words of Christian forgiveness. Newspapers reported how relatives of the Emanuel church victims stood up one by one in the courtroom, offering forgiveness to the man accused of murdering their sons, mothers and grandfathers in cold blood, as a nation continued to call for justice. “I forgive you,” said the daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance to the 21-year-old man who murdered her mother and her son in church. She tearfully said “You took something very precious from me, but I forgive you. It hurts me. You hurt a lot of people, but may God forgive you.” That lady glorified God in her words, which were consistent with God’s character and name.

I think we should also understand that

The Lord will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

The Lord will not tolerate someone professing His name who then continues in obstinate sin. He will not let you or I get away with hypocrisy or some other form of hidden sin. Because that reflects badly on His name. Although we might fool other people- God isn’t deceived. He will bring circumstances to bear and pressure within to humble the proud/obstinate person until they humble themselves/repent and are back on His paths of righteousness. “Judgment begins with the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17).

But if that person’s profession of faith was just words and they were going to live their own way anyway, then when the testing comes that person falls away. They show their true colours- it is a matter of conjecture whether they ever entered the kingdom? They are like the seed in the Parable of the Sower that falls on rocky places or among thorns. (Matt.13:21, 22). Although they may still respond truly at some future point in their lives- God is merciful, but He will not always contend with obstinacy.

To know that the Lord will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake is truly liberating. It means that if a fellow believer has sinned against us, we don’t have to think about how we can show them the error of their ways, and think of creative ways to dispense our own form of justice on them. Rather we can commit them to the Lord: “do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19). He will humble them/guilt/break them. That you learned to trust Him rather than seek revenge, and that they are broken and repentant- all of this glorifies God and lifts His name high. What does not glorify God is your taking matters into your own hands with resulting escalation of conflict and schism. This is why Paul says it’s better to allow ourselves to be wronged than get into such fights, and we are forbidden to take other Christians to court (1 Cor.6:7,8) Again our faith is in the Lord to sort the offending brother out.

The exception is that where there is obvious sin, then the church not only has a duty to protect Her own reputation, but in keeping with the Lord’s name, to bring discipline to bear where a member remains unrepentant. Always discipline is first and foremost to restore, to see confession and restoration, but if the person concerned remains defiant, then “if he refuses to listen to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector”(Matt.18:15-19). If such behaviours are tolerated then the vulnerable always suffer, and the church loses her credibility, she becomes in time a laughing stock and the Lord’s name is dragged into the dirt.

The Lord will lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. So if you’re planning some immoral activity- whether it’s to do with money, sex or power- drop it now. You might be able to deceive others for a while- but the Lord will expose you in time. His name is at stake. And if a bother/sister has offended you- then you must forgive if you are to be truly free, but also pray for your enemy, the Lord has promised to sort them out on your behalf if you do. He looks for faith in Him and that glorifies His name.

Let’s think about the phrase again “He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”

The Lord leads us in paths of righteousness. But we can also say His leading of our lives is always right. He leads us in right paths in general. If we have committed our way to Him He will lead us. It’s no accident that we are then in a particular job or place, or in a particular family situation. All these things that are morally neutral/not anything to do with righteousness, holiness specifically- are still within the Lord’s leading of our lives. We are not here by accident if we are the Lord’s sheep. He is the good shepherd and He is leading us in right paths.

You might hesitate at that. You may say that you cannot feel that God’s ways with you have been right. You almost despair over some of the difficulties and demands that have come into your life even though you commit your way to Him.

Well, we must not judge God’s ways while they are still in progress. We must wait till the plan is complete. We must wait until the tapestry is finished, and then we will see the other side where the pattern is fully worked out. We must wait until in the light of eternity, God calls you and reveals to you His purposes.

Meanwhile we trust. The Bible says “All the paths of the Lord are loving and faithful” (Ps 25:10) and “He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settles” (Ps.107:7). We must not judge God by an incomplete or unfinished scheme. We must have patience. Wait till the end and then we will see the wisdom of how He has led us. As we look back from eternity we shall discover that God could not have brought us by another route which would have been as right for us as the one by which we have come.

One of our daughters Judith was reflecting back on her time at Moorlands Bible College. She was telling us about how students together often reflected on “what could have been…” What if the Lord had some other college for them to attend? Or some other occupation? That doesn’t sound a great advert for Moorlands- but we all know what is meant. We become easily familiar with what we have, and then lose the appreciation of its blessings and focus in on perceived problems /difficulties- in our work, where we live, family life- almost any area of life. The grass looks greener on the other side. And so we gear up for the next big “dream” that’s really “right” for us. During one of these discussions a student said that these other “dreams” are really “airbrushed illusions”. In other words we only see the potential benefits of these other paths- we don’t know the actual realities of these other situations- possible problems that arise. And the possible benefits are idealised. They are “airbrushed illusions”. Further, true benefits and difficulties come from the same source- the nature of our relationships. These are the same wherever we go.

When circumstances try our faith, it’s then we are to look into the face of the Good Shepherd and say- Yes, You are leading me the right way. We look up from every trying circumstance, every fretting worry, from every annoyance and temptation into the face of Jesus Christ, and say “You are the great Shepherd of the sheep lead me on”

We don’t need to plead with Him to lead us into the right way- yes we commit ourselves to Him- but we must remember He is pledged to do it for the sake of His own great name: “He leads me beside in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” God’s honour and character are at stake. These never change- so His right leading of us is guaranteed.

Let’s think about the various names and titles given to the Lord:

Take for example Isaiah: 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

What is His name? He is “Wonderful”. So there is a claim on God’s character that He will overrule everything for our highest good. He is also called “Counsellor” So there is a claim upon His perfect wisdom to work out a plan that will fill everyone in heaven with utter amazement and awe at the way He has worked in each of our lives. “Mighty God?” Everything He does with us will be in accordance with His divine integrity and glory.“ Everlasting Father?” The way He devises for us will be tender, tenderer than that of a father or mother with his or her child. His name is “Prince of Peace”- if we stay close to Him and learn from Him, we will find a greater consistency of contentment- the result of reliance on Him, rather than relying on fluctuating feelings that are up and down depending on outward circumstances.

“For His name’s sake”. The Lord always has this at heart in the way He leads us. We are to look up from our hearts to His. Sure that He will not deny Himself or do anything that brings His own good character into disrepute.

During the autumn hundreds of thousands of birds migrate from North to South America. It’s the weather patterns that tell the bids it’s time to move. “As cold fronts move across eastern North America,” writes one expert, “they’re sending waves of orioles, along with warblers and other song birds, on their way to wintering grounds in Mexico and Latin America” as cold fronts pass, clear skies and north winds usually follow. These conditions are ideal for migration, allowing the birds to travel with no risk of storms, the wind at their backs and a clear view of the stars to help them find their way.

They fly over thousands of houses and roads, shopping areas and parks, passing state after state. If a particular bird opts for a direct flight home, it will fly over the Gulf of Mexico in a single night, crossing 600 miles of open water. The entire journey from the North to Mexico, Panama or Costa Rica usually takes about 2 weeks. But each bird knows exactly where it is going. God planted within its little brain a perfect guidance system that tells it exactly where to go, and when, and how. The Bible says we’re more valuable to the Lord than all the birds in the sky. We are worth more than many sparrows. If the Lord is pleased to guide the birds in their migrations, we can be assured that he wants to guide our lives and will guide them in the very best ways for us- the very best ways known to our Creator and Saviour

We can follow the Lord’s leading of us. He goes on before us. He leads us by way of Gethsemane and Calvary, and then to the garden – the site of His tomb- where He rose again. Jesus leads us to the Mount of Olives where He ascended. Then to Jerusalem and Pentecost, where He pours out His Holy Spirit on us. And He is always with us as we learn to follow Him- becoming like Him; learning all He taught us and taking His gospel to the ends of the earth. We will trust and not be afraid, because He leads us in the very best ways by which we grow in holiness and love and so we are blessed here and in eternity- He can do no other because His leading of us is perfectly consistent with His own character- His own name.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His own name’s sake”

Hymn

‘The God of Abraham Praise’

Thomas Olivers

Blessing

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24, 25)

David Barnes 16/2/22

Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 20th February 2020

Call to worship

The mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. Luke 1:49

These verses describe many of God’s wonderful attributes. As does our first hymn. Let’s sing…

Hymn

O Worship the King MP 528

Robert Grant

Prayer

You are holy Lord, the only God

And your deeds are wonderful

You are love, you are wisdom

You are humility, you are endurance.

You are rest, you are peace.

You are joy, you are gladness.

You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.

You are beauty, you are gentleness.

You are our protector,

You are our guardian and defender.

You are courage,

You are our haven and hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord.

God almighty, merciful Saviour

(St Francis of Assisi)

Reading. John 10: 22-30

Prayers

Father, I pray for fellow believers who are week spiritually, that they will be strengthened with might in their inner man by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I pray for my country that your truth will reign supreme and that your light will dispel every darkness.

Today, I pray for Grace to abound unto good works that Christ may be glorified in me.

Hymn

In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. MP 639

Jamie Owens- Collins

(Upbeat version by Petra)

Sermon

When we last looked at Psalm 23 we thought about what it means for the Lord to guide us in “paths of righteousness”:

Died today taken to heaven, accepted because of Christ’s merits. “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me”

Living holy lives.

Rather, the Lord expects us to live holy, righteous lives. By His Spirit He will prompt us to get rid of old attitudes of the sinful nature and put on the new virtues and qualities of the Holy Spirit

So, the Good Shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

How is our leading holy lives connected with His name?

It has always been the Lord’s purpose to call a people who will reflect His holiness: “Be holy because I am holy” and “You are a people holy to the Lord your God” (Deut.7:6).

The Lord led the People of Israel in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. “Be holy because I am holy”

I think we should also understand that

The Lord will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

Let’s think about the phrase again “He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”

Let’s think about the various names and titles given to the Lord:

Take for example Isaiah: 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His own name’s sake”

Hymn

‘The God of Abraham Praise’

Thomas Olivers

Blessing

David Barnes 16/2/22

Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 20th February 2020

Call to worship

The mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. Luke 1:49

These verses describe many of God’s wonderful attributes. As does our first hymn. Let’s sing…

Hymn

O Worship the King MP 528

Robert Grant

Prayer

You are holy Lord, the only God

And your deeds are wonderful

You are love, you are wisdom

You are humility, you are endurance.

You are rest, you are peace.

You are joy, you are gladness.

You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.

You are beauty, you are gentleness.

You are our protector,

You are our guardian and defender.

You are courage,

You are our haven and hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord.

God almighty, merciful Saviour

(St Francis of Assisi)

Reading. John 10: 22-30

Prayers

Father, I pray for fellow believers who are week spiritually, that they will be strengthened with might in their inner man by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I pray for my country that your truth will reign supreme and that your light will dispel every darkness.

Today, I pray for Grace to abound unto good works that Christ may be glorified in me.

Hymn

In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. MP 639

Jamie Owens- Collins

(Upbeat version by Petra)

Sermon

When we last looked at Psalm 23 we thought about what it means for the Lord to guide us in “paths of righteousness”:

Died today taken to heaven, accepted because of Christ’s merits. “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me”

Living holy lives.

Rather, the Lord expects us to live holy, righteous lives. By His Spirit He will prompt us to get rid of old attitudes of the sinful nature and put on the new virtues and qualities of the Holy Spirit

So, the Good Shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

How is our leading holy lives connected with His name?

It has always been the Lord’s purpose to call a people who will reflect His holiness: “Be holy because I am holy” and “You are a people holy to the Lord your God” (Deut.7:6).

The Lord led the People of Israel in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. “Be holy because I am holy”

I think we should also understand that

The Lord will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

Let’s think about the phrase again “He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”

Let’s think about the various names and titles given to the Lord:

Take for example Isaiah: 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His own name’s sake”

Hymn

‘The God of Abraham Praise’

Thomas Olivers

Blessing

David Barnes 16/2/22

Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 20th February 2020

Call to worship

The mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. Luke 1:49

These verses describe many of God’s wonderful attributes. As does our first hymn. Let’s sing…

Hymn

O Worship the King MP 528

Robert Grant

Prayer

You are holy Lord, the only God

And your deeds are wonderful

You are love, you are wisdom

You are humility, you are endurance.

You are rest, you are peace.

You are joy, you are gladness.

You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.

You are beauty, you are gentleness.

You are our protector,

You are our guardian and defender.

You are courage,

You are our haven and hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord.

God almighty, merciful Saviour

(St Francis of Assisi)

Reading. John 10: 22-30

Prayers

Father, I pray for fellow believers who are week spiritually, that they will be strengthened with might in their inner man by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I pray for my country that your truth will reign supreme and that your light will dispel every darkness.

Today, I pray for Grace to abound unto good works that Christ may be glorified in me.

Hymn

In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. MP 639

Jamie Owens- Collins

(Upbeat version by Petra)

Sermon

When we last looked at Psalm 23 we thought about what it means for the Lord to guide us in “paths of righteousness”:

Died today taken to heaven, accepted because of Christ’s merits. “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me”

Living holy lives.

Rather, the Lord expects us to live holy, righteous lives. By His Spirit He will prompt us to get rid of old attitudes of the sinful nature and put on the new virtues and qualities of the Holy Spirit

So, the Good Shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

How is our leading holy lives connected with His name?

It has always been the Lord’s purpose to call a people who will reflect His holiness: “Be holy because I am holy” and “You are a people holy to the Lord your God” (Deut.7:6).

The Lord led the People of Israel in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. “Be holy because I am holy”

I think we should also understand that

The Lord will lead us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake:

Let’s think about the phrase again “He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”

Let’s think about the various names and titles given to the Lord:

Take for example Isaiah: 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His own name’s sake”

Hymn

‘The God of Abraham Praise’

Thomas Olivers