Week commencing Sunday 25th April

Devotional Materials. Week Commencing Sunday 25^th April 2021

Call to Worship

There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we live. (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Opening Hymn (Piano)

2 Word incarnate, truth revealing,
Son of Man on earth!
power and majesty concealing
by your humble birth:
Yours the glory...

3 Suffering servant, scorned, ill - treated,
victim crucified!
death is through the cross defeated,
sinners justified:
Yours the glory...

4 Priestly king, enthroned for ever
high in heaven above!
sin and death and hell shall never
stifle hymns of love:
Yours the glory...

5 So, our hearts and voices raising
through the ages long,
ceaselessly upon you gazing,
this shall be our song:
Yours the glory...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnsbOCH6S1Y

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus we recognise you are indeed Lord and Saviour. No one else could bear our sins on themselves. No one else has conquered death and opened the way for us to have eternal life. Your name is above every name. You are the king of righteousness, king of peace, enthroned at the right hand of God on high.

All authority belongs to you, wherever your gospel is preached you call people to put their faith in you. You called your first disciples, and as the ascended Christ you have been calling people to yourself for 2000 years and more. Worldwide, people from every tribe and nation, people of different ages and social backgrounds put their faith in you. We are part of a vast assembly that no one can count, spanning the Ages, myriads who worship you this morning Lord Jesus.

This is unique. It is beyond human explanation. It is your work Lord, made effective by the Holy Spirit in each person. You convict us of our sin and cleanse us. You come in to our lives and live with us and teach us to follow you.

You Lord Jesus are the ‘Pioneer of our Salvation’, bringing many to glory through your death and resurrection. You are ‘Lord and Christ’. All glory belongs to you. Amen

Interview. Khaleel & Hannah Tester

Reading. John 1:35-42. Denise Roberts

1³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Over two Sunday mornings we are looking at how the Lord refined and changed his disciple Simon Peter. Let’s worship the Lord meditating on the words of our next two hymn ‘Change my heart Oh God’ and ‘Abba Father let me be’

Hymn (Guitar. Teach this song)

Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true
Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You
You are the potter, I am the clay
Mould me and make me, this is what I pray
Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true
Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You

Eddie Espinosa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFAVpUQgVoo

Hymn (Piano)

Abba Father, let me be 

Yours and Yours alone 

May my will forever be 

Evermore Your own 

Never let my heart grow cold 

Never let me go 

Abba Father, let me be 

Yours and Yours alone 

Dave Bilbrough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhinCirI8pY

Sermon. “The Rock- Maker” (Part One)

Michelangelo had such creative imagination he was able to see lines in a block of stone and so produce a wonderful sculpture, this included his statue of David, where he used stone that had been rejected by others because of its imperfections- but Michelangelo saw beyond these and fashioned his masterpiece in the process.

When we first meet Peter his name is Simon. It was a common name, but not very complementary- it meant “reed”. But when we read of Jesus first encounter with Simon, he gave him the name Cephas- which when translated means Peter. Both the names Cephas and Peter mean “rock”.

Right from the beginning we have this tension between the weakness of Peter on the one hand, and what Jesus intends to make of him on the other. Peter started as a man easily swayed, like a reed in the wind, but when Jesus left him he was solid rock.

So let’s first look at the sort of man Simon Peter is before the Lord makes him into a rock.

What he is

(“You are Simon, son of John”)

Peter was a fisherman from Bethsaida in Galilee, the brother of Andrew. They were the first two whom Jesus called to follow him.

Peter’s character comes across clearly in the Gospels. He already has strengths that mark him out. He is charming, eager, he has an impulsive devotion to Christ and he is energetic. But these strengths are checked by weaknesses: he could be unstable, fickle, weak, cowardly, rash and inconsistent.

 A good example of his strength and weakness both coming through is recorded in Matthew 14: 22-36. Jesus appears to his disciples walking on the water. Jesus says “Take courage it is I. Don’t be afraid”. Peter makes an impulsive but not presumptuous request: “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water” (14:28). Jesus sees Peter’s faith underlying the request, and says to him “come”. Peter starts off fine- he’s walking on the water towards Jesus, his faith is in Christ, but then his weakness sets in: he takes his eyes off Jesus and starts looking at his seemingly impossible circumstances: “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out “Lord save me” Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. Jesus says to Peter “You of little faith why did you doubt?” (14:31) While Peter had little faith and gave into his fear, it’s worth noting that none of the other disciples even tried.

Again this mix of strength and weakness in Peter comes out in Matthew 16 and 17. The people were saying that Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the prophets, and Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say I am?” And Peter makes his famous confession “You are the Christ the Son of the living God” (16:16).

Jesus says Simon is blessed for the Father has revealed this to him. Peter is receptive to God’s voice. Jesus adds, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church…” Again, from early on, Jesus affirms what God will do with Peter’s life that he will be made into a rock. Here Jesus indicates Peter will be preeminent among the Apostles and used uniquely and powerfully to establish the Church. All this is in the future. But it is Peter’s faith, though small, that is so pleasing to God, that the Lord will be able to refine, mature and use to great effect later on.

Jesus affirms all this about Peter from early on, but the other disciples were probably wondering why Peter? Okay Peter says some wonderful things about Jesus, but they all knew Peter was an impulsive man with foot and mouth disease!! Opening his mouth and putting his foot in it! And there soon follows evidence of that: 

Jesus tells them he will suffer and die. Peter speaks out of turn and rebukes Jesus. “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you!” (16:22). Opening his mouth and putting his foot in it! Peter’s words are well meant, but mistaken and dangerous. Jesus mission is why he came, it must not be derailed or deflected in any way. Jesus says to Peter: “Get behind me Satan” The Lord recognises that Satan is using Peter as his agent in an attempt to seduce him from his mission. It is a temptation that salvation can be purchased without suffering and death.

At one moment Peter speaks under the direct influence of the Father, the next he speaks under the direct influence of Satan! We too must be alert, what happened to Peter here can happen to any one of us. At one moment we may feel God has used us to bring blessing, the next Satan may use us in some angry criticism, some stifling negation of God’s work in the Church. We must be wary, watch our words, and be self-controlled as James teaches.

Peter still hasn’t learnt from Jesus’ rebuke. The next incident recorded in Matthew is the Lord’s transfiguration (Matt. 17). Here the Lord Jesus radiates with the light and glory of God. Again, Peter opens his mouth and puts his foot in it: “I will put up three shelters- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (17:4). He wants shelters built so God can again meet with men. He believes the glory is now and for good. He has forgotten what Jesus said earlier- that the Son of Man must suffer and be rejected …be killed and rise again.” Jesus has just rebuked him for this same attitude.

So, despite Peter’s obvious weaknesses, the Lord knows, and sees from the beginning what he will yet do in Peter’s life. From the beginning Peter’s name always comes first in the list of the disciples, and he was one of the three who formed an inner circle around the Lord.

So today we have explored the man Simon was and we will begin to look at how the Lord begins to fashion him into the rock he will be.

That Peter will be.

“You will be called Cephas”

We now look at the first of 3 key episodes in Peter’s life where we see the “rock-making” process in operation. Today we look at:

Luke 22: 31-34. During the Last Supper Jesus says to Peter: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” Jesus answered, “I tell you Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times that you know me”.

The disciples had just been arguing about who is the greatest, and Jesus explains it is the one who serves who is the greatest. We have already seen that Peter will have a preeminent leadership role in the Church, but with that great responsibility Peter will have to learn humility if God is going to mature him to the point where he will really love and serve the people of God.

And so the Lord is going to permit him to go through a period of testing by Satan, and the Lord knows Peter will fail that testing, but the Lord’s prayers for Peter will enable him to turn back and strengthen his brothers. So through the rock making process of painful testing and failure and turning back to the Lord, Peter will discover a new found sympathy and love for his fellow believers. He will see his weakness, his pride and boasting for what it is. He will know, looking back on this time, that it was the Lord’s strengthening, the Lord’s prayers for Peter that brought him back on track. In his humiliation he will be purged of self-righteousness and broken. He wont be competing with the other disciples any more, instead he will be loving them.

A pastor and writer by the name of Tim LaHaye describes how a young man came to see him. The young man came in ‘looked at his watch and proudly announced- I’ve kept my record intact. I’ve never been late for an appointment in my life! As soon as he was seated, he went into an angry, twenty five minute description of all the misery his wife had caused him and how psychotic she was! When he had finally unburdened himself, I began to present to him the gospel of Jesus Christ…The young engineer quickly informed me, ‘Well, I don’t believe in Christ; it’s not that I’m an atheist. I just don’t believe.’ LaHaye talked further about the gospel, using the ‘Four Spiritual Laws’ (http://www.4laws.com/laws/englishkgp/default.htm ) He showed the young man drawings of the two circles used in that method:

] 

LaHaye asked the young man ‘Which of these two circles represents your life?’ I was rather surprised when he replied, pointing to the first (The Self- Directed Life) ‘Oh that represents my life. That’s a picture of me right there.’ Then rather hesitantly, because he claimed not to believe in Christ, I said, ‘Well, do you know of any reason why right now you couldn’t invite Jesus Christ into your life?’ To my utter amazement, he looked me straight in the face and said, ‘No, in fact, that is exactly what I need.’ With that he got down on his knees and began to pray. He first confessed what an angry, bitter, resentful young man he was, and he asked Jesus Christ to forgive him and come into his life. When he finished he began to sit down and weep. I watched him for several minutes, after which he sighed and said, ‘I’ve never felt so relaxed in all my life!’ Then it was that I saw the evidence of the working of God’s Spirit in his life as a new Christian, for he said, ‘By the way, Pastor, all those things I told you about my wife aren’t really true. Forget it. Most of the problem has been me.’

LaHaye goes on to describe how the young man memorized Bible verses he had assigned to him, and had completed a Bible Study before returning two weeks later. LaHaye asked ‘How is your wife?’ He replied, ’She’s not doing too good, but I guess that’s understandable. It’s going to take a long time to overcome the effects of all the things I have done to her in our married life.’ LaHaye reflected on the work of the Holy Spirit in the young man, ‘This loving, compassionate, gracious young man was nothing like the angry, vitriolic, bitter individual of two weeks before.’ Two months later, inspired by the change in her husband, the man’s wife also invited Christ into her life. (“Spirit- Controlled Temperament” Tim LaHaye).

That is a contemporary example of the ‘rock making ‘process. That young man came to see his own failure and turned to the Lord, depending on Him and His Word. He discovered a new found sympathy and love for his wife. He could see his weakness, his pride and anger for what it was. Like Peter, in his humiliation, he was purged of self-righteousness and broken. He wasn’t competing with his wife anymore, instead he was loving her. That young man was at the beginning of his Christian life, but his testimony illustrates the way the Lord was working in Peter and the way He wants to work in each one of us.

Next week, we will explore further the rock making process in Peter. We will look at Peter’s betrayal of the Lord but also Jesus renewed call on Peter’s life. We will also explore further implications for our own lives.

………………………………………………………

Hymn (Guitar)

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
I'm full of praise once again

And once again…

Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank you for the cross, my friend

And once again…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkK4YHy-wNg

Prayer for the Queen

We continue to intercede for the Queen in her bereavement and in her service:

"Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ exchanged the glory of a heavenly throne for the form of a servant, we thank you that you have given Elizabeth our Queen a heart to serve her people, and have kept her devoted in this service beyond all who were before her: encourage us by her example to serve one another, and to seek the common good,
until you call us to reign with Christ in your eternal kingdom. Amen." (C of E)

Prayer Diary for May

1.         The three Angmering churches as they proclaim the Gospel.
2.         Our Minister, Rev. David Barnes, and Liz his wife, their ministry.
3.         Our Church Secretary Wendy Breese and her faithful work.
4.         The new treasurership arrangements to work well.
5.         Our Deacons; for God-given wisdom and strength.
6.         The whole church membership and friends to know God’s leading.
7.         Our caretaker, Rosalyn, and all who care for our premises.                                                                                                                             8,         The church worldwide; especially those suffering persecution to reopen..
9.         A strong missionary involvement.   
10.       Paul and Alison Guinness and family seeking to return to Burundi.
11.       The country as it prepares to come out of lockdown.
12.       Members and friends unwell, housebound or still isolated.
13        David and Lorna Sivyour and all the children who have been members of                                                                                                                  the Dell Club.
14.       All who serve us so well in the NHS.
15.       The resumption of the Torch Fellowship.
16.       The faithful preaching of the Gospel in this country.
17.       Tim and Linda Hobson.
18.       All mourning the death of loved ones.
19.       Safety and security in Angmering.
20.       Rev.  Ben Redding leading the Immanuel Church .
21.       Judy Cook and her work in Thailand and at the Hope Home.
22.       For all the work of BMS Mission.
23.       Our church building to be a true testimony to the Lord.
24.       Our musicians and singers; thank the Lord for them.
25.       Angmering school: its’ teachers, staff and students.
26.       Mary and Martin Barber and the work in Madagascar.
27.       William Armstrong; his University studies.
28.       The government and MP’s to lead the nation aright.
29.       Rev Mark Standen: his ministry at St Margaret’s church.                                             

30.        The national church; to proclaim the full truth of the Gospel.
31.       As we enter June, may the nation not face another lockdown!!

Hymn

1 The King of love my shepherd is, 
whose goodness faileth never. 
I nothing lack if I am his, 
and he is mine forever.

2 Where streams of living water flow, 
my ransomed soul he leadeth; 
and where the verdant pastures grow, 
with food celestial feedeth.

3 Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed, 
but yet in love he sought me; 
and on his shoulder gently laid, 
and home, rejoicing, brought me.

4 In death's dark vale I fear no ill, 
with thee, dear Lord, beside me; 
thy rod and staff my comfort still, 
thy cross before to guide me.

5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight; 
thy unction grace bestoweth; 
and oh, what transport of delight 
from thy pure chalice floweth!

6 And so through all the length of days, 
thy goodness faileth never; 
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise 
within thy house forever.