LImeside 2023

CALL TO WORSHIP

Let us burst to share the good news of Jesus as we come into God’s presence today. Let us not hide away in secret, but shout from the rooftops of God’s goodness to us.

513: Stand up stand up for Jesus

A GATHERING PRAYER

Awesome God, today we choose to come and worship you. There is none like you; you are amazing. Help us to follow you, knowing the risks, not counting the costs, but trusting that you walk always at our side. Amen.

A PRAYER OF ADORATION

Lord God, you have borne our pains, shared our journeys, offered us unconditional love. You have breathed your Spirit into us, blessed us with the gift of your Son, you have sacrificed so much for us. We adore you and offer you our lives. You have given us a vision of your kingdom, have offered us a way of life worth living, a loving to share, a presence at all times. We adore you and offer you, our lives. Amen.

A PRAYER OF CONFESSION

In easy times, without fear or conflict, we are happy to stand up as Christians and follow you, our Almighty God. When we face no threats of persecution, we are happy to cast our lot with you, our Almighty God. But, when challenge comes, when disputes erupt, when questions get asked –hard, painful questions –we are not always so willing to stand up and be counted; it is easier to lie low and keep quiet. Forgive us, O God, if, when challenges come, we lower our flag and pull up our drawbridge and withdraw to isolation, leaving you to fight the cause of love, justice and peace with people other than us. Forgive us, eternal God, for such failing and weaknesses. Forgive us and bless us. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

I do not feel that I am worthy; I do not feel that I am able; I do not feel that I deserve you, God, and yet I do believe that as I have confessed you have poured out your forgiveness on me. You accept my repentance and keep me to your own. Amen.

607: Who is on the Lord’s say

READING

Jeremiah 20: 7-13

7 You deceived[a] me, Lord, and I was deceived[b]; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. 10 I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.”

11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonour will never be forgotten. 12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.

13 Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

Mathew 10: 24-39

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn:

“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[b]

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

215: I heard the voice of Jesus say

SERMON

Chapter 10 in Matthew’s gospel tells us about the sending out of the twelve apostles.

After he has given the instructions, he tells them of the persecution that would come as he tells them “Behold I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.”

It seems that the whole of this reading and our reading for today have a hard message. This isn’t the best pep talk to give to his team of disciples.

Firstly, why does Jesus bring up the idea that the student which I am sure they would agree with is not greater than the teacher. but then references to the name “Beelzebub” which means the “master of the house.”

This basically means by being a follower of Jesus you will are tarred with the same brush.

The point is Jesus is saying if you are my follower or my Disciple you will face the same treatment as me. Rejection, misunderstood.

Do not be afraid of them. There are lots of reasons why people are afraid of opponents.

They may be stronger and are likely to hurt them.

So, it is necessary that the people involved overcome their fears. The reason the apostles should not have been afraid, Jesus told them, was that they were on the winning side.

Do you feel unable to speak about your faith to those outside your Church life?

Nothing covered that will not be revealed. He was preparing the disciples for the time when their secret meetings and plans would be taken out and made public.

This comes true on the day of Pentecost.

In our reading from at first glance, that passage doesn't seem to support the family unity at all does it?

The Prince of Peace states that he didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. What does this mean? These words of Jesus seem hard for us to understand. Why would Jesus want us to deliberately set son against father or daughter against mother? Why would Jesus not want us to love our son or daughter or mother or father more than him? Jesus surely doesn’t want us to deliberately cause conflict within our families.

When he said.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

But he was pointing out that the cost of following him is great, it is sacrificial. Sometimes Christianity can be branded as a cosy ‘come to Jesus and everything will be great’ type of religion but this is not authentic. The road of faith is filled with danger and risk. Are we prepared to accept and act this? Jesus never promised a life of ease.

We only need to look at our reading from Jeremiah, this was a man who was called by God to be a prophet to preach the word of God to his people,

Obediently he gave out the message which led to this the saddest confession from our reading, of a man who is ostracised he had been in stocks being mocked and mistreated by those in charge of the temple it begins with him calling to God, you enticed me, or even accusing God of leading him on. And he suffered the consequences, and understandably calls out to God and asks why?

You see, that’s why when it boils down to it, we can't put family or any other relationship above our relationship with God through Christ.

In truth it doesn’t belittle family it just puts family in its proper place which is Second Place. God is in First Place in our lives. In the pecking order, we come in Third. God, Family, Us. Or another way to remember is with the word JOY. Jesus, Others, You.

I. We Are Loved

One of the first things this passage reminds us, is that we are loved. Look at verses 29-31 and what they say. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without God knowing. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows."

That's a special kind of love isn’t it. A love that will not let us be lost. A love that searches for us, seeks us out and cares for the most intimate details of our lives. You and I are loved by God.

We can feel unworthy, which in truth we are, but if we let this feeling overwhelm us it will come between us and God.

In Southern Africa, The Bebemba tribe has a fascinating ritual for combating the feelings of rejection. Any person in the tribe who acts irresponsibly is taken alone to the centre of the village. Everyone stops work and gathers in a circle around the person.

In turn, each person, regardless of their age, speaks to the individual. They recount, aloud the good things he/she has done in their lifetime.

All the positive things in the person's life, plus their good attributes, strengths, and kindnesses, are recalled with accurate detail. Not one negative word.

The ceremony isn't complete until every positive thing has been given by the tribe,

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the person is welcomed back into village life.

How would you like to experience that. Can you imagine the feelings during the tribe's welcome? Can you imagine the extent of acceptance that person feels?

Can you imagine how you would feel if a group of people affirmed you in that way?

That's exactly how God works. Jesus said God didn't send Him to condemn the world but to save and redeem it. And God does that with love. The unconditional love as expressed on the Cross.

II. We're In This Together

Not only are we loved but we're in this together. As the world has changed one of the things modern parents faces, is that parenthood is something done together. In the past the mother stayed at home as was the case in many households, while the man was the bread winner, The wife the home maker I know this wasn’t always the case, but it was that way in my home.

But more than ever now a Dad is no longer just "King of the castle." And Moms don't stay home, Today Moms have careers, just like Dads.

Being a Dad, especially, has taken on a whole new way of life than in past generations. Today, in most households, Dads play more of a nurturing role in caring for the kids.

The chief thing is to remember that we're in this together. Just as God reminded us through Christ, that we are not alone, that God loves us so much that God even knows the number of hairs on our head, so too, we who have grandchildren, we also still worry and have concerns for our children no matter how old they are and remind them that they are not alone and never will be. We'll always be there because we're in this thing called life together.

God's love for us is just like that. When we go astray, when we wander off, when we're overcome by some tragedy, God comes looking for us. That's how much God loves us. And that's how much God wants us to love each other as well.

That's part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." If we're only worried about ourselves then we'll lose everything that matters. But if we lose ourselves and put ourselves in Third place, then we will find the greatest treasure of all; God's love and

we'll share it with our family because we're in this together.

III. Getting It, Together

What does this look like in practical terms? For some, it might mean rising early to pray rather than have a lie-in. It might mean sharing the pain as we comfort and support those who are bereaved, who are isolated or lonely. Perhaps it means not always being available for family because we are serving God.

It is certainly about putting ourselves out for others, going the extra mile, spending time with the person nobody else wants to. It might mean sacrificing finances, or something else completely.

Giving of ourselves for friends and even strangers, knowing that there are risks involved, knowing there may be consequences ahead. Are we prepared to do the same for our faith, no matter the cost?

But we can’t do it, on our own. We need to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour for ourselves. No one else can make that decision for us. But when the whole Church family gets it, what an awesome place that becomes. You see, we're stronger and accomplish more when we're together in one mind. This is what makes us stronger.

Conclusion

We are loved. Never forget that. And never forget to tell your family that they are loved by you and by God. You see, we're in this together. And getting it, together, leads to the love and joy of Christ in our lives, making us stronger and binding us closer as the family of God.

It’s an extraordinary thought that I’ll only meet two types of people today: those who need an invitation ‘to embrace the mystery of faith’, and Christians whose faith I can strengthen. And so I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me now, giving me words, and helping me simply to be brave with each individual I encounter today

OFFERING DURING HYMN

147: Great is thy faithfulness

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

You have given so much of yourself for us and to us, O God. Your sacrifice for us is beyond understanding. You reach out to us in love and compassion. Your spirit burns within us, warms us, bursts forth from us when we let it. Yours is a story to transform the world, to transform lives, to save lives, to enrich lives. You are the giver of life, the giver of abundant love. In this generation and the next and for ever and ever.

To you be all praise and glory. Amen.

Lord, we are your disciples:

We pray for those whom you have called to service far from their homes – doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, and many more…

We pray for those who serve you in the church – those who clean, make tea and wash up, arrange flowers, offer a welcome, and many more… We pray for those who serve you by telling your story – those who teach, lead assemblies, speak at meetings, preach the gospel, and many more…

We pray for those who engage in a ministry of prayer – spiritual directors, group/cell leaders, prayer network coordinators, and many more… We pray for own discipleship, that we may face our challenges with courage.

May our united discipleship further your work and help to establish your promised kingdom. In your name, we pray. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

42: Be Though My Vision

BLESSING

Jesus, you walked to the cross, and paid the ultimate sacrifice for us, for our freedom; may we walk with you this week as we learn what it is to truly take up our cross and follow you. May we shout from the rooftops and burn with your love inside us, so that others may see you too. Amen