Drama! (Father’s Day)

Prayer with Worship Leaders (10:45)

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus.May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Intimations, Funerals, Baptisms (remember to share this before Sunday Worship)

I will be on leave from 16th until the 30th of June. Rev Robert Simpson will lead worship on the 22nd and Rev. Dr. Jock Stein will lead worship on the 29th of June.

Camperdown Nursery will have their Graduation Ceremony in church on the 4th of July at 14:00.

Testomony (Try to identify someone.)

Call to Worship: (Psalm 6: 22-27)

Minister: The Lord bless you.

All: May He give us peace.

Minister: The Lord make his face shine upon you.

All: May He give us peace.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH 111 - Holy, holy, holy

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (Rev. Bosch)

Gracious God, we gather believing in Your promises. You lead us toward the promise land of Your grace.

We long to enter into Your land of peace. God, do not be angry with us. Do not be mercyless.

Teach us not to be hesitant to your will and ungrateful for all your gifts.

Teach us to count our blessings with thankful hearts. God, remember Your love that never fails.

Transform us this morning by making our spirits different, bold and couragous.

Help us to commit fully to You in all we do. Empower us to possess the promises You gave.

Cleanse us from doubt and renew our trust. Fill us with Your Spirit to walk in Your truth.

I would ask you include fathers in heaven, absent fathers and single parents. You may already have this in mind.

Guide our worship to honor Your holy name. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn: Send the fire (words below)

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: Spirit of Success! (Prize Giving!, Open arms of the Father!)

Hymn: Wide, wide as the ocean

(Children exit.)

Reading: Numbers 13: 26-33 / 14: 1-8; 13-25

26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” 30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

___

14 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.

___ 13 But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.” ___ 20 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

Opportunities. We all had somekind of opportunity in our life. The opportunity might have been small, or it was a life changing moment. It could also have been the case, that good opportunities was missed. It is only through personal reflection that we realise that an opportunity passed us by. During those times we could experience disappointment, but hopefully it could service as a reminder to be on the lookout for possible future opportunities.

Our reading talks about the Israelities having an opportunity to go into the promiseland. They had the opportunity to fulfull the long awaiting hope of having a land filled with milk and honey. Yet, after seeing the new land and its wealth, they did not have the inner conviction or courage to enter. It was only Caleb that showed the willingness to sees the moment. Caleb was the only one willing to enter the promiseland fully convicted that God is with them.

In the case of the others, they felt intimidated and not able to trust God. What made the situation worse was that they wanted to go back into slavery. They wanted to choose new leaders and travel back to the land of slavery. Slavery was better for them then the promiseland of milk and honey. At the door of a new land which God was gaving them, they decided to turn back. Just before receiving the long expecting promise from God, they responded by saying “no”. No -

Is this story not familiar to us? How many of us wanted or even did turn back at the entrance of something new and better? Who turned back when the answer and the solution was infront of us?

What we hear from this narritive is that the familiur is sometimes more attractive than the unfamiliur. We will rather stay with the familiar then to consider the unfamiliur. The sinario is that the familiur will always be chosen because it is familiur. Whereas, the unfamiliur, even though it is better, will be avioded because in essence it is unfamiliur.

Could it really be the case, that we settle for less rather than trusting that the unknown is far more advantages? Might it be that we are so comfortable that slavery becomes okay?

The reading creates the picture of the Israelites prefering slavery because it was familiar to them. The idea of “not being slaves” in other words “free” was too intimidating. They did not have the adventures spirit that was needed to enter the promiseland. Caleb, on the other hand, was the only person who believed in God’s promise. Caleb was not satisfied with the past. Slavery was beneight him. He wanted to be free. He wanted a new and fresh start. His believe and trust in God convinced him that they could enter the promiseland. He was convinced that they could seizes he moment infront of them.

Unfortunately, many of the Israelites did not share his enthusiasm. They were overwhelmed and unable to envision themselves entering the place of hope and prosperity. Consequently, the majority of the Israelites lost out on the opportunity. Whereas Caleb and His family was given the gift they longed for. The reason why Caleb and his desendance receiving this honor was because Caleb was different. He had a different spirit destigusing himself from the rest. For him it was obvious advantagas to follow and trust in God.

Caleb knew that God was on their side. It was due to His conviction and his different spirit that kindled the need for adventures. It was that adventures spirit that God admired and was seeking to make entering the promiseland possible.

We learn from this narritive to assiss our own spirit. Do we have the spirit of Caleb or of the majority of Israelites?

I think the reading wants us to evaluhate our own spirit towards ourselves, a situation and more importantly towards God.

What spirit are we upholding in ourselves? Might it be that we need to reassess our own attitudes?

The core question we need to consider is: Is our spirit, will or attitude helping us to enter the promiseland of God?

There was and will be many opportunities in life. If this is the case, then we need to consider the spirit of Caleb. A spirit that is willing to accept God’s promise and to trust in His guidance.

A spirit that will consider entering the promiseland.

Our unique promiseland might be rapt/folded in the uncertain and the unknow. Our unique promiseland might seem not as good as the present. Our unique promiseland might even seem to be impossible to enter.

If or when we stand in the entrance of the hope we have longed for, what spirit are we empracing?

The reading warns us to be careful not to miss God’s Opportunities. Therefore, gather courage, faith and hope. Build your life on God’s promise for a land fulled with milk and honey.

May we enter the land God has promised us, with the spirit of Caleb! Do not miss that opportunity that God promised to us. Amen

Hymn: CH549 - How deep the fathers love for us

Prayer for Others (Reece Allen):

Heavenly Father, We lift up those struggling with courage, doubt, and hopelessness in their hearts.

Renew their strength, replacing fear with boldness and despair with hope. For those who are lost, aimless, not focused, and directionless, guide their steps.

Lead them to your purpose, anchoring their souls in your steadfast love. May we be like Caleb, who had a different spirit, bold and faithful in your promises.

Instill in us a spirit of trust, a willingness to enter the promised land you have prepared. On this Father’s Day, we pray for fathers, that they may lead with wisdom and love.

Strengthen them to be examples of your grace, nurturing their families with care. Surround all these souls with your peace, dispelling confusion and doubt.

Provide them with clarity and courage to walk confidently in your light. We give thanks for your unending mercy, which sustains us through every trial.

May your presence inspire trust and hope in all who seek you. Amen.

“ I would ask you include fathers in heaven, absent fathers and single parents. You may already have this in mind.”

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH260 - Eternal father strong to save

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

Go, with courage, faith and hope. Embrace the spirit of Caleb and go into the land fulled with milk and honey. Do not miss the opportunities that God profides.

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, may the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)