Spiritual Involvement

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)

Reflective Service, 13th of August, 19:00

Stewardship Month Workshop, 18th August, 19:00, Church Hall

Testomony (Try to identify someone.)

Call to Worship: (Psalm 122)

Minister: We are glad!

All: To be in the house of the Lord.

Minister: We are over joy!

All: To enter through the gates of God’s house.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH 159 - Lord, for the years

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)

Holy God, we stand in Your mighty presence.

We look up to admire your holiness.

To be in your presence make us feel overwhelmed and without words.

We approach knowing we are standing on holy ground.

Help us revere Your sacred name.

We submit to Your holiness.

Reveal Your authority in our hearts today.

We confess our pride and wayward steps.

Forgive us when we forget to honor You daily.

Cleanse us with Your mercy and grace.

Prepare our souls to receive Your truth.

Grant us courage to follow Your lead.

Fill us with awe at Your holy presence here with us.

Teach us to worship in full.

We uphold you our God and strength.

Let Your Spirit move among us freely as we praise you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray together.

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: Strength will rise (Everlasting God)

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: God will fight for us!

Hymn: CH 567 Focus my eyes (Children exit.)

Reading: Joshua 5: 13-15 / Joshua 6: 1-17

The Commander of the Lord’s Army

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. 

The Fall of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” 7 And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.” 

8 And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. 9 The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 

12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. 

15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jos 5:13–6:17). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

The sublim. The sublim refers to a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement, or imitation. To encounter the sublim is to be at awe. Joshua had such an experience. The experience was of such nature that he fell on his face and started to worship. The reading states of how Joshua looked up and saw a man with a drawn sword. Joshua investigated to find out who this man was. The man then declared: "I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” This statement made Joshua realise that he was dealing with the holy power of God. To acknowledge God's presence Joshua took of his sandals, because the place were holy. Taking off his sandel, I guess, was to directly connect to the holiness of God. Joshua had a sublim experience.

Art can help us to understand what we mean with sublim. Caspar David Friedrich was a german artist who specialist in illustrating the sublim. See the three pictures.

His art depict the sublim. Giving the viewer a sense of awe. His work wants us to have a wow moment with now words to express the inner experience. 

How many of us have had a sublim experience?

Who has ever had a experience that transended words?

Can we think of a moment where we wanted to fall on our face and started to worship God?

At the beginning of the year Robin Hill took me on a tour around this area. He took me to all the towns and told me about the culture and activities. We specifically went to Gullane where he took me to a sightseening spot. We drove up a steep road towards a gate. Not far from there was a sightseeng spot/viewing spot. From that spot you have a 360 degree view of the surroundings. The view stretches out into the distance! Standing there, I had a sublim experience. I was acstonished to be able to see so far into the distance. From that spot you are able to see the whole Forth and even Edinburgh. 

It was a true wow moment with now words to express my inner experience. 

Joshua could not help but to fall down and worship after his sublim experience. He had a difficult task infront of him. He had to concor a city. The Art of War by Sun Tzu teaches us, to avoid, if possible, attacking a city, becuase it is so difficult and intence. Yet, here we have Joshua needing to do that which is very dangerous and in many ways impossible. 

How does Joshua go about destroying the city? 

We have not read about catepults, archers or even a battering rame. Joshua did not receive the obvious instruction to concore the city.  

Rather, God expected that Joshua to continue in worship. The metode of conquring the city was to parade in a orderly manner around the city with the ark of the Lord in the centre of the parade. The reason was that God's army will be doing the fighting and not Joshua. Part of Joshua's sublim experience was the realisation that God is on his side and that God will make the impossible possible.

Joshua's responibility was not to plan the conquest but rahter to uphold God in a orderly way.

God did not expect Joshua to have a sophisticated plan in place to conquer the city. God expected Joshua to trust in Him. Part of the trust was to uphold God (the ark) in a structured way/manner. 

This is still significant for us today. There are many walls that we face daily as a church and individuals. 

How do we conquer these walls? 

Do we plan to the minute details? 

Is it the case that we think success will come from our own effort?  The more we do the more successful we will be!

Espessially as a church we are approaching our Stewership Month. It is a month that we will reasse our possition and God's calling. If we consider this reading then we learn not to busness leaders, project manager or not to be specialist in logistics. We learn not to perform or we can say to do more to receive God's blessing. The length of our todo list and our ablity to juggle a lot of things will not lead to Godly/spiritual success. In other words, performance will not lead to the conquering of our walls.

This tought brings about a sense of ouccuartness or maybe relieve.  

Rather, spiritual/godly success comes form upholding God in a orderly way in our mits. As a person upholding God. As a Christian family upholding God. Our only activity then is having God in our centre. Not in a ridgit manner, but in a way that acknowledges God as the determing factor for "success".  Godly/Spiritual Success is to become fully aware of the sublim. To look up, as Joshua did, and become overwhelmed by God's power / God's army and God’s ability.

We can not keep the doors open of this church only God can!

God's army is of such nature that no words are possible to explain - our experience. Considering the sublim, which is God's power, the walls in our lives become very small indeed. 

We can not compare the power of God to the walls we face. The pastoral message: The power of God is enough. We do not have to controle or perform to receive God blessing. The walls we are facing is so small compared to God’s power therefore we may be at awe with God’s mighty army. 

Knowing this our response should be to structure our daily lives around upholding and worshipping God - knowing that He will fight the fight. God will brake the walls. God will bring succuss. 

We can not calculat or measure God. But we can go on our kniee and worship him. We can look up and realise we are dealing with something way more powerful then we can image.  To encounter God is to experience the sublim. It is like admiring a painting by David Friedrich or standing at a few point gasing into the distance. 

Theologically speaking Prestongrange Church will not be successfull with catapulls, bows and arrows or battering rames. We will only be successfull if we uphold God in our mits knowing that he will fight the fight. If we can not uphold God in what we are doing then we need to stop and reasse.

Are we upholding God in our mits?

And Joshua went to him and said, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.”

Amen

Hymn: In Christ alone

Prayer for Others (Get someone to lead):

Heavenly Father,

We draw near to you, inspired by Joshua's encounter with the commander of your heavenly army.

We pray for those standing before great challenges, like Joshua before Jericho’s walls.

Reveal yourself to them as the mighty warrior, fighting on their behalve.

Humble the hearts of leaders and warriors in faith, teaching them to knieel in owe of your grateness.

Grant courage to those preparing for spiritual battles, equipping them with your divine wisdom.

We remove the sandals from our feet, as we are standing on holy ground in your presence.

Comfort those who feel alone in their struggles, assuring them that the angels of heaven are surrounding them.

Strengthen the weary, that they may discern your voice and follow your commands with unwavering trust.

Protect families and communities guarding them from fear and doubt. Break down the walls we are facing whilst we uphold you in wonder.

May your Spirit inspire us this week as we notcie the sacred in the ordenary.

We thank you for leading us to victory in your name.

Amen.

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

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH4 737 - Will your anchor hold 

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

Go and structure our life around upholding and worshipping God - knowing that He will fight the fight. God will brake the walls. God will bring succuss. 

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)