♫ 2025-08-17 St. Paul's Presbyterian Church

Please Stand for the Word of God

Welcome -

Facing the people, the leader greets them in the Lord's name. The Greeting should be explicitly Christian, declaring that the Lord is present and empowers our worship.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 95:6–7 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”

Chorus When I feel the touch

Chorus Behold, what manner of love

Chorus I lift my hands to the coming king 17

Exhortation

 Dear friends, the scriptures urge us to acknowledge our wickedness before almighty God our heavenly Father and to confess our many sins to Him, that they may be forgiven through His infinite goodness and mercy in Jesus Christ our

Lord. We should always humbly admit our sins before God, but especially when we meet together to give thanks for the great benefits we have received from Him, to praise and worship Him, to hear His holy word and to ask

what is necessary for our bodies and souls. Therefore let us come before the throne of our gracious God and say together :

General Confession said together.  

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep, we have left undone what we ought to

have done, and we have done what we ought not to have done. We have followed our own ways and our own desires and we have neglected and broken Your holy laws. Have mercy on us Lord.

Restore those who repent and confess their sins according to Your promises declare in Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant, merciful Father, for His sake, that hereafter we may live a righteous and obedient life,  to the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen. 

Assurance of forgiveness said by the minister standing.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live.  He has given authority and commandment to His ministers to declare to His people that

He pardons and forgives the sins of all who truly repent and believe His holy gospel.  Therefore, let us ask Him to grant us true repentance and His Holy Spirit, that we may please Him now, and that the rest of our life may be pure and holy so that

at the last we may come to His eternal joy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, In earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our

trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For ever and ever.  Amen. 

Janet

will now read the Old Testament reading to us from the NIV pew bible.

He begins with “Hear the Word of God as it is written in

Psalm Psalm 82

First Reading Jeremiah 23:23-29

He ends with “This is the word of God”.

Congregation: “Thanks be to God”

Jenny

will now read the New Testament reading to us from the NIV pew bible.

She begins with “Hear the Word of God as it is written in

Second Reading Hebrews 12:1-14

Gospel Luke 12:49-56

She ends with “This is the word of God”.

Congregation: “Thanks be to God”.

Hymn All the way my Saviour leads me

Sermon

Prayer Gracious God, As we open our hearts to Your Word, stir within us a desire to do our best for the Lord. Let Your truth remind us that we are called to love, to lift up the weary, and to stand with the broken. Prepare us now to receive Your message, so we may leave here not only inspired, but ready to serve with humility and care. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL LIVING

Study 9                       OUR BEST FOR THE LORD JESUS

Key Verse:  “…a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard.  She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.” (Mark 14: 3)

The incident recorded in Mark 14:3-9 is a very touching one.  Simon had provided a feast in his house out of gratitude to the Saviour for the blessings he had received, and Jesus, His disciples, Mary, Martha and Lazarus were all there.  Quite suddenly, Mary moved towards the Lord.  She was holding in her hands a beautiful alabaster box which contained very precious delicately perfumed ointment, and to the surprise of everyone there, she broke the box and poured its contents over the head (Mark 14:3) and the feet (John 12:3) of our Lord and anointed Him.  The alabaster box and the ointment were worth a considerable amount of money.  But what did Mary’s act signify?  It signified that she was giving her very best to the Lord Jesus – indeed her all, for as she broke the alabaster box and poured out the precious nard she was saying, in effect:-

“Take my love: my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure-store; Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.”

In those days, every young woman would prepare a box of precious perfume.  This she would keep until the time came when the man she loved would ask her to marry him, and if she were willing and could give him her love and devotion, she would break the precious box of ointment and pour it at his feet.  No matter what she paid for the box, it was counted as her best, and this is what she gave to him.  That is what Mary did with her Lord, the One who loved her so much that soon He would die for her upon the cross.  Mary wanted to be spiritually betrothed to Him (Isaiah 62:5;  Hosea 2:19), and therefore she gave her very best, her all, to Him.

1. WHAT CAN WE GIVE TO THE LORD JESUS?

We have no alabaster box of precious ointment, so what can we give?  There are at least three gifts which all of us can bring to Him:-

(1) We can give Him the best of our Love.  This, supremely, is what Mary did;  though the ointment was costly and the box was of great value, the real gift she brought to Him was that of her love.  We can all give Him our love, and it is this above everything else which He most desires.  Have you given Him the very best of your love? – compare Matthew 10:37 with John 21:15-17.

(2) We can give Him the best of our Years.  What a privilege it is for anyone to give to the Lord his or her whole life in all its freshness and vigour!  Is He not worthy of our best – the best of our strength, our manhood or womanhood?  It is possible to know that we belong to the Lord and yet to keep the best of our strength, time and gifts for ourselves instead of giving them to Him.

(3) We can give Him the best of our Talents.  Everyone has some talent.  What is yours?  Whatever it is, the Lord wants to use it.  If you will only place it at His feet and yield it wholly to Him, He will use it in a most wonderful way.  Have you ever read through Frances Ridley Havergal’s “Consecration Hymn”, and really given over to the Lord your “moments…days…hands…feet…voice…lips…silver…gold…intellect  will”?

2. BUT WHY SHOULD WE GIVE OUR BEST TO THE LORD JESUS?

Here again, there are three answers to this question:-

(1) Because He is worthy of our best.  Who is He?  He is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1 and 14);  the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8);  the Saviour of men (1 Timothy 1:15);  our Saviour (Galatians 2:20).  Is He not worthy of the very best that we can give to Him?

(2) Because He has given His best for us.  He has given His all for us and has shed His precious blood upon the Cross for us in order that we might be redeemed (1 Peter 1:18-19).  It was when Mary realised all that her Lord had given and would give for her that she was constrained to give her best, her all, to Him.  From Mark 14:8, we learn that it was Calvary that constrained her – 2 Corinthians 5:14.

(3) Because only by giving Him our best shall we enjoy His best.  This moment of dedication was for Mary the happiest moment of her life, and from now onwards she would know deep joy (John 15:11), and abiding peace (John 16:33), for she had given her very best, her all, to the Lord.  If we give Him little we shall only have the capacity to enjoy a little (of Him);  but if we give Him our very best, our all, He will become to us unspeakably precious (1 Peter 2:7).

3. WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT OF GIVING OUR BEST TO THE LORD JESUS?

(1) Some people will object.  Immediately Mary gave her best to the Lord there was indignation, murmuring, criticism and misunderstanding – look up John 12:5.  Judas was very quick to speak of Mary’s act of dedication as “waste”, and this is how the world often assesses the dedication of a life wholly given to the Lord – look up Matthew 26:8.

(2) The Lord Jesus will be pleased.  The greatest thing in the world is to have His commendation – look at verse 6.  Does it matter what the world thinks, so long as He is pleased with us?

(3) Others will be helped.  What a marvellous result there was from Mary’s simple act of devotion and dedication! – look at verse 9.  Who can estimate the far-reaching influence of one life which is utterly given to the Lord?  Is your life completely given over to Him?

Notices Mr. John Oberholzer

Birthdays

Rosa Jacobs 24 Aug

Gerda Benada 25 Aug

Tithing

Collection

Praise God from whom all blessing flow

Prayer

Hymn All creatures of our God and King

Doxology - Now unto him.