You shall not fear!

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)

22 September | 19:00 | Board Meeting

28th September | Sunday Harvest Service

October | Stewardship Month

Testomony (Try to identify someone.)

Call to Worship: (Psalm 119)

Minister: Blessed are those…

All: who are blameless.

Minister: Blessed are those…

All: who follow God’s way.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH753 - O praise ye the Lord!

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)

Almighty God, we gather to worship You.

You see us. You understand. You care for us… in bad and good times.

You deliver us from oppression.

You call us to walk in faith trusting in your faithfulness.

You chose us even though we uncertain with the tendency to doubt.

Thank you that in your presence we do not have to be anxious. Thank you for being with us.

Your presence brings peace to our hearts.

Guide us to trust Your strength.

Grant us courage to answer Your call.

We confess our fears and anxious thoughts.

We confess our failure to trust You fully.

Forgive us for straying from Your will.

Cleanse us with Your mercy and grace.

Renew our spirits to follow you humbly.

Help us rest in Your promise of peace.

Transform our fear into songs of worship.

Teach us to rely on Your power.

Fill us with Your goodness to praise You truly.

Let our worship reflect Your love.

May our lives proclaim Your saving grace.

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: Come people of the risen king

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: Shout for help! v6

Hymn: CH 194 - This is the day

(Children exit.)

Reading: Judges 6: 1-24

Midian Oppresses Israel 6 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD. 7 When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, 8 the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

English Standard Version Chapter 6

Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matt 6

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

The Israelites found themselves in difficult situation. Foreigners invided there land. The reading states that these foreigners laid waste to the land. 

To understand the Israelites frustration we can image our own homes invaded by an unwelcome guest. We will not appresiate a guest rearanging our furniture and making a mess in our own home. Any guest will become unwelcome if they do not respect the values and norms of our personal space. 

The Israelites faced such a problem with foreigners not respecting their home. If a person is unruly in your home you can ask or even tell that person to leave. The problem that the Israelites were facing was difficult because their unwelcome guest did not want to leave. They had a guest in their land who was not respecting them, made worse because the guest did'nt want to leave. The Israelites could not ask these foreigners to leave. They had people in their home not respecting their place of belonging. 

 It was due to such frustration that the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord. The teaching for us is to call to the Lord just as the Israelites did in times of frustrating. Make your concerns known to the Lord when we are facing unwelcome guest in our home. An unwelcome guest can take all forms. Taking that situation, what ever form it might be, to God is to do the same as the Israelites did. We may be honest and open to the Lord about our needs and concerns. Part of faith is to be to be truthful to the Lord about our needs and concerns. 

God respons to the outcry by sending a prophet. The role of the prophet is to communicate on behalve of God and also to remind the Israelites of God past faithfulness and actions. The prophet reminds the Israelites how God  saved them from the land of slavery. Refering to the salvation history is pastoral in nature. It states that the same God that saved them will once again bring an resilotion to there current situation.  

The same pastoral message applies to us as well, that of reminding ourselves of God's past action. Think back to God's past demonstration of power and salvation when we are in dire strights.

If God helped us in a past with a challanging situation, surely He will help us with our current problem. Thinking back to God's faithfulness in the past brings comfort for our current situation. 

 The prophet also makes it clear that even though the situation is difficult - do not fear. Meaning do not let emosion turmoil polluted our understand of who we are in God. The reading states it this way:

‘I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell...”

Do not fear is also noticable in the teachings of Christ. Christ teaches in Matt 6 not to be anxious. That reading states: 

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on"

The instruction from the Lord is not to be in a constant state of turmoil, but rather embrace calmness. To strive for such a calmness is because we may trust in God. 

If a consistant wrestling with circumstances, to force ones own will, is a reality then it becomes clear that trust has no place in your life. Chirst encourages us to embrace trust and not to be preoccupid with god's business.  

We can understand this by saying live daily with the inner conviction that God will provide. The conviction that God will provide should then be seen how we act and go about our daily business. 

This means to  be in the moment and present. Also, it means we can be awarness of our direct situation and respond accordingly. 

The mode of being present and centred in God is so much more appealing than having a mind spinning about preocupide by the needs of tomorrow. 

How many of us are sometimes afraid or anxious? 

These emotions are so natural, espessially if you are facing extreme challenges. The reality of the Israelites was extreme in nature. They were desperate and therefore they cried out to God. 

It took a prophet to remind them that God will help them as he did in the past. God is continues in His nature, therefore, a whirlwind of fear is not necessary. Yes, we might have ups and downs emotionally in the short term, but long term, we may be calm knowing God will bring the answer. 

God will show up. 

God will be present. 

God will bring deliverence. 

 It is fun and fulfilling to building and decorating a home. When your house is completed and the decorations are in place a sense of achievement would be appropriate. Quite naturelly you can invite someone over to enjoy your new home. If that person over stays their welcome by dishonoring your home that person becomes an unwelcome guest. They might move the furniture or even make improprete comments about your personal sence of style. You do not want such a guest to stay long at your home. WIth such cenarion it is easy to solve the problem by asking the person to leave. 

In the case of the Israelites their problem was more complex. It was of such complexity that they cried out to God. God responded through a prophet. The prophet reminded them of God past actions and God continues nature.  God will bring a solotion as He did in the past. 

Therefore, do not allow fear and anxiaty to rule your day to day life. In other words, be present with calmness and a keen sense of awareness with the reasurance that God is trustworthy. 

In the words of Christ: "do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all."

Amen

Hymn: Jesus Christ (Once again) - lyrics below

Prayer for Others (Reece Allan):

Heavenly Father, We draw near, inspired by your word.

We pray for those gripped by anxiety.

Calm their hearts with your peace.

Lift up those feeling weak or unworthy.

Show them your strength and peace.

Guide those hiding from their calling.

Stir trust, as you call us to follow you.

Free those oppressed by fear or foes.

Deliver them, through your SOn Jesus.

Grant faith to those facing daunting challenges.

Bless the doubtful with your presence. Replace their worry with steadfast trust. Lead them to worship, not waver.

Build altars of faith in their hearts.

We thank you for your unfailing love.

Your peace overcomes all fear.

Amen.

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

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH513 - Courage brother do not stumble

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

Go and be present with calmness and a keen sense of awareness with the reasurance that God is trustworthy. 

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)