SPPC 9 Nov 2025

Please Stand for the Word of God

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.

Welcome & Scripture Reading

🌟 Welcome to Church This Sunday 🌟

Good morning, beloved family in Christ!

It is a joy to welcome you into the house of the Lord this Sunday. Whether you are here every week or joining us for the first time, know that you are deeply loved and truly valued. Today, we gather not just as individuals, but as one body—united in faith, hope, and love.

Let us open our hearts to worship, receive the Word with gladness, and encourage one another as we walk together in the light of Christ. May this time be a blessing to you and a fragrant offering to our Savior.

All for Jesus – Each one Reach one.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Opening Prayer

🙏 Opening Prayer for Sunday Worship

Heavenly Father, We gather this morning in Your holy name, grateful for the gift of life and the grace that sustains us. Thank You for drawing us together as one body, united in Christ and filled with Your Spirit.

As we enter this time of worship, we lay aside every distraction and open our hearts to You. May our songs rise like incense, our prayers be pleasing in Your sight, and Your Word take root in our lives.

Bless each person here today—those rejoicing, those weary, and those seeking. Let Your peace reign, Your truth be proclaimed, and Your love overflow in every corner of this place.

We dedicate this service to You, Lord Jesus. Be glorified in all we say and do. Amen.

Chorus We have come into His house

Chorus Thy Loving Kindness

Chorus Thou art worthy

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. 

Bruce

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 The Psalm Psalm 17 “A prayer of David. 1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. 4 Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. 5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled. 6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. 11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover. 13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. 14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. 15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” The OT Job 19–27 “1 Then Job replied: 2 “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? 3 Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. 4 If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone. 5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, 6 then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. 7 “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice. 8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. 9 He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. 10 He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. 11 His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. 12 His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. 13 “He has alienated my family from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. 14 My relatives have gone away; my closest friends have forgotten me. 15 My guests and my female servants count me a foreigner; they look on me as on a stranger. 16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth. 17 My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own family. 18 Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. 19 All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. 20 I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. 21 “Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. 22 Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? 23 “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! 28 “If you say, ‘How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him,’ 29 you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment.” 1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2 “My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed. 3 I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply. 4 “Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since mankind was placed on the earth, 5 that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. 6 Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, 7 he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ 8 Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night. 9 The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more. 10 His…” He ends with “This is the word of God”. Congregation: “Thanks be to God”

George

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

He begins with “Hear the Word of God as it is written in The Epistle 2 Thessalonians 2:13–3:5 “13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” The Gospel Luke 20:27–38 “27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” 34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”” He ends with “This is the word of God”. Congregation: “Thanks be to God”.

Hymn Tell me the old, old story

Sermon

Prayer 🙏 Prayer Before the Sermon (Psalm 122)

Heavenly Father,

With joy we echo the psalmist’s words: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

Thank You for gathering us in Your presence today. We come not out of duty, but with delight—longing to hear Your voice and walk in Your truth.

As we open Your Word, prepare our hearts like fertile soil. Let distractions fall away, and let Your Spirit stir within us a holy hunger. Bless Your servant who brings the message—may he speak with clarity, conviction, and compassion. Let Your peace rest upon this congregation, and may Your Word accomplish all You intend. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Your Church across the earth. Make us one in Christ, rooted in love, and radiant in hope.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

Jerusalem Yesterday,Today, and Forever

Psalm 122 “A song of ascents. Of David. 1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”

Dr. R. T. Kendall

Introduction

Psalm 122 appears to have been sung on the steps of the temple. It is one thing to look forward to something and quite another when it is just about to happen. Expectancy is higher than ever then. The pilgrims had arrived and were so glad to be there. Because of their great love for Jerusalem, they actually began to sing with joy to Jerusalem.

The heading of this psalm indicates that it was composed by David. Some commentators have a problem with this because there was not a temple in Jerusalem when David was king, so David couldn’t have been referring to the temple when he mentioned the house of the Lord. C. H. Spurgeon suggested that David was speaking prophetically, for he knew one day the temple would be built by his son Solomon.

It is impossible to exaggerate the affection, not just nostalgia, that Israel felt and feels to this day about Jerusalem. Verse 6 states, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” When was the last time you prayed for the peace of Jerusalem? There are several reasons why we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Because of Its History

The first reason is for its history. If you are converted, one of the things you are going to be interested in is a history that never gripped you before. You have become a member of a new family: the Christian church. Your new family has a history.

David was the one who conquered Jerusalem, and it became known as the City of David. Jerusalem had been regarded as the one place nobody could penetrate. But David did.

Jerusalem did not belong to any of the twelve tribes of Israel. David was of the tribe of Judah, and prior to conquering Jerusalem he had made Hebron his capital. Hebron was located in the territory allocated to Judah, and many people would have suspected that it was for this reason it was chosen. David’s choice of city could have caused division. Jerusalem, however, belonged to nobody, so when David conquered it, there was no rival spirit. Jerusalem became the capital, and throughout its history it has been special.

Because of Its Heritage

A second reason why we should be interested in Jerusalem is because of its heritage. God actually chose Jerusalem (Zechariah 3:2 “2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”” ). God’s choosing is never a last-minute decision. God chooses from the beginning and so, in God’s providence, when David was conquering Jerusalem, he was conquering a city that had been saved for Israel to be their capital. The fact that God chose Jerusalem should make believers interested in it.

After people are converted, it is only a matter of time before they will discover the family secret, which is that God chose them before they were born, before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4 “4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love” ). What an encouragement this is to those who have had no sense of identity! Before the creation of the world, God loved us!

Because of Its Hostility

Third, we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem because of the hostility that is and has been directed at it. Jerusalem means “city of peace,” but no city in the world has belied its name like Jerusalem. In its long history, Jerusalem has known little or nothing of peace. The jealousy that exceeds all other jealousies is the jealousy people will have toward anything that God chooses. God chose Jerusalem and ordained it as the place where His honor would dwell; therefore, people hate Jerusalem.

History records at least three dozen sieges of Jerusalem. Some are recorded in the Bible, and some have occurred since the Bible was written.

God ordained Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the world. As a result people hated Jesus Christ. If you are identified with Jesus Christ, don’t expect people to rejoice and congratulate you. Instead, you will find that they will distance themselves from you. You will feel their hostility.

Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace to earth.” He came to create division. He said, “For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’” (Matt. 10:34, 37).

Because It’s the Holy City

But there is a fourth reason why we should pray for Jerusalem: it is called the “holy city” (Nehemiah 11:1 “1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.” ), set apart. It was to reflect the character of God (Leviticus 11:44 “44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.” ; 1 Peter 1:16 “16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”” ). God is pure, wholly other—that is, unlike anyone or anything here below. Therefore as God is to be revered, so too the city of His choice was to be regarded as sacred. Today Jerusalem is holy to three great religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each religion has holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the place where Solomon’s temple was built, for they believe that Muhammad ascended from this area. Jews revere the Western Wall, all that remains of Herod’s temple. There some pray for the coming Messiah. Christians have special regard for the traditional locations of the Garden of Gethsemane and for Calvary, as well as what lies within the Ancient City.

Because It’s Home

The fifth reason Jerusalem is special is because it is home. In the New Testament Jerusalem takes on a different meaning. In Galatians 4:26, we are told about the Jerusalem that is in heaven, the Jerusalem that is above. On the isle of Patmos, John had a vision and “saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2 “2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” ). It is the place where God will wipe away all tears.

Conclusion

One day God will clear His name and will answer all our questions. It is going to take place in the New Jerusalem, where our citizenship is (Philippians 3:20 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” ). We should look forward to the New Jerusalem; and, until that day, we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Notices Mr. John Oberholzer

Collection

Praise God from whom all blessing flow

Prayer

Gracious Father,

We thank You for the gifts that have been brought before You.

Each coin, each note, each act of generosity is a reflection of grateful hearts and willing hands.

Bless these offerings, Lord, and multiply them for the work of Your Kingdom—

to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, comfort the broken, and proclaim the Gospel.

May those who gave be blessed with joy, peace, and provision.

And may we, as stewards of Your grace, use these resources wisely and faithfully.

Let this act of giving deepen our trust in You,

and remind us that all we have comes from Your loving hand.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

Hymn The Churches one foundation

Benediction May the Lord who calls through whispers and wonders,

Who stirs our hearts in silence and storms,

Continue to draw you near with His unfailing love.

May your eyes be open to His presence,

Your ears tuned to His voice,

And your life responsive to His leading.

Go now in peace,

With courage to follow,

With grace to listen,

And with joy in knowing

That the God who seeks your attention

Also holds your heart.

Amen.

Doxology - Now unto him.