2Chron 34 True worship leads to holy conduct
True worship leads to holy conduct
Reformation: back to the Word of God
10-07-05pm
Announcements
Bible presented
Call to worship
This is what the high and lofty One says— He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
Blessing
Grace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Singing: 1. “Father, we thank You for all You have done” (Scripture in Song) – 3 verses
2. “Arise Australia” (Scripture in Song) - 3 verses
3. “As the deer pants for the water” (Scripture in Song) – 4 verses + chorus
Prayer of Adoration, Invocation, Thanksgiving
Hymn no 327: “Lord Jesus, when your people meet” (Tune 344)
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
Scripture Reading Isaiah 59:9-15
Prayer: Confession of sins
Grace
The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord. (Isaiah 59:20)
Hymn No 443: “My faith looks up to see”
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1, 2)
Offering and Dedication
Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. For the world is mine, and all that is in it. (Psalm 50:10, 12)
Prayer for others
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Scripture Reading 2Kings 22:1-10
2Kings 23:1-9; 21-25.
Sermon Reformation: Back to the Word of God
Introduction
My dear brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
It is safe to make the following statement: the Bible is a lamp for our foot and a lamp for out path. This of course means that for as long as we walk in the light of the Word we will find our way; distinguish the light of this lamp and darkness overcomes us so that we are lost.
In other words, neglect the Bible and not only do you get lost, but your whole world turns into darkness.
This is what the history of the church of Christ teaches us. It was the case just before the Reformation on the 16th century, and it is the case right now.
Every time during the history of the church a reformer stood up, he had but one desire: to put the Bible into the hands of the people.
; A native of Yorkshire, Wycliffe attended Oxford University, where he received a doctorate of theology in 1372. Wycliffe, the most eminent Oxford theologian of his day, and his associates, were the first to translate the entire Bible from Latin into English.
Wycliffe believed that the way to prevail in his struggle with the church’s abusive authority was to make the Bible available to the people in their own language. Then they could read for themselves how each one of them could have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ—apart from any ecclesiastical authority. Wycliffe, with his associates, completed the New Testament around 1380 and the Old Testament in 1382. Wycliffe concentrated his labors on the New Testament, while an associate, Nicholas of Hereford, did a major part of the Old Testament. Wycliffe and his coworkers, unfamiliar with the original Hebrew and Greek, translated the Latin text into English.
After Wycliffe finished the translation work, he organized a group of poor parishioners, known as Lollards, to go throughout England preaching Christian truths and reading the Scriptures in their mother tongue to all who would hear God’s word. As a result the Word of God, through Wycliffe’s translation, became available to many Englishmen.
; William Tyndale was born in the western part of England. In 1515 he graduated from Oxford, where he had studied the Scriptures in Greek and in Hebrew. By the time he was thirty, Tyndale had committed his life to translating the Bible from the original languages into English. His heart’s desire is exemplified in a statement he made to a clergyman when refuting the view that only the clergy were qualified to read and correctly interpret the Scriptures. Tyndale said, “If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture than thou dost.”
; Martin Luther translated the Bible in German to empower the people to stand against the gross abuses of the Catholic church of his day.
In all these centuries of not having the Bible, the Roman church introducing the most unbiblical and horrific doctrines into the church, and the people were powerless and weak to defend themselves against the heresy.
But when the Bible became available to the ordinary believer, the atrocities of the church leaders were exposed and people, standing on the newly discovered promises of God as they read it with their own eyes inspired them to even put their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel.
Conclusion
Prayer
Hymn No 451: “O God of truth, whose living Word”
Benediction
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)