Morning Service Christ Church Welkom

Remain seated and prayerfully listen to - The King is coming - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaYRmSKm98c

Morning Service - Christ Church Welkom

The minister welcomes the congregation. - He announces the first hymn.

Hymn Now thank we all our God - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GvSMerBDUc

After the hymn has been sung, he reads one or more of these, or other suitable verses from the Bible.

“This is the day that Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”.  Psalm 118:24.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things and by Your will they were created and have their being”.  Revelation 4:11.

The minister says:

Friends, we have come here to take part in the worship of God; to confess our sins to Him and to ask for His forgiveness; to thank Him for making us and protecting us; to praise Him for His love and mercy; to hear from His holy Word, and to pray for our needs and the needs of others.  But, first, let us confess our sins and say together:

All pray

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we confess that we have sinned against You, in our thoughts, words, and deeds and in what we have left undone.  Lord have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and help us that we may serve You better and please You more through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Minister :                       Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not wish the death of a sinner, but that he should turn from sin and trust in Christ.  God’s word declares that He forgives the sins of all who truly repent and believe the Gospel.  God gave His Son Jesus Christ to die that we could be forgiven and have everlasting life through Him.  Let us therefore worship God saying :

Congregation :               Lord, we worship You for Your wonderful plan of Salvation and Your great love that while we were lost sinners Christ died for us to give us life.

Minister :                       Glory be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Congregation :               As it was in the beginning, so now and for ever.  Amen.

Minister :     

Psalm 95

1    O come let us sing out to the Lord: let us shout in triumph to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His face with thanksgiving: and cry out to Him joyfully in psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God: and a great king above all gods. 4 In His hand are the depths of the earth: and the peaks of the mountain are His also. 5 The sea is His and He made it: His hands moulded dry land. 6 Come let us worship and bow down: and kneel before the Lord our maker. 7 For He is the Lord our God: we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 8 Today if only you would hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness; 9 ‘When your fathers tested Me: put me to proof though they had seen My works. 10 Forty years long I loathed that generation and said: “it is a people who err in their hearts for they do not know My ways;” 11 ‘Of whom I swore in my wrath: “They shall not enter My rest.”’ Glory to God : Father Son and Holy Spirit; as in the beginning so now and for ever.  Amen.

Glory to God : Father Son and Holy Spirit; as in the beginning so now and for ever.  Amen.

All stand and say the Apostles’ Creed.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, He died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; Christ’s holy universal church; the fellowship of Christians; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

The minister says :

Let us pray :

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.

The following prayers are said together.

Prayer for our land

Almighty, everlasting God, bless our land, its rulers and people.  Grant that all of us may live in obedience to Your Word and follow after truth, righteousness and justice.  Lord, give peace in our time, to the glory of Your holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for our church

Heavenly Father, you have called us to be living members of Christ’s holy church.  Bless the fellowship of the Church of England in Southern Africa, its bishops, other ministers and those in responsible positions.  Grant to all who belong to it sure faith in Your holy word and lives obedient to it.  May we always serve You and each other in prayer and love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer for all in need

Almighty, merciful Father, You have told us not to think of ourselves only, but to remember the needs of others.  We pray for all in want or need, for the sick in body or mind, for the poor and lonely, for those in distress and despair and for all who have strayed from Your way.

Merciful Lord, deliver them, strengthen and restore their faith, bless and help them through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The grace

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all ever more.  Amen.

Then follow :

The announcements.

The hymn before the sermon. Since Jesus came into my heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F60MPO5StZQ

The sermon.

Guzik’s Outlinr

C. Jesus’ presentation in the temple.

1. (21-24) The circumcision and presentation of Jesus.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

a. And when eight days were completed: This was done so Jesus might fulfill every aspect of the law (as commanded in Lev_12:2-3). It also shows that Joseph and Mary were truly devout, obedient parents. They obeyed God’s command in Leviticus 12, so Jesus obeyed it also.

b. Circumcision… the days of her purification: The circumcision and purification ceremonies were necessary as a reminder that we are all born in sin (Psa_51:5). Jesus could have been excused because He was not born in sin. Yet, we see Him even as a baby, identifying with sinners, as He also later did at His baptism and on the cross.

i. The correct reading of Luk_2:22 is “now when the days of their purification…were completed.” Jesus was identified with sinners even as a baby.

ii. “Let us now speak first of the purification. Luke makes it apply both to Mary and to Christ: for the pronoun of them, can have no reference whatever to Joseph.” (Calvin)

iii. "For He who knew no sin, and who never was to know sin, was already in His circumcision made sin for us. He was not so much as eight days in this world till he began to be numbered with the transgressors. Mary''s firstborn son was a lamb without blemish and without spot, but before He was a week old, He began to bear the sins of many…And as He began in the temple that day, so He continued every day to lead a life of pain, and shame, and bloodshedding, for us for our children, till He finished on the cross the sin-atoning work His Father had given Him to do. And ever after that first day of His wounding of our transgressions, that Holy Thing bore in His body the marks of our redemption." (Whyte)

c. A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons: Leviticus 12 commands that at the birth of a son a lamb be offered as part of the purification and dedication ceremony. Yet it allowed for two birds to be offered if the family could not afford to present a lamb.

i. “The offering of the two pigeons instead of the lamb and the pigeon was technically called The Offering of the Poor…we see that it was into an ordinary home that Jesus was born.” (Barclay)

ii. This suggests that this all happened before the wise men came from the east (Mat_2:1-12). Mary and Joseph would not have returned to Jerusalem after being warned by the angel (Mat_2:13), and they would not have offered only two birds after receiving the rich gifts from the wise men (Mat_2:11).

2. (25-32) A promise fulfilled to Simeon.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

a. Waiting for the Consolation of Israel: Simeon may have known that there were rumors regarding the coming of the Messiah. The news of John the Baptist’s birth and its meaning was widely publicized (Luk_1:65), and the shepherds who heard the angelic announcement may have kept temple flocks, and they may have reported what happened among the people of the temple.

b. So he came by the Spirit into the temple: Yet it was not rumors, but the Spirit who led him into the temple on that day. Simeon was a man who knew how to be led by the Holy Spirit, both in hearing God’s promise to him and being prompted to go to the temple at the right time.

c. He took Him up in his arms: Simeon’s prophecy was filled with love for his Savior; and he hardly knew Jesus. We who know so much more about Him should love Him even more.

d. According to Your word: Simeon now had the peace of seeing God’s promise fulfilled in his life.

e. You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation: It was as if Simeon were commanded by God to keep a lonely watch through the night until he saw the sun come up. This now was, for him, God’s sunrise, and because Jesus had come, Simeon could be relieved of his watch.

f. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles: The amazing thing about Simeon’s prophecy is that it shows that this light is for the Gentiles also. The salvation of Jesus began with Israel but was always to be extended beyond Israel.

i. John Trapp quoted a poet’s expression of Simeon’s heart:

“I fear no sin, I dread no death; I have lived long enough, I have my life; I have longed enough, I have my love; I have seen long enough, I have my light; I have served enough, I have my saint; I have sorrowed enough, I have my joy; Sweet babe, let this psalm serve as a lullaby to thee, and for a funeral for me. Oh, sleep in my arms, and let me sleep in thy peace.”

3. (33-35) A promise and a warning from Simeon.

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

a. Joseph and His mother marveled: We can imagine their combination of joy and surprise to see how God has touched the hearts of others with an understanding of their Son. No matter how well you know Jesus, there is something special about seeing someone else come to know Him.

b. For the fall and rising of many: This would be shown in the way that Peter repented, but Judas despaired; in that one thief blasphemed, the other believed. Jesus is like a magnet that is attractive to some, but others are repelled from Him.

c. And a sign which will be spoken against: Sign is literally “a target that people shoot at.” Jesus would be the target of great evil.

d. A sword will pierce through your own soul also: It was important for Mary to know that mothering the Messiah would not be all sweetness and light. It was both a great privilege and a great burden.

i. Possibly no other human agonized as much over Jesus’ rejection and suffering as His mother did. This was not only because of the natural love of a mother, but also because His rejection was her rejection. Wonderfully, His vindication was hers also.

4. (36-38) Anna’s testimony to the Redeemer.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

a. Anna, a prophetess: We don’t know in what capacity Anna was a prophetess. Perhaps it was in the way that she brought forth this specific word about Jesus.

b. Who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day: This godly woman served God with total devotion. Anna’s close walk with God was shown by her love for Jesus, and her desire to tell others about Jesus (spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption).

i. Anna was a remarkable woman. As a widow she knew pain and loss but had not become bitter. As an elderly woman she had not lost hope. Perhaps it was because she was a woman of worship and a woman of prayer.

5. (39-40) The return to Nazareth.

So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

a. When they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord: Luke emphasizes that Jesus was perfectly obedient to God, even as a child.

b. The child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: Jesus grew and developed as other children; yet His spiritual development is here first noted. We might say that Jesus was aware of His identity and His calling as appropriate to His age development. At age 5 He did not have the understanding of a 30-year-old; but had the greatest capacity for understanding appropriate for a 5 year-old.

i. The development of Jesus gives inspiration for believing parents today. They also pray for children to become strong in spirit and to be filled with wisdom, and they guide their children in those paths.

c. The grace of God was upon Him: The goodness and favor of God was evident in His life, even as a child. The legends of bizarre miracles connected to the childhood of Jesus are nothing more than superstitious tales; but the grace of God was upon Him.

i. We know little of Jesus’ life from the time He was one month old to the time when He was twelve, except for the general statement in Luk_2:40. We may be curious about the details of His childhood, but there isn’t anything we need to know except what we are told by the Holy Spirit in the Word.

ii. To satisfy this curiosity, men wrote their own so-called “Infancy Gospels.” They contain spectacular and silly miracles like Jesus talking from the manger; healing a man made into a mule by a spell; bringing clay birds to life with a clap of His hands; healing people with a sprinkling with his old bath water, and so forth. Yet, “Where the Scripture hath no tongue, we must have no ears.” (Trapp)

D. Jesus in His Father’s house.

1. (41-45) Jesus is lost on a Passover pilgrimage.

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

a. His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover: Attendance at the major feasts was commanded in Exo_23:17 and Deu_16:16. It was customary for the faithful of Galilee to make these pilgrimages at feast time in large groups.

i. It would not be difficult to lose track of a young boy with such a large group of travelers - we shouldn’t accuse Joseph and Mary of child neglect. But Mary must have felt badly enough, losing the Messiah.

b. They returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him: As we would expect from diligent and godly parents, they took the effort to find their son Jesus.

2. (46-50) They find Jesus teaching and learning in the temple.

Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

a. Sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions: For three days, a twelve-year-old Jesus discussed God’s Word and astonished His listeners with His understanding and answers.

i. “For the Passover season it was the custom for the Sanhedrin to meet in public in the Temple court to discuss, in the presence of all who would listen, religious and theological questions.” (Barclay)

ii. When we realize the impressive intellectual insight and analysis of Jewish Rabbis, this is impressive. This is something like a middle-school child discussing physics with a rocket scientist. Jesus did have a unique advantage, having a special relationship with the writer of God’s Word.

b. I must be about My Father’s business: In that day, there was nothing more natural than a son taking up his father’s business. Jesus did follow in Joseph’s footsteps as a carpenter, but His words here show that He was at least beginning to understand His unique relationship to His Father.

i. It is impossible to say when, in the context of the self-imposed limitations of His humanity, Jesus realized who He was and what He was sent to do, but it was early - this is probably not when it began, but when it was in full flower.

c. I must be about My Father’s business: These first recorded words of Jesus are significant. The surprise implied by these words of Jesus means that He knew that Mary and Joseph did know of His special relationship with God His Father. It means that it must have been an item of discussion and perhaps instruction in the upbringing of Jesus in their home.

d. They did not understand the statement which He spoke to them: Jesus’ statement told them something about His identity as a unique Son of God the Father, though they did not understand it. In Judaism of that day, a boy began to learn his father’s trade at about 12 years of age. Jesus fulfilled this by instructing the teachers in the temple.

3. (51-52) The growth and development of Jesus.

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

a. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth: Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus would mature in boyhood and then in His young adulthood. He would fulfill the responsibilities expected of an eldest son; and then at some time Joseph disappeared from the scene and Jesus became the “man of the family.” He worked His trade, supported His family, loved His God, and proved Himself utterly faithful in a thousand small things before He formally entered His appointed ministry.

i. “A Christian does not always do extraordinary things. He does ordinary things in extraordinary ways.” (Morrison)

b. And was subject to them: The knowledge of who He was did not make Jesus proud or haughty; Jesus was subject to His parents. Jesus went from vision to duty, even as He later did from the Mount of Transfiguration.

c. His mother kept all these things in her heart: Luke probably heard of all this (and of the events about John’s and Jesus’ births) in personal interviews with Mary as he compiled his Gospel.

d. Jesus  increased in wisdom: The development described first in Luk_2:40 continued.

e. Jesus  increased in... stature. Not only did He become bigger physically He also became a bigger person.

f. Jesus  increased in… favor with God and men: He grew in a close, personal relationship with His heavenly Father, and He also grew in His human friendships and relationships.

i. The word translated favor is the same word translated grace in the rest of the New Testament, but this was not saving grace in the pattern of grace extended to sinners. "''The good pleasure of God was upon Him,'' that would be the best way to render the text." (Whyte)

ii. Jesus was not born a superman. He developed as He grew. “He passed through a natural but perfect spiritual and physical development. At every stage He was perfect for that stage.” (Geldenhuys)

AMEN

The closing hymn (during which the collection may be taken). Face to face - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F60MPO5StZQ

The blessing.