Church at Home Sunday 17th May 2020
Welcome
It is a continuing blessing to hear that Australia is doing so well keeping the virus contained. Once more we encourage you to contact others from F5, F10 and beyond to bring them some cheer and show them they are being thought of.Dear Heavenly Father,
We come with grateful hearts that we can worship you together, We thank you that you are here with us now. Thank you that we are adjusting to the different ways that we can still be F5 at the moment and worship you as a congregation. We welcome You here among us, even though we are in different places and being part of this service in different ways. Thank you that you have helped each one of us through this week. Please help us now to put aside our cares and concerns and to focus on you now.
In Jesus name
Amen.The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Song: Only A Holy God
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven
Who else could make every king bow down
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles
Only a Holy God
What other beauty demands such praises
What other splendour outshines the sun
What other majesty rules with justice
Only a Holy God
Chorus:
Come and behold Him The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God
What other glory consumes like fire
What other power can raise the dead
What other name remains undefeated
Only a Holy God
Chorus:
Come and behold Him The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God
Who else could rescue me from my failing
Who else would offer His only Son
Who else invites me to call Him Father
Only a Holy God
Only my Holy God
Chorus:
Come and behold Him The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God
© 2016 CityAlight Music
Michael Farren, Jonny Robinson, Dustin Smith, Rich Thompson CCLI: 384593
John 14: 15-27
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Devotion: Robyn
Today’s reading picks up where last week’s reading left us. Jesus is continuing here with His final talks with His disciples, preparing them for His leaving and again promising the Holy Spirit to them.
This first part of the passage begins and ends with love:
Verse 1 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commands’
V21 ‘The one who loves me will be loved by my Father’.
Jesus used the two Greek words for love, agapao (Unconditional God love) and phileo (affection for a friend, liking each other), 57 times as He spoke to His disciples. So by this time in Jesus’ ministry with the disciples, you would think they would know all about love.
In verse 1, again, Jesus said that one of the things that will happen if we love Him, is that we will keep His command. Unlike the other gospels, John only writes of one command from Jesus. In John 13, Jesus said
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
And then in John 15
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
We can see here an overwhelming emphasis on Jesus teaching of how important love is in the Christian community and beyond. If we, as those who love Jesus, take this teaching of Jesus to heart, we should be able to ask ourselves very regularly, perhaps even each night, ‘How have I shown love today?’ Such a question asked regularly about the way we act and feel, could quite remarkably change the way we feel about, and act towards, those we meet each day. If there are areas where we have not shown love, we need to recognise why and seek forgiveness and then a desire to change. We all have some very well inbred dislikes and shortcomings. Remember the song that says ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer’. We do this because we have a friend in Jesus. In john 15:13, as I read before,
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command’.
How circular is this? We love because God first loves us and sent Jesus to die for us and to rise again. We go on to love others because this is what Jesus commanded us to do. Because we obey Jesus’ command and love others, we are Jesus friend. What a friend we have in Jesus?
How do we practically show our love to others. Let’s look at this word LOVE.
Begin with asking them how they are going? Then
L – Listen carefully to them and remember what they tell you so you can pray for them
O – Offer to help in a practical, responsible and reasonable way
V – Value them. Try to find one positive thing about them to reassure them with.
E – Empathy. Show them that you understand them and what they have been telling you, even by briefly referring back to something they have said.
This week I was in a ZOOM meeting where we were sharing things that had been happening in our churches. We had all shared something and then we moved on to ther things. After a while and lots of stories, one of the people actually quoted something I had shared earlier, as an example. When I thanked him for having heard what I had said, he was quite touched.
In verse 15 Jesus repeats ‘If you love me you will keep My commands ‘. Why does he need to repeat this? As we go further on in verse 16 Jesus told them that he would ask the Father for help for them. God would send the Holy Spirit, our advocate to be with us and to help us.. This love thing can be very difficult because ll humans have foibles that can drive us crazy, but the Holy Spirit is going to give us all we need to be able to show love, to overcome our dislikes and our prejudices. In verse 25 Jesus again reassures them that the Advocate, , the Counsellor (15:26), the Holy Spirit will be sent to us by the Father, and he will teach us all things and remind us of all things that Jesus has taught.
I have often found when I am talking with someone, that the Holy Spirit will bring to my mind verses that apply to the situation or other things that God has taught me through experiences I have had. This is the Holy Spirit, the Advocate at work. It’s really good to remember when you have experiences like that so that you can build your faith on the absolute fact that God’s love is at work in you through the power of his holy Spirit in you.
Can I challenge you this week to reach out to one other person and try this LOVE technique. You may be surprised at actually hearing more and getting to know them a little better. Pray first the the Holy Spirit will be your advocate (support, encourager) between you and the person and give you wisdom in your discussion. May God bless you and your friend in this.
The passage finishes with this lovely well known verse.
‘ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled.’ Jesus peace is the peace that passes all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds. Philippians 4:7
Song: Let There be Love
Let there be love shared among us
Let there be love in our eyes
May now your love sweep this nation
Cause us, O Lord, to arise
Give us a fresh understanding
Of heavenly love that is real
Let there be love shared among us
Let there be love
© Kingsway’s Thank you Music CLI # 384593
Confession:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that your word says that as we draw near to you,
you will draw near to us, by the working of your Spirit in us,
Cleanse our hearts and hands and minds
Help us to walk in love and newness of life
so that we can be more like Jesus
and make him know to all we meet. Amen
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.We thank you father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Heavenly Father, we come before you today with thankful hearts for all that you have done for us. Thank you that you sent the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and our Counsellor so that we could know you better and know how to show love to other people..
Thank you that you love us all.
We thank you for this time we can share together, even though we are in our own homes. Thank you that so many people are joining with us in our F5 community through these services.
We pray today for all our health workers who are working through difficult times to provide us with the care we all need at times. Please protect them from the Corona virus.
We pray for school teachers as they begin back at work. Please give them patience and wisdom as they help the school settle back into a routine. Be with children and teenagers as they settle back into the classroom. We pray especially of our own children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
We pray for our local council, for our state and territory governments, our national parliament. Please be with all those who make laws and help them to do so with good judgement. Please continue to give wisdom to our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and all members of our government.
We ask that you will give each one of us strength to go forward this week. We ask for healing for those who are unwell, and for comfort for those who are lonely. Please help each one of us look to You for our strength, our joy and our comfort and to find useful things to fill our time and also to encourage others. We pray that your will protect each of us from the Corona Virus.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen
Song: When Peace, Like a River
1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)
4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)
Horatio Spafford 1873 CCLI No 384593
Blessing
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, evermore Amen.
Prayer Points
- Thank God that we can join together for our services, even though far apart.
- Ask God to show you ways you can contact others from F5, F10 and beyond to encourage them along. Pray for wisdom to know who to ring, who to send a message or note to
- Pray for any people you know who may be sick or suffering
- Pray for nurses, doctors and hospital staff as they learn to work differently and wisely
- Pray for those who are going through difficult times with sickness, depression, loneliness, loss of work, separation from family and friends.
- Pray that we will each have God’s strength and wisdom to be able to make each day worthwhile.
- Pray for Scott Morrison and our government as they make unprecedented decisions regarding all things connects to the Coronavirus
Enquiries – Paul (0418 633 396) and Robyn (0414 254 154)
| PLEASE SUPPORT THE MINISTRY OF F5 Direct Debit – for F5 – is now available through the Anglican Development and Investment Fund http://www.aidf.com.au/www/home/ The details of the account are as follows:- Account Name: F5-Refresh Ministries; BSB: 702-389 Account Number: 05209657 |
