Sunday 31 May 2020 – Church at Home

Intimations

  • Morning worship online has moved to start at 10am and JAM at 11:15am on the Zoom platform.
  • You may want to use some of the Engage Worship resources for daily worship during this week.
  • The Messy Church At Home information is now available.
  • Jam Kids Focus – Navigate Family Series Episode 5
  • A worksheet to accompany the video is also available here.
  • Another option for children is the Virtual Sunday School sessions which give an activity idea too.
  • JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme at 11:15am on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com
  • Sunday Evening Prayer Livestream – We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm tonight (Sunday). This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Please join in and, if you don’t already do so, would you let your fellowship know about this and put it on your social media. Click here to access.

Call to Worship

Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures for ever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare His praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.

4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favour to Your people,
come to my aid when You save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of Your nation
and join Your inheritance in giving praise.

Psalm 106: 1-5

We are grateful to Chris and Eileen Lim for selecting the songs for worship for this service. Our opening song of praise and worship is:

We continue to worship the Lord in our second song of praise and worship: ‘Blessed be Your name’

Opening prayer

Thank you Lord for the wonderful joy of coming into Your holy presence today. We do declare:’ Blessed be Your name’ as we have been singing moments ago, not just because it is written in the Bible, but also because it is the desire of our hearts to make such a declaration of praise. You are worthy of all praise and glory. You are so amazing. We thank You that in another week just concluded Your grace has been sufficient for our needs.

Through the good times and tough You have been with us each step of the way. Thank you Lord for Your incredible goodness to us; we come once more confessing our sin and asking for Your forgiveness. Empower us afresh by the Holy Spirit with Your enabling power to equip us to live for You in another new week. We ask You to speak into our lives today in accordance with our needs, in the name of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.      
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.

All Age talk – Moraig Piggot

I wonder what you have missed the most during lockdown? Maybe it’s a game of golf, your favourite coffee shop, going to a football match, going on holiday or even going to school or nursery. Whatever you are missing I am sure it’s not so much the actual activity but the people you would do this with.

I am absolutely missing people; I am even missing my sister, although she does keep appearing on various screens in my house!! But do you know what I am missing the most is us all being together in Panmurefield- singing together, chatting at the end of the service, saying the grace in time and I am even missing stacking up the chairs each week! I am especially missing all our little Boogie Babies, Club 567, Messy Church and even deacons meetings!!

Our weekly services here on Zoom are brilliant and I know we are so grateful that we have this opportunity but I can’t wait for the first Sunday when can see each other in person! Especially all the people who can’t join us on Zoom each week, it will be extra special to meet with them again.

You see lockdown has given me a lot of time to think about what is really important in life, what really matters. I don’t know about you but my life before lockdown was pretty hectic. Working long hours, family, church life and so on; Lockdown has given me a much slower pace of life in some ways. It has made me think about what I truly need and don’t need. It has made me appreciate so much more what I have. I need God, His love, His word and His people. I need the opportunities he gives me to share His love and His word. I need the people he has brought and will bring into my life.

Later in the service Brian will be sharing with us a passage from the Bible in 2 Corinthians 12; in verse 10 it says: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We will all have had times during lockdown and may still in the months to come get a bit fed up of not being able to do all the things we want to do and especially not being able to see the people we would normally spend time with. It does feel really hard some days and there will be people we all know and love that have gone through or are going through some really tough situations during this strange time. Hard times do not sound like things that we would take pleasure in. In fact, those are the times that most of us do our very best to avoid. But, these are times that keep us humble. They are also times that help us appreciate the good times that God has provided us and the joy that is ahead in our futures.

What we need to keep remembering and reminding each other right now is to be relying on God’s wisdom and trusting in His plan, and then we will came out of this hard time stronger than we were before. We need to look at this as an opportunity to become stronger in our faith and love for God, especially because we may have more time than ever to be praying, reading our bible and exploring his word.

So boys and girls what can we do this week to remember this? well we can encourage each other. When things change people find it hard. We might need someone to encourage us and help us. When someone encourages us or helps us it is like they are lighting up our darkness. Our friends or family might need someone to encourage and help them, someone to light up their darkness. Can you do that?

Think about others from your class, or elsewhere. Who do you know that needs encouragement or help at this time? Who needs light in their darkness? Ask an adult to light a candle (or supervise you lighting it). Say a prayer (talk to God) for the person or people you’ve thought about. Ask God to help them and think about how you could encourage them this week. Could you send them a message? Go and do it! The Bible says: ‘Therefore encourage one another and build one another up’

Even though we are missing seeing each other right now and missing things we do together we can still in God’s strength be an encouragement and made a difference during this time. Go and shine bright for Jesus this week boys and girls and us all too!

Our All Age Song is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEL0WpeH088

Prayers for others

Thank you Lord once more for the privilege of praying for other people:

We remember in our prayers the people of Hong Kong at a time when there is an attempt by the Chinese government to reduce dramatically the democratic rights and form of governance of its citizens agreed at the time that city state was returned to China. We are aware of the fear of many people there of further violent clashes between protestors and the security forces. We pray for the many Christian Churches that You would grant them wisdom as they seek to be a good witness in the wider community at this difficult time.

We bring before you the United States of America in the light of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We are deeply grieved that so many years after the Civil Rights Act was passed in that country in 1964, that citizens of African American heritage are still not treated fairly or equally in that country. We thank you for the Christian leaders and others who have called once more for this issue to be addressed, but pray that not only will there be justice for his family, but that the much deeper structural reforms within the law enforcement agencies will be carried out to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

We continue to remember the many countries around the globe deeply affected by the Covid-19 virus pandemic and pray in particular that the most vulnerable people, the millions of day labourers in the two-thirds world can find sufficient food to feed their families. We are distressed at the suffering seen in Africa and Asia in numerous countries over recent weeks. We pray too for the Christian Church in these places where the poverty levels are such that in addition to food scarcity they cannot afford access to the online technology that has been such a blessing to us here in the United Kingdom during this time of lock down.

We come to pray for our own country. We are grateful that overall the numbers of people infected by this Covid-19 virus is declining, but recognise that the seriousness of this issue will affect the way we live our lives for many months to come. In particular, we pray for the families who lost loved ones this week and ask for Your comfort for them at this time. We continue to remember our NHS and Social Care staff alongside other workers who continue to do such a great job in caring for those in need and in keeping our country going at this time.

We ask for Your assistance to those struggling with loneliness and isolation as a result of lock down regulations, but also ask for wisdom as some regulations are reduced that as citizens we will exercise appropriate care to ensure there will not be a second spike in the infection rates. We pray too for those in businesses and in the field of education that they may have the necessary wisdom as they seek to restructure what they do to reshape or recommence their work in the coming days.

We pray too for the ongoing work of the Christian Churches in our land that You will help us be the best witnesses we can be in our local communities at this time. We thank you for the other churches in our local community and ask Your blessing on their work as we pray similarly for our own activities this week. In particular we pray for:

Jan F and Jim’s son Mark who has come over from Australia; We pray for God’s peace and comfort for them and other family members and friends after Jim’s death last week. We thank you that some of us were able to gather to give thanks for Jim’s life at his funeral last Friday.

The family of John G We give thanks for his life too. In the relatively short time we have had John in our congregation we thank you for his presence in our midst. We pray for his daughters Alison and Nicola and other family members as they plan for John’s funeral on Saturday 6 June.

We are aware of other members who have experienced bereavements or ongoing health difficulties and pray for God’s strength for them at this time. In particular, we remember …   In addition, we bring our own needs to You at this time … in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

Bible reading

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. 3 And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12: 1-10

Before we come to listen to God’s Word let us sing: ‘Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me.’

The Message

II Corinthians 12:1-10: My grace is sufficient for you

Introduction

The day has just begun and your in-tray is full of things to attend to, but your desire to launch into your work simply isn’t there. On the contrary, you feel overwhelmed with emotion that it is all getting too much for you to handle and what difference are you making anyway. Would anyone really notice if my contribution stopped altogether? I think many people would be very surprised to learn that they were not only not alone in feeling that way, but one of a large majority of individuals who struggled at times with this issue; even some people who look and appear outwardly successful at what they do feel deeply insecure and vulnerable.

The sports person or musician who is only as good as their last performance or the writer who is judged on their latest essay or book; in a local church how do we define a church year as ‘successful’ rather than ‘unsuccessful’? How do we ‘know’ that we are making progress rather than declining in effectiveness in sharing the good news of Jesus with other people around us? Superficially it is easy to offer answers, but deep down we might not even be convinced ourselves by the words coming out of our mouths.

The question is not just a collective one, it is also profoundly personal. In what or in whom do we boast? Or what do we see as our greatest achievements in life? Take a few moments later today to seek to write an answer to this question and then come back to it a bit later and reflect on the words you have written. Will we find it easy to reaffirm the words we have written or going forward might we want to revise some of these priorities?  

Paul had really struggled in Corinth more than in any other city to plant a Christian Church. It appears from the account in Acts 18:9-10 that despite seeing some conversions and the start of a new church he was almost ready to resign and go somewhere ‘easier’. What was God’s response to him? One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God (Acts 18:9-11).

You can be in the right place and doing the right thing and still face serious problems and be enduring significant hardship. However, even the most talented in our midst can feel overwhelmed at the size of the task they face on some occasions. It is not a failure to admit we are struggling; failure would be to deny it when we need support and assistance. It is almost certainly for that reason that Paul and his colleagues went out in small teams to encourage each other in the work they sought to do for God.         

II Corinthians 11-12 concerns events some time later when some ‘super-apostles’ arrived in town. These were men who saw themselves as ‘God’s gift to the church’ with titles to match. They could perform greater miracles than Paul and had such dynamic charismatic personalities that, by comparison, Paul’s preaching was too monotone and dull and his physical appearance after all he had gone through looked old for his age and his eyesight problems were becoming quite a problem.

They never stopped telling people about all their amazing success stories whereas Paul what had he achieved!! It is easy for us two thousand years later to smile or laugh at their arrogance, but it was no laughing matter at the time for Paul and his companions.  We too can feel discouraged at the little we think our efforts are achieving, but God at the end of our passage wanted to encourage Paul and by application us as well to realise that with His help we can accomplish all He wants us to do for Him.   

1. Paul’s problem (II Corinthians 12:1-6)

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 

We need to understand the culture in which Paul and his readers in Corinth were living. To use our language not theirs, it was secular and not religious; and the majority of people in prominent places in society had no expectations of life beyond the grave so promoting your achievements in this life was so important. ‘Blowing your own trumpet’ was the norm, humility and modesty in proclaiming your qualifications or achievements was rejected as foolish.

The super-apostles were boasting their superiority in the contemporary style of secular leaders in the Roman world. Paul then decides to play them at their own game but in a very different kind of way in II Corinthians 11:18: Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.  The section on Paul’s boasting actually begins in II Corinthians 11:16 and concludes here in this passage in chapter twelve.

The apostle in chapter eleven lists all the kinds of things he has endured for the sake of the gospel. The ‘super-apostles’ for some mysterious reason had a blank in their ministry CV at this point. Take a few minutes to read II Corinthians 11:16-33. The amazing thing was that he was still standing and continuing in his work for God after all those difficulties had been experienced.

 Life for you and I will also be difficult at times. None of us will avoid disappointments and setbacks, though the trials each of us will go through will be very variable if we compare with other people around us. It may be worthwhile taking time to list all the hard times and difficult situations you have come through in your life. Stop and give God thanks you have come through them and like Paul are still standing.  If you are currently in the midst of a particularly hard time, is there any encouragement you can find from how God helped you through tough times in the past?

Now in II Corinthians 12:1-7, almost as a throwaway remark Paul digresses to declare that he too has had spiritual encounters or experiences of God that have shaped his life and ministry. The super-apostles do not have a monopoly on that. However, boasting about his experiences is something he would rather not do. His focus is on the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants to direct them to Him, instead of on God’s servant. The problem is that we cannot at the same time believe and promote our greatness and God’s glory at the same time. There is only room for one person to have the control of our lives.

As Paul in his earlier letter to the Church at Philippi had declared: For to me, living means living for Christ (Philippians 1:21). Therefore, here having quickly mentioned his spiritual credentials, he wrote: Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. His identity was ‘in Christ’ so he did not need to go on self-promotion tours. Where is your identity and mine today? This is very important because our priorities will be shaped by living out our understanding of our identity.  Take a few moments to articulate what is most important to you? Then reflect on how what you have recorded significantly affects all the choices you make.

2. Paul’s prayer (II Corinthians 12:7-8)

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

Paul openly states that God permitted him to endure this trial to keep him spiritually grounded and dependent on Him, rather than become a conceited individual boasting in all his successes. It hints that without his thorn in my flesh, he might have been less sympathetic to other Christians who struggled with their trials. God didn’t actively cause Paul’s difficulties, but as Paul came to see later, God had worked for good in his life during this particular time.

I don’t plan today to discuss the nature of this thorn in my flesh, because what is clear is that the anonymity of this particular health problem has ensured this passage is applied into the lives of so many Christians enduring different ongoing difficulties. Maybe today you are experiencing some trial as well and need similar help to that God gave Paul to get through his time of difficulty.

Notice here Paul prays in II Corinthians 12:8: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. Was this because he didn’t pray hard enough?  No! Absolutely not! Don’t even think that when you have poured your heart out to God in prayer. Remember who else prayed in a similar fashion?

Luke 23:39-46: Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. 40 On reaching the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but yours be done.’ 

43 An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’  

When God the Father appears to say ‘no’ to our requests we need to leave it with Him. He knows what He is doing. He had a purpose in allowing Jesus to go to the cross. He had a purpose to allow Paul to live with this difficulty. Our trials and temptations are not random acts of fate; by contrast, somehow, God plans to redeem something good out of this experience. It is good to pray earnestly in seeking God, but like an earthly parent declining the request of their child to have a particular present for their birthday, we have to assume our heavenly Father genuinely wants the best for us and this principle affects whether He grants or declines the petitions we bring to him.     

3. God’s promise (II Corinthians 12:9-10)

But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

What does God say in response to Paul? Read II Corinthians 12:9-10. The problem was not going to go away and he would have to live with it for the rest of his days. It took some time for Paul to accept this response from God.  How do you react when something you really wanted to happen doesn’t, even though you prayed to God many times for it?

The revelation burned into Paul’s being was this: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’   Do you feel weak and inadequate to live for God as you would like? Join the club! This message and Bible passage is for you and me as God gives us the assurance of the sufficiency of His grace in our time of need. Amen

Our song before we come to communion is:

The Lord’s Supper

Jesus invites all Christian who have committed their lives to follow Him to participate in this act of worship. The apostle Paul wrote these words of Scripture in I Corinthians 11:23-26 to guide our observance of Communion.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 

Prayer: Choose your own words of prayer to give thanks for the bread and wine that represent the costly gift of His body and blood for us.

Take the bread: Jesus said: ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

Take the wine: Jesus said: This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’

Our closing song is:

Closing Prayer:

Thank you Lord for Your wonderful blessed assurance of Your presence with us each day of our lives. We are so pleased that You will go with us into this new week to uphold and strengthen us in all we go through whether encouraging or challenging, because Your grace is sufficient for us, because Your power is made perfect in weakness, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Benediction:  The Grace

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God
and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore, Amen

Remember tonight the national online prayer service at 7pm.