Lee Street Church
Notes of meeting held on 16th August
We welcomed about 18 people on-line with Zoom, and one household used the teleconference call facility.
Ken led our worship.
He referred firstly to Psalm136 – in which each of the 26 verses finish with the words ”His love endures forever.” Yes, God’s love is endless, it goes on and on and on. Everything God does is motivated by His love.
We were loved before we were created – He loved us before He saved us, and absolutely nothing can separate us from form the love of God.
Song: Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that's been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise (Hallelujah)
Sing Praise (Hallelujah)
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever, Forever
From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
By the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise (Hallelujah)
Sing Praise (Hallelujah)
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever, Forever
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever, Forever
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good
His love endures forever
His love endures forever
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise (Hallelujah)
Sing Praise (Hallelujah)
Forever You are faithful
Forever You are strong
Forever You are with us
Forever, Forever (x3)
©Chris Tomlin
Psalm 105 vs 1 – 4
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1 |
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. |
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2 |
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. |
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3 |
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. |
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4 |
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. |
Four things that we’re called to do – give thanks, call, sing, and tell. And we’re to glory in his holy name.
God is holy: God is light, there is no darkness in him – He is completely unique in his purity, his perfection – He is the one and only true God. Our next song just gives thanks to God
Song: Give thanks with a grateful heart
GIVE THANKS with a grateful heart.
Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son.
(Repeat)
And now let the weak say ‘I am strong,’
Let the poor say ‘I am rich,’
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
(Repeat)
(Last time)
Give thanks.
Henry Smith.
Copyright © 1978 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music.
Adm. Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
Titus 2: 11 – 14
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11 |
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. |
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12 |
It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, |
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while we wait for the blessed hope —the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, |
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who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. |
Grace – God’s love in action. Jesus gave himself to set us free, to purify us, to make us righteous in God’s sight. How we should thank Him for his grace.
Song: Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me
Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory, the King of Glory
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy, worthy, worthy
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me
All that You've done for me
©Phil Wickam
Prayer Time
A number of specific needs were shared for our prayers today and in the coming week
Brian’s talk on Rahab
A couple of times a year one of her Majesty the Queen’s duties is to bequeath a series of honours upon her most loyal subjects – at New Year, and on one of her birthdays. I don’t know about you, but on the odd occasion when I’ve got nothing better to do I might just scan the listings in case I might know someone on the list. Mostly pretty boring reading, unless of course you are one of the beneficiaries. I don’t know about you, but I do sometimes wonder how on earth some of the people listed have got there at all. What have they really done to merit such an honour?
You know the sort of thing I mean – you get a Mrs Agnes Trolloppe of Lower-Smethwick-by-the-sea getting a civil award for services to Brownies, or maybe Mr Randy of Brixton honoured for services to Rap music in the Outer Hebrides And of course there are the many people who finish up their lives in the Civil Service with some sort of accolade. So we look down these lists and say to ourselves -How did they get there? Very often the answer sadly is that it’s not what they’ve done – but who they know that counts most.
But lets move on.
I want to look briefly today at one person in scripture – someone of whom we might well say “How did she get there?”. In the great chapter 11 on faith in Hebrews, having listed great men of faith, Noah, Abraham,, Joseph, Moses, we suddenly find what may at first seem to be a strange inclusion – in v31 we read “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient”.
Just reading the first 5 words of that verse, “By faith the prostitute Rahab” - doesn’t it make some of us immediately recoil and take up a defensive posture – the prostitute Rehab – being extolled for her faith? What about her abhorrent lifestyle, - surely she should be condemned, not praised?
As we’ll confirm later, God is not condoning her life-style, but is honouring another aspect of her life.
The biblical account of Rahab is found in Joshua 2: 1 – 24.
To put the account of Rahab into its proper historical context, the Israelites, God’s chosen people, had been on their journey from Egypt for 40 years, wandering through inhospitable desert lands, driving out any tribes or people who got in their way. Moses had died, and Joshua now had the task of leading the nation into the promised land. They were now encamped east of the river Jordan, and could see the city of Jericho in the distance.
So God gave these instructions to Joshua: (1:2 – 4a)
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"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them —to the Israelites. |
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I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. |
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Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates |
Note the mention of Lebanon – in the news recently.
Joshua was a well-experienced soldier and leader – remember he was one of the spies that Moses had sent out to assess the land. He now needed to make the best possible plans to take possession of the land, and in particular the large and well-protected city of Jericho. So he sent just 2 spies on a mission to look over the land, to check out its defences, and find out about the people.
The next thing we know is that these 2 spies had managed to enter the fortified city, and had found a place to stay – possibly an inn used by many travellers- and which was owned by “a prostitute named Rahab”. I guess they thought it was a safe place - various people would normally be coming and going without any questions being asked.
But they had been noticed by someone, because we read that the king of the city soon heard about their arrival and where they were alleged to be staying. So he sent a message to Rahab demanding that the men be brought out.
But by the time the messengers arrived, Rahab had already taken the 2 spies into hiding under piles of flax laid out on her rooftop to dry.
So when the messengers confronted her, whilst she did admit that 2 men had come, she claimed she didn’t know where they had come from, and said also that they had now gone away. Two “white lies” we would call them. She also suggested they should get on the road towards the river Jordan quickly, and they might catch them.
So, Rahab, a prostitute, now a two-fold liar, and traitor to her own people – what should we be thinking of her?
Remember her background – she was a pagan – a Canaanite. As a prostitute, she lived on the edge of society, looked upon with suspicion by most in her community. She was probably the last person you would think would be interested in God. Yet the evidence she gives in talking to the spies shows how much she recognised about the God of heaven, the God of the Israelites.
Listen to what she said to the spies: (Josh 2: 9 – 11
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Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof |
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and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. |
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We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. |
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When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. |
She not only acknowledged the fear of people in her own city, which would have been good news to the Israeli spies, but expressed her own belief that the God of Israel was the true God in heaven and on the earth.
They had heard how this God had enabled Israel to miraculously escape from the Egyptians by crossing the Red Sea, and how they had defeated two Amorite kings east of Jordan – and now they were waiting in fear of their own lives, as Israel lined up their troops ready to invade the land of Canaan at God’s command.
So she goes on to plead for mercy for herself and her family – and the spies agree to treat her kindly when they enter the land.
The spies then departed by a rope through a window in Rahab’s house (which was on the outer wall of the city) and escaped as quickly as possible to the relative safety of the hills around Jericho.
But before they left, they did one other thing – they arranged for Rahab to hang a scarlet cord from her window to show where she and her family lived, so they could be spared when the city was invaded. (It’s effect was to be the same as the blood on the door-frames of the Israelites homes back in Egypt, when God had promised “when I see the blood I will pass over you”)
The next time we read about Rahab is of course when the city walls of Jericho came tumbling down after the Israelites had successfully crossed through the river Jordan, and ultimately marched around the city 7 times . We all know how the walls of the city came tumbling down!
The hard work had been done, most of the walls demolished, many of the inhabitants had lost their lives, but there was still one important job ot do.
Joshua 6: 22 - 25
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Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." |
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So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. |
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24 |
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Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho —and she lives among the Israelites to this day. |
So we see that the spies kept their word, and Rahab’s good deeds in shielding the spies were rewarded in her whole family being kept safe and ultimately integrated into the Israelite nation.
Later, she married a Jew named Salmon, and they had a son named Boaz – which leads to Rahab’s name being included in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1 - but that’s another story.
Apart from the verse in Hebrews that we began with, there is one other reference to Rahab in the New Testament – James 2: 25
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25 |
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? |
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As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. |
Rahab – still labelled as “the prostitute” being declared righteous for what she did in giving lodging to the spies and then sending them away in safety. Remember, she had already declared the supremacy of the God of Israel - that He was indeed the true God – and she took a massive risk in doing what she did for the spies. And here we read that she was “considered righteous” for her actions – she actively demonstrated her faith in God’s purposes for Israel. She was happy for their God to be her God. And it wasn’t just words – she took action in supporting the spies on their mission.
What lessons can we learn from this account of Rahab?
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Be careful not to write people off because of their reputation. Poor Rahab was probably forever labelled as “that prostitute”, and she suffered too from the social disadvantage of being a Gentile and a woman - but she became a believer in the living God.
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Would the spies ever have expected to find a God-fearing person in the city? No, God clearly led them to Rahab’s house – He does still guide people (even you and I) when we ask Him first.
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Rahab knew that the God of the Israelites was indeed the one and only true God. She had heard what mighty things He had done for the nation of Israel, and she realised that the god’s of her people the Canaanites were totally powerless against Him.
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Rahab was willing to take massive risks.
We hear a lot about risks today – we’re asked as businesses to carry out a risk analysis for every conceivable activity, in order to potentially mitigate risk in everything under our control. Most of it is really just common sense, but involves lots of spreadsheets. The Trade Unions of course have got hold of the concept, and demand that risk is eliminated before they will agree to do anything. Life is not of course risk-free – and never will be.
But Rahab was willing to take massive risks – on the basis that the Israelite’s God was indeed the true God, and as such was totally trustworthy and powerful.
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What risks are you and I willing to take for the Lord today?
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Talking to someone about the Lord – what’s the risk? We may not know what to say – we may be rejected – so we say nothing.
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Doing a good deed for someone – going the extra mile – we worry it might be mis-interpreted, so we do nothing
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Sharing a bit more of our wealth with others – we worry about harder times to come, so we do nothing.
Maybe the time has come to take a few more risks for God.
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The account of Rahab shows us very clearly that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and forgiveness. That crimson cord she hung out of the window is a great picture of salvation – the only way she and her family were to be saved was to rely on the protection given by that cord – it identified her place of residence.
She of course knew nothing about Jesus.
But I’m reminded of an old hymn “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
There is only one way for us to be saved from eternal punishment for our sins, and that’s by accepting that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrew 9 : 22). And as Peter proclaimed, “There is salvation in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Rahab knew and experienced God’s grace in an amazing way – so can we, as we accept the salvation which Jesus offers, and trust in God’s promises.
The meeting concluded with the hymn Amazing Grace (original version)
AMAZING GRACE! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
’Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace.
When we’ve been there a thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
BEML
16/08/2020