Notes from meeting Sunday 8th November 2020

Lee Street Church

Notes of Meeting on 8^th November – Remembrance Sunday

Sue led our worship.

Today is remembrance Sunday and we particularly think of all those who have given up their lives so that we can live in the freedom we have today.

As Christians we are especially blessed, as we know the ultimate sacrifice given through the death of Jesus Christ on that cross at Cavalry

Ephesians 1 v3-10  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”

Psalm 111 v7-9  “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever-- holy and awesome is his name.”

SONG: Enter in

ENTER IN to His great love,

Kneel before His throne;

For His blood has washed away your sin,

So enter in and worship Him.

Carol Mundy.

Copyright © 1988 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.

The dictionary defines redemption as: 1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. 2. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

In the Old Testament, redemption involves deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. The Hebrew root words used most often for the concept of redemption are pada, gaal, and kapar. The verb pada is a legal term concerning the substitution required for the person or animal delivered. The verb gaal is a legal term for the deliverance of some person, property, or right to which one had a previous claim through family relation or possession. The meaning of the third verb, kapar, is to cover.

The message of the New Testament is the announcement that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfilment of Israel's hope of a Messiah and that, in him, the long-awaited redemption has arrived. Deliverance of humankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Romans 4v25   “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

In the New Testament, redemption requires the payment of a price, but the condition that requires such a ransom is moral, not material.

Romans 5v8-11 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Song: There is a Redeemer

THERE IS A REDEEMER,

Jesus, God’s own Son,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,

Holy One.

Thank You, O my Father,

For giving us Your Son,

And leaving Your Spirit—

Till the work on earth is done.

Jesus my Redeemer,

Name above all names,

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,

O for sinners slain.

When I stand in glory

I will see His face,

And there I’ll serve my King forever

In that holy place.

Melody Green.

Copyright © 1982 Birdwing Music/BMGSongs/EMIChristian Music Publishing/            Adm. by CopyCare.

Colossians 1 v13-20 “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Hymn: I will sing the wondrous story

Of the Christ who died for me;

How He left His home in glory

For the cross on Calvary.

I was lost but Jesus found me,

Found the sheep that went astray;

Threw His loving arms around me,

Drew me back into His way.

I was bruised but Jesus healed me,

Faint was I from many a fall;

Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,

But He freed me from them all.

Days of darkness still come o’er me;

Sorrow’s paths I often tread,

But the Saviour still is with me,

By His hand I’m safely led.

He will keep me till the river

Rolls its waters at my feet,

Then He’ll bear me safely over,

All my joys in Him complete.

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story

Of the Christ who died for me;

Sing it with the saints in glory,

Gathered by the crystal sea.

The Bible envisions a day when these broken relationships will be forever restored. God’s people will inherit a new earth. They will never feel pain or cause others to experience hurt of any kind, as their tears have been eternally wiped away. There will be no more death and, best of all, God will dwell with his people. Worship, not worry, will characterise the family of God in a world without end. In a word, this fallen world will be redeemed.

Job 19 v25 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”

The death of Jesus was not the result of any sin he committed but rather the most gracious act of love ever displayed, where he took upon himself the sins of the world so that all who believe in him will be saved

Song: Oh the mercy of God

That You chose to redeem us, to forgive and restore,

And You call us Your children, chosen in Him

To be holy and blameless to the glory of God.

To the praise of His glorious grace,

To the praise of His glory and power;

To Him be all glory, honour and praise

Forever and ever and ever, amen.

Oh, the richness of grace, the depths of His love,

In Him is redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

You called us as righteous, predestined in Him

For the praise of His glory, included in Christ.

Oh, the glory of God expressed in His Son,

His image and likeness revealed to us all;

The plea of the ages completed in Christ,

That we be presented perfected in Him.

Geoff Bullock.

Copyright © 1997 Watershed Productions/Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.

At 11.00am, we joined the Nation for 2-minutes silence of Remembrance, followed by a Prayer.

“We remember today O Lord all those who have died in any kind of war throughout the world,  soldiers who perished in the horror of battle, innocent people buried beneath the rubble from bomb attacks, men women and children brutally attacked and murdered in their homes, towns and villages.

Today we remember especially those victims of the two world wars, and all service men and women who have died in the violence of war. We pray for those who suffered terrible injuries, both physical and psychological and those whose loved ones never returned.

Remembering the conflicts of the past and the sacrifices which were made, we pray for a world where war is still a grim reality today.

Lord, we pray for the leaders of nations at this time, asking you to pour out your spirit of reconciliation on them. Give them a longing to bring freedom from fear and freedom from want for all peoples. Give strength and courage to thosed who bear heavy responsibilities for the peace and future of the world.

Today, as we remember all who have lost their lives as we honour the past, may we  put our faith in you, for you are the source of life and hope, now and forever. Amen.”

Ken’s Talk

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians Believers            Ephesians 1. 15-23

A little boy was saying his bedtime prayers with his mother: “Lord, bless Mommy and Daddy, and God, GIVE ME A NEW BICYCLE!!!        Mom: “God’s not deaf, son.”                                                                                                                     Boy “I know, Mom, but Grandma’s in the next room, and she’s hard of hearing! 

Another lad:  Dear God: I need a raise in my allowance.  Could you have one of your angels tell my father?  Thank you. David, 7  .                                                                                                   

Whilst these two prayers are very simple both have an insight as to how God often answers prayer.  He uses ordinary people like a grandmother and a father.  I have a feeling that both prayers were effective in getting the answer.  

We know prayer is important yet we all feel we don’t prayer as often as we should.  Even when we pray we sense many times it not as effective as it should be.  Prayer isn’t easy and the devil wants us to believe that so we won’t pray.  In the passage we just read Paul gives us an example of how to pray and what to pray for.                                                                                       

What prompted Paul to pray?  He had heard some good news about these Ephesian believers.  He heard about their “faith in Jesus and their love for all the saints”.  What did he do?  He couldn’t stop giving thanks to God.(v16)  Giving thanks to God is the best way to start praying. Do we give thanks to God for each other’s faith in Jesus and our love for each other?  Why give thanks to God for those things?  Was it just natural that Ephesians believed in Jesus?  No, it was supernatural.  We too, without the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives would never have believed in Jesus.  Paul realised it was a work of God’s grace in their lives so he gave thanks to God.  That’s why we should thank God for each other’s faith.

Paul also thanked God for their love for each other which was the evidence that their faith was genuine.  Was it normal for them to love their fellow believers?  Loving their family, relatives and friends was normal because of blood ties and close relationships.  Before they became Christians they didn’t know of each other’s existence.  Yet soon after they believed they started to love each other.  Was that natural?  No, it was supernatural, for that love they had for each other was the result of God’s love being poured into their lives.  Hasn’t that been our experience too?   A major proof that we are true disciples of Jesus, is our love for one another.  Jesus said “By this all men know that you are my disciples, if you love another” (John 13.35)  According to Jesus we are known as his disciples not by going to church, reading the bible, praying, and doing good works, although they are good activities which Christians should do, but by loving all believers irrespective of colour, class and personality.   As Paul gave thanks to God for their love for each other so should not we do the same?   

After giving thanks Paul moves on to pray for them.  Sometimes we have difficulty in knowing what to pray for when we pray for each other.  His prayer has become God’s word to us so we do well to follow his example.  He doesn’t pray about their health problems or their material needs.  He sees something far more important to pray about that being their spiritual health and wellbeing.  To pray for healing for our bodies is important and we seek to do that as requests are given each week.  But Paul would tell us that are our spiritual growth is to be prayed about more than our physical health.  When Paul heard about their situation he was in prison so he couldn’t visit.  However, he sent a letter, but that would take some time before they could read it and get any benefit.  What could he do in a prison cell to help them?  He could pray and he knew its effectiveness, for God works in people’s lives through prayer.  Through prayer Paul was working in partnership with God and so can we.  Paul requests were specific not vague.  He didn’t just ask God to bless them.  Sometimes when we pray like that we can’t know if our request has been granted because it was too vague.  When Jesus met blind Bartimaeus he asked what did he want Jesus to do for him.  The reply was “Rabbi, I want to see”.  Jesus said “Go, your faith has healed you”.  He received his sight so knew he had got the answer.  Paul asks for three specific things.  

1. To know God better (v17)                                                                                                                   

When we believed in Jesus we received eternal life.What is eternal life?Jesus gives the true meaning. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John17.3) The ultimate goal of eternal life is to know God better.Jesus came to reveal God to us.Becoming a Christian was like a wedding day, we came to know God.A married couple don’t know each other intimately on their wedding day.They really get to know each other when they begin to live together.It is true also in our relationship with God as we walk in fellowship together.A newly married couple can only get to know each other through communication and spending time together.Sometimes that requires sacrifice of each other’s own time.To get to know God better I must give time to listening to him and talking to him.I can listen to his voice through reading His word, listening to a preacher speak and fellowshipping with my fellow believers.It is when I hear his voice through various ways that I grow to know him better.Also God wants to hear my voice through prayer.He commands me to Ask, Seek and Knock and promises I will be given, I will find and the door will be opened.Whilst there is a responsibility on our part, Paul prays that the Holy Spirit will give wisdom and revelationthat we may know God better.We don’t need any special qualification but just need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us more about our heavenly Father.

2. To know the hope to which we have been called (v 18)

The Christian life is one that is filled with hope.A life with hope doesn’t mean a life without trials, trouble and suffering.We face the same problems as others living in a fallen world.It can be a sudden bereavement, a terminal illness, a tragic accident, a broken marriage, a financial crisis and redundancy.How can we have hope in such circumstances?First of all we are not alone in our suffering, “for the God of hope fills us with all joy and peace as we trust in him.” (Romans 15.13).That can be our present hope in the storms of life that we face.Added to that is God’s promise that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”(Romans 8.28).We know that our trials serve a purpose for our good and blessing.The unbeliever has no such hope of a purpose in his suffering.We have hope in death sharing in Paul’s assurance: “I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far” (Philippians 1.23).There’s even more to come with the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return where we shall meet him in the air and our mortal bodies shall be changed into bodies of glory like Jesus.This will be followed by the new heaven and new earth and we will be with the Lord forever.Is this wishful thinking like the hope people have in the world?No this hope is sure to take place because Jesus has promised it and his promises are always true.Whilst we rejoice in our future inheritance, Paul also speaks of “God’s glorious inheritance in the saints” (v18).It’s amazing to think that God speak of us as his treasured possession. We are more value to him than all his creation.There’s a wonderful day coming when God “will present us before his glorious presence without fault with great joy” (Jude 24).I think of this scripture when I watch “The Repair Shop “on television.Someone brings to the Repair Shop an object that was once beautiful, valuable and usefulBut now over the years it has got broken, marred, become useless having little value. The experts get to work on it and restore it to its former glory.I’m often moved when the owner returns to pick up the restored object and they can believe the transformation that has taken place of their broken, marred useless object.But I’m also touched with the joy that the experts receive when they see the joy on the faces of the people who brought the broken object for repair.This reminds of the day when the church will be presented to Christ as his bride” as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5.27).What a wonderful work God will have done in taking rebel sinners and making them a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless.That’s going to be a day of great joy both for ourselves and God.At the moment God is still working on us.

3. To experience God’s Almighty Power                                                                                              

God showed his power in our salvation.We were weak unable to save ourselves.We need his power to live the Christian life.We face strong opposition from the devil, the old nature, the world and temptation.What kind of power has God given us?It’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead.The resurrection of Jesus is the most powerful event ever to take place on the earth.By his resurrection Jesus overcame the devil, sin, death and hell.Whilst the resurrection was a “one off event” its impact continues for Jesus ascended into heaven to be exalted and sit at the right hand of God.That is a place of honour and authority.God has put all things under his feet.God has given Jesus all authority and power and nothing is impossible for him.God has given that same power that rose Jesus from the dead to every believer.Where is that power to be found?Do I need to go to heaven or some special place to find it?Ephesians 3.20 tell us where it is to be found:“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or think according to his power that is at work within us,” The power of God is within us.We needn’t travel anywhere. How can we access it?How can we see it at work in and through us?What kind of people experience God’s almighty power?  We read “and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (v19) This incomparably great power which is the power that raised Jesus from the dead is for us.It is every believer in Jesus without exception.How do I access this amazing power?It is “for us who believe”.Faith isn’t that frantic activity to try to believe.It is that calm assurance that God will do what he has promise to do.When Jairus came to Jesus to heal his daughter we read Jesus went with him.On the way the message came from the house that his daughter had died so it was no use for Jesus to go there now.Jesus replied: “Don’t be afraid.  Just have faith and she will be healed”.Faith is just believing Jesus will do what he has promised to do. It is not relying on your own efforts but simply relying on the promise and power of Jesus.For many years I cleaned my teeth using a normal toothbrush which was relying on my own power.About three years ago I started to use an electric toothbrush.It was much easier just to press the button and rely on the power of the battery and much more effective.May we rely on God’s Almighty Power within us instead our own strength and pray more effectively for each other.

Closing Song: Rejoice, rejoice, Christ is in you

Christ is in you,

The hope of glory

In our hearts.

He lives! He lives!

His breath is in you,

Arise a mighty army,

We arise.

Now is the time for us

To march upon the land,

Into our hands

He will give the ground we claim.

He rides in majesty

To lead us into victory,

The world shall see

That Christ is Lord!

God is at work in us

His purpose to perform,

Building a kingdom

Of power not of words,

Where things impossible,

By faith shall be made possible;

Let’s give the glory

To Him now.

Though we are weak, His grace

Is everything we need;

We’re made of clay

But this treasure is within.

He turns our weaknesses

Into His opportunities,

So that the glory

Goes to Him.

Notices