Worship led by Brian Legg
READ Hebrews 10: 19 -25
The way has been opened up for us to come into the presence of our righteous creator God by the work of Christ on the cross.
Song: 1203 Come, let us worship the King of kings
Prayer
Song: 137 God of glory, we exalt Your name
We see there some of the wonderful attributes of our God -
I wonder how many times this week you’ve felt the touch of the Lord upon your life?
When He was here during His earthly ministry, there are many recorded instances where people were healed with just a touch from the Saviour’s hand. We can’t receive a physical touch, but the Lord can and does impact and touch our lives in other ways.
As Jesus told his disciples, “I will never leave you or forsake you”, despite the fact he knew he was shortly to go away into heaven.
One of my responsibilities here is as church treasurer, and as such I have to prepare the end-of-year accounts which ultimately have to be sent to the Charities Commission. This means accounting for the approximately £19,000 pounds which goes into and out of our account each year. As anyone who does similar accounts will know, it is never a simple task to get all the rows and columns in the spreadsheet to add up correctly – somehow, minor errors seem to creep in to the records, and finding these can be time-consuming. This has been my experience over the past few weeks, as I prepared the accounts for sharing with you at the AGM later today.
After many tries, I eventually got things to add up correctly – a sigh of relief, but also of thanks to God,. I really felt that the Lord had touched my life, and had enabled me to get things sorted. Even in the every-day things of life, I believe we can feel His caring touch upon our lives.
So the next song I’ve chosen is:
Song: 594 When I feel the touch of your hand upon my life
What we all need most each day is a good guide to lead us through the jungle of life, to help us avoid the many pit-falls in our way each day. Technology was supposed to solve all our problems, but as it turns out our smart phones are now more likely to get us into trouble than so solve meaningful issues, as scammers find new ways to attack us from all sides.
We can’t trust technology – but we do have a faithful God to stand by us, One on whom we can call by day or night.
Song: 89 Faithful One, so unchanging
“All through the storm” – the Lord doesn’t promise his followers a peaceful, storm-free life – but He does promise to be with in the storms of life – to be a sound anchor when all around us seems to be fraught with problems. We are promised that our
Song: 2034 Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Song: 1030 The Lord’s my shepherd
Breaking of Bread
Just a reminder from Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse of just who the Jesus was whose death we commemorate in the bread and wine that we share together once again today.
Colossians 1:15 – 20
Making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
God making a way back for his lost people – by giving His Son – not just to show us how God intends us to live, but to open up a way back to God, as the old chorus puts it, “from the dark paths of sin” – and it all begins at the cross – on a bleak hillside outside the city of Jerusalem, with crowds crying for his death, though He had done no wrong.
He shed His precious blood, so that you and I could be set free, so we can come before a righteous God – but only by the immeasurable grace of God.
SONG: 633 You laid aside your majesty
Bread and Wine
Ken Cowell’s Message
From Jacob to Israel Genesis 32 7-29
As we look back over history we can see major events that has changed the course of history. Here is one such event from which the nation of Israel was born. When Jacob’s name was changed to Israel he had no idea of the great impact that he would have on the world. The greatest impact was that from this nation the Saviour of the world would be born. At the same time not only did the nation of Israel emerge with a new identity but Jacob’s life was also transformed. Not only was his name changed on the outside but became a new person on the inside. That is really what happens when a person becomes a true Christian. As Jesus says they are born again with a new life on the inside. The old life is finished and the new one emerges. This is illustrated when a believer obeys the command of Jesus to be baptised. It is a picture of the old life dying and being buried with Christ and being raised with Christ to walk with a new life.
How did this transformation in Jacob begin? It began with prayer. “Then Jacob prayed.” (v9) If a person wants to meet God or know God in a deeper way one of the best ways is to pray. The booklet “Try Praying” has helped many to have their first encounter with God. The word “then” points to something that has happened in the past that motivates the action of praying in the present. We don’t usually pray by chance but by something that happens where we feel weak and in need of God’s help Just over a last week ago I had a “then Ken prayed” moment. I lost my wallet and I looked in all the places in the house where I thought it could possibly be, but couldn’t find it. Then I remembered the day before going to the Coop and using a bank card from my wallet to pay for the items. I went down to the shop and asked the person at the till if a black wallet had been handed in. About four months previously I had lost my wallet again and going to Tesco in Horley I retrieved it as someone had found it in the car park and handed it in. That was quite amazing. So I was hoping that the people in Tilgate were as honest as those in Horley. Sadly, the person returned to tell me that nothing had been handed in. As I was walking home feeling helpless and anxious not knowing where to look next, then I thought, I haven’t prayed yet. So I simply said, “Lord you know where my wallet is but I don’t. Just help me to find it.” I returned home and went up to my office. I moved my brown brief case which was leaning beside the bookcase and there behind it on the floor was my wallet. I have no idea how it got there but it was found when I prayed to God about it. You may say that it just was a coincidence. But former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple answered that question and said, “When I pray coincidences happen but when I don’t pray they don’t.”
Why did Jacob pray? We read he had great fear and distress when he heard that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. 20 years earlier Jacob had stolen his elder brother Esau’s blessing from their father Isaac. Jacob had deceived his father and received Esau’s blessing which made him the first heir to everything and it could not be revoked. Then Jacob ran away to some relatives. When Esau found out he vowed that he would kill his brother someday. As Jacob was returning home he felt that the day of his death and his family was drawing close. Then he prayed.
He was concerned about his physical deliverance and that of his wives and children. But Jacob was to learn that there was something more than his physical safety that concerned God. He had the greater spiritual need of forgiveness of his sins. He had cheated his brother both of his birthright and blessing and had never repented. His greatest need wasn’t a change of circumstances on the outside but the cleansing of his heart from sin on the inside. Sometimes God uses a physical problem to make us aware of a greater spiritual need There are a number of occasions in the ministry of Jesus where he not only healed a person physically but also spiritually. A lame man was brought to Jesus by his friends but the first words that Jesus said to him “Son your sins are forgiven.” Jesus showed here that the man needed forgiveness of sins more than being able to walk again. In Japan we have seen a number of men come to Christ through a terminal illness. Their wives have prayed for their husbands to be saved many years but whilst they were healthy they showed no interest. Facing the ultimate fear of death they realised that only Jesus was the answer to eternal life and repented and trusted in Christ. They were now able to face death with confidence knowing their sins were forgiven and that after death they will be with Jesus and also see their wives in heaven.
Some times God sends a trial to get our attention so he can lead us in a different direction. I remember starting a new job that God had given to me, and yet I faced real problems in coping with it at the very beginning, that I felt I should quit the job. As I was praying about it I went to a missionary conference and heard a missionary from Japan speaking and believed God was calling me to go to Japan. I was open to hear God’s call because of the problems at work and was considering leaving that job. From that time the situation at work improved so I stayed working there. But I now knew that my future would be serving God in Japan and after 5 years I left my job in preparation to go to Japan. I believed God sent me the problem to get my attention to change my mind set so that when I heard his call I would be ready to respond. As Roman 8. 28 says, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God has his purpose in all things, particularly the not so pleasant things, to work them out for his purpose and our good and blessing. It may take some time to know that purpose so we need to wait in faith and patience.
Another reason for Jacob’s prayer was the fear of the unknown. That kind of fear can cause much anxiety. We have reached a time in our church where we need to pray about our church’s future. Many of the congregation are elderly and getting older. That is particularly true of the leadership of the church. For this church to continue effectively in the future we need new leadership and new life. We are not planning to close the church or just fade out but pass on the baton to others for the revitalisation of the church. We will discuss a little of this in the annual general meeting that will follow. The future of this church isn’t unknown because it is known to God and in his hands. We can go forth in faith knowing that he will guide us as we seek to know his will and do it.
As we consider Jacob’s prayer there are some good lessons we can learn from the way he prayed. Firstly, he reminds himself of the way God has already guided him till now through Abraham and Isaac. That assured him that as God had guided his father and grandfather he would also guide him. This church has a history of God’s goodness, guidance and power. As he has blessed in the past so in his will, he will continue to do so in the future. He will not forsake us but lead us on. The workers will change but the work will go on with new workers.
Secondly, as Jacob prayed he was walking in obedience to God’s command. God commanded him to return to his own country, “Go back to your country and relatives.” One condition for answered prayer is that as I am praying, I am walking in obedience to God’s word. Jesus said the same thing in John 15. 7. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.”
There was a young man who was a keen Christian but decided one day he no longer wanted to follow Jesus and so went his own way. He became very friendly with a young lady but she suddenly became seriously ill and died. He visited the pastor of the church he used to attend and angrily told him that Jesus was a liar and didn’t keep his promises. He explained how this young lady became sick and how he prayed in faith as Jesus promised, “ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.” He believed that promise and expected her to be healed, but she died. He accused Jesus of breaking his promise. The pastor asked him to read the whole verse that he had quoted. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to to you.” The pastor asked the young man, “Did you remain in Jesus and did his words remain in you?” The young man failed to answer. He realised he hadn’t kept the first part of the verse so how could he expect Jesus to keep the second part. We forget sometimes that many of God’s promises are conditional to our obedience to his word. As Jesus’ word remains in our hearts our requests will not be selfish, but will be in line with his word and will. Those prayers will be granted.
Jacob also quotes the promise of God to prosper him. “I will make you prosper” (v9) It is always good to read and remember the promises of God as we pray. God gives us his promises to encourage our faith. But we also need to remember that it is faith in His promises that brings answers to prayer. I do believe that God will prosper this church as we seek his will and walk in obedience to it.
Then we have the simple and bold request of Jacob to God, “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau,” He acknowledges his fear but again repeats God’s promise of prosperity not only for himself but also for generations to come. “I will surely make you prosper and make your descendants like the sand of the sea that cannot be counted.”(v12) That will be fulfilled in heaven of the redeemed church “from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5.9) Jacob’s prayer seems to be full of honesty and faith. However, what happens?
After praying that God would save him from Esau Jacob he no longer trusts God but devises a plan of his own. His plan is to pacify Esau with a present of over 500 hundred animals so he will receive him kindly. He is trusting his own wisdom and resources instead of trusting God. This is the old Jacob scheming, manipulating, deceiving and doing things his own way. He loves to be in control and please himself. We often act in the same way. God loves Jacob as he is but he loves him to much to allow him to stay as he is. God deals with us in the same way.
We then read that Jacob was left alone. There are times when we need to be alone with God so there are no distractions. It is the man who takes the initiative and starts wrestling with Jacob. From what we read later, this man is no ordinary man but God in human form. It says Jacob struggled with God, (v28) the man blessed him and Jacob says after that he saw the face of God. The man asks Jacob his name. That seems strange that the man being God would need to ask to know his name. The answer Jacob gives is Jacob which means “heel grabber.” This name defines who he really is. Jacob’s problem goes right back to the way he was at birth. From birth he wanted to in control of his own destiny and manipulate everything to fulfil his own purpose. He saw Esau’s birthright and blessing to be desired but the way to pursue and get it was by cheating and deceit. God had already planned that it would be his as a gift at birth. God had said when the twins were born “the older shall serve the younger.” All Jacob needed to do was surrender, give up and trust God. This is the real goal of the Christian life. Becoming a Christian is not just repentance of sin and believing in Jesus but also a surrender of one’s life over to God’s control. This is where the real battle for Jacob took place. He loved to be in control and didn’t want to lose it. He wanted the blessing of God but wanted it on his own terms which meant still being in charge of his own life.
My Christian life has been divided into two parts. When I was 11, I believed in Jesus and was saved. At 16, I surrendered my life to God. It was at a Bible camp for one week. That was my “being alone “time with God. It was the first time I really focussed on God. I surrendered my all to God and didn’t know what to expect. I was really in love with Jesus and wanted to tell as many people as possible. At that time football and Bolton Wanderers were my idols. I didn’t go to watch Bolton Wanderers any more but instead spent my time with other young people sharing the gospel in different places. If you had told me that Is what would happen I would never have believed you. Don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing bad or wrong in watching Bolton Wanderers play football. I have watched Bolton Wanderers since and I hope they get promoted to the Championship. For me at that time I loved football and Bolton Wanderers more than Jesus that’s why I needed to surrender my life to Jesus. It will be different for you. Two important events. To be saved and surrendered.
His new name Israel means “God fights or God conquers.” What it meant for Jacob that God had conquered him and was now in control. The key to a successful Christian life is a surrendered Christian life. It isn’t a one off experience but a continual one. When Jacob surrendered to God that was when God blessed him.
NOTICES
- The service next Sunday will be led by the Worship Team.
- The C$H Lent Studies continue on Thursday morning, 10.30am at HBC.
- The World Day of Prayer meeting is on Friday, 11.15am at Horley Methodist Church.