Notes of Meeting Sunday 27th February 2022
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Lee Street Church Notes of Meeting – 27th February 2022 The meeting began with prayer for the situation in Ukraine, and those suffering from the Russian invasion. Worship led by Ken Cowell Psalm 84: 1-2 1. How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! v2. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. v10. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. When you woke up this morning what did you think? “Great it’s Sunday so I can go to church?” Or did you say “I wish I could have a lie-in this morning and give church a miss?” The person who wrote the psalm was so excited that he couldn’t wait to get to the house of God. What was the attraction? He would have worshipped at the Tabernacle where David worshipped or the magnificent temple that Solomon built. It was neither of those. He came with a hunger to meet with the living God as he says: “my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” The living God was there and that was the attraction. Did we come this morning with the desire to meet with God? The psalmist thought it was the best place he could be, more than anywhere else, as he says: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” He’s saying, one day in God’s house is better than almost three years anywhere else. Are you glad you’re here this morning rather than on a beach in Spain? What is special about being here? We are in the presence of the living God to meet with him. SONG: I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart6 SONG: 40 Be still for the Presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here Psalm 84: 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. We not only come to be in His Presence but we come here to praise Him. The psalmist’s praise isn’t a one-off but continual action which will go on for all eternity, “they are ever praising you.” We don’t stop praising God once we have left the church. In Psalm 96 2 we are reminded that praise should be a daily activity. “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.” So let’s do what we have come for. SONG: 567 We are here to praise you SONG: 466 Praise my soul the king of heaven Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Why do we praise Him? There are a number of reasons in this verse. We can praise God because he is GREAT. He is likened to the sun. The sun is the source of life and light to the earth. The sun is the centre of the solar system and everything revolves around it. God is the centre and source of everything in our world, as we read, “In him was life and that life was the light of men.” (John 1. 4) We are nothing without God. He is our shield, the one who PROTECTS from sin, sickness, trials and death. We are not here by chance this morning but because God has given us the health to come. He is a GENEROUS God who gives the best. Another translation puts it, “the Lord gives grace and glory.” We have been saved from the guilt and penalty of our sin by his grace and we have the promise of eternal glory with him. Lastly, he is a GOOD God who can only give us what is good for us all the time. Even the seemingly bad things that happen to us he works for our good. What a wonderful God we have to praise and worship this morning. SONG: 1501 Praise Him, you heavens SONG: 2007 Praise is rising, eyes are turning to you, Psalm 84: 8 Hear my prayer O Lord God Almighty; listen to me O God of Jacob. We have also come here to pray. Why do we pray? Because he listens and answers our prayers.
Message by Ian Crawford These are Ian’s summary notes: Readings: John 5 v24: 6 v 37 - 40: 12 v 44-46 Eternal Security Guaranteed for all who believe Salvation is a work of grace Sin is fact of life - if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves Eternity- a sunrise never a sunset
John 5 v 24 Omnipotent makes 3 great promises: A Present - has presently everlasting life In Future- shall not come into condemnation In Past - has crossed over from the sphere of eternal death to eternal life
John 6 Emphasis on All that the Father has given me (all who believe) - not some Everyone who looks and believes shall be raised to eternal blessing on the last day at resurrection We are Love gifts of Father to His Son Those who come - never drive away - reject at any time Hebrews - save to the uttermost - means to completion and perfection
Note that He does the keeping and holding – see John 10 He possesses the sheep He Provides for them - eternal life He Promises them - they shall never perish He Provides Power - no one shall pluck from My Hand
John 17 He prays for you – “protect those you have given me” Ephesians 1 - Guarantee of indwelling Holy Spirit who cannot be removed Cannot lose salvation but may lose (as David): Joy Testimony Song Fellowship with God 1 Cor 3 Reward
It is impossible for following: To be saved then unsaved To be redeemed then unredeemed To be reconciled then unreconciled To be Related then unrelated.
The blood of Christ paid price in full.
POEM:
Upon the golden seashore sands I wrote my name one day The waves came in and when they left My name had passed away.
Upon the shifting sands of time Men write their names today But when eternal years roll in Their names will pass away.
Upon the spotless book of life God wrote my name one day Eternal years can never take That God-penned name away.
My name is there forever Through all God’s endless days For He who died to put it there Has put it there to stay.
NOTICES
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