Notes of Meeting Sunday 5 February 2023

Worship led by Sue Clarke

All creation worships God

Creation itself testifies about its creator. It is impossible to live on this planet without recognising God, as nature is proof to His existence.

The beauty and awesomeness of God’s creation reveals the glory and majesty of God. By observing how specific and exact the interworking of all creation is, one can only come to the conclusion that there is a God. This is by design.

God’s glory is displayed by the things around us. His invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature are shown to us in how we are made, the world in which we live, and the universe surrounding us. Because God has made himself clearly known through the creation of our universe, humankind is without an excuse before Him.

Psalm 66 v1-2 +4 “Shout with joy to God,  all the earth. Sing the glory of His name, make His praise glorious. All the earth bows down to You, they sing praises to You, they sing praise to Your name.”

SONG: God is great, amazing!     730

Psalm 19v 1-4 “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

SONG: Creation sings    2255

We need to take a moment to observe how unique and beautiful the fingerprint of God is in our lives and the world in which we live. I pray this leads us to praising Him for how wonderfully He has made everything for us and for revealing himself to us by His creation.

Creator God,
In your hand are the depths of the earth.
The mountain peaks belong to you, The sea is your creation,
The dry land is your handiwork,
The fruit of the land is your design,
The taste of the produce is your gift,
And we are your people, a flock under your care.
We give you our thanks and praise, O God.

SONG: Praise my soul the King of heaven     466

Praise means to express our honour and thanks to God.

Psalm 8 v 1-2 “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.”

SONG: O Lord our God how majestic is Your name     426     

Philippians 4 v4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice”

Another word for rejoice is exalt, which also means to praise highly

SONG: Come people of the risen King    2249

Why is praise so powerful?

Praise is indeed a potent and restorative tool. It changes us for the better by refocusing our affections, realigning our priorities, and restoring our souls. Our spirit becomes more pliable, open, and receptive to receiving  God's Holy Spirit.

Praise is the power of heaven, praise is the power of heaven, praise is the power that opens the door to the King, the King of kings.

SONG: O Lord my God    425

Habakkuk 2 v14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as  the waters cover the sea.

God's original purpose to fill the earth with his glory — his glory reflected through human beings — will be fulfilled.

Psalm 15-v6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”

SONG: Praise Him you heavens    1501

The bible tells us that we were made to praise God.

Isaiah 43v21 “The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

We were formed to declare praise to God. We were made to give him glory and honor.

Colossians 1 v16 “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.”

Revelation 4 v11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Hebrews 13 v15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His name.

SONG: Worthy O Worthy   617

Notes of Message by David Ansell

Reading: Acts 8: 26 – 40 – Philip and an Ethiopian Eunuch

• V26 – an angel speaks to Philip. Angels are God’s messengers. They are often neglected by the Church today. But note they are found all through the bible – including at Christ’s birth, at his resurrection, at his ascension, and at his future return.
• The Ethiopian man was using his travel time to read from the prophet Isaiah. A challenge – how much time do we spend reading the Bible?
• He didn’t understand what he was reading, so he asks Philip for help.
• To many in our nation today, the Bible is an unknown book, especially young people.
• The Bible is God’s word for everyone, but it is also a middle-eastern book. Some passages become much clearer when we understand some of the customs of the people back in biblical times.
• Using passages from the writings of Isaiah, Philip is able to tell the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Ethiopian, who then believes and is immediately baptised.
• Have you yet been baptised?
• How our nation needs this good news. We have sadly gone away from His word and His laws, and we are seeing the consequences of this in society today.(crime, murders etc).
• But we know that the gospel still changes lives.

Closing Hymn: We have a gospel to proclaim

WE HAVE A GOSPEL TO PROCLAIM,

Good news for all throughout the earth;

The gospel of a Saviour's name:

We sing His glory, tell His worth.

Tell of His birth at Bethlehem,

Not in a royal house or hall

But in a stable dark and dim:

The Word made flesh, a light for all.

Tell of His death at Calvary,

Hated by those He came to save;

In lonely suffering on the cross

For all He loved His life He gave.

Tell of that glorious Easter morn:

Empty the tomb, for He was free.

He broke the power of death and hell

That we might share His victory.

Tell of His reign at God's right hand,

By all creation glorified;

He sends His Spirit on His Church

To live for Him, the Lamb who died.

Now we rejoice to name Him King:

Jesus is Lord of all the earth.

This gospel message we proclaim:

We sing His glory, tell His worth.