Lee Street Church
Notes of on-line meeting held on 21st June 2020
We welcomed about 20 people to our on-line service.
Brian led the worship time.
Do you ever feel that you want to praise the Lord, but you don’t know quite what to say - maybe you’re so excited you’re “lost for words”? If so, just turn to the middle of your bible to Psalms, and you’ll soon find one to help you.
Today I’ve chosen some verses from Psalm 147: 1 – 11
V11 tells us that “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love”. Isn’t that great? The Lord himself – taking delight in us!
I guess we all get something of a kick out of bringing some pleasure into other people’s lives, especially when we know they are going through some hard times. But it’s surely something else when we bring pleasure and delight to the Lord.
Well, we know God takes delight in hearing the praises of his people.
So let’s honour Him with our first song “My Jesus, my Saviour”
My Jesus, my Saviour,
Lord, there is none like You.
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.
My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength,
Let every breath, all that I am,
Never cease to worship You.
Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King.
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands.
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand.
Nothing compares to the
Promise I have in You.
Darlene Zschech.
Copyright © 1993 Darlene Zschech/Hillsongs
Australia/Kingsway’s Thankyou Music. Used by Permission CCL 3227
Opening Prayer
Brian - In Isaiah 43:21 we are reminded that God “made mankind with the purpose that they might proclaim His praise”. And the words we’ve just sung say “Let every breath, all that I am,
Never cease to worship You.”
This got me thinking – how do we plan our days? As you lie awake early in the morning, awoken by noisy neighbours, cars, aircraft or a random white van delivery man, what sort of plans do you make for the day?
For some, the day is already mapped out for you – by your job or by the demands of others.
For others, maybe there is the opportunity do organise the day as you wish. Maybe you’re facing a day of uncertainties, and you’re not sure if you are up for the challenges they may present.
Our next song is again rightfully one of praise, but it also reminds us of some of the attributes of the Lord which will help us through the day.
O My Soul, arise and bless your maker,
For He is your Master and your Friend.
Slow to wrath but rich in tender mercy;
Worship the Saviour, Jesus.
King of grace, His love is overwhelming;
Bread of Life, He’s all I’ll ever need,
For His blood has purchased me forever:
Bought at the cross of Jesus.
And I will sing for all my days
Of heaven’s love come down.
Each breath I take will speak His praise
Until He calls me home.
When I wake, I know that He is with me;
When I’m weak, I know that He is strong.
Though I fall, His arm is there to lean on:
Safe on the Rock of Jesus.
Stir in me the songs that You are singing;
Fill my gaze with things as yet unseen.
Give me faith to move in works of power,
Making me more like Jesus.
Then one day I’ll see Him as He sees me,
Face to face, the Lover and the loved;
No more words, the longing will be over:
There with my precious Jesus.
Stuart Townend Copyright © 1999 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com) Used by Permission CCL 3227
What a reminder about who God is – our Maker, our Master, and our Friend.
As Maker, he knows all about us – our strengths and our weaknesses.
As Master, he knows what we need to learn’
As our Friend, He sticks beside us through all the changing scenes of life.
Also some great words of encouragement and comfort there for us all, whatever sort of day we might be expecting.
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Afraid of letting the Lord down? – be encouraged by v1 line 3.
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Worried about various needs? – bring them to Jesus, the Bread of life.
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Needing strength for the day? – see v3 lines 1 & 2
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Afraid of failure? – see v 3 lines 3 & 4
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Lacking faith? – ask Him for more!
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Fearful about the future? – know with confidence that one day we will see and be with Him forever.
(The sad thing about Vera Lynn’s song “we’ll meet again” is that she never said where we would meet up.)
I talked earlier about asking ourselves the question “who can I please today?” As we thought about last week what the Lord seeks from us is “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God”.
I’m sure we approach each day with these targets in mind.
How do we feel by the end of the day? Maybe we could have done or said something differently – so we need to learn.
But above all, we should look to God and give Him thanks .
Our last song does that, and reminds us of God’s grace and love towards us. And reminds us too of that place He’s already got prepared for all who have trusted in His wonderful Name.
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.
Melody Green.
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.
Copyright © 1982 Birdwing Music/
BMGSongs/EMIChristian Music Publishing/
Adm. by CopyCare.
Prayer Time
We remembered a number of people and needs including:
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Wisdom for our Government as it seeks to control the release of the nation from lockdown.
Ken’s Talk for Father’s Day
The Perfect Father (read Ephesians 1: 1-7)
A little boy explained the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by saying “Well it’s just like Mother’s Day only you don’t spend so much”. Whilst today we fathers receive kind comments from our children we may also recall times that we regret for doing certain things we shouldn’t have done and failing to do things we should have done. We may take some comfort in that there is no perfect father that is on earth, but our Heavenly Father is perfect.
In this passage today God is called Father on two occasions. He is called “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” which we readily understand and accept. But also Paul in his opening words says “To the saints in Ephesus……Grace and peace to you from God our Father”. In this sentence whose Father is God? He is the Father of Paul and the saints. Who are the saints? Would you call yourself a saint?
The dictionary definition is “a person acknowledged as holy and regarded in Christian faith as being in heaven after death”. This is what happens in the Catholic church. At least 5 years after the person has died some important Bishops meet to review the person’s life. If they have done some miracles or lived a very holy life the Bishops will canonise them and called them saints. This is however completely different from the Bible meaning.
Paul calls these people “saints” and they were still alive! He calls them all saints so they weren’t people with special qualifications. The Bible meaning of saint is “set apart for God”. What happened to them? When they repented of their sin and believed in Jesus they moved from the devil’s kingdom into God’s kingdom so being set apart for God. It’s like being transferred from Bolton Wanderers to Liverpool. You no longer play for Bolton Wanderers but for your new club Liverpool. Becoming a Christian is like changing teams. You leave the devil’s kingdom and enter God’s family and so can call God Father.
How do you enter God’s family?
In John 1.12 it says “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God”. These people have the right to call themselves children of God and so call God their Father. That is a saint. It’s nothing to do with trying to work hard and become holy and virtuous. It’s just receiving and believing in Jesus to enter God’s family and so be able to call God Father. Are you a saint? It’s simple to become one. When you become a saint you can really call God your Father because you are in the family of God.
But some might say “Isn’t God everyone’s Father? Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that God created them and gave them natural and physical life and even sustains them. Every time you wake up to a new day remember it’s a gift from the God who made you and loves you. But naturally we don’t worship, thank or obey God. We don’t please God but ourselves, and we don’t walk in God’s way but our own way. We sin and think it is okay and live as though God doesn’t exist. That was the way I lived before I became a Christian, not knowing God so I couldn’t really call Him Father. That changed when I believed in Jesus and was born again spiritually into God’s family receiving new life from God. When that happens, we start to call God Father spontaneously. In fact the Holy Spirit who begins to live within us gives us the name Abba to use which means “Daddy” in the original language. That’s how close the relationship becomes. One day the disciples asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus replied “Say Our Father”. It is for the believer in Jesus to pray “Our Father”. When a normal person is in trouble he’ll pray “God help me”. God will hear that prayer and often answer it. Then the person will probably not pray again until he’s in trouble again.
The Lord’s Prayer is centred around God and not the person who is praying. It says “Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Your will be done”. It is only after we have been “born again” in to God’s family that we can pray like that and call God Father.
What kind of a Father is God?
He is a Father who blesses us. He is the only one who can truly bless. We can pass on his blessing but it is his power alone that can bestow grace and love that can change things. The gifts here have already been given - “who has blessed us”. We need to know the blessings first in order to possess and enjoy them. God gave the Children of Israel the Promised Land. All they needed to do was to believe it was theirs and go in to possess and enjoy it. (During the Great Depression in America there was a sheep farmer named Yates. Things got so bad he had to go on welfare to feed his wife and family. He was ready to pack up and walk off his land. A team of geologists thought he might have oil under his property and asked his permission to drill. He had nothing to lose so he gave them permission. They started to drill, 500 feet no oil, 800 feet no oil, 1000 feet but still no oil. They decided to try one more time and if no success they would quit. They found the second largest oil reserve in Texas. Overnight, Mr. Yates went from being destitute to one of the richest families in Texas. Before they found the oil, was Mr. Yates sitting on millions of dollars. Yes, he was, but he didn’t know about it and so it didn’t do him any good at all. It was like having thousands of pounds in the bank but not knowing the account number so it couldn’t be used. God has given us so many blessings but until we know about them we can’t possess and enjoy them.
Where are these blessings found?
They are found “in the heavenly realms.” We must make sure we look for them in the right place. They are not on earth. There are two realms, the heavenly one and the earthly one. Before we become Christians all we lived for was the earthly realm with material things. Those things have no true value for they are only temporal, lasting just a short time. When we die everything is lost and gone. When we become Christians our citizenship is transferred to heaven. That is now our true home. That is where our new life is being raised with Jesus. We are to set our minds on things above where Jesus is, and not on earthly things. Jesus tells us to put our treasure in heaven which has eternal value and glory. God gives us the most valuable and worthwhile gifts. He is a good, good Father.
What kind of blessings are they?
They are the best, they are “spiritual blessings” that truly satisfy. Material things leave us still hungering for real satisfaction. Jesus said “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness. He is the bread of life who satisfies our deep hunger. He gives forgiveness from sin, freedom from the fear of death, peace that passes all understanding, joy even in suffering and an eternal hope with Him forever. He gives us “all spiritual blessings”.
Our Father is a generous God. He gives all we need to keep our faith and grow in Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit, God’s word, prayer, the church and the fellowship of believers. We may lack in material blessings but the spiritual blessings far more outweigh even the temporary sufferings. He is a good, good Father. There are many stories of Christians who overcame their trials and became a blessing to many.
What is the source of these blessings?
They are “in Christ”. They are not something I earned or merited. Jesus won them for me by his death on the cross. When a person believes in Christ they are united to Christ. They are placed in Christ and all that belongs to Christ becomes theirs. God no longer sees them as sinners but as those as who are righteous and accepted in Him. Before we were in Christ we were in Adam and shared in his sin, guilt and judgement. But when we believed in Christ we were placed in Christ and share in all that he obtained for us by his death and resurrection. All the blessings of God come to us in Christ. When the prodigal son returned to his father, his father put a robe on him to cover his rags and shame. We too by repentance and faith have been clothed with Christ and God no longer sees us in our sin but in Christ. He is a good, good Father.
The next blessing tells of how God has “chosen us in him”. It becomes amazing when it says “God chose us before the creation of the world”. This is something impossible to fully understand but something wonderful to believe. There are many things about God we can’t understand but we can experience them by faith. Jesus says we can only receive God’s kingdom like a little child. That means it is not by our understanding or our IQ, but by the simple faith of a little child. I don’t know how a TV works but by switching it on I can enjoy watching it. It is by faith we are saved and not by our knowledge or good works. Just because it says God chose me it doesn’t mean I just wait and do nothing. Imagine a drowning man in a river, someone comes along in a boat and throws out a line to save him. The man reaches out to grab the rope and is hauled to safety. The first action was from the rope thrower and the second action from the man in distress. God has chosen to throw out a rope so that we can live and not die. God didn’t choose us because we were better than others but because of his unconditional love, mercy and grace. He’s a good, good Father.
The next verse speaks how” God predestined us to be adopted as his sons”. Predestined means “to mark out beforehand”. It shows God taking the initiative in our being saved. He not only chose us to be saved but to become part of his family. In this case he does it through adoption. It was very honourable in the Roman world to be adopted. You were chosen often to become the heir and to receive the inheritance when the father died. We first entered God’s family by being born into it receiving new life. We have also been adopted having the authority now to share in our Father’s inheritance. We are joint heirs with Christ sharing in all his blessings now and with the certainty of a future inheritance in heaven. Why did the Father do this? It is because of his love for us. It says “in love he predestined us”. Not that we merited his love, for his love was unconditional. The second reason was that it was” his pleasure and will”. The Father wanted to do it, not because he was forced to do it. God wanted us to be his heirs and share in all his blessings with him for all eternity despite our sin and rebellion. He’s a good, good Father.
What should be our response to all the blessings he has given us? Three times it says “we should be to the praise of his glory”. What could be a better response than living for his praise and glory?
Closing Song
Good Good Father
I've heard a thousand stories of what they think you're like
But I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you're pleased
And that I'm never alone
You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
I've seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching
For answers only you provide
'Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word
You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
Oh, it's love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love
You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good good father
You are perfect in all of your ways
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
You are perfect in all of your ways
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am.