5 July 2020 - TRINITY 4 · wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 30 But Phinehas stood...
Transcript of 5 July 2020 - TRINITY 4 · wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 30 But Phinehas stood...
5 July 2020 - TRINITY 4
Hi everyone
This weekend sees another
significant change in our country's
response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As you'll have heard, the govern-
ment is now beginning to allow
small gatherings in church
buildings, but with a number of
significant provisos and restrictions.
The final details for us only came
out on Wednesday evening and I
don't want to rush without proper
prayer and preparation so please
pray, and by next week we will be
able to announce some new oppor-
tunities for us to begin some form of
smaller gatherings again.
As I said before, we will continue
online so that everyone can join in.
Each local church will have to work
out what might work for them within
the government's guidance, and
some may not begin meeting at all
just yet.
At the same time, I'm really pleased
to let you know that during lock-
down we've been able to make
considerable progress in the hall
and once finished (by the end of
July I hope!) it will give us more
space for socially-distanced
services, as the spacing distances
limit All Saints to only a very few
people at a time, at the moment.
As I say, please pray for wisdom for
now, and I'll look forward to being
able to share more next week. In
the meantime, All Saints remains
open for individual prayer on
Mondays 2-3pm and Wednesdays
7-8pm.
I've really missed seeing you all,
but I know that God is good and our
hope is secure in all that Christ has
done.
Love -
2
13 Is anyone among you in
trouble? Let them pray. Is any-
one happy? Let them sing songs
of praise. 14 Is anyone among
you sick? Let them call the
elders of the church to pray over
them and anoint them with oil in
the name of the Lord. 15 And the
prayer offered in faith will make
the sick person well; the Lord
will raise them up. If they have
sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to
each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person
is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being,
even as we are. He prayed
earnestly that it would not rain,
and it did not rain on the land
for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the
heavens gave rain, and the earth
produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one
of you should wander from the
truth and someone should bring
that person back, 20 remember
this: Whoever turns a sinner
from the error of their way will
save them from death and cover
over a multitude of sins.
READING
James 5:13-20(NIV)
3
2
July 12 9.30am Livestreamed Service (Matthew 13:1-9) Parable of the Sower 19 9.30am Livestreamed Service (Matthew 13:24-30) Parable of the Weeds 26 9.30am Livestreamed Service (Matthew 13:31-33) Parable of the Mustard Seed & Yeast August 2 9.30am Livestreamed Service (Matthew 14:13-21) Feeding the 5,000+ 9 9.30am Livestreamed Service (Matthew 14:22-33) Jesus walks on water
You can watch them as they go live, or at a later time: www.youtube.com/AllSaintsWick
MONDAY 10am Coffee and Prayer
Meeting ID: 548-278-740 Join URL (from a computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/548278740?pwd=YlF5dmlqdWFxYlpuVStsd2wxOGRZUT09 Password: 9W2ejp
WEDNESDAY 10am Coffee and Prayer Meeting ID: 737-944-199 Join URL (from a computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/737944199?pwd=cWRVNzZpU1RySkh2MUtoR1hvZG9Tdz09 Password: 9W2ejp
FRIDAY 3pm Coffee, discussion and prayer
Meeting ID (for phone/tablet): 672-702-690 Join URL (from a computer): https://us04web.zoom.us/j/672702690?pwd=aE40K0hnZkU5ZnF4WnNkRktBQk1NZz09 Password: 8j6dzD
SUNDAY Coffee: Straight after the Sunday online service
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87309091674 Meeting ID: 873-0909-1674 Password: 2bsR4C
SUNDAY 7pm Prayer Meeting
Meeting ID: 431-581-905 Join URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/431581905?pwd=SlFHOGJYLzhLOGI4TytSemRhSE1KQT09 Password: 9W2ejp
4
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of
the LORD or fully declare his praise? 3 Blessed are those who act justly, who
always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show
favour to your people,
come to my aid when you save them, 5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your
chosen ones, that I may share in
the joy of your nation and join your
inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our
ancestors did; we have done wrong
and acted wickedly. 7 When our ancestors were in Egypt, they
gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many
kindnesses, and they rebelled by the
sea, the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to
make his mighty power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as
through a desert. 10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he
redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not
one of them survived. 12 Then they believed his promises and
sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done and
did not wait for his plan to unfold. 14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to
the Lord.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed
Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. 18 Fire blazed among their followers; a
flame consumed the wicked. 19 At Horeb they made a calf and
worshipped an idol cast from metal. 20 They exchanged their glorious God for an
image of a bull, which eats grass. 21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt, 22 miracles in the land of Ham and awe
some deeds by the Red Sea. 23 So he said he would destroy them—had
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good; his love
endures forever.
5
not Moses, his chosen one, stood in
the breach before him to keep his
wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise. 25 They grumbled in their tents and did not
obey the LORD. 26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the
wilderness, 27 make their descendants fall among the
nations and scatter them throughout
the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of
Peor and ate sacrifices offered to
lifeless gods; 29 they aroused the LORD’s anger by their
wicked deeds, and a plague broke out
among them. 30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked. 31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come. 32 By the waters of Meribah
they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to
Moses because of them; 33 for they rebelled against
the Spirit of God,
and rash words came
from Moses’ lips.
34 They did not destroy the
peoples as the LORD
had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations and
adopted their customs. 36 They worshipped their idols, which
became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their
daughters to false gods. 38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of
their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of
Canaan, and the land was desecrated
by their blood. 39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted
themselves.
40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his
people and abhorred his inheritance. 41 He gave them into the hands of the
nations, and their foes ruled over them. 42 Their enemies oppressed them and
subjected them to their power. 43 Many times he delivered them, but they
were bent on rebellion and they
wasted away in their sin. 44 Yet he took note of their distress when he
heard their cry; 45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented. 46 He caused all who held them
captive to show them
mercy.
47 Save us, LORD our God, and
gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks
to your holy name and
glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the
God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD.
By ROGER PURDOM
ere is another ‘salvation-history’ psalm. The first one we read was Psalm 78. Psalms 105 and 107 are the
other two.
Psalm 78 is a warning to Israel not to repeat the sins of the past and to remember God’s sovereign and mer-ciful dealings with them.
Psalm 105 looks back over the history of God’s people as a history of redemption.
Psalm 107 celebrates God’s creation, His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for all.
Psalm 106 looks back over the history of God’s people as a history of rebellion.
The psalmist begins and ends this psalm with praise because, although we read about Israel’s rebellion, we also read about the mercy, faithful-ness and forgiveness of God.
Verses 1-5 Praise and Prayer
Verses 6-12 The people in Egypt
In spite of God’s provision, see how the people responded.
‘we have sinned’
they gave no thought to God’s miracles
they forgot God’s kindness
they rebelled by the Red Sea
Verses 13-15 The people in the desert
they soon forgot
they did not wait
they put God to the test
God gave them what they longed for
they were not satisfied with the LORD’s provision
(see Exodus 16 and Numbers 11)
Verses 16-18 The people and their leaders
they were not satisfied with the LORD’s leadership team (see Numbers 16:1-35)
Verses 19-23 The people and idolatry
they worshipped an idol
they exchanged their God for a bull
they forgot God
they forgot His miracles
Verses 24-27 The people on the edge of the Promised Land
they despised the land
they did not believe God’s promise
they grumbled
they disobeyed
Verses 28-31 The people and idol worship
they made the LORD very angry (see Numbers 25)
Verses 32-33 The people and their rebellion
they angered the LORD
they rebelled
they pushed Moses to breaking point and he disobeyed the LORD, so missed out on going into the Promised Land
Verses 34-46 The people in the Promised Land
The Psalmist skips over the book of Joshua where we read of the victorious arrival in Canaan. But after Joshua’s death, the people reverted back to their old way of life (see Judges 2).
What a catalogue of disaster after disaster.
If I had my history written down, I would want to run away and hide.
BUT GOD …
All the way through this history lesson we see God reaching out to His rebellious people, in spite of their sin.
Come back through the psalm.
v8 ‘yet He saved them’
v9 ‘He rebuked the Red Sea’
‘He led them through the depths’
v10 ‘He saved them … He redeemed them’
v11 ‘not one of their adversaries survived’
Notice the effect this had on the people –
v12 ‘then the people believed the promises of God’
v23 God would have destroyed His people ‘had not Moses pleaded with God’ (see Exodus 32)
v30 ‘But Phinehas stood up and intervened
and the plague was checked’ (see Numbers 25)
vs 43-46
‘He delivered them’
‘He took note of their distress’
‘He heard their cry’
‘He remembered His covenant’
‘He relented because of His great love’
‘He caused the nations to show mercy’
So, too, for us. Woven into MY story is HIS story.
v48 ‘Praise the LORD. Let all the people say ‘Amen!’
Please pray for one another during this difficult time. If you need special prayer, please contact Tom.
Personal prayer requests will be dealt with in confidence.
VICAR
Rev Tom Robson (01903) 714838 * [email protected] Tom's usual family day is Friday
CHURCHWARDENS
Dave Green: 07593 576839 * [email protected]
Clare Purdom: 07836 656713 * [email protected]
All Saints Times: Jane Hicks, email [email protected]
www.allsaintswick.org.uk * Facebook/allsaintswick * Twitter @allsaintswick
Pray specifically for
Martin Hutchinson, Joyce
Dent (Heather Best's mum),
David Best, Violet James
(Val Stewart’s mum),
Gill (relative of Ron Jones),
Jean (friend of Dave G)
Fred & Sheila Blows
(Dave G’s son-in-law’s
grandparents), Helen (friend
of Jill B), Dorothy (friend of
David F), Steve (friend of
Derek N-W), Kassie friend of
Dave G’s daughter
Gracious Father, by the
obedience of Jesus you
brought salvation to our
wayward world: draw
us into harmony with
your will, that we may
find all things restored
in him, our Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen