COVENANT COMMUNITY ONLINE SERVICE
PRESENTER: Pastor Colin Turner
PREACHER Pastor Steve Mayo
PRAYERS: Pastor Colin Turner
SUNDAY 16th AUGUST 2020 – The Council at Jerusalem.
Welcome
Welcome to this service for 16th August 2020. During the month of August these services have been put together as a team effort between myself, (I am Pastor Colin Turner), and also Pastor Steve Mayo, and Rev Dr Calvin Samuel. We are all ministers of the Methodist Church in the Southend & Leigh Circuit of Essex. This week, it falls to Pastor Steve Mayo and myself, to bring this service to you as we continue our reflections upon the life of the early Church as recorded in the book of The Acts of the Apostles.
Our call to worship is from Psalm 67 which, this morning, will be read to us by Sue Edwards from Rochford Methodist Church.
Call to Worship. Psalm 67 NIVUK
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Hymn
Our opening hymn is “Praise to the Lord! The Almighty, The King of Creation. It was written in 1680 by Joachim Neander (Neumann), a German Church teacher, theologian and hymn writer and it was translated into English in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth an English hymn writer, translator and educator.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
The King of creation
O my soul, praise Him
For He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, brothers and sisters draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration
Praise to the Lord
Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
who with His love doth befriend thee
Praise to the Lord
Who doth nourish thy life and restore thee,
Fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee,
Then to thy need he like a mother doth speed,
Spreading the wings of grace o’er thee.
Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth his light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with his mercy surrounding.
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath
Come now with praises before Him
Let the 'amen' sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him
Intercessions:
Our Prayers of Praise, Adoration, Thanksgiving and Confession: (Led by Pastor Colin Turner).
As we come to our prayers of Praise, Thanksgiving and Confession I invite you to respond using the words in yellow which appear on your screen, or the text in bold type if you’re listening on audio and working from a hard copy.
- Let Us Pray.
Almighty God, we come to you today to offer our Worship, Praise, Adoration and thanksgiving for this new day. We come gladly, knowing that you both call and welcome us into your presence.
Living Lord we praise you for loving us when we were still “dead in our sins”;
for raising us up to new life through your abounding Grace;
For forgiving us, cleansing us and restoring us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thankyou Holy Spirit, pervasive and persuasive “Paraclete of Peace”, for assuring us of our Salvation in Jesus and for filling our lives with your joyful transforming presence and peace.
We thank you, Loving God, that yours is a love that “never lets us go”. It holds and binds us to you with strong chords that cannot be broken.
King of love we bless you that You love every one of us equally and that you see us each as your unique and wanted children.
ALL: Lord God, we come before you now with open hearts and a childlike trust. Help us to worship in Spirit and Truth today.
Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
A Prayer of Confession.
Lord God, sometimes we look as though we are listening to others.
We may even make all the right noises, and nod in the right places!
But we confess that our attention is often anywhere but where it is supposed to be.
Lord, sometimes we get distracted by our own concerns and busy to do lists.
We seem only to care for ourselves, and to listen only to those who say what we want to hear.
Lord, sometimes we make excuses for our inaction and slowness to respond to need. We choose not to see and to hear what is all around us.
Lord, sometimes we miss the obvious and so miss the “God Given” moment of blessing, challenge and opportunity.
ALL: Forgive us, Lord, for missed opportunities, Help us to have open ears, eyes and hearts and to hear your voice and to act upon it.
In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen
Our readings from the Acts of the apostles are from Acts 15.1-21 read by Janet Warner of our Rayleigh Church and then from Acts 15.22 - 35 read Sue Sandling of our Canvey Island Church.
Acts 15.1-21. Read by Janet Warner
15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
18 things known from long ago.
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
Acts 15.22 - 35 read by Sue Sandling
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 34 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Thankyou Janet and both Sue’s for bringing us today’s Bible readings.
The Sermon today is brought to us by Pastor Steve Mayo.
Sermon: The Council at Jerusalem. Pastor Steve Mayo.
Don’t Close the door
Bible Reading: Acts 15:1-35
Introduction
The spread of the Gospel has often been hindered by people with closed minds who stand in front of open doors and block the way for others.
I don’t know whether this is because of some sort of envy or whether someone just has their missional priorities a bit skewed!
‘In 1786, when William Carey laid the burden of world missions before a ministerial meeting in Northampton, the eminent Dr Ryland, a Baptist minister said to him, “Young man, sit down! When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine!”
I’m convinced more than one Spirit-filled servant of God has had to enter an open door of opportunity without the support of their church or religious leaders!
Paul and his colleagues faced the same challenge at the Jerusalem Council about twenty years after Pentecost. Courageously, they defended both the truth of the Gospel and the missionary outreach of the church. There were three stages in this event.
The Dispute
The Defence
The Decision
Firstly,
The Dispute
This whole event starts when some legalistic Jewish teachers when to Antioch and taught that the Gentiles, in order to be saved, had to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses. These men were associated with the Jerusalem congregation but not authorised by it (Acts 15:24).
Identified with the Pharisees in Acts 15:5, these teachers were ‘false brethren’ who wanted to rob both Jewish and Gentile believers of their freedom in Christ as recorded in Galatians 2:4. //
It should not surprise us that there were people in the Jerusalem church who were strong advocates of the Law of Moses but ignorant of the relationship between Law and grace. These people were life-long Jews who had been trained to respect and obey the Law of Moses; and, after all, the books of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews had not yet been written. It was a time of real transition, and such times are always difficult.
Q: So, what were these legalists actually doing and why were they so dangerous?
Well, they were attempting to mix Law and grace together, to pour new wine into old wine skins to use an analogy from Luke 5, and by doing so were blocking the new and living way to God that Jesus had opened by His sacrifice on the cross. (Hebrews 10:19-20 says; 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…’ [NIVUK]
Jesus brought a new thing, a new way to God for everyone regardless of your birth religion.
But these ‘law-keepers’ were trying to rebuilding the wall between Jews and Gentiles, the wall that Jesus had torn down on the cross. They were putting the heavy Jewish yoke on Gentile shoulders as it tells us in Galatians 5:1. They were teaching; “A Gentile must first become a Jew before he can become a Christian!”
When any religious leader says, “Unless you belong to our group, you cannot be saved!” or “Unless you participate in our ceremonies and keep our rules, you cannot be saved!” they are adding to the Gospel and denying the finished work of Jesus. His mission to earth is complete and final. There is nothing that needs adding to the sacrifice and subsequent victory of Jesus.
And when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians, he makes it clear that salvation is wholly by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, with nothing extra required! //
Now we move onto the defence.
The Defence
It appears that at least four different meetings were involved in this Council of Jerusalem as its known now.
The first was a public welcome to Paul and his colleagues in verse 4 of our reading from Acts 15;
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
Then a second, a private meeting, with Paul and the key leaders, as recorded in Galatians 2:2; ‘I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.’ [NIVUK]
Then a second public meeting where the legalistic teachers presented their case. Acts 15:5-6; 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.’ [NIVUK]
And lastly the public discussion described in verse 6 onwards. 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. [NIVUK]
In this public discussion four key leaders presented the case for keeping the doors of grace open to the lost Gentiles. Peter’s witness made a great impact on those listening as they sat in silence after he had finished.
Then Paul and Barnabas stood up and told the group what God had done among the Gentiles through their witness.
Paul and Barnabas were very respected by the church and their testimony carried a great deal of weight. Their emphasis was on the miracles that God had enabled them to perform among the Gentiles. They had preached grace, not Law; and God had honoured their message. God opened for the Gentiles ‘the door of faith’ not ‘the door of Law.’ The Gentiles were saved in the same way as lost people are saved today as it tells us in Ephesians 2:8; ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…’ [NIVUK]
Finally, James spoke supporting Peter, Paul and Barnabas citing scripture from Amos 9:1-12. //
Now we move onto the…
The Decision
The leaders and the whole church, directed by the Holy Spirit made a two-fold decision; a doctrinal decision about salvation, and a practical decision about how to live the Christian life The church came to the conclusion that Jews and Gentiles are all sinners before God and can only be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is one need, and there is one Gospel to meet that need, whether Jew or Gentile.
So, with the coming of Jesus we are all on a level playing field when it comes to salvation, the forgiveness of sins, whether we are Jew or Gentile. //
Conclusion
Today we can learn a great deal from this difficult experience of the early church.
To begin with, problems and differences are opportunities for growth, just as much as temptations for dissension and division. Churches need to work together and take time to listen, love, and learn.
Q: How many hurtful fights and splits could have been avoided if only some of God’s people had given the Holy Spirit time to speak and to work?
Most divisions are caused by followers and leaders.
A powerful leader gets a following, then refuses to give in on even the smallest matter, and before long there’s a split. Most church problems are not caused by doctrinal differences, but by different viewpoints on practical matters.
Q: What colour shall we paint the church kitchen?
Q: Can we change the order of the service?
Q: Should the organ be on the right or the left of the pulpit?
We, as Christians need to learn the art of loving compromise.
We need to have our priorities in order so we will know when to fight for what is really important in the church.
Every congregation needs a regular dose of the love as described in 1 Corinthians 13 to prevent division and dissension. Jesus prayed in John 17:20-21 that His people would be united so that the world might believe in Him. It says; 20 ‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ [NIVUK]
Unity is not uniformity, for unity is based on love and not law.
God has opened a wonderful door of opportunity for us to take the Gospel of God’s grace to a fractured and suffering world.
But as there were in the early church, there will be forces in the church even today, that want to close that door. May God help each one of us to keep that door open, so we can reach as many people as we can! Amen.
Thankyou Steve for leading our thoughts today. Before we come to our prayers of intercession this week, let us sing our next hymn written by William Williams in 1745. “Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah”. In this hymn Williams beautifully uses imagery from the Old Testament book of Exodus to conjure up a theme of God’s guidance through struggle. As we grapple with the issues of today, may we too know the guidance of Almighty God.
William Williams. ‘Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah.
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more;
feed me till I want no more.
2. Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield;
be thou still my strength and shield.
3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee;
I will ever give to thee.
Prayers of Intercession. Let us pray.
Great and merciful God, We pray for your world,
As it spins through space, on a celestial dance that marks the years.
For its people’s who share its space and bounty,
As they breathe it’s air and express its life in the fullness created by you.
We pray for where the world seems broken,
For where those trusted with stewardship have failed, and both landscape and human hearts are now damaged and scarred.
And where the turning world now seems to be spinning out of control.
We pray for communities in Crisis,
For the people of Beirut Lebanon, facing uncertainty amidst the ruins of their city,
For people there who desire a better life amidst the tinderbox of opposing community self interests.
We pray for victims of flood, fire and drought.
For those is Aberystwyth whose homes have been flooded,
For those fighting summer wildfires in Scotland, Surrey and Lancashire.
We pray for those who are ill,
For lives where the Covid pandemic has become personal
And for the many who now grieve loved ones who died away from touch and sight.
In silence we lift others known to us,
Whose lives we love and care for and whose difficulties we lift to you.
Be close to each we pray, and grant them your ‘ever present help in the time of trouble’
Silence…..
Loving Lord, empower us by your Spirit as we serve you in the week ahead.
Grant us opportunities to show your love to those we meet in its days,
Please give us grace to proclaim the gospel joyfully in word and deed.
ALL: Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers.
We draw our prayers to a close as we say together the prayer that Jesus gave us: The words will appear on screen:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Some material included in this service is copyright:
© 1999 Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
Common Worship, © Archbishop's Council 2006.
My thanks again to Sue Edwards, Janet Warner, Sue Sandling for bringing the Bible readings to us today, and to Pastor Steve Mayo for leading our thoughts in the Sermon. And my thanks to you for joining in this act of worship today.
Our closing hymn for today, written by Charles Wesley, is a prayer of commitment asking for God's help as we live our lives, both as Christians and as Christ’s Church today. We sing the great hymn, “O Thou who camest from above”.
1 O thou who camest from above
the pure celestial fire to impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
on the mean altar of my heart!
2 There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return
in humble prayer and fervent praise.
3 Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
to work, and speak, and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up the gift in me.
4 Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat;
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make the sacrifice complete.
Thank you for joining us in this service and I hope you have found it beneficial.
A final benediction.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us now, and forevermore.
Amen.
May God bless each one of you.
CCL No. 250079