Weekend 2nd – 3rd July 2022
Happy Church Anniversary!
Good morning!
Thanksgiving
Heavenly Father, Your love never fails. Even when I fail You, You love me all the same. Thank You for a love that never gives up on me. Thank You for the comfort of knowing that I am secure in the promise that nothing can ever separate me from Your love. I thank You for Your perfect love that seeks the best in my life. I am grateful for Your sacrificial love that did not withhold the Lord Jesus Christ from me. Thank You for sending Him to die on the cross so that I can truly realise that You love me greatly. Amen.
Hymn Turn your eyes upon Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2tKVqZZiI4
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Turn your eyes to the hillside
Where justice and mercy embraced
There the Son of God gave His life for us
And our measureless debt was erased
CHORUS
Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Saviour ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You
Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the Lion awake
What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins
Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’
Think about –
“If you have never known the power of God's love, then maybe it is because you have never asked to know it - I mean really asked, expecting an answer.”? Frederick Buechner
Reading John 21: 12-19
Reflect ‘Do you love me more than…….?’
John Ortberg says, “Redeeming is what God is into. He is the finder of directionally-challenged sheep, the searcher of missing coins, the embracer of foolish prodigal sons. His favorite department is ‘Lost and Found
Last week we looked at the God of - Supreme Love
Today let me ask do you want Jesus to be your first love, your best love?
Jesus is calling Peter to determine his love for Christ and to serve him out of the same love. Ministry can only take place where love is genuine and real.
“Do you believe that the God of Jesus loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity—that he loves you in the morning sun and in the evening rain—that he loves you when your intellect denies it, your emotions refuse it, your whole being rejects it.
Do you believe that God loves without condition or reservation and loves you this moment as
you are and not as you should be.” Manning
Serving Love
We may have Jesus has our supreme love then the test is, does it lead to a serving love?
Simon, do you truly love me (Agape) is your love a full and complete love, Peter responds with – I love you like a brother (Phileo). Jesus began to direct him to the future. It’s not about old ways of doing, it’s about new ways of loving, of serving – feed my sheep!
Genuine love moves us to genuine ministry. The place of restoration becomes the place of re-commission.
Jesus turns to Peter. Peter was receptive. No blame shift. No excuses, he just recognised he was in need.
Here lies an important principle – before Jesus can be followed and served, the sin in our lives has to be addressed. Is there anything that grieves or contradicts God’s holy will in our lives today?
Jer 15:18 if you repent I will restore. God is longing to do that today.
Rita Snowden said “you ask me what forgiveness means it is the wonder of being trusted again by God in the place where I disgraced him.”
Jesus does need to restore our fellowship with himself, others and our neighbours. Perhaps like Peter we feel valueless or of little value, the question that brings healing to failures and will minister into our insignificance is not does God love me; the answer is always and unreservedly yes. The question must be do you love Him? “The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbour.”
John 15 Jesus gives the commandment to love. Jesus serves as their example. Notice the characteristics of this love: it’s a selfless love (v.12); a sacrificial love (v. 13); and it is a serving love (v. 14).
Peter understood and no doubt grew from this experience. Writing to the churches in 1 Peter 5 note his instructions “Be shepherds of God’s flock” (v. 2) a reflection of Jesus’ charge of him at the turning point in his own leadership growth. He remembers only too clearly his defection from the Lord and the terms of his restoration of being trusted again to "Feed my sheep".
“God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures.
It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does
our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love,
and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.” Bridges
Many people today still wear bracelets that say WWJD and it stands for "What Would Jesus Do?" It is meant to challenge us to respond to situations not as instinct dictates, but in a manner similar to what our Saviour would do. It would be just as appropriate to wear a band that had DYLM on it. "Do You Love Me?" It's not only a GOOD question. It is the PRIMARY question because if you love Jesus, service will be inevitable.
“For those who have heard the voice of the first love and said yes to it, the downward-moving way of Jesus is the way to the joy and the peace of God, a joy and peace that is not of this world.” ( Nouwen)
Paul explains to the Philippian church that the evidence of true Christianity is found in humble service to others. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. – Phils 2:3-4
Today Jesus offers you the chance to be restored – it may be your first chance; second chance…..
Peter had failed but he hadn’t to stay a failure. I’m aware that unresolved issues can cripple us but the repair process is simple, our relationship with Jesus needs to be healed. We need to be brought to that position where we can reaffirm our love in what once we may have denied, this will then be our motivation for service for Jesus.
There were 3 denials 3 questions, 3 instructions, Thanks be to God there is a way to victory today. Jesus has made provision for my failings and my flaws! I have a past but I can know forgiveness and know a future in serving the King.
Nouwen - “If there is any focus that the Christian will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking, “Do you love me” Do you love me? Do you love me?”
Be still for a moment!
Song I love you Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hyBJwTKmQ8
I love you Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You Oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy my King in what You hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear
Hymn My Jesus I Love thee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqFOsOPj9uk
My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus 'tis now
I love Thee because Thou has first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus 'tis now
In mansions of glory and endless delight
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus 'tis now
My Jesus 'tis now!
Talk on the Website - https://magorbaptistchurch.org.uk/Media/AllMedia.aspx
Blessing
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
SUMMER CHURCH MAGAZINE
The deadline for articles is Sunday 3rd July. Early receipt is much appreciated. Copy to jloebl@hotmail.co.uk please.
Communion Offering for July - Kidney Research UK
Kidney Research UK are leading transformation in kidney health. They say -
“We will continue to fund high quality kidney research, but we will also strengthen and develop our role as an enabler, thought-leader, disrupter and collaborator. We will be a research organisation that brings groups together, supports innovation and challenges the status quo. We will be a catalyst that ignites kidney research with new investment, new capacity, new ideas and new energy.”
Please help!
The communion offering for June for Raven House Trust raised £853 - thank you for your generousity.