Edinburgh Balerno Parish Church of Scotland: Scottish Charity No. 018012
Worship led by
Rev Dr AJ Groenewald
Music from Harry Thomson and the Church Choir
Welcome:
To all who are weary and seek rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who struggle and desire love,
To all who are burdened and needing a Saviour,
To all who are isolated and want fellowship,
To all who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
To all the children,
To everyone whom the Lord have called……
You are invited to join us through ZOOM for tea and coffee after the service.
Welcome & Announcements
Good morning and welcome to our service of worship. Welcome to each one who is joining us from all over the world. I hope that you can join us also for a
virtual coffee or tea after the service. Please click on the zoom link on our website www.balernochurch.com
Worshipping God Together
Call to worship (Psalm 138):
Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Beloved, Igreet you in the Name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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August 2020
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Opening prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Let us prayer:
Lord God, we come before you in humble adoration.
How blessed are we that the one who holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven is the one who has the key to our hearts. Thank you, God, for the privilege of being part of the amazing story of faith that sustained our ancestors.
Thank you, God, that we know our future is safe with you. We ask this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray:
ALL: 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory for ever. Amen.
MP 1009 The King of love is my delight
The King of Love is my delight, His eyes are fire, His face is light, the First and Last, the Living One, His name is Jesus.
And from His mouth there comes a sound That shakes the earth and splits the ground, And yet this voice is life to me, the voice of Jesus.
And I will sing my songs of love, calling out across the earth; the King has come, the King of love has come.
And troubled minds can know His peace, captive hearts can be released,
the King has come, the King of love has come.
My Lover’s breath is sweetest wine, I am his prize and He is mine; How can a sinner know such joy? Because of Jesus.
The wounds of love are in His hands, The price is paid for sinful man; Accepted child, forgiven son, because of Jesus
And I will sing my songs of love, ….
And my desire is to have You near, Lord, You know that You are welcome here. Before such love, before such grace I will let the walls come down.
And I will sing my songs of love,…
Reflecting on God’s Word
3 Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’14 They replied, ‘Some say John the
Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’15
‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
16Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 17Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed
to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone
that he was the Messiah.
Reflection
Our reading is a fascinating account of Mediterranean culture which is totally different from ours.
In their culture it was all about honour and status. It was about how others perceived you in that society how you behaved in public, with whom you socialized, where you lived, what your occupation were and who your family was. Public opinion was especially important. It was important to ascertain what others thought of you. Biblical scholars call this a “Dyadic Personality” which is
the opposite of what we know as an individualistic one. In the Mediterranean
culture “my status (= “who I am”) depended on the community ratifying the claims I made about myself. Therefore, I need constant input from others for me to grasp my own identity.”
It is no wonder that Jesus asks this question, who do the people say I am? Who do you say I am?
Jesus is making sure that his disciples confirms that He is sent by God to save His children from sin, death and hell. Jesus wanted to make sure they understand His true mission.
Peter’s answer confirmed Jesus’s status as the Son of God. Jesus acknowledges that his confession did not come from himself, but from God.
And because Jesus received His authority and power from God to save humanity,
Jesus could hand over this “authority to proclaim His Gospel message of grace” to Peter by giving him the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”.
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But we need to understand that Jesus did not mean that Peter as an INDIVIDUAL had the authority to decide who will and who will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The power lies in the Gospel message of grace on which Christ built his church.
Later in Matthew 18 Jesus would broaden this responsibility to all his disciples which includes us living in 21st century.
A responsibility which the apostle Paul describes in our next reading…..
Hymn: 739 The Church’s one foundation
The Church’s one foundation, is Jesus Christ her Lord: She is his new creation by water and the word;
From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride; With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth: One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.
‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation of peace for evermore, Till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious shall be the Church at rest. Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.
Samuel John Stone, 1839-1900
Reading: Romans 12 read by Mark Higham
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself
more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each
of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member
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belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given
to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage,
then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Conclusion
SO what does it mean that we are the key holders of God’s kingdom?
I do not know about you, but I am extremely nervous when I am responsible for
“keys”. I always seem to lose them or misplace them. And then when I do find them, it is always a mission to find the right key for the lock. Holding Keys is indeed a big responsibility!
In our second reading the apostle Paul agrees that as Christian believers we indeed have a huge responsibility as “keyholders” to the Kingdom of God. We should be following Christ in giving ourselves as “living sacrifices to God by not
conforming to the world always attentive to the will of God.
The Apostle Paul then tells us that each one of us belong to Jesus Christ and that through Him we have all received different gifts to serve God. He then outlines the gifts that the Spirit gives namely prophesising, serving, teaching, leading, having compassion, giving generously and being merciful.
To go back to the metaphor of keys, by using our gifts we can be the KEY for others to open the door to find and discover the salvation of Jesus Christ. When we live our faith and use our gifts to the Glory of God others too, will be able to
“unlock” the Gates of Heaven to be with God in all eternity.
So whatever your gift is, remember that you are a “key” player as a believer in Jesus Christ. Use it not to satisfy yourself but use it for the advancement of God’s
Kingdom by sharing it – now and always.
The good news is that we are no longer “lost keys” but keys that have purpose
and meaning namely to open the door to the Kingdom of God through the redemption and mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
May all of us go away and start reflecting on what type of Key we are to others?
It does not matter whether we are a “huge big key” or a “small key”…. To open and enter the Kingdom of God all we need is a “Key of faith”, regardless of how small, big or indifferent it may be…..
6 Hymn 561 Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God; born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture burst on my sight; Angels descending, bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,…
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song,….Fanny J Crosby
Responding to God’s word
Our offerings are given for the ministry and mission of the church. Prayer of thanksgiving, dedication, and intercession
Choir Blessing
Receive the blessing and go in peace:
We go out now, hearts so full of amazement and joy, that we can’t help but
share the good news. Go with us, good Lord, and help us to tell everyone who will listen.
The blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will be with you now and forevermore.
7 Prayer
Mighty God, I think about the keys I hold. Each one shows a responsibility of some kind.
Thank you for all that you entrust me with.
Thank you most of all for Jesus, who gives me the keys of the kingdom. Amen.
