Why do some people not believe? What would cause you to believe? Why did many of Pauls fellow Jews not believe – if they were the covenant people? These were the questions we looked at last Sunday. It was very moving at the end to have an elderly brother tell us that he sang Just As I am when he became a Christian in the 1950’s Billy Graham crusades – He has faithfully served Christ since then for over 60 years!
Songs: Be Thou My Vision, Only a Holy God, Ps 119:65-72; Ps 19:1-9; Just as I am.
Readings: Acts 19:1-22; Ps 119:65-72
Sermon: Romans 10:16-21 – Salvation Refused
Lloyd Jones “ If you find yourself in hell, you will have no one to blame but yourself. It is because you were not persuasible; it is because you were stiff-necked. It is because you would not come. You did not come and you were determined not to be persuaded. All day long I have stretched out my hands…Why did you not come? That is what God will say to unbelievers on the day of judgement”.
In the evening Craig continued the mini series on 1 Kings.
Songs: From Heaven You Came; Great is the Darkness; Ps 72:15-19; There is a Higher Throne
Readings: 1 Kings 11
Sermon: 1 Kings 11 – The Decline of the King
Ministers Monday Message –
The first Sunday of every month we have a bookstall – and we have a recommended book of the month. This months is Following Jesus – The Essentials of Christian Discipleship by Andrew Randall. Andrew is the minister of our sister church (the IPC in Falkirk) and this book is a great help on a vital subject. It is readable and has biblical depth and practical application. It’s not too late to get your copy at a discount from Andrew Shrimpton (if you don’t know Andrew just ask!).
Yesterday morning I mentioned that we have many distractions that prevent us from hearing the Word of God with faith. We are not talking about mechanical listening – but listening with intent and faith. One of these is of course the smart phone. I referenced an article in the New York Times in which the journalist admitted that his phone meant that he was finding he was unable to read a book – so he had to detox. We all live in worlds that are somewhat frantic, busy and manic. If you find that you don’t have time to sit and read in peace and quiet, then let me suggest that you are probably too busy. There used to be a children’s TV programme entitled ‘Why don’t you show off the TV and go and do something less boring instead?” Why don’t you put away the phone, and go and do some serious (and joyful) reading instead? Just taking 30 minutes a day away from a screen and reading a good book, could make an enormous difference to your life. Why not start with Following Jesus?
This week we have the congregational meal on Wednesday at 6pm followed by the prayer meeting at 7:30pm. I hope to preach at both services on Sunday – as we head into the difficult, controversial and wonderful Romans 11. And then on Monday we have the funeral of Malcolm – at 11am at the church. We still need a few helpers to help serve the food – if you can be at the church at 9:30am please let Annabel Robertson or Sheila Mackenzie know ASAP…..
May the Lord richly bless you this week and prosper you in all you say and do,
Yours in Christ