Last Sunday morning we continued to look at Romans 11 – you can hear the whole service here (including my attempt to sing to the children! ). If you want to hear the sermon only you can get that on the St Peters website.
Songs: Jerusalem; When Peace Like a River; Ps 40 (Many Will See); Ps 119:73-80; There is a Hope
Readings: Acts 19:23-41; Ps 19:73-80
Sermon: Romans 11:1-10 – Israel, A Remnant by Grace
“It is a terrible thing to say, but is it not true that the greatest hinderance to the true knowledge of God in Christ and salvation in this country today is the so-called Christian church?” Lloyd Jones
In the evening we returned to Romans 11
Songs: Awake, Awake O Zion, Ps 122, Ps 40 (Ian White), Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
Readings: Daniel 12
Sermons: Romans 11: 11-24 – God’s Plan for Jew and Gentile
“Are we becoming likely these Jews at the time of our Lord and at the time of the great apostle? Is our attitude to these whom we regard as complete outsiders such that God may have to put us on one side and may even use our utter wrongness as a means of bringing the gospel to those people? There are many indications of this it seems to me today; confusion in the church herself, the tendency of so many Christians to live a little, confined life, putting a hedge round ourselves, and their attitude towards those who are outside. If the gospel cannot save those to whom we tend to react so violently, it is no gospel. Why are the masses of the people outside the Church in this country today? Why do all the efforts of the church fail to touch the working people so called? Why is Christianity becoming increasingly and almost exclusively a middle-class movement? There is something wrong.” I have more hope for the masses outside of the church and than I do for many within it” Lloyd Jones
This was my Monday message:
I am writing this just after the funeral of Malcolm Farquhar.
First of all I want to thank all of you who got involved and helped – from door duty and kitchen duty to praise band and setting up – it was great team work – and a tremendous
witness to the large crowd that came (it was the biggest funeral I have seen in St
Peters).I also want to thank the Lord for Malcolm. One of the reasons the attendance was
so large is because of his consistent Christians witness over many years. In his
work as a lawyer, an elder in Fintry Church of Scotland (and then a member with
us), his family and the work amongst international students. He is an example to
us all.The funeral itself was wonderfully Christian – mourning but not as those with no hope. It was solemn and silent – yet filled with hope and joy. It’s at times like this that the rubber hits the road when it comes to the Christian faith.
In other church family news we rejoice with Max and Anna at the birth of their
son, Tim Iain Coulter. If you would like to help with meals for the family please contact the office or Ruth Murdoch.Next Sunday we look forward to the return of Dominic Smart and then continuing to look at Romans 11 in the evening. It was lovely that we celebrated Joyce’s 90th birthday yesterday – and for Joyce, as a keen supporter of Israel and the Jews, it
was a real birthday present as we looked at Romans 11.Have a great week…let us weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Yours
David
Malcolm Farquhar – A Celebration of an Extraordinary Ordinary Christian
We are privileged and encouraged to have so many young people in St Peters. Yesterday I was at the Free Church Youth Conference and it was so encouraging to see 170 young people from all over Scotland gathered for the weekend. May the Lord continue to raise up this new generation.
