May 2020 – Warragul Presbyterian Church

31 May 20204 July 2020

“Dark Devotions” Nehemiah 13:25

“Dark devotions” (Ray Patchett and Steve Messer)

And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
Nehemiah 13:25

The basic themes of Ezra-Nehemiah (E-N) are that the people of God must return to rebuild the holy city and house of God in order that they live back under the rule of God by the law of Moses. The importance in E-N of the ‘people of God’ is that so far in the big picture of the Bible’s narrative the failure of Israel after the death of Joshua caused the rise of the Judges. However, the Judges could not keep the people faithful because everyone ‘did
was right in his own eyes’ (judges 21:25). Afterwards began the dubious introduction of kingship, where the overall sense was a rejection of the LORD’s kingship for a king like the nations (1 Samuel 8:5-7). Eventually, the kings failed as they failed to listen to the book of the law and to the prophets, which led to the exile (see the previous comments on 2 Chronicles).

Now in E-N if the return from exile is going to ‘work’ it must be the people as a whole who respond to God’s word with obedience. Therefore the emphasis in E-N is that pure Israel (Ezra 2:59-63) must be separated from the nations to live in God’s restored holy place (Ezra 4:1-5). Hence the function of the walls of Jerusalem was to keep what is unholy out of the holy city and the house of God. (Nehemiah 2:19-20). This also explains the repeat of the list of returnees from Ezra 2 in Nehemiah 7. The section between these chapters describe the
various external and internal obstacles to a return of pure Israel to the holy city and house of God, such as neglect of the temple, intermarriage with foreigners (Ezra 9), exacting interest and enslaving fellow-Israelite’s (Nehemiah 5).

Then in Nehemiah 8 the pure Israel in the restored holy city and rebuilt house of God can worship by hearing the book of the law and repent of their sin (Nehemiah 9) and re-covenant with their God (Nehemiah 10) and re-establish temple worship (Nehemiah 11-12).

Now, in chapter 13 of Nehemiah the whole thing has come crashing down, again! Failure to keep God’s holy place clean (13:6-14); failing to keep Sabbath (13:15-22); Intermarriage with foreigners, even effecting the priesthood following the example of Solomon before them (13:23-31). The disturbing reality reflected in the verse, Nehemiah 13:25, is that the return from exile is just a continuation of the failure of Israel to keep covenant.

Here we must understand that Nehemiah is not presented as a pattern of good ‘Christian’ leadership, rather, he is a godly man, deeply distressed and frustrated by Israel’s failure. Nehemiah has the last say in E-N with the phrase, ‘remember me, O God, for good.’ This phrase repeated 4 times in chapter 13 is a statement of exasperation.

The only answer too which is the one whose
beard was pulled out for the sake of our transgressions:

The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
(Isa 50:5-6 ESV)

30 May 20206 June 2020

True Fellowship With Christ Seen: In Love, In Deed And In Truth

The apostle John wrote his first letter because his readers were at risk of deception through the activities of former members of their church who John labels antichrists, people who deny that Jesus is the Christ. John’s letter provides assurance for his readers, then and now, that if we abide (stay or remain) in the truth of who Christ is, in obedience to his commands and in generous, self-sacrificial love for his people, at his return we will have no need for shame but can look forward to that future event with confidence.

The following aspects of a worship service are included as a suggested guide to worshipping as a household for Sunday 31st May, 2020

Read John 8:28-32

Consider How are we not free and why was Jesus lifted up?

Pray Praise and confession in light of John 8:28-32

Sing along See Him Coming

Read John 15:1-14

Memory verse with Jo & Miriam 1 John 2:24-25

Pray: using John 15:1-14 for
each other | our church | our nation |our world

Sing along Jesus Messiah

Read 1 John 2:28-3:18

Watch Colin Kids’ Talk (repeat)

Watch: Steve Messer as he teaches on 1 John 2:28-3:18

Or listen to the below Sermon Audio

Pray in response to 1 John 2:28-3:18. With God’s help what must we now do or not do?

Sing along Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

Read John 16:33

22 May 202022 May 2020

“True Fellowship With The Son Seen In Rejecting Antichrists”

This passage in the letter of John talks about the way in which false teaching can come to a congregation and how the truth can be discerned against such teaching. A common word here is ‘antichrist’. This word itself is open to misunderstanding as it is often thought to be some hideous and grotesque representation of evil such as in 80’s horror movies. However, like false teaching itself, ‘antichrist’ is usually much more subtle and manipulative and against this background John continues to establish his three tests of authentic ‘knowing’ of Jesus Christ which depends on eyewitness account, and here, importantly, the work of God’s Spirit.

The following aspects of a worship service are included as a suggested guide to worshipping as a household for Sunday 24th May, 2020

Read John 14:15-17

Consider How does the Spirit cause us to know the truth concerning Jesus?

Pray Praise and confession in light of John 14:15-17

Sing along Be unto your name

Read John 15:18-27

Steve’s memory verse 1 John 2:6

Pray: using John 15:18-27 for
each other | our church | our nation |our world

Sing along The Lord is my salvation

Read 1 John 2:18-27

Watch: Ray Patchett as he teaches on 1 John 2:18-27

Or listen to the below Sermon Audio

Pray in response to 1 John 2:18-27. With God’s help what must we now do or not do?

Sing along Praise the Father, praise the Son

Nicene Creed Orthodox chant version

We Believe Apostle’s Creed – Keith & Kristyn Getty with Lyrics

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:14-17

15 May 2020

“True Fellowship With Christ Seen In Obedience And Love”

Today we continue our teaching series on John the apostle’s first letter.

John wrote as a loving pastor to a church or churches around the ancient city of Ephesus in what is now Turkey.

He wrote to people he cared about deeply, concerned to reassure them of the true nature of the Christian faith, as they were at risk of being deceived by “Antichrists’, “false prophets’ who had once been part of their church, but who demonstrated by their leaving that they never truly belonged to God or his people.

The beliefs and teaching of these deceivers must have at least sounded plausible or they wouldn’t have been a threat to the faith of John’s “little children”. So, he proposes a series of tests that will enable his readers both to recognise opponents of the gospel and to be sure of their own salvation in Jesus Christ.

How can we be sure we belong among the people of God? How can we be kept from falling for false teaching, despite its attractions? We need to hear and apply John’s tests in our own time and situation.

The following aspects of a worship service are included as a suggested guide to worshipping as a household for Sunday 17th May, 2020

Read: John 15:12-14

Consider: How did Jesus love us? How must we love our fellow believers?

Pray: Praise and confession in light of John 15:12-14

Sing along: And Can It Be

Read: Leviticus 19:9-18

Steve’s memory verse

Pray: using Leviticus 19:9-18 for
each other | our church | our nation |our world

Watch: Kid’s Talk with Colin Buchanan: Jesus, Our Safe Place – Episode 9

Sing along: Christ Our Hope In Life And Death

Read: 1 John 2:3-17

Watch: Steve Messer as he teaches on 1 John 2:3-17

Or listen to the below Sermon Audio

Pray in response to 1 John 2:3-17
With God’s help what must we now do or not do?

Sing along: Christ Is Mine Forevermore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n32ACTdNASo&feature=youtu.be

Read: Jude 24-25

9 May 20209 May 2020

“True Fellowship With The Son Seen In Our Response To Sin”

We are starting a new series on the letters of the apostle John. Because he wrote later in the New Testament period, his letters deal with how the Gospel had been distorted as it spread to places with different popular ideologies.
The danger for every generation of believers is to seek to compromise the Gospel message by ‘mixing’ it with current fads or to make it ‘relevant’ in such a way as to actually change the message rather than just making sure it is understood clearly.
The particular issues for John were that the Gospel was being mixed with various aspects of Greek philosophy, which caused the denial of basic truths about Jesus.
This is important for us because our culture is still influenced by this type of thinking.
We need to engage the various ways in which popular ideology can distort the Gospel so we can uphold the glory of Christ.

The following aspects of a worship service are included as a suggested guide to worshipping as a household for Sunday 10th May, 2020

Read: Psalm 27:1-5

Consider how the theme of God revealing himself is evident here, particularly in the tabernacle/house/temple.

Pray: Praise and confession in light of Psalm 27:1-5

Sing along:

Read: John 1:1-18

A new memory verse with Steve Messer

Pray: using John 1:1-18 for
each other | our church | our nation |our world

Watch: Kid’s Talk with Colin Buchanan: Jesus, Our Safe Place – Episode 8

Sing along:

Read: 1 John 1:1-2:2

Watch: Ray Patchett as he teaches on 1 John 1:1-2:2

Or listen to the below Sermon Audio

Pray in response to 1 John 1:1-2:2.
With God’s help what must we now do or not do?

Sing along:

Read: Revelation 21:22-27

2 May 2020

“Dark Devotions” 2 Chronicles 21:18-20

I once went to a funeral of an extended family member, with whom I had some shared interests and quite enjoyed engaging with.
However, he had a complicated background with quite a bit of alienation and estrangement within his immediate family. He died in his 70’s quite unexpectedly and his funeral was quite sad. Not only did few people show up, but some were there out of obligation rather than respect, in fact very few people actually regretted his death.

In this account of king Jehoram of Judah it is said of him that no one regretted his death and that he was not buried in the tombs of the kings. (21:18-20).
He died as a despised individual.

To understand this we need to remember that the Chronicler is reminding the returned exiles to Jerusalem of their history in such a way as to inspire obedience and love for God instead of the idolatry and wickedness that had brought about the exile and destruction of Jerusalem.

The Chronicler gives much more attention to Jehoram than the book of Kings (2 Kings 8) partly because he is primarily concerned with Judah and Jerusalem but mostly because his example is so bad. Jehoram, according to the Chronicler, played a significant role in the failure of Jerusalem and is a very negative example, especially given that kings are the shepherds (pastors) of God’s people.

A letter from Elijah, the prophet to the northern kingdom, sums up his contribution:

And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father’s house, who were better than yourself, behold, the LORD will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.'” (2Ch 21:12-15 ESV)

The basic message of this to the returned exiles is DO NOT BE LIKE THIS! Do not cause something like the exile to happen again.

Maybe the sole purpose of your life is to be an example to others

He was so despised for the trouble he caused that even his fellow idolaters had no interest or regret for his death; it’s like they were standing around at the funeral saying ‘I’m not eulogising (praising) him.’ And he wasn’t even dignified with a burial with the other kings of Judah, and God himself caused his painful death as a judgement on him and a warning to others.

It’s important to understand that the Bible rarely, and never simplistically, equates the manner of someone’s death to their sin – Jehoram is one of the few exceptions to this. He was a nasty person and died a God cursed death (Deut 28:59). He didn’t cause the complete collapse of Judah only because of God’s covenant with David (21:7).

Extraordinarily, the true and righteous Davidic king of Israel died a God cursed death, but the tomb had no rightful claim on Him (Acts 2:22-36).

Ray Patchett and Steve Messer

1 May 20202 May 2020

“The Purpose Of Jesus’ Healing Miracles”

The gospel writers include numerous examples of Jesus’ authority over disease and disability as he healed people. But his healing’s raise important questions: Why did Jesus heal people? When he did so, was this just because he wanted to attract crowds in greater numbers? If so, why did he sometimes command those he healed to remain silent about what had happened to them. If Jesus healed then, does he still heal today? Should Christians ever be sick and if they are should they be healed immediately when they ask for it? The answers to these questions come from considering Matthew’s description of Jesus’ purpose in ministry, how he fulfils OT prophecy and how the subject of sickness and suffering is dealt with elsewhere in the Bible.