Jesus is in the temple teaching.
Matthew 22, 15 through to the end of the chapter.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk.
And they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians saying,
Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully.
And you do not care about anyone's opinion.
For you are not swayed by appearances.
Tell us then what you think.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said,
Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin for the tax.
And they brought him a denarius.
And Jesus said to them,
Whose likeness and inscription is this?
They said, Caesar's.
Then he said to them,
Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's.
When they heard it, they marveled,
and they left him and went away.
The same day, Sadducees came to him,
who say that there is no resurrection.
And they asked him a question, saying,
Teacher, Moses said,
If a man dies having no children,
his brother must marry the widow
and raise up children for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers among us.
The first married and died,
and having no children,
left his wife to his brother.
So too the second and the third down to the seventh.
After them all the woman died.
In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven,
whose wife will she be?
For they all had her.
But Jesus answered them,
You are wrong,
because you know neither the scriptures
nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but are like angels in heaven.
And as for the resurrection of the dead,
have you not read what is said to you by God?
I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob.
He is not God of the dead,
but of the living.
And when the crowds heard it,
they were astonished at his teaching.
But when the Pharisees heard
that he had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together.
And one of them, a lawyer,
asked him a question to test him.
Teacher, which is the great commandment,
in the law?
And he said to him,
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it.
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
On these two commandments
depends all the law and the prophets.
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together,
Jesus asked them a question.
saying,
What do you think about the Christ?
Whose son is he?
They said to him,
The son of David.
He said to them,
How is it then that David,
in the spirit,
calls him Lord?
Saying,
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet.
If then David calls him Lord,
how is he his son?
And no one was able to answer him a word,
nor from that day did anyone dare
to ask him any more questions.
Good morning,
dear church.
Welcome again to anyone visiting.
My name's Sam,
and we'll be spending some time
thinking about God's word
for the next half an hour or so.
And also welcome to anyone
who's returning after time away,
Jacob and Annabelle
and David and Alison.
Welcome back.
How about we pray now
and ask God for help.
Psalm 27.
The Lord is my light and salvation.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life.
Our Father,
we ask this morning
that we would not just come away
with more knowledge,
but come away having met your son
in these pages.
Now that's what we need
and that's what we ask in his name.
Amen.
A teacher of a Grace Kids class
asked their young kids,
what's brown furry
with a bushy tail
that makes good socks?
A child raises their hand and says,
I think the answer you want is Jesus.
But it sounds like a possum to me.
We half laugh and roll our eyes
because often it's the right answer.
The kids may not understand why,
but they picked up
that if you say Jesus,
you're really wrong.
But as we get older
and turn into primary school kids,
teenagers,
adults,
do we get past this answer?
Does this answer become too basic,
too simplistic,
too naive to deal with
all of our grown-up needs?
Our needs.
Most of us this morning
come with questions
we want answered,
our problems and needs
we'd like solved,
niggles that are defining
and disturbing us.
It might be work situations,
uncertain work,
not enough,
too much,
difficult relationships,
marital problems,
problems,
whether to get married,
when to get married,
raising kids,
feeling stagnant
and wanting to grow
as a Christian.
All good questions.
And taking a guess,
most of us think
that answers
to lots of these questions
can be found
in the Bible,
in the book
we're reading this morning.
So what questions
will we ask
of this book?
And is it possible
that we could miss
big,
life-giving answers
by starting
with lesser questions?
The most surprising thing
I've found
in thinking about
this passage
for the last few weeks
is the bad guys
get their answers
from the same place
we do.
So this morning
the question is
not where we
get our answers from,
that's a legit one,
but what question
to ask?
The bad guys
were students
of scripture
like us
this morning
but not asking
the best question.
They passed up
the invitation
to the feast,
failed,
even refused,
remained silent,
to ask the question
that would bring life.
What should we ask
of this book?
Up to the setting
in your bulletin,
verse 15,
have your Bibles open.
It's the Tuesday
before Good Friday
in the temple courts
of Jerusalem.
Jesus has just spoken
three parables
of the Jewish leaders.
in the first,
they are the son
who says one thing
and does another.
In the second,
tenants of a vineyard
who kill the owner's
servants
and eventually
the owner's son.
In the third,
those in the first
round of invites,
the privileged,
but who ignore
or kill the messenger.
And so verse 15
reads,
Then the Pharisees
went and plotted
how to entangle him
in his words.
The set of three questions
that follows
is not just
what happens next,
it is what the Jewish
leaders do
in response,
which is to trap
Jesus
or attempt
to trap Jesus
in his words.
Thinking back
a few years ago
to the 2022
federal election,
Scott Morrison
was asked
if he knew
the price of bread
and a rat test,
I think.
Not how to grow
the economy
or how to ensure
the country is defended,
but the price
of a loaf of bread.
And the question
wasn't neutral,
was it?
It didn't come
from an open-minded
journalist
humbly seeking
the best leader.
They'd already decided.
So the question
was a trap,
a gotcha.
Gotcha questions
miss the point
though,
don't they?
These three
gotcha questions
from Jewish teachers
missed something too.
What's missed
is the question
Jesus asks
at the very end.
So what should we
ask of this book?
Have you ever been
in the hot seat
recently
facing a loaded question?
Can you stay cool
and treat the person
with dignity
and still
get your point across?
This week
we've been
reminded
sadly
how the world
reacts to disagreement
on charged topics
and even
capital T truth.
Well,
unlike us
who flounder
and the world
that tears itself apart,
Jesus' answers
show perfect command,
direct
but never losing
his cool
sharper than glass
but not abrasive,
wisdom from
outside this world,
in his answers
giving much more
than is deserved
and never arguing
for the sake of a win
or his reputation
before others.
His answers
hit at the question
not asked,
his identity,
who he is.
so for us
this morning
I hope
we simply
can meet him
in these pages
and then you can decide
what you think of him.
Do you trust him?
Do you dare
to follow him?
And for those
who know him already,
can we trust him
and live for him
into another week?
So verse 16,
getting into the
passage now,
the first
gotcha attempt.
So verse 16,
the Pharisees
team up
with the Herodians,
Jewish supporters
of Herod,
usually not
the best friends
and the Pharisees
begin by sending
in their disciple
to do their
dirty work.
Skipping ahead
to verse 17,
the gotcha question,
it reads,
is it lawful
to pay taxes
to Caesar?
But at the time
in Judea,
every person,
Jew included,
paid a tax
to Caesar.
Paying tax
to a foreign ruler
in their own
backyard
was a sore point.
Was it lawful
meant
what do the
scriptures say?
What does God
expect?
Can we be
loyal servants
to God
and pay taxes?
In many ways,
and in other
circumstances,
it was a genuine
dilemma
for the Jew.
Yet,
beneath the surface
was a trap
designed to expose
Jesus as either
a traitor
or a rebel.
Verse 18
shows their intent
was malicious,
deadly.
Anyway,
Jesus evades
the trap
and answers
the dilemma.
In verse 18,
Jesus says,
you hypocrites,
why put me
to the test?
Show me the
coin for the
tax.
And just like
that,
they brought him
a denarius.
It seems
finding a
denarius
in the temple
is easy.
Remember,
too,
the day before,
Jesus has
already found
the temple
overrun
with Marcus.
The question
has a
veneer
of integrity,
but it
seems
behind the
scenes,
the Jewish
leaders have
no problem
with the
temple using
and even
benefiting
from Roman
coin.
So,
Jesus'
answer in
verse 21,
render to
Caesar the
things that are
Caesar's and
to God the
things that are
God's.
Meaning,
if you use
and benefit
from Rome's
currency,
pay for it.
We
probably don't
feel the full
weight of this
answer,
and that's
because we
don't feel the
split loyalty
between God
and government
that was felt
by our
Jews.
There are
exceptions
for us
where governments
play God,
deciding,
for example,
when life
begins and
ends,
but by and
large,
our
experience
is that
government
is not
God.
It's a
servant of
God.
But this
separation is
a historical
abnormality.
The Jews
had kings
and a ruling
class who
were supposed
to lead
the people
in religion.
Rome had
Caesars who
called themselves
gods.
What we
take as
normal today
isn't
normal.
An elder
put me on
to Jordan
Peterson
commenting
on Jesus'
answer,
in which
he says
it's
miraculous.
Himself,
not a
believer in
miracles,
because he
sees wisdom
in Jesus'
answer that's
historically out
of this world.
Who is this
person?
under the
surface,
there's also
a deeper
biblical
reason for
Jesus'
answer.
Remember
Genesis 12,
God establishes
a nation and
later a kingdom
from Abraham's
descendants.
The whole
reason for this
nation,
though,
was to give
birth to the
Christ.
The Christ
had come,
and so there
was no need
to shore up
Judea,
to return to
the days of
David's kingdom.
There's probably
much more we
could say about
this question,
but we'll move
on to the
second gotcha
attempt from
verse 23.
Gotcha
attempt 2.
Verse 23,
that same
day.
This time,
it's the
Sadducees'
turn,
who denied
the resurrection.
And to
understand
their question,
we do need
to take in
verse 24.
In the
Mosaic law,
there was a
provision for
when a man
died,
leaving no
children.
It was
possible for
the dead
man's
brother,
presumably
unmarried,
to marry
the widow,
have kids,
and carry on
the family
name.
Strange to
us, but I
think it was
sort of a
kind provision
in those
days, given
the importance
of
offspring.
The gotcha
question,
though,
verse 24
to 28,
let's read
it.
Teacher,
Moses said,
if a man
dies having
no children,
his brother
must marry
the widow
and raise
up offspring
for his
brother.
Now,
there were
seven brothers
among us,
the first
married and
died,
and having
no offspring,
left his
wife to
his brother.
father,
so too
the second
and third
down to
the seventh.
After them
all, the
woman died.
In the
resurrection,
therefore,
of the
seven,
whose wife
shall she
be?
So which
will it be,
Jesus?
Seven potential
husbands in
heaven,
and all of
them brothers?
Or some
other way to
decide which
one is the
husband?
man,
or perhaps
this dilemma
shows that
this
resurrection,
life after
death thing
isn't a
thing at
all.
Which one,
Jesus?
Got you
there.
It's a
highly improbable
situation,
isn't it?
I think
they're quite
proud of the
way they've
structured their
question.
But it all
shows the
intent to
trip Jesus
up.
And Jesus
shows there
are two
problems.
Verse 29,
they don't
know the
scriptures,
nor God's
power.
They don't
know the
power of
God,
because
verse 30,
in the
resurrection,
that is,
in the new
state of
existence,
a resurrection
brings,
is a
complete
upgrade.
And in
this upgrade,
Jesus says
there will
be no
office of
births,
deaths,
or marriages.
No
marriage,
because there
will be no
births,
and no
births,
because there
will be no
death.
The Sadducees
don't appreciate
the power of
God.
As an
aside to
the married
among us,
Jesus does
not say
relationship
will end.
Paul
rejoices,
the
apostle Paul
rejoices over
the thought
that he
will stand
shoulder to
shoulder in
heaven with
those he
has toiled
over,
spent countless
hours pouring
hours into
in this life.
Why not to a
similar joy for
spouses who have
helped each
other get
there?
The second
problem in
their question
is they
don't know
the scriptures.
Verse 32.
Let's read it
again.
Verse 32.
I am the
God of
Abraham and
the God of
Isaac and
the God of
Jacob.
He is not
the God of
the dead,
but of the
living.
I suspect
without Jesus'
interpretation,
we may read
this verse
quite a few
times and not
reach the
conclusion Jesus
does.
Jesus shows
us,
though,
that Abraham,
Isaac and
Jacob's earthly
life may have
finished many
years ago,
but God's
relationship with
them holds
good.
I am,
not I
was.
I am the
God of
Abraham.
One of the
elders pointed
out to me
another
significant word
and that's
of.
He is the
God of
Abraham.
Abraham
still is
God's,
even though
his earthly
life is
finished.
He belongs
to God.
And this
God plays
for keeps.
The
relationship
we have
with God
will last
as long
as he
does.
Death
is no
full stop.
Such
clarity
in so
few words.
I think
that's another
surprising thing
is that
Jesus really
uses very
few words
words to
get his
point across.
So few
words that
we can
only aspire
to.
And what
about the
grace and
goodness of
his answers,
giving far
more than
these hostile
questions
deserve?
God
your attempt
three.
In
verse
33,
the
crowd's
astonished,
and we
learn in
verse 34,
Jesus'
answer had
silenced the
Sadducees.
So word
gets back to
the Pharisees,
they gather
and send
in an
expert in
the law
for one
last
go.
Verse
36 reads,
Teacher,
which is
the greatest
commandment
in the
law?
Perhaps
the tests
lay in
choosing one
commandment
and downplaying
others,
leaving a
soft spot
exposed to
attack.
Jesus answers
from verse
37,
and he
said to
him,
You shall
love the
Lord your
God with
all your
heart and
all your
soul,
and with
all your
mind.
Isn't
that the
case for
us too?
Things are
rarely at
peace in
our own
relationships
if we have
not grasped
how worthy
God is of
our love and
devotion simply
for who he
is.
In a book,
Marriage Matters,
Beth and I
have dipped
into and
previously
with our
small group
many years
ago, the
author says
marriage
problems or
any relationship
problem is
firstly a
God problem.
He recalls a
time when he
lashed out at
his wife
verbally,
because,
this is the
author,
because she
was late to
pick up the
kids,
because she
was out with
friends and
so there was
some sort
of miscommunication.
This then
limited his
Bible study
prep time,
and so he
became angry,
and he
reflects on the
incident and
says,
what I was
really loving
in that time
was the
approval of
my Bible
study group.
And so he
concludes that
all our
problems are
worship problems
or what we
love,
the first and
the greatest.
And this
then leads
into a
two-for-one
deal,
not just
one commandment
but two.
Verse 39,
you shall
love your
neighbor as
yourself.
So taken
together,
without love
for God
and neighbor,
every other
act of
obedience is
not obedience.
verse 40
says,
on these
two commandments
depend all
the law
and the
prophets.
The answer
brings into
focus what's
lacking in
their own
observance of
the law and
in each of
us.
Who can
follow this
law?
Who has
clean hands
and a
pure
heart?
All the
mind,
all the
heart,
all the
soul.
Psalm 27,
not us
but the
Lord of
glory.
All their
study of
scripture,
the Pharisees
that is,
their time
and efforts
pouring over
the words
did not
yield this
love or
rightly
convict
them that
like us
they need
heart surgery.
the constant
reminder of
the Old
Testament was
circumcise your
hearts.
You need a
new one.
So the
solution for
the Pharisees
is the same
for us.
Come to
Jesus.
He gives
you his
perfect
obedience
and a
new heart
as a
gift.
The
question
Jesus
asks,
verse 41,
Now while
the Pharisees
were gathered
together,
Jesus asked
them a
question,
saying,
what do
you think
about the
Christ?
Whose
son is
he?
As
teachers of
scripture,
what should
have been
foremost in
their minds?
As
students of
scripture this
morning,
what should
be foremost
in our
minds?
Well,
Jesus has
to tell
them and
maybe he
has to
remind us
too this
morning.
Whose
son is
the
Christ?
Occasionally,
instead of
using the
word Christ,
I'm going
to use
the phrase
God's
forever
king.
Verse 42,
they answer,
the son
of David.
And 2
Samuel 7
does promise
that God's
forever king
would come
from David.
So their
answer is
correct.
But not
complete.
Because go
down to
verse 45,
it's the
last thing
Jesus says,
and Jesus
is still
pressing the
question.
Yes,
he's the
son of
David,
but he's
more than
that.
And Jesus
answers for
them by
going to
Psalm 110,
a psalm
written by
David himself
about God's
forever king.
And the
quotation
shows three
things about
the forever
king.
He's lord,
he sits,
and he's
one.
All three
suggest he's
greater than
just David's
human son.
With the
implication that
if David
recognised this,
then you
too,
you teachers
of the
law,
should recognise
this as
well.
The first
one,
he's lord.
His answer
starts with
a question
in verse
43.
How is
it then
that David
in the
spirit
calls him
lord?
Dads
call their
sons by
all sorts
of nicknames,
buddy,
mate,
champ,
junior,
pup,
scoundrel,
mischief
maker,
oi,
you.
but lord?
Any
dads dare
to do
that
here?
Whose
son
is
David's
lord?
Well,
the word
lord is
most often
used of
god.
Here's
one example
from
psalm
8.
O
yahweh,
our
lord,
how
majestic
is your
name in
all the
earth.
Yahweh,
God,
Lord,
all divine
names.
Let's
keep
reading
in verse
44.
It's
about to
get
wonderfully
weird.
David
overhears
a conversation
in which
Yahweh,
that's the
first lord
mentioned,
speaks
to David's
lord.
The
lord,
Yahweh,
said to
my lord,
David's
lord.
Two
divine
persons
talking.
What does
Yahweh say
to David's
lord?
He
sits.
He
tells him
to sit.
That
probably
doesn't
strike you
as,
it probably
strikes you
as something
fairly
normal,
something
my wife
has told
me that
I'm
doing
too much
of at
the
moment.
But
take
note
of where
he's
sitting.
It
makes
all the
difference.
Sit
at my
right
hand.
Sitting
next to
Yahweh
in heaven.
Who does
that?
For a
comparison,
remember how
careful the
high priest
had to be
going into
the temple
once per
year,
one for
many.
He would
symbolically
take the
people
into God's
presence
at high
risk to
himself,
but only
in a
limited way
due to
their sin.
In the
real deal,
not just
the earthly
copy,
in heaven,
not just
where God's
presence was
modelled,
but where
God
dwelled,
verse 44,
this was a
hold-on-to-your-seat
moment for me,
Yahweh says
to David's
Lord,
sit
down.
And I'll
add from
Hebrews,
stay
forever.
Not just
David's son
or descendant,
is he?
The last
little point
is he's
won.
King David
provided rest
from Israel's
enemies for
a time.
Even then,
as great as
it was,
it wasn't
the real,
more ancient
enemy,
sin and
death.
King David's
Lord has
won,
and even
sin and
death will
be his
foot cushion
or footstool.
All three,
taken together,
show the
great King
David looked
forward to
God's
forever king,
who turned
out to be
God the
Son.
And Jesus
shows the
Pharisees
should follow
David's
lead.
In verse
46,
the last
verse,
they dare
not ask
more
questions.
Silence,
as Emma
pointed out
in the
kids'
talk.
And if
you're new
to all this
this morning,
you're visiting,
you might not
know what
questions to
ask or even
where to
start.
don't stop
asking
questions.
We've seen
how patient
and gracious
Jesus is in
his answers.
The question
though is
sort of left
hanging.
Jesus'
last words
to them
is a
question.
Whose
son?
We do
have a
fairly good
idea of
what it is
Jesus is
alluding
to,
but we
don't have
to go
too far
into
Matthew
to find
an
explicit
answer.
Flick
back to
Matthew 3,
Matthew
chapter 3,
verse 16
and 17.
And when
Jesus was
baptized,
immediately
he went
up from
the water
and behold,
the heavens
were opened
to him
and he
saw the
spirit of
God
descending
like a
dove
and coming
to rest
on him.
And behold,
a voice
from heaven
said,
this is
my beloved
son with
whom I'm
well pleased.
Whose
son is
the Christ?
He's the
divine
son who
personally
joined
himself to
human flesh,
God and
man in
the same
person.
The same
person through
whom the
universe was
made is
the one
giving the
answers and
asking the
question we
too should
ask.
God
let's
pause for
a bit
before we
go into
some more
application.
What's
been your
take on
the Pharisees?
We've
been looking
at the
Pharisees for
the last
few weeks
and Jesus'
interaction
with them.
In
stories,
it's good
to have a
villain,
isn't it?
Someone to
point the
finger,
someone to
create a
bit of
comfortable
distance
for us.
Matthew
16,
6,
Jesus says
to his
disciples,
beware of
the leaven
of the
Pharisees.
We're his
disciples too,
so I take it
on notice from
Jesus that
we should be
wary of the
leaven of
the Pharisees.
If not a
problem today,
then maybe in
the future.
Leaven or
yeast, as the
bread makers
among us
know, has a
transforming
effect, but
it happens
imperceptibly,
sometimes without
us realising,
hence Jesus'
warning.
Lots of
ways we can
be leavened,
but what have
we seen in
this passage?
Well, I
think in
each question
that is asked
by the
Pharisees,
and the
question Jesus
asks,
Scripture is
the starting
point.
The bad
guys, although
they made a
few additions
and omissions,
share with
us where we
get our
answers from.
So where
did things
go wrong?
Jesus in
John 5,
speaking of
the Pharisees,
says,
you search the
Scriptures because
you think that in
them you have
eternal life.
they were
teachers,
students,
scribes of the
Old Testament,
those who
Romans 2 took
pride in being
a guide to
the blind,
a light to
those in
darkness,
a teacher of
children,
but did not
teach themselves.
Grace kids
teachers,
ministry leaders,
small group
leaders,
people who
preach even.
John 5,
39,
continues,
it is
they,
this book,
the Bible,
that bear
witness about
me,
yet you
refuse to
come to me
for life.
We can
get answers
from the
right place,
but not
go to
whom the
Scriptures
point.
Jesus,
the Son
of God,
this is
the last
heading in
your
outlines.
I'm
partway
through
reading a
book by
Dan Hames,
it's not a
household name,
and the
book is a
biography of a
5th century
Christian,
Cyril of
Alexandria,
but in the
book,
Dan weaves
in his own
story into
the debates
of the
time.
Centered
on,
who is
Jesus,
and whose
son is
he?
The same
questions we've
been looking
at this
morning.
Was he
just a
man invisibly
assisted by
God,
so God
wouldn't have
to get his
hands dirty,
or God
himself joined
to human
flesh?
And Dan
relates his
coming of
age to
having this
question answered.
Growing
up, Dan
thought Jesus
was something
of what God
is like.
He
wondered if
there was a
different God
behind the
one he
saw in
Jesus.
In youth
group years,
he saw the
experience of
other youth
and thought
he was
missing
something,
some
ecstatic
experience
that he
didn't have.
At
university,
he told a
friend,
I believe
in God,
but I
don't know
how Jesus
fits in.
God
is
God,
he
did not
know
the truth
that
Matthew
in his
gospel
points
to,
the truth
Cyril
defended
is this,
the man
Jesus,
who we've
thought about
this morning,
is the
same person
as God
the Son.
And as I
close,
I'll finish
with a Dan
thought bubble
to take
away.
If Jesus
is God
the Son,
then what
we see
in Jesus
is what
God is
like.
Which
means
Jesus
is bigger
than we
think.
Fullness
of God
dwells
bodily,
Colossians
2.9.
Wisdom
that
pierces,
using just
a few
words.
Words
that
heal,
bring
life,
and
forgive
sin.
Dan
says he's
even so
big,
he sets
the questions
we should
ask.
While
it's a
Sunday
school
answer,
it's not
the ABC.
He's
the Alpha
and Omega,
the first
and last,
the beginning
and end.
Are you
asking
the question
he set?
Dan's
thought
bubble
doesn't
stop
there.
He
says
that
he's
good.
He
gives
more
than
these
questions
deserve,
doesn't
he?
And
he
gives
us
more
than
we
deserve.
He's
good.
What
do you
think
about
him?
Do
you
trust
him?
Do you
dare
follow
him?
and
if
you
know
him,
will
you
follow
him
into
another
week?
Thanks,
Sam.
I'll
invite
the
musicians
up
again.
We'll
sing
another
song
now.
Yeah,
just
reflecting
on
something
Sam
said,
it's
easy
for
many
people
and
maybe
we
can
be
tempted
to
get
the
answers
from
the
right
place
but
not
go
to
the
person
who
it's
all
about.
So
I
pray
we
live
out
our
week
looking
to
Jesus
and
remembering
who
he
is
every
day.
Now
is
the
time
for
kids
that
are
older
in
year
three
to
six
to
go
out
to
the
older
Grace
Kids
Club.
Yeah,
and we'll
sing our
next song
together.
Let's
together.
Let's
together.
Let's
together.
I
the
Saviour
say
!
Thy
strength
indeed
is
small
child
of
weakness
watch
and
pray
find
in
me
thine
all
ignore
Jesus
paid
it
all
to
him
I
owe
!
Sin
had
left
the
crimson
stain
he
washed
it
white
as
snow
!
Lord,
now
indeed
I
find
Thy
power
and
thine
alone
can
change
the
leper's
thoughts
and
melt
!
the
heart
of
stone
!
Jesus
made
it
all
to
him
I
owe
!
Sin
hath
left
the
crimson
stain
he
washed
it
white
as
snow
all
and
when
before
the
throne
I
stand
in
him
complete
Jesus
died
my
soul
to
save
my
lips
shall
still
repeat
Jesus
made
it
all
to
him
my
own
sin
had
left
a
crimson
stain
it
washed
it
white
as
snow
O
praise
the
one
who
paid
my
debt
and
raised
his
life
up
from
the
debt
O
praise
the
who
paid
my
debt
and
raise
this
life
up
from
the
debt
Oh, praise the one who paid my debt and raised his life up from the dead.
Jesus made it all, all to him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow.
He washed it white as snow.
I've got the great blessing of praying for us all this morning.
Can I encourage you as I'm praying, pray along.
We sing in worship together and prayer is another form of worship to our God and an acknowledgement of him.
So pray along with me.
Heavenly Father, you are our great God.
You're greater than all things.
You are the creator of all things.
Lord, we pray that your spirit might fill us with your love so that we might love you with our hearts, souls and minds.
And love our neighbours.
Lord, let us turn to Jesus in all things.
We bring before you today those that are doing your work out in the world.
For Matt and Grace, Lincoln and Leah, Henry and Marie, we lift up their names to you.
And we pray for strength, encouragement, safety and wisdom for them in their mission.
We also lift up John and Kath Hollier as they serve on the mercy ships, Lord, over the next few months.
That that will be a time of great blessing for those that they serve, but for them as well.
Lord, more locally, we pray for the ministry opportunities we have here.
We thank you for the recharge conference yesterday.
We pray that that was a time in which the men here could be encouraged and filled with your spirit and strengthened to go out this week and into the future.
And we pray for the women's retreat coming up, that that will be a time of great encouragement for our women.
And for the Taste and See series, Lord, that that might be an opportunity for those that don't know you to come here.
And we pray that you might be bringing those who don't know you along to that event and that you might be softening their hearts to hear your word.
Lord, we thank you again for the wonderful gift of life as well.
We pray for Lauren, for Sarah and Emma in their pregnancies.
We pray for health and safety and protection over them over the next few months.
And we also bring before you Sarah and Dylan.
And we pray that we pray for wisdom as they prepare for marriage together, Lord.
We pray that you'll fill their hearts with love so that this time and into their marriage it might be a time in which they're able to reflect the love that you showed us.
And for those that are sick or caring for those that are sick, we lift them up for prayer in you as well, Lord.
We pray for Jodie as she supports her parents.
And for Elizabeth and Jane, Lord, as they're trying to provide support and prayer over sick family members.
Lord, we lift up them to you and we pray for healing.
And Lord, we also pray for those that can't be with us today, those that are sick at home, but also for those in nursing homes.
For Arthur, for Diane, Jeff and Margaret.
Lord, I pray that even though they're not with us and even though others are not with us, that they can be with us in spirit.
And that you can be still encouraging and growing and strengthening their faith as well.
And for Chris and Jane, Jess, sorry.
Lord, we pray that as they prepare for their move up to Tauri, Lord, that you can be helping them to settle in.
And that they'll find a place of worship up there where they can glorify and honour you and serve you in the community.
Lord, we thank you for all things.
We thank you that you are our great saviour and the perfecter and the finisher of our faith.
Amen.
Thanks, Lockie.
We'll do a few announcements now.
So if you've got your bulletins there, grab them out.
We'll go through a few things.
A little bit of wonderful family news.
Firstly, yeah, congratulations to Sarah and Dylan on becoming engaged.
That's wonderful news, guys.
Put your hands up.
Where are you?
Can't see.
There they are.
Yeah, they didn't want to be embarrassed, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Congratulations, guys.
And also, wonderful news.
Dave and Emma are expecting a third bub.
So congratulations, guys.
Okay, so that's some of the big news lately.
As Lockie was praying about, we've got the upcoming Taste NC, which is a four-week series about exploring Christianity for blokes.
It's not just another excuse to get together and eat meat.
It's not just another excuse to get together and eat meat, although that will happen.
But we do have some flyers.
So beautiful flyers with a bit of purple on them.
But yeah, feel free to grab some.
If you're a bloke and you've got someone you want to invite along, you think they're interested in knowing more about Jesus, yeah, we'd love to have them along.
And there's a couple of guys already coming, so yeah, why not have a few more?
Yeah, it is starting Tuesday, the 23rd of September, and it's on at 6.30, starting at 6.30 across the four nights.
There's quite a few things in the bulletin, including people who are sick, to keep in prayer, missionaries.
But just to draw your attention to two other things, just remember John and Catherine are on the mercy ships, serving on one at the moment.
So yeah, keep them in prayer as they committed to serving the Lord in that way.
And also, may not be in here, but the Han family are going back to the US.
So Kevin's here, but the kids in Katy are already on the plane, probably right now, Kevin.
And Kevin's heading off next week, so keep them in prayer as they head over for a couple of weeks.
I'm going to invite Emma up.
She just wants to talk to a women's event coming up.
Yeah, so very exciting.
We've got our women's retreat next weekend.
We've got almost 30 ladies staying overnight and more than 10 coming for the day as well.
So it's going to be a great day and great two days.
And yeah, just a couple of reminders.
So if you are able, we're going to have morning tea when we arrive, and we'd just love it if people could bring some slices or fruit or whatever to share.
We'll be bringing some stuff as well.
And also, you do need to bring your own bedding.
So yeah, sheets or sleeping bag or whatever, as well as pillow, pillowcase.
Cool.
We're looking forward to it.
See you next weekend.
Okay, I'll invite the musos up.
We're going to sing one final song in a moment.
Sorry, Emma has been up and down all day today.
You've done amazing.
He hasn't had a rest.
So a couple of things.
We are going to have a morning tea after the service.
There's lots of leftovers from the men's conference yesterday.
So get stuck in.
They've got to go.
So if they don't go, I'm just going to have to get my kids onto it, and they'll clean it out.
But there'll be a few others there too.
So yeah, that'll be just over here, I think, in a moment.
And I just want to finish with some words from Jude, and then we'll sing together.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless
before the presence of this glory with great joy,
to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time and now and forever.
Amen.
I cannot tell why he whom angels worship
Should set his love upon the sons of men
For why as shepherd he should seek the wanderers
To bring them back they know not how or when
But this I know that he was born of Mary
When Bethlehem's manger was his only home
And that he lived at Nazareth and Laban
And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come
I cannot tell how silently he suffered
As with his speed he graced this place of tears
For how his heart upon the cross was broken
The crown of pain to three and thirty years
But this I know he is a broken hearted
And stays of sin and calms out looking feet
And lifts the burden from the heavy laden
For yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here
I cannot tell how he will win the nations
How he will claim his earthly heritage
How satisfied the needs and aspirations
Of east and west, of sin and of faith
But this I know, all flesh shall see his glory
And he shall reap the harvest he has sown
And some glad day his sun shall shine in splendor
When he the Savior, Savior of the world is known
I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship
When at his bidding every storm is still
For who can save how great the jubilation
When all the hearts of men with love are filled
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture
And myriad, myriad human voices sing
And earth to heaven, and earth to earth will answer
At last the Savior, Savior of the world is King
Just one final thing
Thank you for celebrating that we're expecting a baby
Sorry
It's a sad day as well
Because man
Sorry
Man, this is anniversary of Nara today
So yeah, we weep with you
I think that song was fitting
We cannot tell how he's going to make all things right
And just knowing who he is as the Son of God
Hopefully you feel some comfort and hope in that
Well, why don't we continue fellowship
In the good and the bad
Whatever's going on in life over at Morning Tea
Thanks
Thank you.