Call to worship: –
Psalm 100 calls us to give God grateful praise
We are invited to approach him:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.”
for we know that
“The Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
You are invited to join in singing to this video clip:
‘Jehovah Jireh, my provider’ SIS 184
Welcome
Sharing the peace.
We are gathered today and bless each other with the peace of God
We say “Peace be with you” and our customary reply is “And also with you”
Let us greet each other as we worship together..
“Peace be with you”
“And also with you”
Shalom is a Hebrew word that can be used to mean both words of greeting and also farewell. It has a deeper meaning: peace, of harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility.
Let us bless each other as we sing together
‘Shalom to you now’ (TIS 778)
Call to worship
We draw near to our awesome God.
We bring our praise and adoration.
We bring ourselves, our memories and our hopes,
in expectation of meeting with our Lord,
whose presence is all around us.
In Jesus, God is with us.
Prayer of Praise
We continue in prayer
Lord, our God, let us see your glory.
Help us to lift our eyes to you,
open our ears to hear your voice.
You gave your message to our forefathers throughout history;
you give us your Holy Spirit for the present.
And you have given us Jesus, your Son,
to lead us into eternity with you.
Lord, we see, we hear, we believe, and we come to worship.
Most mighty and exalted Lord,
we come today to praise and worship you.
We thank you for your glory,
for your power and your majesty
that transforms our lives into your likeness.
You shone like the noonday sun;
as you revealed your glory on the mountaintop,
Reveal yourself and shine on us today.
We worship you most beloved Son of God.
Amen.
Introduction
Our readings today include the transfiguration. Jesus’s transfiguration brings different responses by the disciples present. Peter… while James and John. What meaning has this event brought for those present – confirmation of Jesus deity? Encouragement to believe?
What is our response?
When we worship together our lives are transfiguredor transformed in to the likeness of God
You are invited to join in singing the hymn ‘Immortal, Invisible, God only wise’ to the video clip:
You are invited to also join in singing the song ‘How can I be free from sin – Lead me to the cross of Jesus’
Let us use the time for our preparation to our prayers of confession.
| Graham Kendrick |
Prayer of Confession
Let us pray together:
Transforming God,
we come to the foot of your cross
and say sorry when we don’t listen.
We are sorry when we miss you in the midst of our lives,
when we fail to glimpse you,
even when you are shining so brightly before us.
We are sorry when we are afraid and don’t trust you,
when we fall asleep, absorbed in our own lives,
when we make our own conclusions and don’t involve you,
when we think we know best.
Help us to always seek refuge in you,
to be transformed by your brightness,
and draw closer to you.
God of all mercy, give us grace today to make a fresh start
We know we have not loved you with our whole heart
Nor have we loved our neighbour as ourselves.
As we are forgiven
Teach us to forgive
And lead us forward in a new life
Where neither grudges nor resentment have a part
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Declaration of forgiveness
If we confess our sins,
God is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins
And cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Hear then Christ’s word of grace to us
“Your sins are forgiven.”
Thanks be to God
Assurance
And knowing the assurance of forgiveness and God’s welcoming grace we also pray:
Awesome God,
we are your beloved and our home is in you.
We are forgiven and transformed into your likeness.
You make us whole.
Amen.
Prayer for illumination
Our words of Scripture are living words. Through these living words the Holy Spirit leads us closer to the heart and mind of God so we pray together…
Prepare us to listen.
Prepare us to understand.
Prepare us to apply the teaching in our lives so that we may live more like you.
Bible readings
Exodus 24:12-18
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”
When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.
To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Response to God’s Word
For the word of God in scripture,
for the word of God among us,
for the word of God within us,
We give thanks.
We invite you to sing along to the song turn your eyes upon Jesus. (SIS 34)
You are also invited to sing ‘Hosanna to the son of David’(SIS 323)
Message:
Let Your Light Shine
God is big on light. In the opening passages of the Bible it says.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
John picked up that in the opening passages of His gospel.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
He later writes of the true light in his letters.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
Doctor Who’s police box maybe bigger on the inside and we may think of our congregation as bigger on the outside but God is bigger beyond; not physically and geographically, bur bigger beyond our understanding.
Just when we reach an understanding of what God is all about we are challenged with something new out of the box situation that makes us think again. We are always challenged.
Moses representing the Law given and Elijah representing the prophets who reveal God’s guiding activity in this world. Spoke with Jesus. The two great champions of the Lord connecting the old covenant with the new. Their appearance with Jesus in the mountain affirms that Jesus is the Messiah.
After Moses heading up the mountain encounter with God coming down his face glowed so much that he had to cover it. He returned with the Law.
Elijah ran to escape from persecution only to find and encounter God in the stillness and was recommissioned to anoint a new king, Jehu and new prophet, Elisha.
Jesus’s clothes shone as a white light brighter than OMO bright.
A story from Africa tells of a woman washing her clothes down at the river by pounding the clothes with a rock as was the custom. Someone introduced soap into her washing world and she washed with the confidence that her clothes would be brighter than all the other women’s efforts. But then someone found something new a washing powder that promised to make her clothes even brighter. She admired the amazing results but when she held them up they appear a dull grey when compared to the brilliance of the sun shining on the snow on the distant mountains.
We are reminded in the story that we should reflect God’s glory not our own. .
Peter, James and John heard God speak
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Confirmation and encouragement for. Peter, James and John.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
A fearful experience that was indelibly imprinted on their thinking, enriching their understanding as they connected the dots later on.
We read
‘As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”’
We are also called to SHINE
Moses and Elijah were leading lights shining God’s light and truth to His chosen people.
Peter, James and John moved beyond the transfiguration to shine God’s light and truth to a fledgling church as they finally understood Jesus’ divine nature.
In Peter’s letter he writes
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
By using the word “eyewitnesses” and the phrase “we heard his voice”, Peter asserted that the event was real, not a myth. This helps us to understand that the early church took transfiguration as evidence for Jesus as the Messiah endorsed by the Heavenly father.
The book of The Acts Of The Apostles tells of Paul’s amazing conversion and the light that shone and blinded him until he saw.
His letters to the growing churches shine like a lighthouse as they encourage and shape the churches in Asia Minor. They are still applicable in the world today as with all scripture.
Paul writes
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
The impact of an firsthand encounter with the lord changes lives, and there is compulsion to pass the message of salvation on.
It is encouraging to hear and read of changed lives from the biographies of our Christian leading lights. As with Billy Graham – Corrrie Ten Boom – those in the missionary fields.
Let’s take just one example where God’s call to shine was answered. There are many others.
Wayside Chapel
The Rev Ted Noffs was called to SHINE. The Rev. Ted Noffs answered the call.
Reverend Ted Noffs opened Wayside Chapel in 1964 at a time when Kings Cross was fast becoming a mecca for disaffected youth; the home of the red light district, illegal gambling and drug culture. What started as a couple of rooms in an unassuming apartment block in Hughes Street, quickly became a place where people from all walks of life gathered to share their concerns, voice their opinions and find connection. Within a couple of years, The Wayside Chapel grew to include a chapel, coffee shop, crisis centre and the first office of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs. The addition of a theatre drew in people from all walks of life to watch drama, music, film and public debates. By the end of the decade, Wayside Chapel had already cemented its place in the fabric of Sydney society.
The Wayside Chapel is called to shine.
Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, Sydney, when things became difficult for homeless people during the pandemic chose to live by the words Love over Fear as they continued to minister to the homeless and needy people in the Potts Point area
At Wayside, they see everyone as a person to be met, not a problem to be solved.
In an average week at Wayside we provide: 269 showers and toiletries, 1046 low cost meals, 322 changes of clothes and underwear, 47 instances of care coordination
Here is another example of answering the call.
Frontier Services:
Frontier Services programs cover more than 85 per cent of the Australian landmass with over 20 locations across Queensland. The 75-plus programs include health care, counselling, family support, aged care, migrant settlement services, patrol ministry, accommodation for students and a broad range of community services.
SU Qld School Chaplains
SU QLD chaplains, or ‘chappies’, provide spiritual and emotional support to school communities. They are in the prevention and support business: helping students find a better way to deal with issues ranging from family breakdown and loneliness, to friendships and mental health..
They provide a listening ear and a caring presence for children and young people in crisis, and those who just need a friend. They also provide support for staff and parents in school communities.
Lifeline
The rev. Alan Walker answered the call when he initiated the Lifeline organisation.
Lifeline was founded in 1963 by the late Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker.
Sir Walker had received a call from a distressed man who later took his own life. Determined not to let isolation and lack of support be the cause of more deaths, Sir Walker launched a 24-hour crisis support line. This service (13 11 14) now answers over a million calls a year from Australians in emotional distress or crisis.
“Australians are turning to Lifeline for support more today, than at any other time in our history. With more than eight Australians dying by suicide every day and Lifeline receiving a call every 30 seconds, our service is more important than ever.”
Uniting Care
Uniting Care has a long history of care.
It provides counselling and support, family support, homelessness, aged care, disability care, foster and kinship care, hospitals.
When led by the Spirit we deliberately place ourselves in places where we hear and respond to Gods call.
We are called to participate in God’s kingdom in many and various ways.
We are called to make a choice to let God’s light shine through our lives.
We can do this because God has placed His Spirit in us.
And because His Spirit is in us God grants us resources we need.
He gives us New Heart – New Purpose – New Attitude – New Responsibilities – New Friendships – New Confidence – New Ambitions – New Resources – New Generosity
From Creation until Christ returns we are called to bear the image of God to the world. We are called live our lives in dependence upon God, His Spirit directing our thinking and empowering our living. Yes! We are called to be image bearers of the unseen God. This is our normal Supernatural living.
We are inspired as we worship together. Not just meeting on a Sunday but experience an infilling of God’s Spirit and enjoy a sharing of Spirit filled lives.
Amen.
Introduction to Wesley’s hymn ‘And Can It Be’
Wesley begins the first stanza by expressing amazement over the love expressed in God the Son dying for him; it is a mystery that we who caused his death now benefit from it.
In the second stanza, Wesley calls for adoration at the incomprehensibility of God’s love and mercy in this sacrifice.
In the third stanza, Wesley recounts the infinite grace and mercy of Christ’s love and humility in the incarnation, death, and finding of lost sinners.
Now in the fourth stanza, Wesley turns his attention to the bondage of his own sin and the freedom he found in Christ.
Finally, he explores the results of Christ’s amazing and merciful work: there is no condemnation for those made alive in Christ and clothed in his righteousness; rather, there is bold access to the throne as we have the right to claim the Eternal crown.
Let’s sing together to the video clip of ‘And can it be’ TIS 209
Offertory
We will now bring our gifts
Dedication
We dedicate these gifts together.
As we bring our offerings to you, we give back to you from the abundant blessings you have given us. May our gifts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our God. Amen.
Time for Reflection
We listen to the song ‘You Raise me Up’ – Colour music Children’s Choir
Prayer for Others:
We pray for peace.
We lament violence around the world.
We plead for the ceasing of violence and the establishment of peace.
We pray that you might give us a desire for peace and a willingness to work and hope and pray for peace each day. Amen
We also pray for the people of Turkey and Syria.
We pray to God with deep concern for Turkey and Syria
torn apart and devastated by the great earthquake
with such a large number of victims,
stunned by the enormity of the damage;
shocked by the extent of the ruins.
Lord, with tears and broken hearts we pray
for families who have lost loved ones.
Give strength and wisdom for search and rescue teams searching for victims amidst the rubble.
Give foresight to save those who are still under the ruins;
for medics, doctors and nurses, give the ability to care for those who are injured;
for volunteers who come from various places, give courage to help the victims together.
God, the source of strength,
give a ray of hope for Turkey and Syria
in the midst of a disaster that is being experienced.
God of Wisdom, give us unity to feel the suffering and sorrow
experienced by communities in Turkey and Syria.
Prayers of The People
Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.
We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.
We pray for the Leaders of Nations, for those who wield the influence over others and make the decisions that affect so many people.
May they heed your gentle call to bring about stability and prosperity to their Land. May they not yield to the temptation to exercise power so as to accumulate wealth or to oppress. May they seek to bring about peace between Nations and not make a grab for land and resources.
We pray for the poor and the homeless, for all who have been left behind and are forgotten, for the defeated and the broken hearted, for those who are sick in body, mind and spirit.
Befriend, comfort and heal them. Grant them the confidence to put their trust in your promises.
Have mercy on those whose anger and resentment holds them back from fullness of life. Help those who hurt but cannot forgive, those who hold onto a bitterness that is eating into their soul and darkens their existence.
Show them the way to forgive and to forget. Bring them a release from their burden and a relief from their cares.
We pray for the peacemakers of our world, for those who act to bring about reconciliation and the resolution of conflict, for those who focus on building up relationships and of breaking down barriers.
Give them the strength in their endeavours and the encouragement to persevere.
We pray for Your Church in this and every Land, those who confess their faith in your as Lord and Saviour, no matter what language they speak, no matter what hymns they sing, no matter how they worship. Please sustain and guide them so that your people will not grow weary of doing what is right, of proclaiming your word of grace and mercy to all, and of confronting discrimination.
May your church indeed be the bearer of your divine light to shine on all Nations to show the way to the deliverance from sin.
Make us loving towards our neighbours, eager to forgive and to heal.
May we radiate your presence to those who we meet in the corridors of our residence here or in the aisles of the shopping centre. May we show love and hospitality in all we do and say.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come,
your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
You are invited to join in singing ‘Shine Jesus Shine’ to this You Tube clip
Benediction
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, to the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.
Amen
As we leave today let us sing a new blessing to bless and encourage.
Sending Out Song
“God Give You Joy” (Altogether Everybody 294)
(Unfortunately, we do not have a video clip of this song)
- God give you joy and lead you on ahead
God give you wisdom for the path you tread
May he fit you for each task
And wrap you in his love
God give you joy always
- God give you faith to lean on him each day
God give you peace to trust him and obey
May he fit you for each task
And wrap you in his love
God give you joy always
- God give you peace when troubled times are near
God’s presence be with you to drive out fear
May he fit you for each task
And wrap you in his love
God give you joy always
- God give you joy and fill you with his power
God be your strength and helper hour by hour
May he fit you for each task
And wrap you in his love
God give you joy always
SIS 184 Jehovah Jireh My provider
Service for Sunday 13th November 2022, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Easter Sunday 9th April 2023, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber 
Service for Sunday 30th July 2023, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber. 
Service for Sunday 26th April 2020 – Rev Louis van Laar 
