Service for Sunday 30th April 2023, which was conducted by Mr Ian Kerr

Welcome: –

Call To Worship: –

Come, let’s raise our voices in worship,
knowing that God hears and knows us.
Come, let’s listen and hear Jesus’ voice
though our wrestling with Scripture
and in our worship today.

You are invited to listen or sing to this video clip ‘Here in this place a new light is streaming’

Words and music Marty Haugen

Let us pray together

Loving Lord, there are many sounds around us,
lots of voices making lots of noise.
Help us to hear your voice:
of encouragement, of challenge,
of peace and comfort and joy,
as you speak into our hearts today.
Lord, we are gathered here safely,
in the presence of the good shepherd.
We feel your arms penning us in,
surrounding us with your love.
We are secure in belonging to you.
You know us, and we rejoice in knowing you.
Amen.

Introduction

As the sheep hear the shepherds call, we hear the voice of Jesus calling us to

“awaken and arise at the sound of our name”.

You are invited to listen or sing to this video clip of Psalm 23 ‘The Lord’s my shepherd’ Stuart Townend –

Prayer Of Confession

Jesus, you want us to have life and live it to the full.
You are the good shepherd
who gave his life for his sheep –
and that means us!
As a shepherd knows his sheep by name,
so, Lord, do you know each one of us.
You call us by our name
to come into your divine presence –
We worship you, O Lord.

Lord, we know what we want, and we want it now.
We will follow any new fad to get it; or any stranger.
Forgive us, good shepherd, and bring us back
to where we know and are truly known.

Lord, we know where we want to go.
And sometimes, we don’t mind treading on a few toes to get
there, even trying to get ahead of our leader.
Forgive us, good shepherd, and bring us back
to where we know and are truly known.

We think we know who we are,
but only you, Lord, truly know us.
Forgive us, good shepherd, and bring us back
to where we know and are truly known.

Lord, sometimes we are content with a lesser form of life
than the one you desire for us.
We don’t always try to get to know other people
before we let them influence us.
Forgive us, good shepherd, and bring us back
to where we know and are truly known.
Thank you, O God, that in you we have the safety and security
of your abundant forgiveness. As a woolly jumper can hold us
tight, surrounding us with warmth and well-being, so does your
forgiveness wrap us in security and new hope. Praise be to God.

Lord have mercy. Forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all that separates us from a loving relationship with You. Empower us as we seek to live a life of reverence for you and with a sincere love for others. Amen.

Assurance Of Forgiveness

(from 1Peter 1: 21)

Our faith and our hope are fixed on God who raised Jesus from death and gave Him glory. Upon this trust, and having confessed our sins to God, we can be confident that our sins are forgiven, and our lives cleansed in the sight of God.

Thanks be to God.

Passing the Peace

In knowing that we have the assurance of God’s forgiveness we extend that to each other and take that peace into the world of our everyday.

So we say to each other

Peace be with you

and reply

And also with you.

Religious Instruction Snapshot

One aspect of our ministry in the Bald Hills community is our commitment to work with other congregations in this area to bring Religious Instruction to the school across the road.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support as I go into the school and spend time with three year 2 classes on Wednesday afternoons. So that you be a part of this it’s time to share what it’s like in the classroom.

Carrying my shopping bags, guitar, and BIG BOOK I sign in at the office and collect my sticker that says I’m OK. Take a deep breath and head up for the first class.

The first part of the lesson is chit chat with singing a few songs. Something that I enjoy and something the children do too. Find you younger self and join and sing with me.

God is for me though I am little.

God is for me when I am dumb.

God is for me if I’m lazy,

or mischievous or glad or glum.

Think of it. Can you imagine?

Think of it. God is for me!

Think of it. Can you imagine?

God loves even you and me!

Remember the Lord

If you stub your toe when you get out of bed

And you slip in the shower and you knock your head

If you miss your breaky and your bike tyre’s flat

If the dog eats your lunch and you step on the cat

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

Remember that he is in control

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

He’s watching his children. He cares Oh-oh!

Remember the Lord Oh-oh! Oh-oh!

If you get to school about half an hour late

And the principal meets you at the gate

If you can’t remember one plus two

And you’re busted for something that you didn’t do

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

Remember that he is in control

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

He’s watching his children. He cares Oh-oh!

Remember the Lord Oh-oh! Oh-oh!

If your Dad is crusty and your Mum’s in a flap

And you spill the custard in your sister’s lap

If you’re sent to bed and you don’t know why

And you can’t get to sleep and you just want to cry

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

Remember that he is in control

Remember the Lord, Oh-oh!

He’s watching his children. He cares Oh-oh!

Remember the Lord Oh-oh! Oh-oh!

I follow a set curriculum so the next part is a Bible story time, sometimes told and sometimes read from my Kids Bible. A couple of weeks ago the lesson was about Jesus having the power to change lives and so the story about Zacchaeus.

I read the story from my First Children’s Bible (read) then re-told the story with this simple RAP, a rhythmic poem set to a strong beat. Let’s try it together – your part is the dark type.

Bible story Kids Bible – RAP

Zacchaeus lived in Jericho.

A tax man! A tax man!

He was rich and a bit of a cheat.

A mean man! A mean man!

Jesus was just passing by,

Zacchaeus shouted “My, O my

I’ve just gotta see this Jesus guy.”

The God man! The God man!

But Zac couldn’t see in the middle of the crowd.

He’s a short man! A short man!

So he climbed a tree where he could see

The God man! The God man!

Jesus said “Come down Zac,

To your house I’ll be coming back.”

That really pleased the short man Zac.

The tax man! The tax man!

Zac’s new life began that day.

A changed man! A changed man!

“I’ll make amends, I’ll give away.”

A fair man! A fair man!

“Half my riches to the poor

To those I’ve cheated I’ll give more

‘Cause Jesus came inside my door.”

A new man! A new man!

Jesus seeks and Jesus saves.

The old man! The old man!

Salvation and new life for all

The new Man! The new man!

A new life is right there for you.

Trust in Jesus straight and true.

Jesus makes your old life new.

IT’S TRUE MAN!

It is then time for the children to work on their activity books and during this time I can talk to children individually and hand out my weekly “book marky thing” which I draw trying to relate the message to life at school and growing up to look for good things and make good choices.

(I have printed a couple for you to take home.)

Time passes quickly in the half hour and while we are writing and colouring we recite these prayers with the hope that they will eventually know them “off by heart”.

Dear God, our creator – I give you today

All that I think, – and do, and say

I give you the good times – as well as the bad

Times when I’m happy – and times when I’m sad

Forgive me, O God, – for the times I do wrong

As part of your family, – I know I belong

Fill me with love – and make me strong

With you by my side – it’s hard to go wrong. Amen

and finish with this little prayer

Thank you God

That you love and care for me.

Help me to love you too.

And care for others.

Amen

And I pack my bags and head off to the next class.

I enjoy the privilege of being able to spend time with these children and pray that they will come to know simply that the Bible is about how much God loves them and how much He wants them to love Him too.

You are invited to listen or sing to this video clip of a hymn by Henry Baker which is remarkable in its simplicity and strong message: ‘Lord Your word abideth’

Prayer for Illumination

It is time to open God’s living word for us and as we read and hear may we be alert to His prompting and inspiration.

We pray together:

Holy One, Open our hearts and minds

by the power of your Holy Spirit

That as the scripture are read and proclaimed

we may hear your word with joy. Amen

Bible Readings

Acts 2: 42- 47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

1 Peter 2:19-25

For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Your word, O God, brings the good news of our salvation.

Thank you, Lord. for your amazing gift of grace.

John 10:1-10

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

May your word live in us

And bear much fruit to your glory

Message

Jesus is talking to the Pharisees using an illustration to make his point. He chooses something familiar to them, a sheepfold, a shepherd and his sheep. But they do not understand, so Jesus repeats his point more directly.

In Jesus’ day the shepherd spent much of his time with his sheep leading them to good grazing ground and to the safety of a sheepfold at night. The sheepfold was often a walled pen with a gap in one side – no physical gate.

The shepherd would sleep in the gap to prevent predators attacking or stealing the sheep, or the sheep running away. He was the gate controlling who went in and out. Anyone who tried to get into the sheepfold other than through the gate – i.e. the defended gap – is a predator, someone who wants to destroy the sheep, or take what does not belong to them.

Jesus calls them thieves and bandits with characteristics of shady dealing, sneaking around and generally being ‘up to no good’. Similarly, wild animals seeking a meal are prevented by the shepherd-gatekeeper from doing so.

The shepherd on the other hand is committed to the wellbeing of his sheep. They know his voice and follow him. They have a relationship with him and trust him to lead them safely. They will not follow a voice they don’t know. This is a picture of mutual trust. The shepherd knows the sheep and provides for them, and the sheep respond by staying with him and following him.

So, Jesus identifies himself as the shepherd leading and caring for his flock – AND as the gate or shepherd-gatekeeper. With this in mind, the predators are those who try to influence Jesus’ followers and take them away from him using whatever means or methods. And that includes us, of course.

We are followers of Jesus, part of his ‘flock’. He, as shepherd, leads us and provides for us; and he, as gatekeeper, protects us. And to all who stick with him, who reject persuasive arguments, distractions and many other things that can lead us away from him, Jesus offers – indeed, promises – his risen life, a life of abundance.

We cannot leave the message there, because in the safety and assurance that we are protected and cared for, our lives are changed through the work of the Holy Spirit who gives us all we need to be the courageous people God wants us to be. Our courageous changed lives in turn flow on to the lives of others and in turn their lives are changed. We can be the gateway, and as some have said “stand in the gap” leaving the world a better place with purpose that comes from the grace of God who brings the refreshing rain watering seeds of love and hope.

Amen.

You are invited to listen or sing to this video clip of a hymn which reflects on the call that Jesus’ voice makes on us: ‘I heard the voice Jesus say.

Offertory

Dedication of Offertory.

Jesus calls us by name and leads us out.
He is always with us,
surrounding us with love and protection.
Lord, we go out in the safety and security of knowing
we are part of your flock.
Thank you for our sense of belonging:
to our church family.
to all our other family, work, and community groups.
May we never lose our sense of inclusion.
May we know our true identity in you.
We go in your name, gracious Lord,
to offer our lives in your service.
We dedicate these gifts of time and money and may we always be in your service.