History Changing Events: Reconciliation - Palm Sunday

This was to have been a Musical Praise Service at the Church, but due to the Coronavirus the Meeting had to be cancelled:  this Service outline can be followed by those who wish in their own homes or privately

Suggested Outline of Service 5^th April 2020 – Palm Sunday

History Changing Events: Reconciliation Matt 21:8-9

Hymn 105:  Praise and Thanks to God

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 24:1-10 – The King of Glory

Bible Readings:

·     The Passover Instituted:  Exodus 12:1-13

·     Palm Sunday:  Matthew 21:1-11

·     Reconciliation through Jesus Christ:  2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Hymn 123:  Inspiration from God

·     In recent Services we have been looking at History Changing Events that impacted the relationship between God and His created people including: The Fall, The Flood, Choosing of Abraham, the Covenant with Israel and Elijah’s Challenge to the people

·     As mankind in general, and Israel specifically, drifted further from God the need of reconciliation became greater and greater

·     God had set a type of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for all mankind when He instituted the Passover and led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt

·     Jesus was recognised by some in His day as He who came “in the name of the Lord” on Palm Sunday and was sacrificed at Easter as the Lamb of God

·     In the same way that the Israelites selected their lamb on the 10^th day of the month, these people selected Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem, and then He was sacrificed, or crucified, a few days later

·     This Palm Sunday let us open our hearts to Him that He may enter into our lives and reconcile us wholly to God in spirit and soul and body. 

Hymn 69:  The Great Redeemer  

Doxology

History Changing Events: Israel Rejects God

Outline of Service 22^nd March 2020

History Changing Events: Israel Rejects God  1 Kings 18:21

Hymn 106:  Choose God….

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 67:1-7 – Living in Harmony with God

Bible Readings:

·     The Promises:  Exodus 19:1-8

·     The Dispersion of Israel (10 Tribes):  2 Kings 17:1-8

·     The Captivity of Judah (2 Tribes):  2 Kings 25:1-7, 13-14

·     The Promised Restoration:  Romans 11:1-11, 25-27

Hymn 135 (See Ps 67): God’s Blesses Those Who Honour Him….

·     God chose Israel to be a “peculiar” people unto Him

·     Israel rejected God as their Leader and disobeyed His commandments

·     Israel was dispersed and Judah taken into captivity because of their disobedience

·     Promises of Israel’s ingathering still remain – but they are now personalised rather than national

·     The Gentiles were brought into favour with God because of Israel’s rejection of Him

·     The Gentiles form a sort of spiritual Israel – the blessing to Abraham was that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

·     God’s Plan includes the restoration of Israel and Universal salvation.

Hymn 96:  Call on God’s Favour  

Doxology

History Changing Events: The Challenge of Elijah

Outline of Service 8^th March 2020

History Changing Events: The Challenge of Elijah  1 Kings 18:21

Hymn 106:  Choose God….

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 34:1-8 – The Lord is Good

Bible Readings:

·     Elijah’s Challenge:  1 Kings 18:1-6, 17-24

·     Elijah’s Sacrifice and Prayer:  1 Kings 18:25, 29, 30-40

·     Follow Me:  Mark 8:34-38

·     Personal Dedication:  Romans 12:1-5

Hymn 11 – Tune 6:  If the Lord be God….

·     Israel was experiencing a three year drought – no rain, not even dew of a night!

·     Elijah had called the drought to focus the nation’s attention back to God

·     Elijah challenged the people to choose between following Baal or God 

·     The prophets of Baal were unable to obtain any response from their god, but Elijah proved beyond doubt that “The Lord, He is the God”

·     Following the sacrifice the drought was broken with “an abundance of rain”

·      This event called Israel to worship God and to look for His guidance in their lives and to follow His instructions

·     As Elijah sacrificed to God, so today we are called to sacrifice our lives to Him, and to present “our bodies a living sacrifice to God” (Rom 12:1)

·     As the fire from God consumed the sacrifice, so too God’s Presence will consume the evil from within those who “lose their life” to this world’s pleasures and find their life in dedication to God. 

Hymn 72:  Follow Him - a Personal Response

Doxology