25th August 2013
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
25 August 2013
¯ THIS MORNING'S HYMN'S OF PRAISE:
501, 452, 187, 346, 283,
FIRST BIBLE READING:
Isaiah 58: 9b-14;
'The Lord calls on Israel to obey him'
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called 'Repairer of Broken Walls,' 'Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.'
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
SECOND BIBLE READING:
Hebrews 12: 18-29;
'Mount Sinai and Mount Zion contrasted.'
You have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could
not endure what was commanded: 'And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with an arrow'.
And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I am exceedingly afraid and trembling'. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just people made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
See that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth;
but now he has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven'.
Now this, 'Yet once more', indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
GOSPEL READING:
Luke 13: 10-17;
'Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath'
Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and a woman was there whom a spirit had caused to be unwell for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, 'Woman you have been
set free from your sickness'.
He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and began to glorify God.
But the ruler of the synagogue responded with indignation that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He kept telling the crowd, 'There are six days in which people ought to work.
So come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day'.
The Lord answered him, 'You hypocrites! Does not each of you untie his ox or donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out to give it a drink? Should not this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has tied up for eighteen whole years, be untied on the Sabbath
day from this thing that has tied her up?'
As He said this, all His opponents were put to shame, but all the crowd began to rejoice over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.
NOTES ON THE READINGS:
ISAIAH 58:9b-14:
Isaiah was speaking directly here to people in times when evil had flooded in. Where people centre their prime attention on the pursuit of self-aggrandisement, riches and lust, their social conscience and care for the poor are forgotten. Isaiah addressed the nation with the reminder that the measure of physical care and relief directed in compassion towards the helpless and underprivileged would be given back more than amply by the Lord, even by material blessings. However, no one was to think that to be the sole concern in his call to reform. A return to steady, constant but sincere and joyful worship of the Lord on the designated day of worship would bring the highest blessings in the order that only God can give.
Love to humanity flows from love to God.
HEBREWS 12: 18-29:
At Mount Sinai God revealed himself by means of terrifying phenomena. Smoke, earthquake, blazing fire, trumpet, and the voice of God paralysed the people (and even Moses) with fear. Christians, in contrast, have come to a vastly different mountain. The heavenly Jerusalem, built on the heavenly Mount Zion, reverberates with the joyous sounds of heavenly celebration. Angels, perfected saints and God himself loudly rejoice in what the blood of Jesus has accomplished. No one should ever think, however, than an accomplished salvation permits an easy-going or casual response. The Lord who shook Sinai will shake the earth when it passes away in the final judgment. The word of God survives everything else to reveal the new order. Christians accordingly will thankfully worship the Lord with a holiness befitting the higher law of love.
LUKE 13: 10-17:
The woman's affliction caused by a spirit had crippled her for 18 years in such a way that she could not assume straight posture. The word of Jesus set her free. The fact that she was able to praise God did not prevent the synagogue ruler's criticism that the Sabbath rules had been broached. Jesus' reference to the critics' hypocrisy could not be answered. People were moved by kindness to give their animals drink on the Sabbath, but the same kindness could not be extended to a suffering fellow believer. Rules which normally serve a God-given purpose need also to be placed under the higher law of love.
Bible readings for Sunday 1st September:
Proverbs 25: 6, 7,
Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15,16,
Luke 14: 1,7-14
Announcements:
1. This week in the Lord's Service -25th Aug.- 1Sep:
Wednesday - 11.00 am - Group Bible study sessions on Colossians at the church and 7.30 pm at the new home of Dorothea and Phil Ward/Worpel, 235 Scenic Drive, Highton.
Everyone welcome to come along!!.
Saturday - 10.00 am - 11.00 am - 'Sing- along' time for those who wish to learn songs for the Sunday.
Saturday - 11.00 am to 12 noon - Choir practice.
Next Sunday - 9.30 am - Public Divine service - (non-communion).
2. Lunch - Araluen - Sun. 27th Oct:
Further to announcement last Sunday, those who intend to participate in the Longest Lutheran Lunch at Araluen Camp on Sunday 27th October, 2013, flyer and registration forms are now available from the front foyer. Care should be taken when filling out the
form. The completed registration form, together with payment should be given to our Treasurer Phil Ward,
no later than Sunday 6th October.
3. New Cards - Hall Card Stand:
New Christian themed cards, including 'Father's Day' (from Koorong, Melbourne) are now available at reasonable prices from the hall card stand.
Coming up for your diary:
Sunday 8th September - 'Family Sunday' - family orientated worship service, followed by B.Y.O. (non Bar-B-Q) picnic at Rippleside Park, North Geelong.
If inclement weather, at 'Our Redeemer'.
Thursday 12th September - 1.30 pm - Ladies Fellowship Group meet.
Thursday 12th September - 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm Mid- week fellowship worship service
(with Holy Communion) at 'Our Redeemer. Afternoon tea t follow.
All most welcome to come along!!
Saturday 5th October - from 9.00 am - General interior clean of church
(with fellowship Bar-B-Q).
Friday 11th October - 9.30 am - Worship Team.
Tuesday 15th October - 7.00 pm - Church Council.
Reformation Sunday 27th October - 9.30 am worship service with H.C. at 'Our Redeemer'.
Sunday 3rd November - 'All Saints Day' worship service praising and thanking God in
remembrance and reflection on those loved ones who have passed in the faith in recent
times. Special morning tea after.
Sunday 1st December - Elections meeting for 2014.
Sunday 8th December - ALWS 'Christmas Action'
Appeal - Guest: Jonathan Krause.