18th August 2013

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Bible Sunday
(Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

18 August 2013

¯ THIS MORNING'S HYMN'S OF PRAISE:
500, 457, Ps 82, 352, 824, 265.

FIRST BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 23: 23-29
'The word of the living God is active'

'Am I only a God nearby,' declares the LORD, 'and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?' declares the LORD. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the LORD.
'I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy
lies in my name. They say, "I had a dream! I had a dream!"
How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying
prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my
people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.
Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what
has straw to do with grain?' declares the LORD. 'Is not my
word like fire,' declares the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

BIBLE READING:

Hebrews 11: 29 - 12:2
'The great cloud of witnesses'

By faith they went through the Red Sea as through dry land, but, when the Egyptians attempted it, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the people had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish with the disobedient people after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
And what more am I to say? For the time would run out for me if I were to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and also about David, Samuel, and the prophets. They through faith conquered kingdoms, they enforced justice, they obtained promises, they shut the mouths of lions, they quenched fierce fire, they escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness they were made strong, they became powerful in battle, they turned foreign armies to flight.
Women received their dead raised to life again. Other people were tortured; they did not accept deliverance, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others experienced mocking and whippings and also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were tempted, they were sawed in two, and they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, oppressed, and tormented.
The world was not worthy of them; they wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Through faith all these had good testimony given to them, but they did not receive the promise, since God had planned something better concerning us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a large cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every impediment, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

GOSPEL READING:

Luke 12: 49-56
'Jesus the cause of division'

Jesus said to his disciples:
'I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over!
Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division. From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters, and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law'.
Jesus said also to the people, 'when you see a cloud coming up in the west, at once you say that it is going to rain – and it does. And when you feel the south wind blowing you say that it is going to get hot - and it does. Hypocrites! You can look at the earth and the sky and predict the weather; why, then, don't you know the meaning of this present time?'

NOTES ON THE READINGS:

JEREMIAH 23: 23-29:
The Lord, in these words of Jeremiah, denounces the dreams and visions with which false prophets were misleading people of Jerusalem and Judah. They acted as if the God of the universe were quite unaware and of no account. As their dreams and visions were merely their own produce, they were no better than lies. Their messages, pitched to public popularity with neither truth nor moral fibre, caused people to forget God. God's word, faithfully delivered, is more likely to break and shatter human vanity than to please. What an awesome answerability the word from God creates!

HEBREWS 11: 29 - 2:2:
The writer touches on the faith of heroes of the faith from the Exodus to Maccabean times. He shows how the faith of certain judges, prophets, kings, exiles and martyrs drove them forward, never allowing them to give up their loyalty to the Lord. For all their confidence, obedience and endurance, they did not receive the clear message of the fulfilled messianic redemptive promises as we have.
Yet their perfected place which God has accorded them amongst his people is not apart from ours. They are like a crowd of spectators cheering us on, and lending their experiences to us as we run our Christian race. We need to shed every hindrance and keep our eyes solely on Jesus, who having run the race himself for us for our salvation awaits us at the finishing line.

LUKE 12: 49-56:
Jesus' disciples were not to think that his preaching and work would bring a period of peace and universal love.
Strife would come as the gospel would meet with bitter enmity. Christ himself would have to go through a terrible outpouring (baptism) of suffering. His gospel would bring dissension and division even within families. Human hypocrisy allows people to be expert in preparing for the ordinary things of life. However, when it comes to applying God's word to the times, the same eagerness is absent.

Bible readings for Sunday 25th August:
Isaiah 58: 9b-14,
Hebrews 12: 18-29,
Luke 13: 10-17

Announcements:

1. This week in the Lord's Service -18th -25th Aug:
Tuesday - 12.30 pm - Kaffeestunde.
Wednesday - 11.00 am - Group Bible study sessions on Colossians continue at the church. All welcome!!
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 - (with Holy Communion).

2. Fellowship lunch - 27th October:

Preliminary notice is given that we as part of the Geelong Lutheran Fellowship are invited to participate in a Lutheran community luncheon on Sunday (Reformation Day), 27th October, 2013, as a day of fellowship at Araluen Lutheran Camp, Angelsea.
Theme is 'Where Love comes to life'
Morning worship service commences at 10.00 am, followed by picnic lunch and games. There will be plenty of food at the picnic and more than one 'kransky' for those who are hungry. It is intended to shortly email both flyer and registration form and have hard copies available from the foyer for the convenience of members. Care should be taken when filling out the
registration form.

3. 'Red Frogs' Aust.- Schoolies 2013:

'Red Frogs' provides the biggest group of volunteers to serve young people at Schoolies/ Leaver's celebrations around Australia. 'Red Frogs' need 1600 volunteers throughout Australia and Bali. If interested in this challenging outreach, flyers with full details are available from the front foyer.

Wednesday 28th August - 7.30 pm - Evening Bibl study group continues at the new home of Dorothea and Phillip Ward/Worpel, 235 Scenic Road, Highton.

Everyone most welcome to come along!!
(Commencing St Paul's letter to the Colossians).