“Give Thanks in All Circumstances”.

The Topic for the Sermon for the Service at St. Margaret's UCZ Church on 23^rd June 2013 was entitled:  “Give Thanks in All Circumstances”.

Preacher:  Reverend Chipasha Musaba

Scripture Reading:   1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18

                                    Psalm 100: 1 - 5

                                    Acts 17: 27 -28

SERMON SUMMARY

The Service was opened with a Sketch from the “Go Team” drama group in which a rogue husband wanted to leave his family because of his bad behaviour. His wife could not agree to this, because she loved him so much. After so much persuasion the husband saw sense and decided to remain with his family.  The message we get from the Sketch, which in not possible in real life, is that God still loves us despite whatever we have done in the past.

The theme for our Service is “Give Thanks in All Circumstances”.

In every language there is word for “Thank You”. Culture has taught us that when someone has done something good for us we should say, “Thank You”. However, when someone has done something bad to us we tend to fight or insult. As Christians we should give thanks in all circumstances.

In Psalm 100 we read about David who saw favour of God in all circumstances. When you find yourself in the presence of God you have to praise Him in spite of the circumstances you find yourself in.

God is telling us that we do not deserve to be here, however, because of his grace we are here. No one has ever chosen to be born or to belong to any family or race. David, who was a great inspiring psalmist, is telling us that no matter what you have done you still deserve to be in the presence of God. The message from the sketch by the “Go Team” represents God’s love for us.

In 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18 we learn that in every situation we find ourselves in we should thanks to God in all circumstances.

In Job 2: 10 Job’s wife asks him why he can say thank when he has been punched in the face? He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

In Job 1:21 he says” "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." No matter what you have gone through you must always give thanks to God.

Scientists tell us that Charcoal and Diamonds come from the same element called Carbon. For Diamonds to be the precious mineral they are their carbon had to subjected to tremendous pressure in order to be transformed.

Some of you were in employment you never thought of being your own boss, but after you left employment you found your talent and now you are your own boss. Had you not lost your job you would still have been working for someone!

Genesis 2 tells us that God created man in in His own image. He breathed his Spirit into the flesh, where man dwells. The body is a perishable thing but God’s spirit is eternal. When you feel hungry God will feed you. When you are sick He will heal you. When you are poor he will make you wealthy, etc.

In all circumstances give thanks to God .

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Psalm 100: 1 - 5

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.

  

 It is He, who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

AMEN!

“God Hates Injustice”

The Topic for the Service of 16^th June 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church- Kitwe was entitled:  “God Hates Injustice”.

Preacher:  Kelvin Mufwandi

Scripture Reading:   1 Kings 21: 1 - 10

                                   Galatians 2: 15 – 21

                                   Matthew 18:21 – 35

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme for our Service is “God Hates Injustice”.

Every day we see or hear of people offending others in many ways. Some of these cases end up in courts of law. Even the Judiciary systems has been affected with some Judges having  or are still going through fire by being accused of not meting out justice fairly.

The injustices meted out to media personnel, political opponents, women children and many others in form of harassment, beatings, and humiliations, molesting, etc. are some of the injustices seen in our society today. 

In 1 Kings 21: 1 – 10 we read about Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.  The King offered to buy the orchard; however, Naboth was not prepared to sell the vineyard to the King because it was an inheritance that was passed down by his ancestors. When Jezebel, the wife to Ahab, saw that the king was upset and he could not eat she arranged to forge a letter which was purported to have been written by the King.  Naboth was accused before all the people, saying, “He cursed God and the king.” So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death.

In a similar manner we face injustices similar to that of Naboth in our work place, families and in the nation.

 In families injustices in the form gender violence, rape, defilement, choosing who to feed and property grabbing are rampant.

In work places employment on the basis of where one comes from, bribery and sexual harassment to get employment is a common feature. God is the employer because there is no job which belongs to any individual. In any case how can one be an employer without people?

In Churches elders have been accused of being selective in whom they associate with. Those who are poor and cannot give any money are usually overlooked. We serve a just God so this type of discrimination is not in line with God’s wish.

At national level there are a lot of examples of injustices to people such as political intolerance, prosecution and harassment, little or no linen and drugs in Hospitals, theft of public funds and the delayed constitution and many more.

Whatever is done in darkness will come in the open. There is nowhere in history where people have been suppressed forever. God always intervenes.

Naboth lost his life for defending what belonged to him. The Church should rise up and defend the Gospel. God gave us this country in order to enjoy life.

God says when you cry I’ll hear from heaven. We are the light and the salt of the world. God is watching every step we take and we shall be answerable in the end.

In Matthew 18:21 – 35 we are told how we should forgive others.  Jesus tells us that forgiveness should be indefinite. The figure seven times seventy is just figurative. These injustices we see in our society are as a result of not forgiving one another and we undergo a cycle of revenge (See the Sermon on 2nd June 2013).

Let it go from your heart. Let us forgive and forget. The spirit of unforgivingness brings takes away our happiness and it affects our health. It has been said that 70 percent of sicknesses is brought about by unforgiving and bitterness.

To be resentful, judgemental and having a bad attitude towards others affects our relationship with God. God is a God who answers by fire and if we do not forgive our marriages, jobs, wealth, etc.  will be affected when God responds.

"The household of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish." (Proverbs 14:11).

"Those who are evil will bow before those who are good, and the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous." (Proverbs 14:19).

Go out into the world and preach justice to all.

AMEN!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

God is just. He created humanity in His image. This means humanity is designed to be just in all dealings justice is therefore one`s deal a divine inbuilt virtue in all humans. To be unjust in one’s is a deliberate choice that one makes. This implies that this virtue is ultimately within humanity’s mandate to either suppress or let it flourish. Suppression of this virtue breeds injustice.

Injustice is the absence of justice or the violation of the right or right of another. Injustice is a violation of God’s will. Injustice provokes the wrath of God.  1 Kings 21: 1-10 is an example of unjust behaviour towards those around us. Sometimes we have oppressed or told lies against our spouses and those around us in order to discredit them and justify our evil deeds. Remember your unjust conduct is a misrepresentation of who God is because you bear His image.

As you begin this week, ask yourself what you have been doing.

AMEN!

“Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

The Topic for the Service of 2^nd June 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church- Kitwe was entitled:  “Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

Preacher:  Reverend Kuzipa Nalwamba

Scripture Reading:   Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43

                                     Romans 12: 14 – 21

                                     Matthew 5:38 – 48

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme for our Service is “Breaking Cycles of Revenge.”

Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43 was part of a departing song of Moses telling the people of God on how to live. Moses was about to reach the end of his life before handing over the reins to Joshua. It was a song telling them that vengeance belongs to God.

In Romans 12: 14 – 21 the Apostle Paul has a similar message to the Romans and the Lord talks about it in Matthew 5:38 – 48.

·         God is the only one to avenge the wrongs that the Israelis had suffered under foreign nations.

·          When the Israelis decided to take revenge on their own God punished them because he found them wanting.

At a personal level how could we revenge when we about injuries that we have done to others? If you take revenge on your own you will be biased and hence the revenge cannot be justified. Leave revenge to God. He is the one who has the power of life and death and alone can be the Judge.

The Israelis had sinned by worshipping idols and they were punished for that by being persecuted by other nations.

Genuine love hates evil but it does not give a leeway for revenge. The Jews thought that a pagan nation should not rule them. The Jews had no right to revenge against the Romans.

In Acts 16: 37 requested to see Caesar after the Jews mistreated him because he was a Roman citizen. He should not have been persecuted for what he stood for as a citizen of the Roman Empire.

In our case we should know what our rights are as citizens of the Republic of Zambia. The recent beating of worshippers in a Church in Lusaka by some political thugs comes to mind. When we are being persecuted as Paul was we are not at the mercy of the persecutors.

God is in charge and he is going to avenge on our own behalf. God’s punishment of our enemies is usually very severe and we do not even rejoice when that happens. God is truly a God of justice. Jesus in Matthew 5:38 – 48 tells us “a Tooth for a Tooth or an Eye for an Eye” type of revenge results in a cycle of revenge.

God’s revenge may not necessarily be a punishment of the enemy but his reformation.

Our sins were forgiven at the Cross and yet we were sinners.

AMEN!

  

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Invitation to the Holy Communion

In many cultures, African cultures included, the sharing of a meal is the   form of fellowship and communion. The sharing of a meal is the most basic and most central family ritual, in which members of the family engage. The invitation to a guest to share in the family is accordingly an important gesture for and communion.

It is significant that Jesus chose a meal as the best context for us to remember Him. There is no

better symbol of communion, friendship and fellowship than a meal. It is instructive that Jesus did to leave to chance the question of how He was to be remembered, but sought to give His disciples very concrete clues,   guidelines and a very definite context. It is also instructive that Jesus chose a communal rather than an individual meal situation for the context of His remembrance. But we live in a world where meals – even family mealtimes-can no longer be taken for granted. In a world where some have more to eat than they can consume, there are millions who go hungry for days on end. Effectively therefore, at the global meal table, there are millions who are excluded.

What excludes them? Poverty, injustice, ethnocentrism, racism, sexism and HIV/AIDS, do. As long as the global meal table excludes some people, the church is unable to witness to and remember Christ. We must be careful that the Holy Communion does not become just mother of the many

exclusive immoral meals where few are nourished and many go hungry. Not only does Communion remind us a basic human act, it also inspires us to work for a world in which there is genuine communion among all human beings, and between God and humans.

To the table of Christ we bring bread and wine; Made by people's work in an unjust world; Where some have plenty and most go hungry; some are applauded and others despised.

At the table, everyone is fed, and no-one has to pay; Everyone shares the cup of pain and celebration; Everyone is honoured and no-one is despised.

AMEN!