The Topic at the service of 3rd March 2013 at St. Margaret's UCZ Church was entitled "Repentance is our urgent need."
The Holy Communion Service at St. Margaret's UCZ Church on 3rd March 2013
Preacher: Reverend Kuzipa Nalwamba of Theological College - Kitwe
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 55: 1 - 13
1 Corithians 10 : 1 -13
John 10: 1 - 9
SERMON SUMMARY
Repentance requires courage and making choices.
There is a story of a Lumberjack who was cutting a tree in a remote place when the tree fell on his leg and trapped his leg.
He
had two choices: To bleed through his wound and face eventual death, or
to cut off the trapped leg and walk away on one leg to seek medical
attention. He took courage to choose the latter and he saved his life.
It is like that in life when one has to surrender certain pleasures in life. It is not that God does not want us to enjoy ourselves in our lives but to live through His Word.
When we look at the scripture reading from Isaiah 55: 1-13 it may divided into the following.
1) Isaiah 55: 1 - 2 tells us that God provides everything for our everyday life. God invites us who are thirsty to come to the waters and drink. Water gives us life so God gives it to us even if we have no money.
The other invitation is to buy wine and milk without money and without cost. wine and honey represents splendid abundance in our lives.
We do not have to pay for that because someone (Jesus) has already paid for that.
2) Isaiah 55: 3 - 5 tell us of an invitation to a permanent covenant with God where he provides us with permanent security.
"Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.”
3) Isaiah 55: 6 - 9 tell us about the four fundamental issues of what this invitation is based on.
1) Verse 6 a says SEEK the Lord while he may be found. To "seek" here does not mean looking for something that is lost but to come with diligence where the Lord is found.
2) Verse 6 b says CALL on him while he is near. This means to acknowledge and worship God.
3) Verse 7 a says; let the wicked FORSAKE their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
4) Verse 7 b says; let them TURN to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
It is what you do that that matters and not what you do not do.
Who should repent? The wicked and evil should repent.
"Wicked" refers to the character of an individual, whereas "Evil" refers to the effects of sin on an individual.
There is nothing like "That is the way I am." It is in the mind that one's character is enshrined.
Turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on you.
The Church is the only army which finishes off the wounded but God's way is to heal the wounded. Forgiveness without reason is what God does to the wounded.
3) Isaiah 55: 10 - 11 shows us the mercy of God.
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
4) Isaiah 55: 12 - 13 tells us of the promise of the new world.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Repentance is not what you do to repent but what God does after your repentance.
Don't be attempted to take a short cut to repentance but soldier on and a transformation will take place. This transformation will spread to all aspects of your life under the guard ship of God.
Ask yourself "What is it that hinders my relationship with God." Bring these to God and a transformation will take place in your life to bring joy and peace."
When people transform the World will also transform.
AMEN!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: ( From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)
Isaiah 55:1
God is inviting His people to “come, buy and eat”. For one to accept this invitation, one must acknowledge that he or she has a thirst and hunger that needs to be quenched.
When we come to God, we begin to exchange our sinful nature for the full package of Salvation:
•Preservation
•Deliverance
•Soundness of mind
•Wholeness
•Health
•Peace
God takes away all our pain and the effect thereof, to give us fullness of life as promised in His Word.
We know this is true because God is not man that He should lie.
The first step is to acknowledge our weakness, then reach out to the One who is able to make us strong, One who is able to take away our sickness to give us healing, the One who is able to take away our blindness to enable us to see again.
“Come, buy and eat” says the Almighty God! Only God can satisfy our thirst and hunger.
God bless us all!
AMEN !
It is like that in life when one has to surrender certain pleasures in life. It is not that God does not want us to enjoy ourselves in our lives but to live through His Word.
When we look at the scripture reading from Isaiah 55: 1-13 it may divided into the following.
1) Isaiah 55: 1 - 2 tells us that God provides everything for our everyday life. God invites us who are thirsty to come to the waters and drink. Water gives us life so God gives it to us even if we have no money.
The other invitation is to buy wine and milk without money and without cost. wine and honey represents splendid abundance in our lives.
We do not have to pay for that because someone (Jesus) has already paid for that.
2) Isaiah 55: 3 - 5 tell us of an invitation to a permanent covenant with God where he provides us with permanent security.
"Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.”
3) Isaiah 55: 6 - 9 tell us about the four fundamental issues of what this invitation is based on.
1) Verse 6 a says SEEK the Lord while he may be found. To "seek" here does not mean looking for something that is lost but to come with diligence where the Lord is found.
2) Verse 6 b says CALL on him while he is near. This means to acknowledge and worship God.
3) Verse 7 a says; let the wicked FORSAKE their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
4) Verse 7 b says; let them TURN to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
It is what you do that that matters and not what you do not do.
Who should repent? The wicked and evil should repent.
"Wicked" refers to the character of an individual, whereas "Evil" refers to the effects of sin on an individual.
There is nothing like "That is the way I am." It is in the mind that one's character is enshrined.
Turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on you.
The Church is the only army which finishes off the wounded but God's way is to heal the wounded. Forgiveness without reason is what God does to the wounded.
3) Isaiah 55: 10 - 11 shows us the mercy of God.
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
4) Isaiah 55: 12 - 13 tells us of the promise of the new world.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Repentance is not what you do to repent but what God does after your repentance.
Don't be attempted to take a short cut to repentance but soldier on and a transformation will take place. This transformation will spread to all aspects of your life under the guard ship of God.
Ask yourself "What is it that hinders my relationship with God." Bring these to God and a transformation will take place in your life to bring joy and peace."
When people transform the World will also transform.
AMEN!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: ( From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)
Isaiah 55:1
God is inviting His people to “come, buy and eat”. For one to accept this invitation, one must acknowledge that he or she has a thirst and hunger that needs to be quenched.
When we come to God, we begin to exchange our sinful nature for the full package of Salvation:
•Preservation
•Deliverance
•Soundness of mind
•Wholeness
•Health
•Peace
God takes away all our pain and the effect thereof, to give us fullness of life as promised in His Word.
We know this is true because God is not man that He should lie.
The first step is to acknowledge our weakness, then reach out to the One who is able to make us strong, One who is able to take away our sickness to give us healing, the One who is able to take away our blindness to enable us to see again.
“Come, buy and eat” says the Almighty God! Only God can satisfy our thirst and hunger.
God bless us all!
AMEN !
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