“Gentiles Receive the Good News”.

The Topic of the Service of 5^th May 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church was entitled: “Gentiles Receive the Good News”.

Preacher: Reverend Kuzipa Nalwamba

Scripture Reading:      Zephaniah 3: 14 –20

                                     Acts 16: 11 – 15

                                     John 14: 25 – 31

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme of our service is “Gentiles Receive the Good News”. Ethnic pride is the reason why the Jews resisted other people to receive the Good News. They thought God was an ethnic God who could be domesticated. No matter how they invested in this pride God showed them that he was a God of all people.

In Zephaniah 3: 15 and 17 talks of a future covenant for all people. Israel, like any other nation, has to repent in order for the Jews to get salvation. They were no more essential to God than any other ethnic groups.

Even today people segregate each other on the basis of being Christian or of belonging to the same Church and even the same congregation.

The covenant between God and men is for all the people.

In Acts 16 we read about the conversion of a Gentile from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She became a Christian after Paul and others, who were Jews, introduced Christ to her. She invited them to come and visit her at her house by virtue of her being a Christian. Paul and his companions accepted someone who was not a member of their tribe. She knew that these Jews were not going to judge her by her ethnicity but by the fact that she was a Christian.

Many of us today do segregate others by their tribe or race.

In Acts 16: 11 – 15 we learn that the Holy Spirit is the equaliser and all Christians are baptised in the same way and are identical to one another. The Holy Spirit ensures the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives despite our different backgrounds.

Zambia has been declared a Christian nation. How do we accommodate those Investors who are not Christians? This is our opportunity to demonstrate to them the love and hospitality of God to all mankind.

In our case what is important? Is it ethnicity or faith? Ethnicity is not what fundamentally defines us as God’s people.

Let us think of the way we could include others who are not like us; because whilst we were sinners Christ died for us.

AMEN!

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

PRAYING FOR OUR ENEMIES

The first thing we are called to do when we think of others as our enemies is to pray for them. This is certainly not easy. Lt requires discipline to allow those who hate us or those toward whom we have hostile feelings to come into the intimate centre of our hearts.

Yet every time we overcome the impatience with our opponents and are willing to listen to the cry of those who persecute us, we will recognise them as brothers and sisters too.

Praying for our enemies is therefore a real event, the event of reconciliation. It is impossible to lift our enemies up in the presence of God and at the same time continue to hate them.

Seen in the place of prayer, even the unprincipled dictator and the vicious torturer can no longer appear as the object of fear, hatred and revenge, because when we pray for them we stand at the centre of the great mystery of Divine Compassion.

There is probably no prayer as powerful as the prayer for our enemies. But it is also the most difficult prayer since it is most contrary to our impulses. This explains why some people consider prayer for our enemies the main criterion of holiness.

"Circles of Love" adapted from Henri Nouwen's

AMEN!