Sunday service for 7 April 2024, Second Sunday of Easter

Sunday 7 April 2024, Second Sunday of Easter (NL2-40)
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Mr Rob Thomson, student minister
Manse: 632143 
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Rob, student minister: RThomson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music (praise band)

Welcome & Announcements

We Gather As God’s Family (As the Bible is brought in, we stand and sing)
A family gathered in love,
striving for justice and joy,
blessing the broken-hearted,
and sharing the hope of God’s kingdom.

Call to Worship (Written by Beth Merrill Neel, used with permission)
One: We gather as God’s beloved children –
All: However glad we are, however out of sorts we are.
One: We come together as a people who Jesus calls into community –
All: So this becomes a place where all are welcome.
One: We have come to give thanks, to pray and sing, to be with one another
All: Let us worship God.

Sanctuary Hymn MP52: God Sent His Son (Because He Lives)

Prayer
Heavenly Father,

In this sacred moment of gathering, we come before You with hearts laid bare, acknowledging our human frailty and the depths of Your divine mercy. We stand in awe of Your majesty, Creator of all, sustainer of life, and the source of all salvation.

We confess, Lord, the times when we have faltered, when our actions have fallen short of our convictions. Forgive us for the moments of doubt when we have questioned Your wisdom and even doubted Your presence in our lives. Forgive us for the times we chosen our own selfish desires over your commands, seeking solace in worldly pursuits rather than in the embrace of your grace.

We have nothing to bring you in return for the gifts you have bestowed upon us but honesty, and so we bring our sins before you, openly and without deception. For you know our hearts and yet you breathe new life into our dry bones.

For You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, and the end. Your love knows no borders, your mercy endures forever. You are the steadfast rock upon which we build our faith, the guiding light that leads us through the darkest of nights.

You are the provider of all your Church needs, you gather us together, we hear your voice in the darkness. It is your Spirit that gives clarity to your word, grants understanding and gives us courage to go on.

In Your infinite wisdom, You have called us to be Your hands and feet in a broken world. Strengthen us, O Lord, to answer that call with humble obedience and unwavering devotion. And may our lives be a living testament to Your glory, now and forevermore.

As we prepare to read and consider your word, grant us wisdom and understanding. Help the preacher to step aside, let your word be proclaimed, your will be understood.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus the Christ we pray, amen.

Hymn: Christ Was Raised (Praise Band) by Resound Worship

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Scripture Reading: Acts 1.1-14 (English Standard Version)
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

For the word of God in scripture
for the word of God among us
for the word of God within us
thanks be to God.

Sermon: Famous Last Words
A person’s last words can express faith, show courage, defiance, or love. They can be a reflection of who that person was and what their deepest convictions were.

Blues singer Bessie Smith died saying, “I’m going, but I’m going in the name of the Lord.” True faith.

Che Guevara reportedly said “I know you have come to kill me, so shoot” when US trained soldiers captured and executed the revolutionary. Courageous and defiant until the end.

When William Henry Seward, U.S. secretary of state and architect of the Alaska Purchase, was asked if he had any final words. He replied, “Nothing, only ‘love one another.’”. Last words of love and kindness.

The words someone chooses to say, especially when aware that the end of their life is approaching, that they won’t have a chance to say anything else, can be incredibly revealing. In today’s reading we hear the last words Jesus chose to say to His friends, before He departed for heaven. Which I think tell us a lot about what He wanted His Church to do. So what did Jesus say?

In the verses we read today, 40 days of the risen Christ interacting with, speaking to, eating with and doubtless answering questions – is compacted down to some very short dialogue. We are told that He spoke about the Kingdom of God.

Other than that, nothing of note, apparently. I think it is safe to assume that Jesus must have been saying pretty much the same things He had been saying throughout the Gospel accounts. Acts is credited to the same author who wrote Luke’s Gospel, perhaps they felt they had covered this stuff in their account. I imagine this is where those passages from the four Gospels that say things like “later the disciples would understand” come from, these conversations. I can’t help but wonder if Jesus explained to them “when I spoke about this temple being destroyed and rebuilt in three days, this is what I was talking about”. Or what other insights He shared in this time that made it in to their Gospel books.

But for all that insight, and all that Jesus had taught them in His time with them, they still don’t really understand, how big a deal what Jesus has done truly is. A few weeks ago, I talked to you about the brothers James and John who wanted places of honour in the Kingdom. Then on Palm Sunday about the crowds of Judeans, jubilantly but incorrectly expecting that Christ would seize power and restore the golden age of Israel. For many first century Jews, the idea of the Kingdom of God as separate from or bigger than the Kingdom of Israel was unthinkable.

Even though God had promised Abraham that “through (his) descendants all the nations of the Earth (would) be blessed”. Even though Daniel prophesied that eventually Gods Kingdom would be spread across all of the world. Under the oppressive rule of the foreign and brutal Roman Empire, it’s no wonder they would assume their Kingdom would have to be restored first, after that they could sort the details our for everyone else.

They want what they know returned to its former glory and ask “will you at this time return the Kingdom to Israel?”

Some Christians to this day put a lot of stock in the restoration of Israel as a prerequisite to bringing about a future, complete and finalised version of the Kingdom, and are willing to help establish that worldly kingdom no matter the cost. Others claim that all the promises God made to the Jewish people have now been cancelled and passed on to the Christian Church. This is a dark erroneous theology, which claims that the Jewish people have somehow uniquely failed God, that He has completely abandoned them. Both of these trains of thought miss the mark completely.

Let’s consider the actual response Jesus gives when He is asked about the renewal of the Kingdom of Israel. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority”. Jesus neither confirms or denies anything about the future of Israel as they know it. He tells them and by extension us, that it is useless to try to predict these things. God will do what God wants, in God’s time. Empires will rise and fall, they are but a side show, a distraction. They are not and will never be, the Kingdom of God.

The second part of our Lord’s response is the part that really excites me, it’s a call to action, He reiterates the mission of the Church. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. Then He ascends into the heavens, as if to leave no doubt – should any remain, about who He is. Talk about a mic drop moment!

The disciples understandably asked Him the question, as they looked around at the oppressive state they lived in, full of brutal executions and maintained by the full force of Roman military might “when will you make Israel great again”. Our Lords response “God will equip you with the power of the Holy Spirit and you will spread a message that will make the world great”.

How exciting a concept that is, God does not have a regional vision, God is not Israel centric, or Euro centric, God’s love is for all the world. Far from excluding the Jewish people, God fulfils in them the promise made through the prophet Isaiah “You – Israel- shall be my witnesses” and we know that is true, because we are privileged to hear the word of God every week. Privileged to have access to the scriptures, the love story of the one true and living God. We have been given the right to call ourselves sons, daughters, and children of the maker of all things.

We should thank God daily that the kingdom is not something that is incoming, something we are waiting for, but that it is outgoing – not least because it has come here amongst us. These last worldly words of Jesus are indeed worth considering. We are, hopefully, a Church built on the strong foundation of Jesus and His Apostles. Our Lords last words to His gathered people, His Church, were words of mission. If we want to be a Church founded upon Christ, we must listen.

I have a table at home that I put my coffee on every single day. I call it my tripod table because it has three legs. With those three legs it is stable and sturdy enough to have a hot drink on, even in the vicinity of a 6-month-old. But take even one of those legs away, whilst the table will still stand, it cannot truly fulfil its purpose.

We as a worldwide Church, particularly Church of Scotland in my opinion. Are excellent at fulfilling our role as a worshipping community, gathering to listen to the Word, pray and sing songs of praise. We also do well, particularly here at St John’s – which is a beautiful thing to see, at being pastoral communities, caring for and looking after each other. But where I think we struggle as a Church nationwide, is the sharing of the good news to others. One of the legs of our table is shorter than the others. We might be guilty, like the disciples of being unable to see beyond our Jerusalem.

Of course, Jesus does not just throw the Apostles down a seemingly impossible challenge of world evangelism and leave them to their own devices. There are two more powerful concepts within today’s passages, Jesus promises the power of the Holy Spirit and His disciples respond by uniting together in prayer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the outlook of the early Apostolic Church shifted from looking only upwards to God and inwards to their own community, to become confidently outward looking. Tradition has it that through the power of the Holy Spirit disciples like John, would transform from being a ‘son of thunder’ – brash and interested in positions of power, into the ‘disciple of love’. Whilst Jesus had said His last worldly words to His disciples, God had not finished communicating with them, or transforming them. Similarly, God is not done communicating with us, or transforming us. But I think we need to make more time to listen.

With that in mind, I invite you to join me, in a time of silence. We come before God to listen, as we do let us be aware of one of the key concepts in today’s reading. That we are not baptised only with water, but with the power of the Holy Spirit. So, get comfortable, close your eyes if you wish and let’s listen for God together.

[About 60 seconds of listening and reflection]

May we, like the Apostles, be empowered by the Holy Spirit and keen to listen for the word of God, may it take us far from our Jerusalem. May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn 683: Go to the World! (Tune: sine nomine)

Sanctuary Hymn 444: Out of Sight, the Lord has Gone (tune: Nottingham)

Offering: Praise Band (I Will Rise)

*Sanctuary Offering Response 410 v. 4
Sing we to our God above: Alleluia!
Praise eternal as his love: Alleluia!
Praise him, all you heavenly host: Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Alleluia!

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Gracious and Merciful God,

Having heard Your word proclaimed and reflected upon its message, we come before You with hearts overflowing with gratitude. We thank You for the gift of Your holy Scriptures. We thank You for the faithful witnesses who have gone before us, inspiring us with their courage and dedication to Your kingdom. We thank you for those who raised us up in the faith, or who witnessed to us. For the privilege it is to be grafted in to your family. A family in which there is room enough for all, where no newcomer takes the place of anyone else.

We thank You, O Lord, for the promise of Your presence among us, guiding us through the ups and downs of life’s journey. Thank You for the hope we find in Your steadfast love, a love that never wavers and never fades. Thank You for the assurance that nothing can separate us from Your boundless grace. We thank you for the indwelling of your Holy Spirit, may we turn to You for solace, may we turn to you for courage, may we turn to you for guidance.

We lift up our voices for the needs of the world and the concerns of Your people. We pray for those who are suffering, that they may find comfort in Your embrace. We pray for the leaders of nations, that they may govern with wisdom and compassion, seeking the common good above all else.

We pray for the Church, Your body here on earth, that we may be united in purpose and filled with Your Holy Spirit. Grant us the courage to boldly proclaim Your truth and the humility to serve others with love and grace.

Lord, hear our prayers for those who are sick, lonely, or in despair. May Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, fill their hearts and minds.

We join our voices together as a congregation, wherever we physically are on this the 7th Day of April. As we pray:
For your Church worldwide, that your people may be the Body of Christ in every place; and especially for those places where Christians live in fear or under oppression or persecution.
For those who use the building at St John’s — may they encounter your grace in our hospitality — and for the volunteers who keep the building clean and in good repair.
For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Kosovo.

As we offer these prayers, we are reminded of Your promise to always hear the cries of Your people. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and may Your kingdom come in all its fullness.

We pray in the name of Jesus the Christ who taught us to pray together
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Sanctuary Hymn 683: Go to the World! (Tune: sine nomine)

Benediction
Go forth as faithful witnesses of the Gospel, shining brightly in a world that often finds itself in darkness. Be ambassadors of reconciliation, agents of hope, and vessels of His mercy and grace.
And, as you leave this place, may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, go forth in peace to serve the Lord and all His people. Amen.

Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
Now may the Lord of all be blessed,
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed,
Now may the Spirit when we meet
Bless sanctuary and street.

Postlude Music

Announcements

* Teri will be off from 9-18 April. If you have a pastoral need please contact Charlene or Cameron.

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am and at 5pm, and Sunday worship is also online. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.

* Starter Packs are in need of Shaving Foam, Soap Powder, Soap and Men’s Shower Gel.

The FoodBank are in need of Diluting juice, Long life juice, Rice pudding, Tinned Ham & Tinned Tuna. You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* There’s no Wednesday Bible study for the next two Wednesdays — we resume on 24 April at 7:30pm in the manse.

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 
It is also possible to donate to the work of the parish assistant, speak to Anne Love about how to go about directing new donations to that new item in the budget.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. Feel free to share with your friends, too!

* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.

*** Our new evening service is happening at 5pm!
Graham Gardiner is doing a placement with us this spring, focused on a project, and we hope everyone will support it!
Excited to explore faith in a new way?
Inspired by Teri’s recent sermon on New Wineskins, we’re launching a new Sunday Evening service starting March 10th at 5 pm.
What’s different?
No traditional sermon! Instead, we’ll dive deeper into the morning message through an engaging interview with the preacher.
Guitar-based music, Bible readings, and prayer will create a relaxed atmosphere for reflection and worship.
Did you miss the morning service? No worries! We’ll get you caught up before the discussion.
Imagine:
Gaining fresh insights from the morning message in a conversational format.
Discovering practical ways to apply the message to your life.
Enjoying a chilled vibe that fosters connection and reflection.
Join us for this exciting new experience!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Graham
Ps. Spread the word and invite your friends!