Pastoral Letter 141
Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,
Grace and peace to you all.
Last Sunday was a special day for us as we celebrated St. Andrews’ Day, with a special Service which coincided with the First Sunday of Advent, followed by lunch. We reminded ourselves that Jesus is our HOPE and without Him we cannot do anything, live our lives in this very challenging world and continue our service we are called to do as a church. During the Service, we accepted and welcomed Soo-Tee and Mary Cheong as new members of our congregation, following the UCA’s order of reception of new members. We give thanks to God and pray for Soo-Tee and Mary, as they took this step to join our church.
After Morning Tea, we had two wonderful hours together, celebrating St. Andrew’s Day. Penny was our MC, who did a wonderful job presenting the program. We had the traditional Haggis ceremony carried in and presented by Ian Butters, who made the address as well. Robin Cummings played the bagpipes as the Haggis was brought in. We watched couple of interesting video clips on the screen, were entertained with saxophone music played by Hagop Harfoushian, had a delicious meal, said our official farewell to the Lane Cove Chaplain, Karen Paull, as she decided to move to south coast, accepting a new placement. We had lucky door prise and raffles prises. At the end we sang two tradition St. Andrew’s Day songs. All present left on a very positive note. From some of the money we raised, the Church Council and Elders decided to donate $300 to the NSW and ACT Moderator’s, Rev. Simon Hansford’s, Flood Disaster Fund appeal.
Our Advent Services will continue, which will include Carols Service next Sunday 11 December, Christmas Eve Service Saturday 24 December on the Lawn, if weather permits and Sunday 25 December our Christmas Service, followed by New Years’ Service on Sunday 1 January 2023.
As we have done in the previous years, once again we will collect food and Christmas gifts for Exodus Foundation. Remembering and giving to the needy is a God pleasing action. So, let us be generous and give the best we can for the glory of God. Please accept our thanks in advance.
If you will not be able to join us at our face-to-face service tomorrow, you can worship with us at home. Please light a candle, have a small piece of bread roll and some juice or wine for Communion and follow the attached Order of Service and sing along.
Be safe and well, continue to pray, remembering those who need care, support and love and let me know if any member of the congregation that you know of needs our help and prayers.
Here are some prayer points for this week:
- Pray for our ministry here at St. Andrew’s, especially as we come closer to the end of the year with special services of Advent and Christmas.
- Pray for the devastating floods in Western and Southern NSW, as people struggle with the great loss.
- Pray for the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the struggling and the stressed.
- Pray for those who are unwell and struggling with different kinds of medical issues.
- Pray for world peace and ask for God’s blessings.
Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.
Best Regards,
Krikor
MESSAGE
God’s Peace – Jesus is Our Peace
Romans 1:1-7
Every day brings us closer and closer to Christmas when we remember God’s gift of grace to us. Jesus, our Saviour, is God’s gift of grace. As with any gift, God freely gives His Gift, His Son and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. No one deserves any of God’s good gifts. As Paul speaks about our unworthiness writing to Titus: “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4,5a).
God sends Christ to provide grace to us, the sinners, expressing His great and unconditional love.
I. Jesus, God’s peace comes through grace
A. God’s message contains two constant teachings – law and gospel. God’s law is connected with sin and the Gospel is the Good News about the possibility of wiping away the sin, which results in condemnation and death, as God’s law state in the Old Covenant.
God’s gospel is always connected with Christ (verse 2). God promised a Saviour, the Messiah, after man committed sin and continued to sin, disregarding God’s commandments and law.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem; son of Mary and Joseph from the line of David, as the prophet Isaiah said, and Micah confirmed that He will be born in Bethlehem
B. There was more to Jesus’ life than His birth. Jesus lived, suffered, died, and rose again (verse 4).
Almost everyone recognised Jesus as a good teacher or a miracle worker. The Gospels clearly stated that, as they talk about His ministry as the Incarnate God
But Jesus is also God’s Son, being equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, part and parcel of the Triune God. To accept this truth takes a “leap of faith”. Jesus’ resurrection proves His deity.
C. Jesus is the name that saves (verse 4b). Christ is Messiah and means anointed King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the One that was promised for the salvation of the world.
D. Grace is God’s undeserved love for mankind. This very fitting description beautifully describes God’s Gift – His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. God’s grace at times goes beyond our limited human understanding and surpasses all knowledge. Therefore, it is important for every believer to faithfully and carefully examine God’s undeserved love with deep thought and grateful joy. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). This is Jesus our Saviour, God’s grace. Jesus left His throne of glory and was born in a cold manger at Bethlehem. Jesus lived a humble, poor life so that we would inherit heaven.
E. God’s promises also sometimes move beyond our human understanding. God promises and fulfils all of His promises. The Lord promised Adam and Eve a Saviour. God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a Saviour. Joseph and Mary were told about that promised Saviour. Every one of God’s promises made are all always kept. This is quite different from promises that we make and do not always keep. This is quite different from the rest of the world that makes promises and seldom delivers. A promise made and a promise kept is God’s grace. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Gal. 3:14).
F. At Christmas we closely examine the manger in the town of Bethlehem. It is not always that easy to also connect the manger with the cross. Birth and death have very little in common. Jesus’ birth for mankind has everything to do with his death to save mankind. There is a vital connection from the humble town to a tortured death on a cross. Jesus is the only one ever born with the specific purpose of dying. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19). It is only the perfect blood of Jesus that can and does cleanse us from sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.
God’s peace comes through grace.
God sends His Son Jesus as a Gift of grace for us. Jesus is truly God’s Gift of peace and joy and hope to us and for us to show others sitting in the dark.
II. God sends His saints to proclaim peace
A. Paul was a servant of Christ. Paul is no longer a self-serving, selfish, proud Pharisee (verse 1).
The Lord Jesus Christ called Paul out of the darkness that he was living in with all the knowledge and the training he had as a righteous Pharisee. God appointed Paul to preach, to teach and establish and organise churches to proclaim the good news and play a crucial role in the spread of the Gospel.
Paul was God’s apostle, for me the greatest with a brilliant mind and God given talent to go around and establish churches inviting them to keep the faith and do the job, which was intrusted to them. He was sent to proclaim God’s gospel. It was not Paul’s gospel, but God’s.
B. Paul was greatly humbled by God’s choice upon him. Paul wanted other believers to understand.
1. Paul was not God’s only one called to proclaim peace (verse 6). There were many more, whom God had and has called to be His witnesses. All believers are called to proclaim the Good News.
2. All believers belong to God. All believers are loved by God and forgiven by God (verse 7). Through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are all accepted as children of God, who are called to lay a part in expending His Kingdom.
3. Knowing God’s call, love, and forgiveness gave these believers God’s grace and peace.
Being called loved and forgiven by God, each believer is now sent by God to others (verse 5).
Paul was an apostle – called and sent out by God. All believers are given this same “apostleship”.
There is only one, singular message to proclaim. It is the message of peace through Christ
C. Today many people wish everyone well without Christ. There is no Christmas without Christ. There are many who celebrate the season and then wonder if that is all there is. People un-wrap their gifts and clean up the mess. Sadly, many lives remain empty. There is no spiritual joy. There is no hope because there is no peace. “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” (Eph. 4:18). God’s grace has been showered on us.
D. God has worked faith in each of our hearts. We look at the manger and see our Saviour. We look at the cross and see our Saviour. We look at God’s Word and see our peace through Christ our Saviour.
We say we are filled with joy, hope and peace but we still live in a sinful, wicked world. Our lives do not always seem happy or joyful. Joy, hope and peace take work. We are not born into this world with such Christian characteristics. We are born as enemies of God filled with wickedness, rebellion and sin. By God’s grace we are pulled from that darkness and brought into the very light of Christ.
How can we live lives that proclaim God’s peace?
If we begin to appreciate God’s grace, then we will desire to proclaim God’s great peace to others.
E. We cannot talk about God’s peace without remembering Jesus’ promised peace. God’s word even today still provides us with Jesus’ strength. Jesus spoke the following words to his disciples to prepare them for difficult times. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). Thus, Jesus still speaks to our hearts. The peace of Jesus is ours. Our lives will proclaim God’s peace to a world of unrest.
At Christmas, God’s peace does indeed come through His gift of grace to all of mankind. This is an important truth at this time of the year.
Christmas is not all about our joy. Christmas is all about joy to the entire world. The joy of salvation is ours. We know God’s grace. We proclaim God’s peace. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Col. 3:15). We should reveal God’s grace and display God’s peace.
God’s peace comes through grace.
God sends our Saviour Jesus as a Gift of grace.
We live in the joy of God’s Grace and invited to proclaim God’s peace daily.
Jesus is God’s Peace, and He is our peace. This is the message that we should proclaim and deliver today to the world.
Amen!