Sunday 9 June

[Music] right are you anchor yes anchor [Music] every SE in every change you are in every sorrow you are not strength you are peace in the St [Music] your your weak our remember when you love [Music] my I'm to I'm holding on to gra and F in I'm surrender to your be anchor for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you [Music] my great rede my [Music] constant my faithful father you take me you happy St your voice we [Music] Hold My World and holding out to and holding on to praise I'm fly let him go I'm surrender to youran for myself father you will never change I love you I love you I will remember your promise forever my strength my in I can count on you and you are my Savior My Hope and my shelter your love is forever I can count on you and I will remember your promise forever my strength are my I can count on you you are my Savor My Hope and my shelter your love is forever I can count on you I'm holding on to I'm holding on to gra and fully let him go I Sur your way anch for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you holding on to love I'm holding on to Grace I'm fly let go I'm so you for myself you will never change I love you I love you I love you I love you [Music] [Laughter] [Music] like to be introduced [Music] [Music] [Music] it's [Music] just good evening it's really great to welcome you and uh just before uh we begin the service and Hope hopefully a few more people will join us got a couple of things just to update you about so Chris could we have the the Chuck news slides up here you go just to to let you know uh hopefully you got a little news sheet that's got the dates on it but this week on Tuesday is our AGM uh we're going to have some food at 7:00 and then the meeting at 8 uh really important H get together we're going to be electing a new Elder uh you want to come along from that there'll be some news about the transition of the Pastoral leadership as well uh some things about the future some decisions about our budgets so we'd love you to come along H have some fellowship and food at 7 and then we talk and make some decisions at 8 o'clock so H calm this week H want to thank everybody that helps with the cleaning we don't take you for granted it's great the people that marck in and I think it's the youth next yeah you're ready for that Megan y CH will be there with her vacuum cleaner now coming up in July we have we have two problems in July as a congregation H the first one is it gets horrifically hot in here uh so it' be great for a seron about Daniel and his friends in the furnace but not for much else uh the other problem is lots of us all go holiday and so we are really down on volunteers so what we do is for the the month of July H we meet in the park in the morning uh we'll send you some details out about where the park is about timings it's just a really informal time bring seats we gather around sing a couple of songs and have h a little bit of a chat about the the scripture for that week uh it's in the cool if it's raining we will meet in the building but we'll give you more details coming up but just pop that in your diary that end July we're going to have church in the park and finally next week uh you probably know that an and I are are going to be go moving back to Scotland in August but of course because we all head out over the summer at the final Sunday that we could have a big kind of get together is next Sunday so we're going to have some food after the service so don't eat before you come uh join us for some food afterwards and that's the service then I think that's all my announcements but Kathy has got one and then patience has got one before we begin thank you James can you hear me you can hear me though ah perfect thank you very much okay um so I'm Cathy overly I'm a member of uh Wesley church and I'm also Al a volunteer coordinator for the food bank that happens every Wednesday here uh from 5:30 to 7:30 and um we're in urgent need of volunteers this summer as well some of our um Regular volunteers go away for a couple three weeks and and so um I'm really here to ask if if you're going to be here for part of the summer and you would like to help to distribute uh fresh food to needy families um in the neon and surrounding areas uh we would love to have you and um you know it's a great opportunity actually to show the love and kindness of Christ to people in our community so if you're here and you think you could be available for even a couple Wednesday evenings to help with the food distribution um please see me either after the service or um you can see um my contact information at the bottom of the slide and I'm in the Westlake directory and um you know even if you can only come once or twice I think I think you'll be blessed but you'd be a huge blessing to people uh in our community who need the food thank you so this Tuesday is the .m but the following Tuesday the 25th is is a worship night so we had one in a few months ago and uh we loved it um our home group really had it so we wanted to do another one before the summer and so if you're free even if you're just free for part of it and want to just have some time in God's presence or if you want to know what an extended period of worship can look like then come on Tuesday the 25th of June and um you'll join some of us in it some of the songs you'll know or most of the songs you'll know some of them may be new but that it's a good time to just worship God together so feel free to come for summer part if you want to be part of it in some way then do come and chat to us at the end because um we always love it when more people want to help with things that we just do not quite spontaneously but we did want to fit one in before the summer and so that was the best Tuesday that we could do James so I I need to ask the children what is the special thing about today what special Day and Father's Day it's Father's Day and and did Dad get breakfast and bed today oh dear me it's Father's Day and of course for for us as Christians H that kind of takes us to one of the heart of of our faith and how we relate to God and so we're going to start off with uh Psalm and we're going to read it together just reminding us of God's fatherhood and in the worship group is going to lead it so I'm going to do H the bit in the white and hopefully you're going to do the bit in the yellow and just remind us that as well as celebrating our Earthly fathers we've got tremendous reasons to give thanks to our Heavenly Father uh so I'll stop sing to God sing and praise of his name Rejoice before him name a father to the fatherless and defender of [Music] widows God sets the lonely in [Music] families let's pray Lord as we think about our Earthly fathers we come before you with hearts filled of gratitude and praise for you our heavenly father we sing to you oh Lord and Lift Your Name on High acknowledging that you are the Lord we thank you for being our heavenly father our father to the fatherless and defender of the vulnerable you provide love and protection and care for us as your children and today we especially remember and give thanks for your unwavering fatherly love to us and you set the lonely in families giving them a place of belonging and Love and You Lead Out the prisoners with singing filling hearts with joy and freedom we are grateful for your fatherly guidance in the way that you transform Our Lives giving us freedom from all that holds Us in bondage and Lord we ask for your blessing upon all the fathers among us today may they reflect your love and wisdom in their father family strengthen them guide them and fill them with your spirit as they fulfill your calling on their life and be with us now in this time of worship May our songs of praise and our prayers be pleasing to you may we feel your fatherly presence Among Us comforting and guiding us and inspiring our spirits to cry out ABA father amen let's Stand Together don't know my name is patience and this is pervine and this is Kevin please feel free to do whatever you would like to do during our worship time that will help you express your worship to God [Music] cuz have searched the world but it couldn't fill me and now's empty praise and treasures that fade never enough then you came along and put me back together every desire is now satisfied here in your love oh there's nothing better than you know there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than you and I'm not afraid to show you my weakness my failures and flaws Lord you've seen them all and you still count me friend cuz the god of the mountain is the god of the valley and that's out a place your mercy and Grace won't find me again oh there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than you oh there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than you you turn morning into dancing you give Beauty fores youve turn shame into Glory you're the the only one who can you turn Graves into Gardens you turn bones into armies you turn seeds into highways you're the only one who can turn morning you turn M into dancing give Beauty for Ashes you turn shame into Glory you're the only one you can you turn Graves into Gardens you turn bones into armies you turn seeds into highways you're the only one who can you're the only one who can cuz there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than [Music] you oh there's nothing better than you nothing better than you nothing nothing is better than [Music] you when we were um practicing this afternoon and when we were doing the next song recus love I just it really REM reminded me that this is who God is that God loves us as his father is or he is our father this much that there is nothing that he will do or not do in order to stay in relationship with us that he it doesn't matter where we are where we come from whether we've had a bad day he loves us so much and it's Father's Day today and I was like yeah that works really well I forgot about Father's day but but God is our heavenly father and this is the love that he has for us it is reckless it is beyond normal because it's God and he loves us and so yeah if you need to know your father your heavenly Father's Love today then may this song Just minister to your heart that you are loved beyond what you know [Music] for I spoke a word you were singing over me you have been so so good [Music] before I took a breath you breathe your life in me you have been so so kind to me all the other the way heling [Music] NeverEnding Reckless Love of God oh it chases me down found Le a 9 and I couldn't earn it not don't deserve it still you gave yourself the way oh the overwhelming never anding Reckless Love of [Music] God when I was your F steal your left thought for [Music] me you have been so so good to me I felt no word you paid it all for me [Music] you have been so so kind to me oh the overwheling ending Reckless Love of God ohes down by found the [Music] night9 that could earn it don't deser it still you gave yourself away GL overwheling NeverEnding [Music] there's no Shadow no Shadow you Mountain you w climb up coming after me there's no wall you won't kick down you won tear down after me there's no Shadow you won't light up Mountain you won't coming after me there's no show you won't kick down by you won't tear down coming after me so Shadow you are light up Mountain you are climb up coming after me you kicked down why you w down coming after me all the overwheling never emping rightness love of God oh Jes me down I found the I couldn't earn it I don't deserve it still you gave yourself away the all the me never andless love of God [Music] you will reel me with a melody you surround me with a song of deliverance from my enemies till all my fears are come and I'm no longer as SL to fear but I am a child of God and I'm no longer a slave to fear I am a child of God [Music] oh oh and from my mother's you have chosen me love has called my name and I've been born again to your family your blood flows through my face and I'm no longer and to Fe but I am a child of God and I'm no longer as to feel but I am a child of God oh [Music] you split the sea so I could walk right through it my fears are drowned in perfect love you resued me I will stand and sing I am a child of God you split the sea so I could walk through it my fears are drowned in perfect love you rescued me so I can stand and sing I am a child of God cuz I'm no longer slave to fear but I am a child of God and I'm no longer a slave to free but I am a child of God one more time cuz we're no longer to Fe but I am a child of God I am a child of God I am a child of God thank you please take your seats ear on WE reminded ourselves but uh God is a god of the fatherless he's got a special concern for Orphans H but then he sets the those orphans in families and that's us as God's people we are called to be a family to those without a family and we want to take that seriously as a church and that's why one of the mission groups that we support does that very tangibly and Christa is going to come and give us an update about that work and the offering tonight will go entirely uh to this project good evening so I'm here to give you an update on Misha um I see some new faces today so um just a reminder that Misha is a children's home on the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenia and M Maisha rescues children from the slums of Nairobi and provides them with a loving family home an education and a future and it's also a Christian home um so they are exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ Misha was formed by beatric and her husband Florian beatric used to come to this church she was a member of this church many years ago she was a Sunday school teacher and um she herself was an orphan who grew up in the slums of of um Nairobi and the first thing she did when she got married was to um fulfill her lifelong dream of um setting up a children's home that would um rescue other orphans like herself so today I just want to give you um an update and I thought I'd give you a few praise points and then a few points on how you can pray for us so the praise points first of all um many of you will know um that Beatrice's adoptive mother Mama Maisha as she was known passed away a few years ago very suddenly and unexpectedly and since then we've been looking for somebody to step into her shoes and the good news is we now have a team that are on the ground in Kenya running the home and um it actually has turned out if you can see the gentleman in the pink shirt that is Beatrice's uncle and the lady carrying the big I think it's a lettuce is be's aunt and they have stepped in along with their um adult children and they are living in the home and doing a wonderful job of running the home so we really praise God for his provision um secondly um most of our kids are are now um slowly transitioning to colleges universities um technical institutions and just recently two of our um boys or should I say young men um have um secured internships the the Gent the the young man in the blue is Byron and he has um I'm going to read this because um he has joined mesco contractors as an intern after having successfully completed a plant operation course at the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology so we're really proud of him and we just wish him uh that this internship will lead to a job at the end of it that will um help him um become independent and um secure a good future for him and then Andrew who is the the young man at the bottom of the screen he's also um as part of his studies he's found an internship with the Nairobi County government as an assistant to a renewable energy engineer so um we also same thing for him we just praise God for providing these these two young men with these internships we're also really grateful because after Mama's death the um the grades of all the kids just plummeted understandably but recently um all around school grades are going back up again and I think that's very much um to do with this new team that uh in place now so praise God for that finally you may have seen on the news that Kenya was affected with floods recently and Misha was not spared but thankfully um we've always been able to have food and um the land around Misha is quite extensive and we Maisha actually grows quite a lot of crops and fruit and all kinds of things and despite the floods they're quite confident that we will have a good Corn Harvest in in a week or two so praise God for that um however um we still need your prayers and the number one all as always biggest prayer request is for financial provision um Misha relies entirely on donations and we're so grateful to Westlake for partnering with us and as James said in a moment the bag will go around and everything you give tonight will go to Maisha so especially as now most of our children are in College University technical institutions which are very expensive we really are relying on your donations to help cover our school fees our education fees I'd also like you to pray for those who have left Maisha um it's not all a bed of roses and we have lost um a few of the children on the way um just because they decided that they were now adults and that they didn't really want to live in a home anymore and so they have left and I just ask you to keep them in your prayers we really pray that God would guide them and that they would become responsible citizens and adults and finally it's not always easy working with teenagers and young adults s so please pray for Harmony and good relationships between the team running the home and and the kids so I think those are my main points today um the bag is now going to go around and um just want to say if you don't have cash on you tonight you can go home and go on to the Misha website um Misha Westlake website and you can make an online donation you just have to mention for Maisha thank you very much [Music] hello please feel free to stand when you're ready um to sing our next song about declaring how the fact that we want to sing and praise God and maybe you can also think about Maisha as we we do that [Music] there is an endless s echoes in my soul I hear the music and though the storms may come I am holding to the Rock at how can I keep from singing your praise how can I ever say enough how amazing is your love how can I keep from shouting your name I know I am and makes my heart to sing I will lift my eyes in the darkest for I know my savior Liv and I will walk with you no when you'll see me through and sing the song [Music] how can I keep from singing your praise how can I ever say enough how amazing is your love how can I keep from shouting I know I am Lov by again but it makes my heart want to see I can sing in the trouble times sing when I win I can sing when I Lose Myself fall down again I can sing cuz you pick me up sing cuz you're there I can sing when you hear me Lord call to you in PR I can sing with my sing for that I'll sing with the angels sa around the how can I keep from singing your praise how can I ever say love how amazing is your love how can I keep from shouting your name I know I am Lov by the king and it makes my heart I know I am Lov by the king and it makes my heart I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing please take your seats I'm going to ask pH one of our dad's to come and uh read the scripture but also pray uh for us as dads as well good evening church our reading today comes from the Book of Joshua chapter 1 the first nine verses after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord the Lord said to Joshua son of nun Moses's Aid Moses my servant is dead now then you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I'm about to give to them to the Israelites I will give you every place where you set your foot as I promised Moses your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the Great River the Euphrates or the hittite country to the Great Sea on the west no one will be be able to stand up against you all the days of your life as I was with Moses so I will be with you I will never leave you nor forsake you be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them be strong and very courageous be careful to obey all the law my servant M Moses gave you do not turn from it to the right or to the left that you may be successful wherever you go do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it then you will be prosperous and successful have I not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go let's pray our gracious God we come before you today with hearts full of gratitude for your fathering of us as our heavenly father and for the fathers you have placed in our lives on this special day we lift up every father asking for your blessings on them Lord just as you spoke to Joshua saying be strong and courageous we pray that you will instill these qualities in us as fathers grant us the strength to face the challenges of life and the courage to stand firm in our faith may we be unwavering in our commitment to lead our families with Integrity love grace and patience help us as fathers to be obedient to your call on our lives just as Joshua was instructed to follow your law may we as fathers diligently seek your word meditating on it day and night let your truths guide our decisions actions and relationships with our children and families fill us with wisdom and discernment so we may lead by example and Inspire our families to walk in your ways Lord we pray for your presence to be with us wherever we go in moments of Doubt or fear remind us that you are with us just as you were with Joshua may we find comfort and strength in knowing that we are never alone for you will never leave nor forsake us as we navigate the responsibilities and pressures of fatherhood surround us with your peace that surpasses all understanding give us the patience to nurture the grace to forgive and the humility to seek forgiveness May our love reflect your unconditional love creating a home where faith hope and love abound Lord if any of us as Earthly fathers have created painful memories for our families we pray for healing both for our hearts and for those we have hurt help those who have been wounded to Journey towards forgiveness and for any of us who need to as fathers to journey to repentance may we not judge you our heavenly father in the light of the failings of our Earthly fathers so heavenly father today we especially thank you for the gift of fathers and the privilege and responsibility of being fathers strengthen us to be the men you have called us to be loving strong courageous and obedient to your will we trust in your promises and rest in your unfailing love in Jes Jesus mighty name we pray amen now what are God's famous for bad jokes uh so uh what is the only person in the Old Testament that didn't have parents Joshua son of [Music] n oh I I expected a better groan than that uh now what we uh what we need is the children to come in a moment H they're going to hand out we've got a little gift H for the fathers here the gift is some chocolate it's got nuts in it so if you have an allergy H you might want to avoid that but the more important part is there a a beautiful prayer H written by uh Pete Greg uh about fathering and father and we want you to have that we're also a aware that that maybe some of us need some prayer around the fathering we've experienced and uh maybe if you're thinking today about fatherhood and it's not a happy memory we'd love you to take one of these to have the prayer as well and what we'll do is we'll leave them at the front but could we have the uh the children uh or just the sons and daughters to come H come and take these give them out to the men you can take some home for the dads and the men who are home as well so let's H distribute these here we go can you go and hand these out there we go one for you Dad come on some of the old uh we need some of the teenagers as well here we go just go and hand them all around here we go oh sorry oh one here any mine not got one a there you got one there one okay got one okay give it back one for Rolland anyone else Craig oh so close so close [Music] K we've been taking them for that yeah keep them for your we what we'll do is we'll put them on the back seat H take them for your husband or your dad if you're not here otherwise I I might have a lot of these to eat H over the next week oh [Music] Peter one of the one of the difficult things about being at an International Church is that people come and go uh I'm not looking forward to our leaving but part of one of our families is leaving this week and uh Julie and and H Cantu and Mandu are leaving and we wanted to just pray for them and be's going to come and uh help us to pray what you [Music] what we pray for come and join us [Music] they're heading off to Canada uh to start the next part of their adventure and uh Becky's going to give thanks and then we we're going to pray well Julie and I spent oops can I have some Julie and I Julie and I have had some times this year it's been great uh times in Bible study and visiting and coffee and prayer and um you know that's one of the nice things about living here he talks about it's hard with people leaving but actually it's one of the beautiful things about being here there's lots of nice things about living here right but one of the nicest things is you get to meet a lot of really wonderful people as they're coming through and it's a shame that it doesn't always last but uh for a long time but uh it's been a short time for them but just so grateful um to have spent time with your family this last year and to walk and do life together she even was checking up on me all the time with after my surgery this uh winter so she's been a good friend so as a here's a little gift to you from the church I know you're packing so it's always not too big not too heavy but um I thought I would like to read to you as a prayer for her and the kids um from Ephesians chapter 3 Paul's prayer for the Ephesians just part of it as a prayer for you I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will Empower you with Inner Strength through the spirit then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong and may you have the power to understand as all God's people should how wide how long how high and how deep his love is May you experience the love of Christ though it's too great to understand f YY then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God thank you jully kantu Manda for your your time with us it's been great thank you for sharing life together yeah and we're going to just pray for them as they head Lord we thank you for the privilege we have as your family uh to see people calm who to bless us and now we want to bless them as they head off on the next part of their adventure with you Lord be with this precious family increase their love for one another protect them as a family lead them Lord to the place that you would have them and make them a blessing there we ask amen amen and H our children and young people are going to leave and as they do that would you just welcome the people around you to our fellowship [Music] tonight I to give to my employer yep [Music] [Music] did you get one oh yay well [Music] [Music] we're going to call it's all back together [Music] [Music] again if you're like guest with us either H joining us on the live stream or here in the building we are so privileged uh that you came we hope you feel at home we'd love to speak to you later on but let's pray as we come to God's word father help us to hear your voice but more importantly Lord help us to respond to what you say Amen now as you know we we are going end to a a period of change and some of you are wondering what's happening with the Pastoral transition I wanted to tell you that people have met already and I've got a little update about what they're looking for here it [Music] is now what we know is that things can't stay exactly the same we're moving into a time of change and transition an and I are facing change as we move back to Scotland you're facing change as a new pastor will come uh things will change as some wit said constant change is here to stay we are all facing change and the difficult thing is that change is challenging here's what I've discovered about change I like change when I initiate it I find change more challenging when someone else initiates it and of course it's particularly difficult for us as a congregation because we're also different we come from different backgrounds and different cultures we have different languages and different preferences and so finding change that fits for all of us is a real difference difficulty and Challenge and I can't predict the future but I'm fairly certain that some of you are going to enjoy the changes that are coming some of you aren't and vice versa there's no doubt about it that change is going to be challenging and so I've been thinking a lot about the challenge of changeing is there somewhere in the Bible that God speaks to his people about the challenge of change and my mind went immediately to that passage from Joshua 1 that Phil read to us because it's about two things it's about change but it's also about having confidence in the face of change that we don't need to face change with anxiety and fear but we can do so with courage and confidence and if if you don't know the setting a little bit of context is we're at a really pivotal moment in the history of God's people 40 years before Moses had led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt they've been in the wilderness for 40 years but now Moses had died and the leadership had changed Joshua had taken over and they're right at the edge of the promised land and they're facing a whole series of really daunting challenges as they go to settle the land that God was going to give them and just think about the challenges that they were facing they were going to face the challenge of a new leader Moses was a leader they'd known but now it was Joshua and new leaders do things in new ways you're going to get a new pastor and he's going to do things in new ways differently for me and some of you are saying praise the Lord for that we're going to have to Lear that change is inevitable they face the challenge of a new way of life they'd basically been building workers in Egypt then there'd be Nomads in the wilderness and now they were going enter land and they were going to have to learn to become Farmers God had provided food for them every day in the wilderness but now they were going to have to grow it for themselves and in a sense they were facing a challenge like I'm facing of a new job of a new role they face the challenge of worshiping God in a new way in the wilderness the Tabernacle that was a kind of Temple tent was right there in the middle of the camp it was easy to worship easy to gain access to but now they were going to spread out around the land and they would Worship in different ways worship ship would change and let me tell you chues don't always enjoy change when it comes to Worship in in a couple of centuries David was going to write some new worship songs I can imagine them debuting and people saying oh I don't like that new log's my shepherd song much prefer the Psalms that there was before and then Solomon was going to build a physical Temple and probably people tonged up and said you know actually I really prefer the old one prefer the Tabernacle so we're going to face change and change is challenging maybe because we enjoy the comfort of the familiar maybe change is challenging because it feels like we're losing control a little bit so what has God got to say to us when we Face the challenge of change and basically what God was saying in Joshua 1 is listen Joshua listen my people you can face this change dating as it is with confidence and courage because in amongst everything that's going to change the foundations won't change he talks about three things that are unchanging that are going to be the foundation for them to continue to live as God's people and that's what we're to look at tonight cuz they're not going to change for us they're unchanging they're the same for us as they were for God's people back then and the first thing is God's Mission doesn't change it says after the death of Moses God spoke to Joshua saying Moses my servant is dead now then you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I'm about to give to them to the Israelites and there God is talking talking about the mission that he'd given Moses and he's telling Joshua that him and the people are to continue that selfs same Mission nothing about the mission that God had given his people had changed and it's the same for us God's Mission doesn't change and it won't change until Christ returns and the mission of God wasn't simply to go into the land and live in it the mission was about who they were to be in the land and how they were to treat one another and the Nations around them I'm going to give you a quick Whirlwind tour of God's Mission because you see the Bible from Genesis through to Revelation is really one big story and the big story is about a God on a mission and in Genesis we start with the creation of the world as God's intended and then sin enters the world world and there's chaos and confusion and God begins this rescue mission to redeem and restore humanity and creation and so he picks a man called Abraham and tells them he's going to form a great people from him and through them he's going to bless the world restore the world and then if you we fast forward to Moses the descendants of Abraham are slaves but God sets them free and tells them that his mission is going to continue through them that they're not just acquiring a new home in the land of Canaan but they're conjoining God in his mission to humanity God is giving them a new land but it's more than real estate it's a place where they can fulfill the mission that he's given in them and if I was to sum up that mission I'd sum it up in these two pictures so there's a picture of a postman or a mailman and a picture of someone who's a witness giving evidence in court and the mission of God's people in the Old Testament and the mission for us today is more like the witness than the mailman see to be honest tomorrow morning it really won't bother me if the person delivering my male was having an affair today their character doesn't bother me they only deliver the meal but if you've been to court you know that the judge will tell you that the character of a witness is important that the character of the witness has to have credibility and you have to weigh that character and what God tells the people in the Old Testament is that he is hanging his credibility on their witness on their character and he'd given them the law in the book of Deuteronomy and he went in the land by how they lived and how they treated one another how they treated strangers and foreigners people were to get a glimpse into the nature of God of his Justice and his love and his Holiness and more than just a glams into the nature of God they were to see what God's intention was for Humanity how he was restoring what had been lost and that was their mission and and theologians talk about the fact that this means that is God's people we are missional people now what does missional mean so a word that gets bandied around a lot today but it means more than being just a little bit more Evangelistic it means that as God's people we have to be committed to and shaped by the mission that God gives us in the Old Testament in the Old Testament the mission was about Gathering they were to live in a way that attracted people to God but then the next days dur the mission God himself came through the life death and resurrection of Jesus unle the most important part of the mission and he commissions us as his disciples to continue that mission by living as disciples by having characters that add credibility to belief in him and his ways and to make disciples and that mission doesn't change it hasn't changed that's why as a church if you look on our website we see this that our mission is to enable people to become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the good of the world and that mission the word thing may change but the mission will never change until Christ returns that's our mission now and whoever comes to be the pastor that is a mission that will continue the French for w and have a saying that the mission is sacred nothing is more important than the mission well far more than the French Foreign region to us as God's people the mission he gives us is sacred Emil Bruner who was an American Theologian said that the church exists by Mission just as fire exists by burning my prayer for you as a church is that West Lake will continue to burn brightly and be committed to his mission and so that's the first thing that's not going to change that's the first Foundation that into the future you'll still be building on and the second thing that's not going to change is God's work we had those powerful words be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you do not turn from it to the right or to the left that you may be successful whever you go keep this book of the law always on your lips meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it and then you will be prosperous and successful and you see why did God say this because the challenges were not going to be just challenges inside for them as God's people they were going to face challenges from outside from the culture around them and I think the biggest challenge that we're facing as God's people right now in Switzerland in Europe in the west is the changing culture around us the culture around us is changing and it's posing a whole series of questions to us there are questions and challenges about sex and sexuality and what's acceptable for God's people there are challenges from our culture about what gender and identity is there have challenges in our culture about how we treat people who are different from us refugees and immigrants and as they went in to this new land they were facing a culture that was going to face them with challenges too there were different attitudes to sex there was different ways of worshiping and the culture around them was going to try and squeeze them into that mold and they needed to know what was right from what was was wrong and what direction God was leading them and so that's what God Said I think basically this is God's message for his people whenever culture challenges us whatever circumstances we face and what God is saying to us basically there as his people I want you to saturate yourself with my word so you're shaped by my word God's people are to saturate themselves in God's word so they are shaped by God's word and and he weighs out how that happens keep this book of the law always on your lips meditate on it day and night now the book of the law was the first five books of the Old Testament and that functioned like the Bible does for us today it was God's revelation to God's people at that time and what God is talking to us about here isn't reading the Bible occasionally or hearing a sermon about it weekly he's saying that we are to immerse ourselves in its message it's to be on our lips constantly in other words as God's people we have to talk about God's word we have to discuss God's word and we have to teach God's word and we have to meditate on it being right now in eastern religion meditation means to empty your mind but for God's people that means filling our mind filling our mind with God's truth and then pondering on it we have to read it hear it and then reflect on its message deeply we have to let the message of God's word sink into our souls and marinate in our heart Hearts so we really understand it but even that's not enough there's one vital Step at the end be careful to do everything written in it all the reading all the reflecting all the hearing is pointless if we're not living out God's word faithfully and consistently we're not allowing it to sat our minds so that it shapes our lives and when it comes to what's a successful Church what does a successful Christian Life look like we're told here in God's word that it comes from a life and a church that is aligned with God's word that it brings its thinking and its actions and its decisions into line with What God Says so how are we going to know what to do in this changing culture how are we going to know right from wrong how are we going to know what direction to go in I'm not telling you that it's going to be easy but the first thing we have to do is ask what does God's word say and that's going to be the first question and have the final decision and what we do and we're told if you'll do that you'll be prosperous and successful maybe prosperous isn't the best word CU we tend to link that with money and stuff probably a better way to translate it is you'll flourish and be successful how do we flourish as God's people how do we flourish as a church by bringing our lives into life Ling with God's word that's the only way there's no other way we need to learn that lesson again that obedience to God's word isn't a burden it's the root to God's blessing and we are an Evangelical Church that's a difficult w at the moment is getting mixed up but what it means at its root at its Essence is that God's word is something that we take seriously it's our guide it's not advice but it's God speaking directly into our lives and so we have a big emphasis on reading God's word that's why we produce all these resources we've got a big emphasis on preaching God's word that's why the sermon is the center of our worship we know that we've got to talk about God's word and discuss God's word and that's why we have wife groups where we do that one of the big lessons of church history is that when God's people deviate from God's word they conform to their culture but when God's people remain faithful to what it teaches and express that in what they believe and how they behave they can transform the culture and know God's blessing there a wonderful little quote from a German PST that I think sums up so beautifully what God Said to Joshua and it's this apply yourself holy to the scriptures and apply the scriptures wholly to yourself what an impact that would make on our lives on our church and on our culture if we were to really take back to heart so the final thing that's unchanging that will not change what was true for Joshua and if I can say is even more gloriously true for us is God's presence and God says Joshua whatever happens whenever it happens whever it happens and God says wesle whatever happens in the future whenever it happens and he says to you as a Believer whatever happens whenever it happens whever it happens I'm going to be with you and in all the changing things that are going to happen in our lives and in our culture and in our world God makes this promise he will be with you every single step of the way in Changing Times our unchanging God is constantly with us you know what we tend to forget that and so every so often we need a reminder and a few centuries later Isaiah had to remind God's people of this promise that had been made through Joshua and he said when you pass through the waters I'll be with you when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you when you walk through the fire you will not be bared and the Flames will not set your BL these were all all things that feel overwhelming and God is saying when you feel like what's going on in your life is overwhelming I'm going to be with you you see what that means God never stands on the sidelines of your life he's always in your corner right there beside you and whatever change confronts us as a chch whatever change confronts you as a Believer God says you can count on me I'm in your corner I'm not going to be watching from the sidelines I'll be right there beside you and whatever happens it won't overwhelm you and did you notice three times cuz we a bit siick it takes us a while to get it God has to say be strong and courageous he's saying listen all of this change you can face it with confidence you can be strong and courageous now this isn't about self-confidence it's not about when the going gets tough the tough gets going it's about knowing that we're never alone whatever we face it's about knowing that God is with us and when we know that God's presence is with us whenever you realize that God presence is with you your perspective changes your perspective going from seeing this is an insurmountable problem that you feel is overwhelming to recognizing that the presence of God Almighty your loving heavenly father is right there with you and it's awareness of this presence in the whatever the whenever or the whever of life that empowers us and enables us to be strong and courageous just as it did for Joshua and God's people back then and whatever happens in the future of this church whatever happens in your future as a Believer God will be with you every single step because his promise to Joshua is his promise to you I will be with you and I will never leave you or forsake you so here's a message that I think God wants us to take away from today we can face change and all the challenges that it brings with confidence because and among all that change these things are going to be unchanging and we can face chall the challenge of change with confidence because God's Mission gives us power purpose God's word gives us Direction and God's presence gives us strength Joshua Rose to the challenges that he faced despite all the obstacles all the challenges all the adversities he led God's people into the land and he settled it in the same way our lives might be filled with obstacles and challenges IES and adversities in our personal lives in our careers in our relationships and in our families but if we will anchor ourself in these three unchanging parts of our foundations we can face every day with courage and confidence and so God asks you tonight will you be committed to my mission will you be shaped by my word and will you be aware of my presence because if you will I will equip you to face any challenge with confidence amen and we want to help you to do what we're talking about tonight to think about God's word to talk about God's word to reflect on God's word and then to live it out faithfully and consistently so at the back there's a five day devotional that you could take a away to help you this week think through what we've been talking about tonight we'll also post it on our social media because some people like to have electronic copies and I would just encourage you to do that patience will you calm they're going to introduce a song that just reminds us that God is our anchor in Changing Times thank you James so I know this song is new for many of you but it is what has been going through my head all week as being the anchor is being the fact that no matter what changes around us God doesn't change and so feel free we're going to sing the first verse in chorus feel free to join us if you know it if you don't then just let it minister to you just let those words sink in and then we'll go back to the star start and um sing it from the start again but let's just take a couple of minutes to think about what James has said the truth that we have and what doesn't change even when everything else does because God is always with us he is our anchor [Music] in every season in every change you are near in every sorrow You Are My Strength you are need [Music] have peace in the St your voice have [Music] for in weakness remember in You Hold My World hold it on to hope and holding on to Grace and fully letting go I surrender to your ways the anchor for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you so feel free to stand feel free to sit feel free to join us feel free to just let it minister to you in every season in every every change you [Music] are in every sorrow You Are My Strength you are near [Music] in the storm your voice I will [Music] follow in weakness AR remembering you hold my words I'm holding on to hope and holding on to Grace and fully letting go oh I surrender to your ways the anchor for my soul father you will never change I love you I love [Music] you my great redeem my constant friend you are me my faithful father you took me in you are here in the sto your voice have will follow [Music] weakness remembering you hold my hold it on to hope and holding on to Grace and fully letting go I surrender to your ways the aner for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you and I will remember your promise forever my steng my Defender I can count on you and you are my Savior My Hope and my shelter your love is forever I can count on you and I will remember your promise forever my strength my Defender I can count on you and you are my Savior My Hope and my shelter your love is forever I can count on you I'm holding on to and holding on to Grace and fully let him go I surrender to your ways the anle for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you I'm holding on to hope I'm holding on to Grace I'm fully letting go I surrender to your ways the anchor for my soul father you will never change I love you I love you I love you I love [Music] you let's stand together and now as you go back into this ever changing world may you be anchored in God's unchanging Mission Guided by his eternal work and strengthened by his abiding presence be strong and courageous knowing that the Lord your God is with you wherever you go amen amen you like some prayer please do come down the front if you'd like a to take some gifts of the Father's Day Suites for yourself come down to the front and we're going to sing one more song Graz into Gardens or you can have Fellowship [Music] downstairs I'll drop whatever B [Music] have SE the world Chris can you put the words up M empty gra Treasures that fade her never and you came along and put me back together every desire is now satisfied Here In Your Love cuz there's nothing better than you cuz there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than you I'm not afraid to show you my weakness my failures and flows Lord youve seen the all and you still call me friend cuz the god of the mountain is the god of the [Applause] valley and there's not a place your mercy and Grace won't find me again oh there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than [Music] you oh there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than you you turn morning into dancing you give Beauty for rashes you turn shame into Glory you're the only one you can you turn Graves into Gardens you turn bones into armies you turn Seas into highways you're the only one who can you turn morning you turn morning to dancing you give Beauty for ases you turn shame into Glory the the only one who can you turn grave into Gardens you turn bones into armies you turn Seasons to Highway you're the only one who can you're the only one who can cuz there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord does nothing nothing is better than you oh there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing better than you Lord there's nothing nothing is better than [Music] you be blessed enjy thank you guys so thank you kin

Channel: WESTLAKE CHURCH NYON

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Id: SEFDfYnTHJo

Length: 95min 50sec (5750 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 17 2024