A Healthy Church worships God in spirit and truth

And while the boys and girls are going out to their Sunday school, we will read just a few

verses in John chapter 4. This is the chapter we're going to focus on together. I want to read

John 4 · chapter mention

for us from John chapter 4 verses 28 to 30 and then verses 39 to 42. I will be reading in English

John 4:28–30

and the words are up on the screen in Korean. And again, let's hear the word of God together.

Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,

come, see a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Messiah? They came out of

the town and made their way towards him. And then down at verse 39, many of the Samaritans from that

town believed in him because of the women's testimony. He told me everything I've ever done.

So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them and he stayed two days. And because

of his words, many more became believers. They said to the women, we no longer believe just because

of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the savior of

the world. Amen. This is God's word. So tonight, as we join together in worship, we are going to

do something that I hope will be helpful. So we as a church have been looking at what we've been calling

habits of a healthy church. And in God's providence, very appropriately, tonight we're thinking about

worship. And so thinking about the fact that a healthy church is one that worships God in spirit

and in truth. Now let me begin with the statement that all of us and all people everywhere are

worshipers. I was reminded of this this week. I heard about the story of a former football player in

England called Gavin Peacock, who has become a minister in the United States. He came back to

Newcastle. So Newcastle, the north of England. And he was invited to a high school to talk about his faith.

And he began using words borrowed from Paul from Acts chapter 17. He said,

Acts 17 · chapter mention

young men and women from Newcastle, I can see that you are very religious. For as I walked along your

streets, I saw a t-shirt bearing this inscription, football is my religion. Newcastle United Football

Club is my God. Great way to start. It's both funny and profoundly sad, isn't it? But it identifies the

fact that we all the fact that we all worship. What do we mean by worship. Well, worship is anything we

build our life around. That could be a video game. That could be technology. That could be our money.

That could be achievement. We worship any person or object or thing when it drives our emotions.

When it shapes our thoughts. When it directs our behavior. When we find ourselves saying,

I couldn't imagine living without. Fill in the blank. We are all worshippers. In Scotland, we have been

invited as a nation to complete a census so that the government has lots of statistics. Whether a person

ticks the faith box or whether people tick the no religion box, we are all still worshippers. But the

vital question then is, who should we worship and how should we worship? And John chapter 4 helps us to

John 4 · chapter mention

answer these vital questions. It's an amazing chapter in the Bible and it presents us with an amazing

Savior. Here we have the Lord Jesus. And this is probably the longest conversation that's recorded in the

Gospels. But it's a conversation not with a Jewish person. It's with a Samaritan, typically an enemy.

Not with a man, but with a woman. And not just a woman, but an immoral woman. And what does Jesus do?

Jesus brings really deep truth, really deep theology, leading this woman to trust in him as the Savior of the

world. So I hope through this chapter we will discover that true worship is to Jesus because he is truly God.

And true worship is through Jesus because he is the way to God. So let's begin by thinking about the

worship question. If you have your Bibles, you'll see that in verses 19 and 20 of John chapter 4,

John 4 · chapter mention

we have the worship question. Here is one of the hot topics in their religious society.

What is the proper location to truly worship God? So you have the Samaritans. They had just the first

five books of the Bible. And so for them, the place to worship was Mount Gerasene in Deuteronomy 11.

That was where the blessings of God were called out over the people. In Deuteronomy 27, it became a place

where worship happened. But if you were a Jew, then Jerusalem was the center of worship. Since the time

of King David, there was that desire to connect the throne with worship. And then Solomon, of course,

built the temple in Jerusalem. So this was a really hot topic. Well, look at verse 21 and see the bold,

dramatic answer of Jesus to the question of where should they worship. Women, believe me,

a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

Jesus is bringing the news that he is about to replace it with something new. Where is this new

worship center? Where is this new place where we can have access to God? We've already discovered in

John's gospel, Jesus saying, it's through me. John chapter 2 verse 19. Jesus said to them,

John 2:19

destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. And he explains in verse 21,

the temple he had spoken of was his body. Jesus has come to replace the temple to fulfill what the

temple stands for. Here is the place where we meet with God. Not in a building, but in the person of

Jesus. Jesus as Messiah has taken the place of the temple. When is this going to happen?

It's here as well. Verse 21, Jesus says, a time is coming or the hour is coming. Now, if you were to

read through John's gospel, you would see that phrase many times. And in John's gospel, when Jesus

speaks about the time or the hour, he's speaking about his death and his resurrection and his return

to glory, taking the throne as king. And Jesus is saying, in those saving events, that is how we can have

access to God. That is how we can know God. Because of what Jesus has done.

We can probe the worship question deeper still. There's a question that Jesus asks. Let's call it

the husband question. Verse 16. He told her, go, call your husband and come back. And so we need to ask

ourselves, why does Jesus ask that question? What is he hoping to reveal as he asks that question?

And I think here Jesus is probing to help the women to see her longing.

She seems to be someone who is longing for security. She has had five husbands. Now she's living with

another man. It could be that she is longing to find her meaning and her identity in a particular

relationship. So we can say this woman clearly is a worshiper, but she has chosen the wrong object of

worship. Choosing another person rather than the living God. Now there's a wonderful little phrase

in John chapter 4 verse 4, where we read, now Jesus had to go through Samaria, or Jesus must go through

John 4:4

Samaria. And that's not John saying there was only one road, there was only one way that Jesus had to go.

He had to go through Samaria. This is God's plan for Jesus. That he would come to this well at this

point to meet this woman, to show her her sin, to reveal her need, and to bring her the love of God and

the hope of God. That was his plan. The Father's plan, the Father's timing. To show her the longing in her

heart that just wasn't being met. And to show that he can meet it. Now how does he do that? He does that,

we can talk about the water question. So we've had the location question, the husband question. There's a

water question that begins in verse 7. Here is Jesus, fully God and fully human, sitting at a well in the

heat of the heat of the day, and he asks because he is thirsty, will you give me a drink? But as the

conversation moves on, he goes from his own thirst, to her thirst and her longing, to then show that

Jesus is the answer to that longing. And he does that, because he speaks of himself as the one who brings

living water. Verse 10. If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink,

you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. That's a wonderful phrase.

The Old Testament prophets spoke about living water. In Jeremiah 2, God uses that image of himself

to speak of the goodness and the grace that he would have provided for his people, but his people chose to

follow idols, broken cisterns. Ezekiel chapter 36, there is the image of this water that washes sin.

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

In Ezekiel 47, there's this wonderful picture of water flowing out from the temple and bringing life as it goes.

Jesus comes bringing life from God. And so this whole conversation is in one sense Jesus saying to the

women, you are worshipping, but your God is too small. You have been and you will be disappointed.

Come to me. Come to me. Come to me and be satisfied. Come to me and find eternal life.

This conversation reminds us that true worship is to Jesus because he is God and he gives eternal life.

And true worship is through Jesus because he gives access to God and he sends the Spirit.

Just before we move on, it's really good for us to be able to learn from Jesus here in the sense that we have

a model in this conversation. What do we see Jesus doing? We see Jesus pulling down cultural barriers.

speaking to a Samaritan, speaking to a Samaritan, speaking to a woman, speaking to someone known

for being a sinner. Why? Because of his desire to share good news. Because he wanted to show the love

of God to this woman. And isn't that something that we have so many opportunities to do here in our city?

21st century Edinburgh, as Keith was already praying, we're a multicultural city.

And we too have this invitation to cross barriers to share good news.

But you know, it's good for us as well to learn from this woman.

To learn to put God first.

Maybe especially for young people, it's important to learn to put God first.

Not sport, not our achievements, not our hobbies.

All of those things, they come and they go.

We're invited to aim for eternal joy to worship the God of the universe.

I think there are lessons for us in our families as well.

For us as parents perhaps.

To reflect,

is worship

a key value in my house?

Is the legacy that I want to pass on to my children

the legacy of faith?

As much as we want them to be happy and successful,

to have a good education,

do we want them to know and to worship and to love the living God?

Through knowing Jesus.

And there is certainly lessons for us from this woman

as local churches.

As we gather as two different churches,

where is our joy found?

Where is our satisfaction found?

We're invited as the people of God

to find it in the worth of Jesus.

Worship is about worth.

To recognize he is the son of God.

He is the savior of the world.

He is our mediator.

He pleads our cause.

He prays for us.

He is our friend who's always with us.

And to find our joy in the work of Jesus.

To never move away from the cross.

To realize our forgiveness,

our eternal life,

our adoption,

our justification.

All of those found in his work for us

in dying and then rising

to forgive us and give us new life.

So that's the worship question.

What I want us to do now

is to spend a few minutes

looking at verses 23 and 24

and this phrase that comes up

two times

about worshipping

in spirit and in truth.

Let me read

verse 24 for us.

God is spirit

and his worshippers

must worship

in the spirit

and in truth.

Now,

there is an important question

we need to ask ourselves

and it's this one.

Which spirit

is John's gospel talking about?

Is this

spirit with a capital S,

the Holy Spirit?

Or is this spirit

with a little s?

Meaning our heart,

our inner self.

And you will find,

so we read from the

newest version of the NIV

and it speaks about

the Holy Spirit.

But you will find

other versions of the Bible

and they will speak about

our inner self,

the spirit.

Now,

I would suggest

that as we read

John's gospel

and as we hear

Jesus,

those two are linked.

They cannot be separated.

Let me take you

to one place.

John chapter 3

John 3:5–8

verses 5 to 8.

Here's a previous conversation

Jesus has with a man

called Nicodemus.

And there he says

to Nicodemus,

no one can enter

the kingdom of God

unless they are born

of water

and the spirit.

There,

the Holy Spirit.

And then in verse 8,

the wind blows

wherever it pleases,

you hear its sound

but you cannot tell

where it comes from

or where it is going.

So it is

with everyone born

of the Spirit,

the Holy Spirit.

So that's a great image.

Edinburgh has many things.

One thing it certainly is,

it's a windy place.

We feel its effects

but we don't see it.

And Jesus uses that image

to say,

that's how the Spirit works.

It works in our hearts.

You can't see the Spirit

but you see his effects

as he transforms lives,

giving life in the kingdom of God.

And so,

in a very real sense,

true worship

is only possible

with the Holy Spirit.

In John chapter 4,

John 4 · chapter mention

back to our chapter,

in verse 10,

Jesus speaks about

the gift of God.

And it's really interesting then

to look at the book of Acts

and to discover

that both Jesus

and the church

use that phrase

to speak of the coming

of the Holy Spirit.

Acts chapter 1 and 2,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 8 and 10,

Acts 8 · chapter mention

the gift of God

refers there

to the Holy Spirit

who will come

to live in the hearts

of his people.

So when God is living

in our hearts,

that's when we can

and we will

truly worship.

So,

worship in the Spirit

and truth

absolutely makes sense

because we cannot

truly worship

without God

transforming our hearts.

But it's also true

to say

that worship

in Spirit

and truth works.

Makes sense.

Talks about

our real self,

our inner self.

In other words,

to truly worship God,

we cannot just go

through the motions.

and we know that

from how Jesus talks

because we often see

Jesus in the Gospels

being so critical

of the people

that were acting

as if they were

really religious,

but their hearts,

Jesus said,

are far from me.

Being religious,

but no real love

for the one true God.

Jesus has some

of his strongest words

of criticism

for those.

Now,

there's a Puritan

by the name of Stephen Charnick

and he had two images

to speak about this,

this worship

that's just

going through the motions.

He said,

it's like actors

in a stage play.

Perhaps we haven't

been to the theater,

but we can think about

television

or movies.

We watch

an actor

play a role

and we know

that's just a performance.

That's not the real them.

And so it is

if we're singing

the songs,

if we're turning up

in church,

but our hearts

are not really in it.

Charnick had another image.

He said,

imagine a graveyard

and imagine

a beautiful statue

at the head

of a grave.

So much skill

and so much beauty,

but under the surface

there is death.

And the point is

there is no

faking it

with God.

It becomes clear

in Scripture

that God hates

false worship.

And he sees our heart,

so he sees

false worship.

And what he wants

is worship

in spirit

and in truth.

So where does this

kind of true worship

come from?

Well,

it comes,

first of all,

as a gift of God

because it comes

from the Holy Spirit.

So we are to ask

God

for the spirit

of worship.

We are to ask

God

for the Holy Spirit

to change

our hearts.

To ask the Spirit

to show us

and to show us

again

the wonder,

the glory

of the Lord Jesus.

So it comes

from God's gift.

But this true worship

also comes

from our gaze.

It comes from us

choosing to look

to Jesus.

To look to Jesus

to see

his glory.

Here is God

in the flesh.

Here is Jesus,

the Son of God,

displaying

his great love,

God's great love

to the world.

Here is Jesus

bringing us

the grace

of God.

God's great love.

Because one thing

that the Bible

always invites us

to do

is to identify

with,

not the hero

in the story,

but in this case

the woman

in this story.

Because when we

are honest,

all of us

are guilty

of false worship.

All of us

have that habit

to make idols

that we set up

in our hearts.

All of us

stand deserving

of the judgment

of God.

All of us

stand in need

of God's grace

to understand

that for us

to enjoy

living water,

Jesus

must drink

the cup

of God's wrath

for us

at the cross.

So that's

worship

in the spirit

or worship

in spirit,

but the full phrase

worship in spirit

and in truth.

So let's think

about that.

What does that

talk to us about?

Well,

there was a leading

tech CEO,

a chief executive,

who said

a couple of years

ago,

I believe in God,

but each person

has to define

that

on their own.

Now I wonder

if we recognize

that attitude

in our society.

Everybody is free

to make up

their own truth,

including

the freedom

to make up

our truth

about God.

Again,

let me speak

to the boys

and girls

for just

a moment.

Thinking about

your life

compared to

somebody old

like me,

one of the things

that's very different

is you have

so much choice.

So I grew up

in the days

when television

had four channels

and then there was

five,

whereas you live

in the day

of Netflix

and Amazon Prime

and Disney Plus.

I remember

having a range

of cereal

to choose from

in our local

supermarket

that probably

ran to

12,

15 boxes.

You have

a whole aisle.

We had

Lego sets

that were just

bricks.

Until the

early 90s

when Space

Lego came

and changed

the world,

you have

every kind

of Lego

imaginable.

Choice is nice.

Choice is good.

But here's one

thing from God's

Word.

We are not

free

to choose

what we think

God is like.

We do not

get to make up

what God is like.

We need

the Bible

to teach us.

We need

God

to reveal

himself

and that's

what he's

done

in the Word

of God

and through

his Son.

But what happens

when people try

and worship

without God's

Word?

Well,

one thing

that certainly

happens is that

people invent

God in our

image.

Let me have

a God

that suits

our times.

Let me have

a God

that suits

my feelings

or

instead of

worship being

all about

God and

his glory,

it becomes

all about

me.

There needs

to be

worship

in truth,

by which we

mean worship

that lines up

with God's

revelation

of himself.

We find

that in

the Bible

and we

find that

in his

Son,

the Lord

Jesus.

And John's

Gospel has

already told

us that.

John chapter

John 1:18

1,

verse 18,

no one has

ever seen

God,

but the

one and only

Son who

is himself

God,

and is in

the closest

relationship

with the

Father,

has made

him

known.

And then

we saw

in John

John 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

Jesus is

how we

come to

truly meet

with God.

And then

here in

chapter 4,

we find so

many indicators

that Jesus

is God

because only

God can

give the

gift of

eternal life,

and that's

what Jesus

says he

has come

to do.

And look

at the very

end of this

conversation,

look at

verse 25

and verse

26.

The women

said,

I know

that Messiah

called Christ

is coming,

when he

comes,

he will

explain

everything

to us.

Then

Jesus

declared,

I,

the one

speaking

to you,

I am

he.

Two things

to notice.

There is

Jesus

explicitly

saying,

I am

Messiah.

I am

the king

God

promised

to send.

One who

would rule

forever,

one who

would save

his people.

But Jesus

does more

than that.

when Jesus

says,

I am

he,

he is

deliberately

claiming

the Old

Testament

name of

God.

He is

saying,

I am

your God

and I

am

your

savior.

And so

any

worship

that is

in truth

must

understand

that

about

Jesus.

So

worship

in truth

is worship

to

Jesus

because he

is truly

God.

and it

is worship

through

Jesus

because he

is the

only way

to God.

And so

there is a

challenge

for us

individually,

there is a

challenge for

us as

churches

to worship

by the book,

to worship

according to

the Bible

and to

worship

the God

who is

revealed

in the

Bible

at a time

when truth

is relative

for so

many,

when truth

is disliked

by so

many.

We must

stay

faithful.

So to put

this whole

phrase together

as we're

called to

worship in

spirit and

truth,

for true

and not

false

worship,

we need

both a

true vision

of God,

revelation,

and a

true love

for God.

New heart

as the

Spirit's

working in

us.

We need

the truth

of the

Bible

and we

need to

treasure

the God

of the

Bible.

We need

to know

Jesus as

Lord and

to love

him.

as

Lord.

And in

this we

need to

pray.

We need

to pray

for ourselves.

We need

to pray

for our

churches.

We need

to pray

for our

preachers.

And

we need

to pray

for our

city and

for the

nations of

the world

that we

would see

worship in

spirit and

in truth.

One last

thing to

say.

as the

story moves

from

conversation

back to

the town

and then

back to

Jesus.

One last

lesson.

Worship

involves

head,

heart and

hands.

It involves

truth,

it involves

love and

it involves

action.

One of the

things the

Bible says,

all of life

is worship.

It's not

just what we

do here,

it's what we

do out

there.

It's how we

live our

lives.

And look

with me

very briefly

at this

woman's

story.

Verse 28.

Amazing.

Having gone

to the

effort in

the heat

of the

day to

go and

get water.

Verse 28.

Then leaving

her water

jar, the

woman went

back to

the town.

She'd

found better

water.

She'd

found living

water.

What does

she do?

She comes

back to

the town.

She freely

confesses

her sin.

Come see

me, a man

who told

me everything

I've ever

done.

She points

her town to

Jesus.

Could this

be the

Messiah?

And so

because of

her, the

town began

to go out

to meet

with Jesus.

And look

at the

impact of

her worship.

Verse 39.

Many of

the Samaritans

from that

town believed

in him because

of the

woman's

testimony.

He told

me everything

I've ever

done.

Look at

verse 42.

They said

to the

woman,

we no

longer

believe just

because of

what you

said.

Now we've

heard for

ourselves and

we know

that this

man really

is the

saviour of

the world.

So because

she testifies

that Jesus

is the

saviour,

many more

come to

trust in

Jesus too.

Here's a

woman who's

doing Romans

12.

She's presenting

her body as a

living sacrifice.

This is her

spiritual worship.

She shares

what she knows

of Jesus so

others might

come to

hear and

believe.

Friends,

this is a

wonderful

chapter from

God's word

reminding us

that Jesus

has come as

saviour of

the world.

And we will

shortly share

the Lord's

supper to

remind us of

the cost of

our salvation.

Jesus has

come so we

would know

the truth and

that truth

would set

us free.

Jesus has

come to

give the

spirit that

spirit might

live inside

us, fill us

with love

and joy in

for Jesus

that we

would share

with others

so that all

of our life

would be

worship,

that we

would recognise

truly Jesus

is worthy

of all glory

and that we

want others

to know the

same.

May that be

true of you,

may that be

true of me,

may that be

true of the

churches that

we represent

as we come

to recognise

that a

healthy church

must always

worship in

spirit and

in truth.

Now let me

close with a

brief word of

prayer before

we come to

the Lord's

supper.

Lord, our

God, we

thank you for

this wonderful

chapter of the

Bible and for

the way it

reveals to us

the heart of

the Lord

Jesus.

Thank you that

he was willing

to spend time

with this

woman that

everybody else

was happy to

ignore.

Thank you that

her country

and culture,

that her

lifestyle was

no barrier

to her

receiving good

news and

living water.

Lord, we

pray that

you would

help us

to value

Jesus so

much that

we would be

looking for

opportunities to

take that good

news to

others.

Lord, we

pray that your

spirit would be

at work in

our hearts,

constantly

changing it,

filling our

hearts with

more and more

love for

Jesus.

us.

We pray

that you

would give

us that

desire to

read and

to study and

to hear your

word being

preached so

that our

worship would

be in line

with your

revelation,

with your

truth.

Lord, we

pray that you

would give to

our churches

this true

worship.

Protect us

from false

worship that's

just going

through the

motions and

doing our

duty.

Protect us

from false

worship and

not truly

teach what

the Bible

says.

Help us,

we pray,

for our own

sake and for

the sake of

the city

around us and

for the nations

of the world.

We pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now, we

come to

share together

the Lord's

Supper.

The Lord's

Supper is

for all those

who have put

their trust in

Jesus as

Lord and

Saviour,

those who are

members of

God's church,

and those who

are aware of

their constant

need of

God's grace.

Before we

share, I

want to

read together

words that

you'll see up

on the screen

from Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

chapter 36.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

chapter 36,

and we'll

read verse

25 to

27,

where we

read,

I will

sprinkle clean

water on

you, and

you will be

clean.

I will

cleanse you

from all

your impurities

and from

all your

idols.

I will

give you a

new heart

and put a

new spirit

in you.

I will

remove from

you your

heart of

stone and

give you a

heart of

flesh, and

I will put

my spirit

in you and

move you to

follow my

decrees and

be careful to

keep my

laws.

Jesus came

to establish

the new

covenant.

Through his

life,

death,

and

resurrection,

and by

sending the

Holy Spirit.

And now

for those of

us who are

in Christ,

we have the

spirit living

in us,

so that we

have a

new heart

and a

new power

to obey

the commands

of God.

Now

through this

new covenant,

our sins

are forgiven,

and the

spirit of

God is

given to

us to

help us

live in

trust and

obedience.

As we

share the

Lord's

Supper,

it is a

reminder of

the cross

of Jesus

that secures

for us all

the benefits

of the

new covenant.

covenant.

And also,

the Lord's

Supper is a

beautiful

reminder of

our unity

as the

body of

Christ.

That as we

share the

Lord's

Supper

today,

let's

remember that

this is a

taste,

a first

taste of

the feast

to come

in eternal

glory.

So let

me explain

for the

sake of

our

visitors

how we

have been

receiving

Lord's

Supper

recently.

So you'll

be directed

to come

down from

the back

row by

row,

and you'll

see there

are bread,

there's bread

and wine

and little

cups on

either side.

If you

can take

one of

each,

take them

back to

your seat,

hold on

to them,

and we'll

eat and

we'll drink

together,

and then

when we're

finished you

can just

leave your

little cups

on the

pews and

we will

collect them.

So again,

as we

prepare to

do that,

we will

sing.

We have

a hymn

to help

us to

reflect

as we

come to

collect the

elements of

the Lord's

Supper,

when I

survey the

wondrous

cross,

and as

we begin

to sing,

you'll

be

directed

to

come

down

if

you're

sharing

the

Lord's

Supper

with

us.

Amen.

When I

surveyed

the

wondrous

cross,

on which

the

Prince

of

glory

died,

my

riches

gained,

I count

love,

and

poor

contempt,

all

know

my

pride.

Forbidden,

Lord,

that I

should

boast,

save

in the

death

of

Christ

my

God.

Oh,

the

vain

things

that

charm

emuls,

I

sacrifice

them

to

His

blood.

See

from

His

head,

His

hands,

His

feet,

sorrow

and

love

flow

mingled

out.

Did

earth

such

love

and

sorrow

made

or

thorns

composed

so

rich

a

crown?

Were

the

whole

realm

of

nature

mine,

there

were

a

present

far

too

small.

Love

so

amazing,

so

divine,

demands

my

soul,

my

life,

my

all.

Amen.

j

oh

I

thank you

here,

bye.

Amen.

Amen.

Let me read for us from 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23.

1 Corinthians 11:23

These words of institution.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread and gave thanks.

Let's take a moment to pray together.

Lord, it is true that we're the whole realm of nature ours.

That would be an offering far too small.

As we consider the work of Jesus, your Son, the Holy One, on the cross.

Taking our sin on himself.

Suffering spiritual agony as he felt forsaken by his Father.

Taking on himself the just judgment of God for our sin.

Though he knew no sin.

That we might be declared righteous.

That we might be forgiven.

That we might have new life.

That we might be adopted into the family of God.

Lord, we are so thankful for what this bread and wine represents to us.

The life-giving, sacrificial love of the Lord Jesus.

And may we be conscious of his help and his presence and his grace.

As we gather at his table.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread.

And when he'd given thanks, he broke it and said,

This is my body, which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

So let's eat together to remember.

Amen.

And in the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,

This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

So let's drink to remember and to proclaim.

And now our closing hymn is the hymn,

In Christ Alone.

And then afterwards, Jacob will come and we will receive the benediction from him.

So let's stand and let's sing God and Saviour.

Amen.

In Christ alone.

In Christ alone my hope is found.

He is my life, my strength, my soul.

This cornerstone, this solid ground

From through the fiercest rod and store

What high so low, what best so peace

When fears are still, when striving cease

My Comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless pain

This gift of love, this righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on the cross as Jesus died

The rest of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness sway

Then burning forth in glorious day

Off from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin curse has lost His grave on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first Christ in final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of land, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I stand

This is the word of God

In 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 13

2 Corinthians 13:13

주 예수 그리스도의 은혜와 하나님의 사랑과

성령의 교통하심이 너희 무리와 함께 있을지어다

아멘

Again, everybody for gathering together to worship

So encouraging two invitations

One that was planned

Come and share some food with us

We're looking forward to that

But also

Wednesday

From 6 o'clock till 7 o'clock

We have a praise and prayer event

We love to have people gather

To worship and to pray with us

For one another and for our city

So if you have an hour on Wednesday

Please join us

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.