Divine Service Guide New Apostolic Church

24 Pages·2017·0.15 MB·English

New Apostolic
Church
Divine Service
Guide
3 September
The rock of 20/21 September
offence Peace be with you
6/7 September 24 September
How awesome is Preserving and
this place proclaiming the
gospel
10 September
Peace and edification 27/28 September
Faith and trust
13/14 September
The goodness of God Youth service
Gratitude leads to
17 September a happier life
Unity in Christ
abolishes
differences
A monthly for the ministers
September 2017
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September 2017 Foreword
The first three Sunday services will focus on the theme series
“Peace through Christ”.
The sermon on the first Sunday emphasises that we should not
allow anything to jeopardise our peace in Christ. The Bible text
from the letter to the Romans provides insights here, and teaches
us to preserve divine peace despite unfulfilled expectations or dif-
fering perspectives and differences among human beings.
The second Sunday of the month invites us to participate in the
edification of the congregation. To this end, it is important that
we preserve peace with God and our neighbour. Let us take
advantage of the fellowship in divine service in order to interact
with one another and forgive each other. It is in this way that
ambition, hunger for power, and selfishness can be overcome,
and that an enriching kind of peace can come into being in the
congregation.
On the third Sunday we are encouraged not to make any distinc-
tions in our dealings with our neighbour. It is a result of sin that
human beings constantly measure and judge one another. The
recognition that we have been delivered from sin and its conse-
quences helps us to overcome divisiveness.
On 21 September we will observe the International Day of Prayer
for Peace. The Bible text for this divine service is taken from
Psalm 122. The psalmist rejoices in the fellowship of those who
seek the peace of God in the house of the Lord, and expresses
the wish that this peace may yet draw many other human beings
into its power.
The last Sunday of the month is dedicated to the wealth of Christ.
The emphasis is on the significance of the gospel, which has
been personified in Jesus Christ. He is truth, love, grace, and the
victor over sin and death. He is the bridegroom we are waiting
for.
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3 September 2017 Sunday
Peace through Christ – The rock of offence
The rock of desires to lead us into eternal
fellowship with God.
offence
■■ Many were indignant
when Jesus claimed to
Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling be the only way leading
stone and rock of offence, and to the Father (John 14:
whoever believes on Him will not 6). They were just as out-
be put to shame. raged when He stated
Romans 9: 33 that one had to be born
again out of water and
the Spirit, and when He
Message insisted on the necessity
of eating His body and
Let us be watchful and ensure drinking His blood in order
that Jesus Christ never to have eternal life (John
becomes a rock of offence to 3: 5; 6: 53–54).
us.
We believe that the path estab-
Elaboration lished by Jesus is the only way
that will allow us to enter into
In his letter to the Romans His kingdom at His return.
(Romans 9–11) Apostle Paul
is thinking about the people of ■■ Jesus demanded a deci-
Israel, and in our Bible text he sive attitude of heart. He
makes reference to the words stated that it is necessary
of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah to love God with all one’s
3: 8). The majority of Israel heart, with all one’s soul,
did not accept Jesus as the with all one’s mind, and
Messiah because He did not with all one’s strength
fulfil their expectations. (Mark 12: 30). For the rich
young man, this was a
Jesus, the rock of offence rock of offence that pre-
vented him from following
How could Jesus ever have the Lord.
become a rock of offence?
Let us accept the call of the
■■ The Jews were hoping Lord to follow Him and dis-
that Jesus would improve tance ourselves from anything
their earthly lives, drive that could prevent us from
out the Romans, and doing so.
establish an earthly
kingdom such as that of ■■ The Lord did not fulfil the
King David. He, however, demands of those who
wanted to lead them into wanted to see a miracle
the kingdom of heaven. in order to believe in Him
(Matthew 12: 38). Nor
We believe that Jesus is at did He give an answer
work for our salvation and to those who wanted to
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The rock of offence
know the day of His com-
ing (Mark 13: 32). Summary
The Lord does not answer all Our faith preserves us from seeing
of our questions, but we trust Jesus as a rock of offence. We believe
in Him: He is the truth.
■■ in eternal life.
We owe our salvation to the
grace of God alone. No one ■■ that Jesus is the only way leading
could ever earn the kingdom to God.
of God.
■■ that He does not ask too much of
■■ “Whoever does not us.
receive the kingdom of
God as a little child will by ■■ in grace.
no means enter it” (Mark
10: 15). A child has never ■■ in the promises of Jesus.
earned any kind of merit.
It lives by that which it is Let us be watchful and make sure that
given. The Lord picked Jesus Christ never becomes a rock of
up on this thought in offence to us.
His parables about the
labourers in the vineyard
and the prodigal son. The Context
Jews were annoyed over
this because they thought Apostle Paul shows that God
they could earn salvation did not reject the Jews despite
through their good works. all of their failings. Because
Israel did not recognise Jesus
Let us not become annoyed Christ as Lord, the gospel
when we get the feeling that also came to the Gentiles. The
the Lord has not “rewarded” Gentile-Christians were not to
us for our faithfulness and become arrogant because of
commitment to Him. this, however, because God
would ultimately also deliver
Let us be watchful! Israel (Romans 11: 26–27).
At times we expect the Lord to Notes
help us, and if this help does
not come or our situation in
life does not change, we are
disappointed. For this reason,
Jesus might also become a
rock of offence to us as well.
Let us ensure this never hap-
pens—and let us be watchful.
Thoughts from the Chief Apostle
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6/7 September 2017 Midweek
Bible study – The ladder to heaven
How awesome that had transpired there. The
holiness of this place comes to
is this place!
expression in that Jacob
■ experienced the presence
Then he dreamed, and behold, a of God there (verses 13,
ladder was set up on the earth, 16).
and its top reached to heaven;
and there the angels of God were ■ recognised God as the
ascending and descending on it. Most High (see Context).
Genesis 28: 12
■ received a promise there
(verses 13–14).
Message
■ received a mission from
The places where God reveals God (verse 14).
Himself are holy. Let us respect
them and seek them out. ■ received divine comfort
and encouragement for
Elaboration his life (verse 15).
On his way from Beersheba to All of this causes Jacob to
Haran, Jacob had a dream in exclaim, “How awesome is this
which he saw a ladder extend­ place! This is none other than
ing into heaven. At its top the house of God, and this is
he saw the Lord, the God of the gate of heaven!” (verse
Abraham and Isaac. From His 17). He professes his belief in
mouth, he receives the prom­ God and promises to give Him
ise that the place in which he the tenth of all his increase as
finds himself will be given as a token of his profession that
a possession to his descend­ all of his possessions belong
ants. However, God not only to God.
promises a wonderful future,
but also His constant ac ­ The holy place today
companiment and protection
(verse 15). Today too God grants human
beings such holy places in
The holy place of Bethel which He encounters them.
Perhaps we do not always
When Jacob awoke he was immediately recognise these
filled with reverence, and places as such and have to
recognised the place in which admit like Jacob, “Surely the
he found himself as a holy Lord is in this place, and I did
place. He called it Bethel not know it” (verse 16).
(“house of God”) and erected
a memorial stone there, which In the divine services we can
was to remind him and his experience the Lord in many
descendants of the events ways. The holiness of God
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Bible study – The ladder to heaven
comes to expression here in
that Summary
■ God is present. The The place of God’s revelation is holy
Trinitarian opening at the because it is there that we
start of the divine service
is an invocation of God ■ experience the presence of God
and the assurance of His and recognise Him as the Most
presence. High.
■ we profess God as the ■ receive divine promises, missions,
Most High, and that we but also comfort and encourage­
owe Him alone all glory ment through His word.
and adoration. How often
it happens in daily life ■ profess our belief in God and bring
that we still pay homage our tithes to Him.
to other gods! But in this
sanctified place let us
reflect exclusively on the Context
one God and address our
hymns and prayers to the The ladder to heaven men­
triune God and hold Him tioned in Genesis 28: 10–19
in awe. would have been similar to
a Babylonian step pyramid.
■ the promises of God for This is an image for the link
His church are kept alive between the beyond and the
within us by the Holy here and now, between the
Spirit (Matthew 16: 18; divine sphere and the human
John 14: 3). sphere. At the tip of this pyra­
mid stands God, who speaks
■ God proclaims His will to Jacob. Only the God of
to us and thereby calls Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is
us into His service and the true God (verse 13)—not
makes us accountable the gods who would other­
over ourselves and with wise be worshipped at a step
regard to our neighbour. pyramid.
In this manner God
blesses us, and we are Notes
able to be a blessing for
others.
■ God grants us comfort
and encouragement,
particularly in the closing
benediction.
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10 September 2017 Sunday
Peace through Christ – Peace and edification
Peace and ■■ know the will of God. This
requires a personal effort.
edification
God will not dictate to
us what we must do and
abstain from doing. He
Therefore let us pursue the things teaches us the gospel,
which make for peace and the and it is up to us to derive
things by which one may edify the corresponding deci­
another. sions from it.
Romans 14: 19
■■ do the will of God and
thereby conquer our­
Message selves.
Let us do our part to contrib­ ■■ receive a full measure
ute to the peace and edifica­ of grace, which requires
tion of the congregation. us to call our personal
actions into question.
Elaboration
■■ celebrate Holy Commun­
In our Bible text Apostle Paul ion in humbleness with
calls upon his readers to pre­ the firm resolution to enter
serve the cohesion and peace into fellowship with Jesus
of the congregation. Disputes and take on His nature.
in the congregation over
adherence to the dietary laws In order to then have peace
were the catalyst that caused with our neighbour, let us
him to write these words. Any­ endeavour to put aside sources
one who required his brother of conflict. Greed, ambition,
or sister to disregard the diet­ and hunger for power are
ary laws was no longer acting selfish attitudes that are at
in accordance with the law of the root of many disputes. The
love (Romans 13: 8–10), and Lord calls upon us to treat our
was thus creating unrest. neighbour in the same way we
want to be treated (Matthew
Peace 7: 12).
We too must see to it that Edification
peace prevails in our congre­
gation. For us it is no longer We are called upon to do our
the religious dietary laws but part for the edification of the
differing outlooks on life that congregation, the body of
can lead to tensions. In order Christ. Let us not only employ
to keep peace, we must first the gifts we have received for
have peace within ourselves. our own benefit, but also put
This comes into being when them at the disposal of the
we have fellowship with God. congregation (1 Corinthians
In order to enjoy such peace, 14: 26).
we must
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Peace and edification
Let us also contribute to the
growth of the knowledge of Summary
Christ (Ephesians 4: 13) by
We do our part to contribute
■■ talking about good things
instead of bad things. ■■ to the peace of our own souls by
This is not a matter of heeding the divine will and seeking
denying or trivialising His grace.
mistakes committed in
the past, but rather of ■■ to peace with our neighbour by
drawing attention to the banning selfishness from our
magnitude of the love and hearts.
grace of Jesus Christ.
No matter what the sin, ■■ to the edification of the congrega-
Jesus loves the sinner tion by putting ourselves at the
and can forgive him. service of others, proclaiming
Christ, and loving others as the
■■ talking about the works of Lord loves us.
Jesus rather than our own
works.
Context
■■ putting ourselves into the
service of Jesus in order Romans 14 focuses on the
to perform good works, relationship between the
and thereby allowing our weak and the strong in faith,
neighbour to recognise and demands that those who
Jesus through us. are strong in faith have some
consideration for those who
Finally, let us also contribute are weaker. The catalyst for
to the oneness of the body of this was that the religious
Christ (Ephesians 4: 15–16) dietary laws were still being
by loving others as the Lord observed by some members
loves us. Let us not be content of the congregation, but not
to simply do good works for others. Those who kept the
those who can repay us (Luke dietary laws made a big deal of
6: 33–35). The Lord even loves toler ating the behaviour of the
the bad and those who are others. Romans 14: 20 makes
ungrateful ... it clear that “the work of God”
takes precedence and is not to
Thoughts from the Chief Apostle be jeopardised on account of
specific modes of conduct.
Notes
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13/14 September 2017 Midweek
The goodness church or the heroes of
faith in our time, we would
of God
certainly have to consider
ourselves more like the
labourers who began
Oh, taste and see that the Lord working at the last hour.
is good; blessed is the man who
trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, ■■ Considering the magni-
you His saints! There is no want tude of the salvation He
to those who fear Him. offers us, God could cer-
Psalm 34: 8–9 tainly require tremendous
efforts of us—but that
is not the case! He sees
Message to it that our tests and
trials never surpass our
The goodness of God arouses strengths, and provides
the fear of God within us. for us the necessary help
in order to endure them
Elaboration (1 Corinthians 10: 13).
Recognising the goodness ■■ Nevertheless, we fall vic-
of God through the Spirit tim to sin again and again,
but instead of punishing
Through the orientation and us, He grants us His for-
guidance of the Holy Spirit, we giveness.
have recognised the goodness
and friendliness of God, our ■■ We also see the good-
Father. ness of God in the man-
ner in which He treats
■■ He sent Jesus Christ, the those who refuse Him or
good shepherd (John 10: even fight against Him:
11), who selflessly gave we need only think of the
His life as a sacrifice. people living in the time of
Noah (1 Peter 3: 19–20).
■■ It has pleased Him to give
the kingdom to the little God’s goodness awakens
flock whom He has cho- the fear of the Lord
sen (Luke 12: 32). As was
the case with the people The goodness of God awakens
of Israel, our election is the fear of the Lord within us.
based on the love of God
alone (Deuteronomy 7: ■■ We trust God even when
7–8). In His goodness, He causes us to take
God grants equal sal- detours as He did for the
vation to the “first” and people of Israel at the
the “last” (Matthew 20: time (Exodus 13: 18). He
8–15). If we think about only wants the best for
the martyrs of the early us, and He will complete
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