Christ Church Selly Park

Confidence

Bobbie Frere | Nehemiah 9:38 | Nehemiah 10:28-39 

‘The rest of the people - priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighbouring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand - all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.’

It had taken the people a long time to get to the point where they could make this full and open commitment. Having recently returned from exile, they promised to observe the Law which marked them out as the people of God. As Bobbie explains, an essential step was to truly appreciate the goodness and faithfulness of God. Yet: human failure is never far away. Bobbie encourages us to remember what God has done for us but also to trust in his power rather than our own as we seek to follow him.

The recording begins with the reading from Sarah Trinder.

You are living stones

Bishop Walter Toro | 1 Peter 2:4-12 

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Walter is the Anglican Bishop of Bolivia, and recently attended the Lambeth Conference before spending time in Birmingham strengthening links with the churches here. Walter reminds us of the unique place each of us has in the church, yet all of us are called to present Christ to the world through our lives. Walter speaks in Spanish, with English translation by David Dixie.

The recording begins with the reading from Chris Powell.

Reading the Bible

Peter Frere | Nehemiah 8 

On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law... Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

The Temple and the walls of Jerusalem have at last been rebuilt, but there is still essential work to be done. The people of Israel, returned from exile, rediscover their purpose in being and their place in God's plan - and it has a profound effect on them. Peter explains why and how we should read the Bible and let its Good News change us.

The recording begins with the reading from James Williams.

Living in godliness

Janet Chalmers | Nehemiah 5 

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, ‘We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.’ Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.’ ... When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, ‘You are charging your own people interest!’ So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: ‘As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!’ They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

While the poor suffer misery, the rich get ever richer. In these ancient times Nehemiah faces a very modern problem. How should he respond?

Rachel Fasham was supposed to be preaching this week, but COVID-19 forced a change in our plans and, instead, we hear from service leader Janet Chalmers in the recording with a brief introduction to what Rachel intended to say.

During the service the congregation were invited to discuss these questions:

• What was Nehemiah’s response to the situation and how is this an example of living in godliness?
• Nehemiah was a person of influence. Who do we know who has influence?
• How can we get them to use their influence?
• What should our response as individuals and as a church be to the current cost of living crisis?
• What will you pledge to do?

The PCC of Christ Church has already agreed to commit resources to help with the economic crisis during the winter months, possibly by acting as a warmth and food hub, but planning is only just beginning.

Some of the congregational responses involved supporting these efforts, and also supporting B30 Foodbank and Christians Against Poverty who are very much in the front line.

Personally we can look out for those in need and display kindness, and spend our money with independent, socially responsible businesses rather than non-tax paying giants. We can engage with politicians to promote fairness in the economic system. We can pray for the government, for those in need, for good harvests and a fair distribution.

These were some of the pledges that were made, but many will also wish to imitate Nehemiah in another respect: he carefully considered his response.

The recording includes the reading from Dave Lucking.

Overcoming opposition

Ben Green | Nehemiah 4 

When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem are doing God's work, and making good progress. Then, opposition appears, and the difficulties mount up. What's going on? Ben explains what our attitude should be to opposition and how we should respond. There's a big clue in the words “But we prayed...”

The recording begins with the reading from Susan Mole.

A God-given purpose

Allan Bartlam | Nehemiah 1.1 - 3.2 (abridged) 

God's people had been in exile for many years, Jerusalem destroyed, the city gates burned by fire. God called Nehemiah - the butler of the emperor of Persia - to lead his people in rebuilding the walls. Nehemiah's example can help us learn to be faithful to God wherever he has called us.

The recording begins with the reading from John Mason.

Remember me

Dan Parnell | 1 Corinthians 11.23-28 

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ 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.

From the earliest days of the church, the celebration of Holy Communion has formed a central part of worship. But why, and what does it mean? Speaking in our All-In service, Dan gives a brief explanation.

The recording begins with the reading from Janet Chalmers.

Encountering God

Ben Green | Acts 1:1-8 

Then they gathered round [Jesus] and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

In their last earthly meeting, the disciples present Jesus with a request which seems completely in keeping with their understanding of God. Yet Jesus counters with a promise which reveals a much greater purpose. When we truly meet with God, whose agenda will we follow? As Ben explains, submitting to God's way - hard though it is - is truly worthwhile.

The recording begins with the reading from Trevor Whitehouse.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Creating community

Ben Green | John 13:1-17 

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.

Jesus, who knew he had total authority, took on the work of a slave. How can we acquire and live out such counter-cultural attitudes? As Ben explains, we need to do this not just within the church but in every community that we are part of.

The recording begins with the reading from Kate Routley.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Doing evangelism

Chris Turner | John 4.5-10, 15-18, 27-30, 39-42 

 

So [Jesus] came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, ‘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.’

The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’

He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’

‘I have no husband,’ she replied.

Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’

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.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’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 woman, ‘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 Saviour of the world.’

Chris Turner continues our series "Big Church Little Church" by looking at what evangelism is, why we do it - but most importantly how.  He shares encouraging stories to illustrate how we can share our faith, and offers some practical tips: listen, ask good questions, pray, train and practise sharing the gospel and our personal testimony.