ANNOUNCEMENTS
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Call To Worship
Psalm 117 : 1 – 2
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. 2 For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
詩篇 117 : 1 – 2
1 萬國啊，你們都當讚美耶和華！萬民哪，你們都當頌讚他！2 因為他向我們大施慈愛，耶和華的誠實存到永遠。你們要讚美耶和華！
Worship Through Songs
Good day precious flock of our Lord Jesus Christ—his beloved bride. May we rise to face the day with a strong sense of calling as his followers, as well as a sweet sense of his constant presence and loving care in our lives.
Christ-like love—especially love for one another—differentiates, above any other thing, Jesus’ disciples from the rest of the world.
Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn 13:34-35).
This begs the question as to how exactly, and to what extent, does Jesus love those that belong to him—inevitably driving us once more to that inexhaustible fount of redeeming love, the cross of Calvary. Considering what Jesus went through to save undeserving sinners like us, how could we ever love others like that? It is hard enough to love, genuinely and consistently, our own brothers and sisters in Christ, how much more difficult it is, then, to love the unloving and the unlovable? And yet, this love, said Jesus, distinguishes us as his own.
Christopher Wright, in his book Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit, writing about love as evidence of Jesus’ presence in us, states…
“According to John, when people who claim to be Christians show no evidence of this kind of God-like, Christ-like, Spirit-produced love, then they call into question whether they are truly born again (1 Jn 4:7 ); they show that they don’t really know God (1 Jn 4:8); and they are despising the cross of Christ by refusing to live as if it has anything to teach us (1 Jn 4:9-10). But worst of all, they are keeping God invisible (1 Jn 4:12). They are hiding the love of God. They are concealing the God who is love, the God who cannot be seen in himself, but longs to be seen in and through us …
When Christians do not love one another, it is not just tragic, it is toxic. It is poisonous and deadly. It frustrates the very reason for our existence. Our mission is to be disciples and make disciples, sharing and living the good news of the gospel of the love of God by showing how it transforms our own lives and relationships …
When Christians love each other, it shows who they belong to. It points people to Jesus. Christian love is incredibly transforming, and in many contexts so surprising and countercultural that it can only be the work of Christ, the power of the gospel, the fruit of the Spirit.
What a vital fruit this kind of love is! It is absolutely first and foremost. When Christians love one another, it proves they have eternal life and a saving faith, it proves the reality of God, and it proves that they are true followers of Jesus. But when they don’t . . . well, what does that prove?”
A hard question. One that each one of us must sincerely ask ourselves many times over our lifetime. Resisting the temptation to point it to others, we leave room for the Holy Spirit to work in their own hearts, while humbly inviting Him to thoroughly search our own.
May God reveal the true state of our lives with regards to this. And may the reality of our failure to consistently love as Jesus loved, humble us, lead us to repentance, and drive us to cling ever firmly to that extraordinary Love that casts away all fear: the love of our God and Savior who, though knowing everything about us—including every wicked, shameful, and treacherous thing—chose to love us anyway. The love that took our sin and death in exchange for eternal life and righteousness. The love that forgives, accepts, restores, transforms, and empowers. The love that pardons the offender, blesses the enemy, and lays its life down for its friends. The overwhelming, overcoming love of Christ that frees and enables us to be authentic people joyfully loving others. Let us celebrate the love and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ this day.
‘Heavenly Father, we pray that this day and through this week, we may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, we pray that this day and through this week, we may take up our cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, we pray that this day and every day, you will fill us with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For the glory of God and for the love of Christ, Amen.’ [adapted from John Stott]
Anthem
Press On
Scripture Reading
For Rev. Rival
Luke 9 : 51 – 56 (ESV)
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.
路 加 福 音 9 : 51 – 56 (CUV)
51 耶 穌 被 接 上 升 的 日 子 將 到 ， 他 就 定 意 向 耶 路 撒 冷 去 ，
52 便 打 發 使 者 在 他 前 頭 走 。 他 們 到 了 撒 瑪 利 亞 的 一 個 村 莊 ， 要 為 他 預 備 。
53 那 裡 的 人 不 接 待 他 ， 因 他 面 向 耶 路 撒 冷 去 。
54 他 的 門 徒 雅 各 、 約 翰 看 見 了 ， 就 說 ： 主 阿 ， 你 要 我 們 吩 咐 火 從 上 降 下 來 燒 滅 他 們 ， 像 以 利 亞 所 作 的 （ 有 古 卷 無 「 像 以 利 亞 所 作 的 」 數 字 ） 麼 ？
55 耶 穌 轉 身 責 備 兩 個 門 徒 ， 說 ： 你 們 的 心 如 何 ， 你 們 並 不 知 道 。
56 人 子 來 不 是 要 滅 人 的 性 命 （ 或 作 ： 靈 魂 ； 下 同 ） ， 是 要 救 人 的 性 命 。 說 著 就 往 別 的 村 莊 去 了 （ 有 古 卷 只 有 五 十 五 節 首 句 ， 五 十 六 節 末 句 ） 。
For Pastor Po
John 15 : 17 – 19 (ESV)
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
約 翰 福 音 15 : 17 – 19 (CUV)
17 我 這 樣 吩 咐 你 們 ， 是 要 叫 你 們 彼 此 相 愛 。
18 世 人 若 恨 你 們 ， 你 們 知 道 （ 或 作 ： 該 知 道 ） ， 恨 你 們 以 先 已 經 恨 我 了 。
19 你 們 若 屬 世 界 ， 世 界 必 愛 屬 自 己 的 ； 只 因 你 們 不 屬 世 界 ， 乃 是 我 從 世 界 中 揀 選 了 你 們 ， 所 以 世 界 就 恨 你 們 。
Sermon
Rev. Alvin Rival:
Pastor Dereik Po
中文翻譯 (Pastor Dereik Po):
Tithes And Offering
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Response Song
