VEIL MINISTRIES
presents a
Worship Service
29th January 2012
Although Jesus was a carpenter, most of his friends and many followers were fisherman.
The fishing boat is a symbol of his followers.
There is a cross on the top of the mast and the x and p are the first letters of Christ's name in Greek.
We use it here today to witness that we are followers of Jesus.
HYMN: WHO WOULD TRUE VALOUR SEE
Introduction:01 Intro Who would true valour (To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Our opening hymn today is ‘Who would true valour see’ which was written by John Bunyan during his 12 years in prison for refusing to conform to the official state church.
Bunyan was a remarkable man. He came from the humblest of backgrounds, fought for the Roundheads and later became a tinker, like his father, repairing pots and pans.
He was arrested for preaching without a licence to ‘unlawful assemblies’ and spent the following 12 years in jail-and such harsh treatment might remind us of the privilege we have in these days to share the Word of God wherever we might want. We might, however, be well advised to be aware that the State in the UK is passing laws which make ministers wary of how they present the Word of God lest it is considered inflammatory to minority groups. Bunyan was a man who paid the price of standing by his convictions of Biblical truth.
The tune ‘Monk’s Gate’ is an arrangement by Ralph Vaughan Williams of a traditional Sussex melody
Music: 02 He who would true valour see(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
1
Who would true valour see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.
2
Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories
Do but themselves confound;
His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright,
He’ll with a giant fight,
He will have a right
To be a pilgrim.
3
Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit,
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away,
He’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.
PRAYER
03 Prayer(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Gracious God, because we realise we are dependent on you for the very air we breathe, we come to say thank you for being a God of love. You provide for us and sustain us even when so many people who you have created give little or no thought to you. Our love for each other can be so variable according to circumstances, on what is happening to us, or indeed how people behave towards us. But your love for us is so constant that it truly amazes us. You love us even when we feel we cannot love ourselves. We therefore come to worship you and to confirm that despite our changing moods we do love you so much, and ask your forgiveness for the times we must be so hard to love.
Thank you for alerting us to show compassion to those who need someone to share their burdens. We think of those who are passing through worrying times of illness. Some have conditions for which cures are not yet available. We pray, so earnestly, that medical research will advance speedily and miraculous cures will be found. We dare to pray such an extravagant prayer because you are a God of miracles.
Bless, we pray, those who are mourning and give comfort which goes beyond all our words and actions.
We pray, too, for the leaders of our nations that they will recognise the wisdom of consulting you when faced with the complex problems.
These things we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN: HAIL TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED
Introduction: 04 Intro Hail to the Lord's anointed(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Words by James Montgomery. Born: November 4, 1771, Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland.
He had an eventful life. When he was editor of ‘The Sheffield Iris’ he was imprisoned twice for printing unacceptable articles as far as the government were concerned. He was an advocat of foreign missions and the Bible Society besides writing 400 hymns.
Music:05 Hail to the Lord's anointed(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
1.
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.
2.
He comes with succour speedy
To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing;
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3.
He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
And love, joy, hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.
4.
Arabia's desert ranger
To him shall bow the knee;
The Ethiopian stranger
His glory come to see;
With offerings of devotion
Ships from the isles shall meet,
To pour the wealth of ocean
In tribute at his feet.
5
Kings shall fall down before Him,
And gold and incense bring,
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
Outstretched His wide dominion,
O'er river, sea and shore,
Far as eagle's pinion,
Or dove's light wing can soar.
6.
O'er every foe victorious,
He on his throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for ever,
His changeless name of Love.
MUSICAL MOMENTS
1. I KNOW THOU ART MINE. 2. I WILL CARRY YOU
Introduction: 06 Music 1(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Firstly is an arrangement of the tune Unsworth for brass bands by Len Ballantine. The tune is so called after its composer Isaac Unsworth. Interestingly although he was unable to write music, he had a real gift for melodies which others would take down in dictation.
The words usually associated with the tune are by Canadian, William Featherstone
1.
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine,
For thee all the pleasures of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art thou,
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
2.
I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow,
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
3.
I will love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
And praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath;
And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
4.
In mansions of Glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore thee and dwell in thy sight;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
Adrian Torrans sings ‘I Will Carry You.’
Music:08 I will carry you (To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Sometimes I wonder if my beating heart has a reason
The thought of breathing only takes my breath away
I've spent so many nights wrestling with this feeling
Do I have the strength to make it through the day
But I was never meant
To walk this road alone
I can always trust you
When you say
I will carry you
Be your strength
And pull you through
Reach for me
And take my hand
We will pray
And we will stand
In a world
Crying out for peace
Let your heart be strong
For when I am weak
You will carry me
Sometimes You wonder if the road you're on has a reason
It's hard to go on, when you just don't know
We can shoulder all the weight of life between us
Until the fear of what we cannot see is gone
Cause we were never meant
to walk this road alone
we are bound together
When we say...
GOD'S TITHES AND OUR OFFERINGS
09 God's tithes(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
If we want bless a church or ministry there are three ways we can do it effectively.
1. By supporting it with prayer.
2. By being actively involved in its ministry in some way.
3. By financially supporting it.
If we can do all three, so much the better, because experience shows that the person who prayerfully supports will financially provide as well and thus will be actively involved
It takes commitment to truly support in those ways but God really does bless those who are obedient to him.
May God's blessing overflow in your life because of your support for his church or ministry.
HYMN: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Introduction: 10 Intro Great is thy faithfulness(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Thomas Chisolm wrote the poem in 1923 about God's faithfulness over his lifetime. Chisolm sent the song to William Runyan in Kansas to be set to song and published that same year. The Biblical reference is Lamentations 3:22
Music:11 Great is thy faithfulness(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
1
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
2
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
3
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
BIBLE READING
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
12 Bible(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
FAVOURITE HYMN FEATURE
13 Fav Hymn(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
Our contributor is
“One of my favourite hymns is ‘How great thou art’. God's creation never fails to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Beautiful skies, trees, birds, rivers, sunshine, rain etc. Our eldest son does not go to church as we do, but when he is in hillsides etc, that is his church and he is in wonder at God's creation.”
Music:14 How great thou art(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
1
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Chorus
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
2
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
3
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
MUSICAL MOMENTS
Introduction: 15 Music 2(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
That Old time Religion. Words & Music: Adapted from an African-American spiritual by Charles D. Tillman who first heard it at an 1889 camp meeting in Lexington, South Carolina. Then for those who have the gift of being able to allow music to lead them to worship God we have some beautiful classical piano music –Schubert’s Piano quartet in A familiarly known as the ‘Trout’. Then we have a Choral item : O quam gloriosum est regnum Words: Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)
Translated: O how glorious is the kingdom
in which all the saints rejoice with Christ!
Clad in robes of white,
they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
The cornet solo features the tune ‘I am amazed’ with the chorus ‘I am amazed that the Saviour should die for sinners like me and like you…….’
The soloist, Brian Davies, who recorded the solo with the Melbourne Staff Band of The Salvation Army is a committed Christian whose artistry and virtuoso playing has enabled him to witness about his faith on the major stages of the world.
1. VOCAL: THAT OLD TIME RELIGION
16 The old time religion(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
2. CORNET SOLO: WONDROUS DAY PLAYED BY BRIAN DAVIES
17 Wondrous Day(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
CHORAL: YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER
Introduction: 18 Intro Yesterday(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
A lovely positive reminder that we can rely on Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Music: 19 Yesterday(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
SERMON
20 Sermon(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
The difficulty in commenting on the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that we can either be launched into a detailed examination of each gift and how it can be described in every possible situation or we can touch just briefly on the subject and leave everyone to work it out for themselves! I'm not sure that there is a middle way but what I'd like to do today is to share my thoughts on what I think may cause some unnecessary confusion and even frustration.
Dr. Malcolm Westwood Some musicians are naturally gifted.-For instance, in the service today we have heard soloists who have blessed us by their giftedness.
Let’s ask the confusing question-are their gifts, the kind of gifts Paul is speaking about in l Corinthian 12? Or is Paul referring to the ability to do things we could not naturally do? Well, certainly, Paul talks about such things as faith and having knowledge and wisdom and the ability to talk in tongues. But elsewhere he speaks about the gift of prophecy and being a teacher, encouraging, helping, administration, giving and more.
Yet these are virtues which many people have and they do not necessarily claim to have had any relationship with the Holy Spirit. So are they 'natural' or ‘supernatural'?
To add to our confusion, there are some excellent non Christian administrators, and people who are naturally generous. And most of us can bring to mind instances of God using people who do not claim to belong to him yet have obvious natural gifts, to bring about his will
So what exactly differentiates between a gift of the Holy Spirit and a 'natural' gift.
It is true that all of us could improve on our basic aptitudes. For instance, anyone with a touch of determination could reach an acceptable standard in, say, piano playing if we practised each day. We may never become concert pianists but we could become useful pianists.
If we can hold a pencil, we can be taught to draw. Again, we may never become a Monet or a Rembrandt, but we will learn to draw recognisable pictures.
Another question then arises,-are the 'supernatural’ gifts of the Holy Spirit absolutely perfectly executed attributes so that people can recognise the difference from natural gifts?
Take the case of Brian Davies who blessed and thrilled us with the cornet solo 'Wondrous Day' in the service today. Did we hear a single note out of place? No, we didn't'! Did Brian have a vision one day and wake up to find that he was a superb cornet player. I'm certain he didn't.
No doubt his neighbours would tell us of the years he practised the same exercises over and over and over again. But Brian could have played to that same standard had he been playing ‘Old King Cole was a merry old soul' to an audience of non-Christians. No doubt he would have thrilled them with his ability and they would have recognised the degree of perfection in his playing. And had there been some knowledgeable musicians in the audience, Brian's talent would have been instantly recognised.
So it can't be the measure of perfection which differentiates a 'natural' gift from a 'supernatural' gift.
Let me pursue my example a little further, if I may please.
It is possible to hear a musical soloist who has undoubted ability, who has obviously put in hours of practise. playing a sacred piece of music, yet 'something' is missing.
Equally, we can listen to a very well constructed sermon from some one who is prophesying-or as the translation is meant- forth telling as opposed to fore-telling. He cannot
be faulted on his facts; his scholarship is evident and he speaks with persuasion about the Kingdom of God. Yet the congregation is unmoved. There's just something missing. No-one can seem to put their finger on it but it's like when you hit a bell, and it doesn't ring out clearly if there's a crack in it. It just doesn’t sound true.
And now, we're beginning to come closer to the explanation, I think.
We can do many of the things Paul lists as the gifts of the Holy Spirit 'naturally' and not be seen as doing anything different to a hundred other people.
The difference comes when a person is anointed by the Holy Spirit who empowers the gift and makes it 'holy'. And we remember that the word ‘holy’ word simply means 'different'. The Holy Spirit makes the 'natural' gift different in such a way that people can recognise it as being of God.
When Brian plays 'I am amazed that the Saviour should die for sinners like me and like you', our spirit detects the Holy Spirit's empowering in the man playing the solo. We can tell for Brian that it’s a real experience. It’s not just a musical exercise. Something inexplicable happens. It is mystical yet it is definite. It's not just a performance. And therefore we are blessed, not just entertained by the performance.
In exactly the same way, as I share this message, you should sense if the Holy Spirit has anointed my words. If you felt the anointing was not there, I would urge you to log out immediately, because as a preacher I have no right to present the eternal truths of God without being anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Which leaves me with just a further observation today. Sometimes the Holy Spirit does gift a person with an ability which that person does not have naturally.
For instance he gives the gift of healing. That is not something we could learn naturally or practise, however much some wish they could! But whether it be the 'natural' talent we may have cultivated and tried to improve and perfect or the immediate granting of an ability we did not previously have, the hall mark of whether it is of God will be the detection by the spirit within people that the gifting is of God. There will be no mistaking the anointing-It cannot be faked and it is always beautiful and moving to witness.
The most wonderful aspect of it all is that this anointing is available to every Christian.
And the benefit to every Christian who allows the Holy Spirit to anoint them is that people will see in them the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and will recognise the genuineness of the anointing.
How glad we are to meet Christians like that and how thrilling that our 'naturalness' can be so anointed and supernaturally empowered even before the Holy Spirit blesses us with gifts we didn't have before.
We are gifted by the Holy Spirit's anointing to enable our witness for the Lord Jesus to be powerful and effective.
There is never any reason to claim that we cannot do much for God when he is willing to bless us so much.
What a wonderful God we serve!
CHORAL: ALL THERE IS OF ME
21 All there is of me(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
BENEDICTION
22 Benediction(To hear the audio file please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
May the blessing of the anointing of the Holy Spirit equip you to serve God and to build his Kingdom. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.