January 3, 2021

My Grace Is Sufficient For You

Passage: Matthew 2:1-12

https://www.youtube.com/c/StPaulsPresbyterianChurchKemptville

Welcome and Call to Worship 

Hymns:   

  •  "The New Year, Lord, We Welcome Make"
  •  “As With Gladness, Men Of Old”

Prayer of Adoration and Confession and the Lord's Prayer 

What Is Epiphany? 

 

Hymn: "A Child Is Born In Bethlehem"

The Gospel:  Matthew 2:1-12

Hymn: “My Grace Is Sufficient For You”

Sermon:  " My Grace Is Sufficient For You "  

Prayer:  

 

Introduction:

The word “Epiphany” refers to the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the entire world as the Messiah. the Saviour of the world.

Body:

The story of the wisemen from the East, they were very brave to travel - following a star to an unknown place.

- Searching for an unknown child.

- Not knowing what will happen next.

The secret for their braveness is God himself.

Example of God’s presence and protection to the people of Israel:

 

Today we stand on the beginning of a new year. we fear the unknown in the New Year.  but we increase in wisdom.

 

Increasing in wisdom is the goal of every Christian.

Wisdom according to the Scripture is: “to know the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and to believe in the depth of your heart that Because of God’s Grace. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

 

God ‘s Grace is sufficient for us. in the New Year

 

Sufficient means "I am standing with you in your situation.".  You are not alone, God himself is with us in our suffering.

 

Examples of God standing with his people at the time of their suffering.

  • Danial and his friends in the fiery furnace.
  • Joseph in his prison in Egypt,
  • Moses in the wilderness,
  • Paul when he was beaten, hungry and thirsty and was burdened with his care for God’s church.

 

God did not take their suffering away. because suffering has a purpose which is to lead us to spiritual growth.

 

Suffering is part of every human life.

  • We only know we’ve been high when we’re feeling low.
  • Suffering push us forward to be more resilient people.
  • It teaches us humility and grace and increase our compassion for others.
  • Suffering can deepen our faith and spiritual experiences.

 

Karl Barth Story

 

What is Grace?

 

We don’t do good in order to deserve God’s grace; we receive God’s grace without any merit from our part. We do good as answer to God’s grace.

 

A story is told about a man who went to heaven.

 

He was met at the gate by St. Peter, who said, "It will take you 100 points to make it into heaven.

 

So, tell me all the good things you've done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

 

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

 

"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth two points!"

 

"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

 

"Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point."

 

"One point?... O my God. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless people."

 

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.

 

"TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate, the only way I get into heaven is by the Grace of God!"

 

St. Peter smiled, "that's 95 points. Come on in".

 

Conclusion:

2021 has started. We wish that it will be a better year than 2020.  but if not, let us always remember that God’s grace accompanies us in every moment of our life and that His grace is sufficient for us. Every moment of our life should be a loving answer to the grace of God who loved and redeemed us through His Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

Prayer:

 

Hymn “All Glory Be To Christ”

Announcements and Mission Moment  

A Prayer for the New Year 

 

Hymn: “O God, Our Help In Ages Past”

Commissioning and Benediction:
-   "God Will Take Care Of You"

Announcements: 

We welcome to our worship service the congregations of St. Paul’s-Winchester, St. Andrew’s-Chesterville and Morewood Presbyterian Churches as they worship with us during the lockdown time and we wish Rev. Bruce Kemp a happy retirement.  

 

In consequence of the retirement of the Rev. Bruce W. Kemp, formerly minister of the pastoral charge of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Chesterville, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Winchester and Morewood Presbyterian Church, Morewood,

the Presbytery of Seaway-Glengarry hereby intimates and declares the charge to be vacant beginning of January 1st, 2021 and calls upon all parties concerned to proceed, according to the laws and practice of the church, to the obtaining of a minister to fill the vacancy.

Next Sunday January 10, 2021, we welcome Rev. Roland De Vries, the principle of the Presbyterian College in Montreal, as our guest preacher.

Thank you to all who are sharing our YouTube channel with others. Friends and family can get our weekly bulletin and other announcements by signing up to our church email list with a note to newsletter@stpaulskemptville.ca. St. Paul’s worship service is available online every Sunday after 6AM. Thank you to all who subscribed to our YouTube channel, we have reached 1370 subscribers and the average views of our services is 260 every Sunday. The channel address.is: https://www.youtube.com/c/StPaulsPresbyterianChurchKemptville 

Happy New Year to Everyone

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