Song 1 – Here is Love

Hear God call you to worship:

Psalm 33:20-22

Our soul waits for the Lord;
   he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
   because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
   even as we hope in you.

Let us worship the Lord!

Song 2 – May the Peoples Praise You

Song 3 – I Worship You, Almighty God

Song 4 – God of this City

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

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Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

Today is the third Sunday of Lent. Our lent reading for today is from Mark 8, in which Jesus foretells his death and resurrection.

Mark 8:31-38

31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Let’s pray.

A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes! 

Our Scripture reading today is Acts 28:16-31 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:

¹⁶ And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him. ¹⁷ After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”²¹ And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

²³ When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. ²⁵ And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶ “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
²⁷ For this people’s heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

³⁰ He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

This is the Word of the Lord.

VISION series part 4: Reaching Out – to Our City
Acts 28:16-31

I. Seize All Opportunities v 16
II. Take Brave Initiatives vv 17-22
III. Anticipate Mixed Responses vv 23-29
IV. Keep an Open Door vv 30-31

Holy God, 
We confess that we all have sinned
and have fallen short of your glory.
Gracious God
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide, 
and too deep to undo.

Merciful God,
Forgive us, renew us,
and set us free 
from the weight of our sins
and grant us grace
to grow more and more
in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, 
the light of the world.

Assurance of Forgiveness

1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

Having confessed our sins, we gratefully accept the forgiveness and cleansing that we have through Christ, and come to the table of the Lord’s Supper.

If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you are welcome to receive the elements of communion.

The bread and the cup will be distributed as we sing together. Please hold the elements until all have received; we will all partake together as one body. 

Song 5 – Your Glory/Nothing But the Blood

Song 6 – Build Your Kingdom Here

Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

“‘The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

– Numbers 6:24-26

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Study Questions: Vision Series, Part 4: Reach Out
Acts 28:16-31

Introduction
“…because you see you cannot read the bible and not spot that God has an unending love affair with the city. Over a hundred cities are mentioned by name in the Bible in over a thousand different references to them….”

“The book of Acts, where our text tonight is from, is shot through with the city. It begins in one city Jerusalem and it ends in another city Rome. Paul the Apostle, the preacher, the thinker, the evangelist makes for city after city after city throughout his ministry. Antioch third city of the empire, Philippi a key Roman colony, Thessalonica the principle metropolis of Macedonia, Corinth the capital of Greece under Roman administration, Ephesus principle city of the province of Asia and now in our passage the climax of his urban vision Rome itself. What Paul had longed for Rome, capital of the world, hub of the empire, the greatest city of ancient times. And there in Luke’s measured even understated prose we are told in v 30, “for two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him, boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Oh he had not quite expected to arrive in Rome as a prisoner. Taking advantage of his Roman citizenship to appeal to Caesar. But he is there in the city and that’s all that matters….”

“Just over 200 years ago only 5% of the world lived in cities, today its just over 50%, by 2050 its predicted to be 80% percent. 7 billion of us in over 900 cities of over one million people. Urbanization is going mad. But this is of course no surprise to God. Cities are people places and God’s heart concern is for people. Cities are also entry points to minds, societies, cultures, and structures. Reach a city and you can affect an area, a province, a country. Good places for the Gospel…”

1. As you reflect on these excerpts, have you noticed the Bible’s emphasis on cities before? Furthermore, considering the pivotal role cities play in shaping societies and cultures, what insights do you gather about the church’s responsibility in reaching and impacting urban centers with the message of the Gospel?

Into the Text
1. What did Paul do upon his arrival in Rome, and what lessons can we learn about ministry in our own city from it?

2. According to verses 17-20, how did Paul address the Jewish leaders in Rome? Describe Paul’s evangelistic approach. What can we learn from Paul here?

3. How did the Jewish leaders in Rome respond to Paul’s message, and what does this reveal about their attitude towards Christianity? What similarities or differences can we expect in responses today when sharing the Gospel in our city?

4. How does Paul’s perseverance and faithfulness in sharing the Gospel despite opposition and his own imprisonment inspire you? Have you been placing barriers on evangelism in your own life?

5. In what specific ways can we emulate Paul’s boldness and fearlessness in proclaiming the Gospel within our own spheres of influence and daily encounters?

Application:
1. Considering the diverse demographics and cultural dynamics of our city today, how can we adapt Paul’s approach to evangelism to effectively reach our community with the message of Christ?

2. Reflecting on the current needs and challenges of our city, how can we as a church actively engage in practical initiatives that demonstrate Christ’s love and compassion to those around us?