Clackmannan Parish Church of Scotland Worship Sunday 7th March 2021

Clackmannan Parish Church of Scotland

                                         Worship

                                Sunday 7th March 2021
                             (Prepared by the Worship Team)

                           Worship, Witness and Workmanship

Good morning…… The Lord be with you..

As God met Moses on a mountain of worship so he meets us in our private gathering.

Link with God and with fellow believers in prayer.
Gracious Father,
Scripture teaches us that you were the God of Moses, the God of our fathers-- the same
God who is our God today.
Just as you called Moses to meet you on the holy mountain, so you call us today to our
particular place of worship.
As you came to that humble shepherd of old, so you are willing to come to people of varied
work experiences or none, today.
In the Passover you taught him and his people, mighty spiritual truths.
On the journey to the Promised Land you gave wonderful instructions to encourage
responsible and meaningful worship.
Lord, move your people forward today to new understanding of your holiness.
Grant us faith and trust as you lead us onwards on our spiritual journey.
Before Moses took a step he had to be assured that you were guiding every step of the way.
Bless us with the same assurance.
Bless our generation today with worthy symbols that future generations can build on. Bless
those young and new in the faith here today who are seeking the same guidance on the
Christian journey before them.
Father,
Make this time of worship a time when each one individually has a meaningful encounter
with the living God and really meets your Son Jesus in this act of worship.
for Jesus sake

READINGS
From God's word ...

Exodus 24 verses 1 - 8

Give God our best because He gave us His best

What a tutorial class that one was !!!!!!!!!

What a mountain top experience !!!
God…. Moses… 40 days and nights….and no interruption.
The people of Israel had left the severity of Egyptian bondage
behind them. The glory of the Promised Land was still beckoning for a wonderful future. In
the meantime God offers guidance that was designed to enhance relationships between a
Holy God and His chosen flock.
I believe that God, in his wisdom, richly blessed the Jews with great powers of memory
retention.
Look at Matthew chapter 1 and find there 42 generations recorded.

       Precise details of many famines and wars.

               Ponder how much of the Old Testament Jesus quoted.

From Exodus chapter 25 , through Leviticus and Numbers, God gives Moses instruction on
multi themes. Each of these are subdivided into dozens of sub titles.

Moses has to retain these details in his memory until God tells him to commit them to
writing…. hence the inclusion in our scriptures.

We consider God’s instructions under the headings of:-

Worship, Witness and Workmanship

1 Worship
Among other claims on his time and energy, Moses was Leader of
approx. 2 million of his tribesmen. Route planner for long
journeys;- Arbitrator in multi disputes.
The life of Moses was hectic and frantic.
God told him to move from the rush and bustle- leave the
pressures tensions, anxieties, and come to a sacred encounter on the Holy Mountain and
worship him.

A holy tent was erected. The covenant box is described as a place where God would
specifically meet his people. A priority was an altar, a place for the poignant meaning of
blood sacrifices.
A holy table was to be held in reverence, set aside from common use, and displaying
sacramental bread. A forerunner to the Lord’s guidance to believers to “do this in
remembrance of him."
God’s instructions were that human worship ought always, and only, to the one true God.
                  In our day let us offer the Lord the best of our worship..
2 Witness
Moses brother Aaron and his sons are to be set aside as a dedicated priesthood.
His turban bore the inscription “Dedicated to the Lord.”
Instructions on the Menorah or Hanukkah Lamp stand pointed to the coming Saviour…. to
be recognised by God’s people as “The Light of the World”
A challenge for believers to witness to Jesus was always central in his teaching. Many times
in the scriptures, due to sincere witnessing to Jesus, others were convicted to follow the
Lord Jesus.
We must continually ask ourselves;- “ If we were on trial for being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict us ? ”

God, who gave his best for us,…… deserves our best
witness

3 Workmanship
In the Exodus encounter, God instructs that every sacred artefact and garment must be of
the highest quality and value.
In our present day church life, many and varied are the talents used in our service to honour
the name of God.
No matter what our talents, God still expects our best.
John Davies was an American eccentric self- centred millionaire. On an ego trip, in a local
cemetery, to spite his in-laws, he spent a quarter of a million pounds on full sized statues of
his wife and himself,
He resolutely refused to donate to any charitable causes.

On the matter of workmanship, certainly not a good example for us as followers of the
Lord Jesus.
              God, who gave His best for us, deserves our best workmanship.

Our loving heavenly Father,
In difficult times, we are so grateful that we can
worship you in the privacy of our own homes, yet
linked in spirit to all believers. We lay aside our
promised offerings of time, talents, money and
self for the on-going work of your Kingdom.

Your presence changes this time from merely a religious duty to an encounter with the
divine God-head.
We long for you to meet with us today
Lord Jesus Christ,

You knew the pain of looking into the eyes and the heart of the pained.
You have been physical, emotionally, mentally drained and exhausted as endless streams of
broken humanity tried to touch the hem of your garment.
As they desperately sought your healing touch, your tears moistened the very pain
saturated blankets.
Scripture confirms that because of your humanity, you share all our emotions.
Thousands of staff, regular and recruited, in hospitals and care homes are at breaking.
Many are now utterly drained and exhausted.
Gracious Father, Like the four who lowered a friend through the roof to receive healing,
mercy and abiding peace, may we uphold all carers to receive a gracious ministry from your
hand.
Healing Christ
Many are desperately praying for a cure of the raging Covid that has wrought so much
world- wide havoc. Bless mightily the medicine research and medical care that is
desperately needed.
We pray for the widows, and orphans that have been left behind, and who so often struggle
to find means of supporting themselves.
We ask that you would provide all that they need to survive and thrive.
Lord
emphasise with the suffering, comfort the bereaved, strengthen the tired and jaded provide
for every age group, all that they need to help and serve,
Fill all who suffer today, with the living waters of life that come from eternal springs of
hope.
For Jesus sake
Amen