11th November 2024

11th November 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 6:25-34 focus v25)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Donald Trump is president elect, apparently we should all be worried, but at the same time the woke agenda here in the UK is forcing it down our throats and anyone who doesn’t agree with them is a monster and I hope you know that includes you. Oh, I’ve also been told Trump is worse than Hitler but come on people go to the library and get some actual books rather than watching nonsense on YouTube and read about what happened in WWII and get some actual perspective. By the way did you know we are in the midst of a climate disaster, we are about to breach the 1.5C global warming limit this very year so it’s too late all is lost were going to be wiped out. If it’s not by Trump and his policies or climate it will be by a pandemic, bird flu or ebola or even Mpox and there is another thing why can’t we just call it monkeypox anyway there are cases of monkeypox in the UK the BBC told us that at the end of October and you know what is worse than all these things, we should be most worried about above all else!? Actually I can’t decide whether it is plastic or eating meat, both are destroying us, we are filled with microplastics and meat means we are going to get cancer and die but I thought we all died so for me I’m going to enjoy some tasty tasty meat and live with hope with whats coming. Actually scrap that everything is bad for us, we should all be worried, and you know that North Korea has nuclear weapons and in the middle east they don’t like each, the tragedy. How can you sleep at night with all of this, say goodbye to your loved ones right now because it’s over, all is lost!


Ok mini rant over, I wanted to get that off my chest because because life goes on, God has it all planned out from eternity past, all our days are ordained for us, yes each one and the only actual thing that has any real relevance to us is that Labour are handing over the countryside to big business. Yet Jesus tells us Do not worry about our lives. What Jesus is saying to us is don't be overly concerned, don't spend the wee small hours of the morning when you should be asleep letting things you have no real control over to be playing through your mind. Maybe you're the only one who doesn’t worry, who doesn’t feed on the nonsense the media feed us. Yet I suspect that for most of us we worry, we are anxious to some extent. It may not be what the media feeds you it may be the wains, worry about getting older, maybe you’re increasing confronted with how you can’t manage the way you use to, maybe you’re worried about work a new boss, maybe it’s because you have an illness, worry, anxiety can come about so many things. 


Jesus though is telling us as his followers not to worry, don’t be anxious. He tells us not to worry or be anxious about what we eat and drink, about what we will wear and the reason why “Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” It is not that Jesus is saying, sit at home with the feet up enjoy life everything will just fall into your lap, you don't need to work for it. Of course he isn’t, instead he's making the point that there are things that are more important than what the sustains us and what clothes, us these are not the most important things of all, but whenever we focus on these things whenever we're preoccupied with them, whenever what motivates us as worldly success then so often what focusing on these things bring us is misery just like the constant consumption media agenda. 


I think this is a much greater issue in our society than it is in the church, or rather it is a much greater issue than it should be in the church. The reason why is that we in the church have hope lies ahead, whereas in the main people have little or no hope for what happens after death, they are afraid of dying, and their focus is on this life. Yet for all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we know that this life is not the end, we are sojourners just as Abraham was, we like him look forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Heb 11:10). 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which, in this life, do either accompany or flow from them.
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