With Rod Smith playing the organ, we began by singing the stirring hymn “All hail the power of Jesu’s name! Let angels prostrate fall.” Following which Robin led us in a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. There were two bible readings, both from The Revelations. The first, read by Jill Harrison, from chapter one, written by John as he described a vision of Christ he experienced during his internment on the island of Patmos. The second, read by Keith Harrison, from chapter 21, in which John describes seeing a New Heaven and a New Earth, where he saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.
At the beginning of his sermon Robin asked the question. “Is the church forgetting what the gospel is about? It is not about social justice or climate change, important though these topics are to Christians, No, the church is about the good news of the gospel and the saving Grace of Jesus Christ in all its manifestations” The bible starts at the beginning and passes the here and now and beyond in the last book of The Revelations. Robin described the author John, as being persecuted on the island of Patmos, as there are many Christians persecuted today because of their faith. Yet John was able to write about his vision for the second coming of Jesus. There are four interpretations of his message; the first being encouragement for Christians; second, the historical view; third the idealistic view being the struggle between good and evil; and fourth the futurist view being a description of things that were to happen. Robin gave us three challenges. “Is Jesus front and centre of our lives?; are we prepared to live through times of trial for the sake of Jesus? and are we prepared to meet the returning King?” We must keep watch and be ready for Jesus’s coming again so he must be front and centre of our church life.
Our Alpha course continues in the Loggerheads Fire Station at 7pm on Tuesdays.