Divine Service Guide

New Apostolic Church

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2 April Sharing the cup

5/6 April Jesus Christ:

Lord and Servant

9 AprilPalm Sunday

A house of prayer for all nations

14 AprilGood Friday

Victory over evil!

16 AprilEaster

Belief in the resurrection

19/20 April Recognising and professing the Risen One

23 April Set your heart on things above

26/27 April Trusting in God

30 April Jesus Christ: foundation of the church and our faith

Youth serviceBelieving in the resurrection of Jesus

A monthly for the ministers April 2017

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We will continue with the theme of Passiontide which began in the month of March. The Passion of Jesus is dominated by pre-dictions of His suffering and resurrection (Matthew 16: 21; 17: 22; 20: 17–18). Jesus also ensures the care of His future church, and provides for it so that it will not lack anything when He is no longer visibly among His own. He promises them the Holy Spirit, who will tell them what is to come and lead them into all truth (John 16: 13), and establishes the Petrine office in His church, which will be the foundation and guarantee for the continuation of His work of salvation (Matthew 16: 18).

Another way Jesus shows that He cares for His future church is His institution of Holy Communion, which the divine service on the first Sunday of the month explores. Through Holy Commun-ion, the congregation is to experience fellowship with its Lord, and receive strength and encouragement. The experience of God’s love, grace, and compassion is to motivate every Christian to share the gifts of God with all human beings.

On the second Sunday of the month, Palm Sunday, we will com-memorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The sermon will focus on Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, which occurred in this context. At the time, Jesus cleared the temple of those things which were of a commercial character and, in effect, a hindrance to salvation. Today this event prompts us to ensure that the house of God within us is sanctified and a house of prayer, and that it remains open for God’s activity of salvation.

The divine service on Good Friday will examine Christ’s victory over evil. Despite pain and suffering, He forgave His tormentors, served His fellow human beings, and remained obedient to God to the point of death. The sacrifice of Christ, which was brought only once, is valid for all time.

On Easter the sermon will concentrate on the resurrection of Jesus. Our resurrection is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ: if there were no resurrection for Jesus, there would be no resurrection of the dead. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope for our own resurrection.

Foreword

April 2017

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The sermon on the fourth Sunday of the month urges us to seek those things which are above, namely that which is divine and enduring, in other words, the new life in Christ.

On the last Sunday of the month, the divine service will focus on the source of salvation from sin and death: Jesus Christ, the foundation of the church and our faith.

Passiontide – Institution of Holy Communion

Sunday2 April 2017

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Luke 22: 17–18

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Sharing the cup

Message

Sharing is part of being a Christian.

Elaboration

Jesus sent Peter and John to go and make preparations for the Passover, which com­memorates the liberation of the people of Israel from Egypt. Jesus was eager to cele brate this meal with His disciples. Right from the start He made it clear that it would be the last meal before His sacrificial death (verses 14, 16).

This Passover meal cannot be contemplated in the absence of the events that would take place only a few hours later. Jesus was aware of how little His disciples actually under­stood His impending suffer­ing, something He repeatedly announced to them as an essential part of God’s plan of salvation (John 16: 7). He could feel their despair, and at the same time He was aware of the great challenges the Apostles would have to face in the exercise of their great com­

mission. That is why, after their Passover meal, He instituted the Lord’s Supper, a meal in which His body and blood would be present: the sacra­ment of Holy Communion. It is characterised by strength, spiritual comfort, and encour­agement, all of which Jesus wanted to leave those whom He had commissioned and all those who would follow them.

Take [the cup] …

The celebration of the Pas­sover began as usual: a cup with wine was passed around (Luke 22: 17). Then Jesus told His disciples that He would not drink any more wine until the coming of the future kingdom of God—which will begin with the return of Christ. He then told His disciples to do as He had done, namely to drink from the cup of the new covenant (Luke 22: 20) and, in so doing, await this future kingdom of God.

To this day, Holy Communion is a meal of remembrance. It causes us to look back in thankfulness on all that has transpired because of Jesus. At the same time, it provides us with a collective foretaste of the promised return of Christ, the great marriage supper of the Lamb, and eternal fellow­ship with Him.

… and divide it among yourselves … When all drink from the same cup, in other words, share the same cup, it is a sign of fel­

lowship, of togetherness, and devotion. Holy Communion is therefore also a meal of fel-lowship, and is an expression of our deep relationship with Jesus the Lord, with His Apos-tles, and among ourselves.

Sharing also implies that we talk about the glad tidings with our neighbour. The strength and encouragement we receive through Christ in Holy Communion are also intended to allow Jesus’ act of salvation to have an effect on the life of our neighbour. Disciples of Christ are only too happy to proclaim this message.

… until the kingdom of God comes

The celebration of Holy Com-munion is a declaration of our belief in Christ. That is why it is only celebrated by those baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus instructed the Apostles to celebrate this meal repeatedly, and also equipped them with the necessary authority for this purpose.

Holy Communion is also an expression of Jesus’ devotion and care for His own, which will con tinue until the kingdom of God comes.

Jesus knows what it is like on earth and how hard-pressed His church will be before His return. But in the fellowship of Holy Communion, the Lord is present in His church already today. This is how the church receives courage and confi-dence to sanctify and prepare

itself for His return even in the most adverse conditions.

Context

Luke 22: 1–23 recounts the institution of the Lord’s Sup-per, which took place after the celebration of the Passover.

The actual words of institu-tion are recounted in Luke 22: 19–20. Here bread and wine are identified in reference to the body and blood of Jesus. The body and blood of Christ are present in the bread and wine.

Notes

Institution of Holy Communion

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Summary

Jesus instituted Holy Communion in order to strengthen His Apostles and those who were prepared to follow them.

The distinguishing element of Holy Communion is the aspect of sharing, which is an expression of fellowship in

■■ remembrance of Jesus’ deeds.

■■ gratitude towards the Saviour.

■■ the expectation of His promise.

■■ the profession of our belief in Christ.

■■ fellowship with the Lord, the Apostles, and one another.

Bible study – Jesus washes the feet of His disciples

Midweek5/6 April 2017

Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”John 13: 10

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Jesus Christ: Lord and Servant

Message

Let us humbly accept the help of the Lord and be helpers to our neighbour.

Elaboration

The so-called farewell dis-course of Jesus begins in the thirteenth chapter of John. Jesus was sitting together with His disciples eating supper when He suddenly got up and began to wash their feet.

The Lord as Servant

The Lord was performing a service that was normally con-sidered a task for slaves. Peter at first refused to have his feet washed by Him, but Jesus explained to him that by not accepting this service he would have no part with Him (verse 8). Peter then asked Jesus to not only wash his feet, but also his hands and head. The Lord told him that it was enough to have his feet washed, in other words, to accept the service of his Lord as He was offering it (verse 10).

The disciples were cleansed in so far as they had accepted the word of God through Jesus Christ (John 15: 3). However, not all of them believed Him and acted accordingly. This is a reference to Judas Iscariot, who did not accept the word of God but betrayed the Lord.

Jesus humbles Himself

The washing of the disciples’ feet was a symbolic act, which Jesus performed in order to give His disciples advance notice of His impending suf-fering and death. He, to whom all authority had been given in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28: 18), was willing to suffer the ignominious death on the cross and thereby make salva-tion possible for all.

Peter was not able to under-stand this yet, which is why Jesus told him that he would learn it afterward (John 13: 7). Shortly after, the disciples wit-nessed how Jesus was arrest-ed, humiliated, sentenced, and crucified. Jesus submitted completely to the will of His Father and followed this path of abasement.

Jesus gives an example

By washing the feet of His dis-ciples, Jesus Christ not only showed His humble attitude towards His Father, but also towards His disciples. He did so in order to give them an example and told them that they were to do as He had done (verse 15). He promises them that if they acted accord-

ingly they would be blessed (verse 17). It was not Jesus’ intention to emphasise the act of cleansing as such, but to use it as an illustration of His saving activity and give an example to all who were pre-pared to follow Him.

This event also underlines His words: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8: 34).

Being a humble disciple

As believers who intend to fol-low Jesus Christ, we can only learn from this event.

Let us remain humble and

■■ always submit to our heavenly Father’s will, just as Jesus did.

■■ be prepared to put aside our own person and wishes for a change.

■■ be aware that we need salvation through Jesus Christ and accept His help as He offers it.

■■ show love and compas-sion to our brothers and sisters and our neighbour, and help them.

Context

The account of Jesus wash-ing the feet of His disciples is reported by John. It has more or less the same significance as the institution of Holy Com-munion has in the other gos-pels. The washing of the feet is associated with the self- abasement of the Son of God, which is addressed in Philip­pians 2: 7–8.

Notes

Jesus washes the feet of His disciples

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Summary

■■ By washing the feet of His dis-ciples, the Lord reveals that He has abased Himself for the sake of mankind’s salvation.

■■ Jesus is the Lord and Servant and has given those who follow Him an example of how to serve.

■■ Jesus humbly submitted to His Father’s will: let us do the same.

■■ It is important that we accept the offer of salvation for ourselves and share it with our neighbour.

Passiontide – Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday9 April 2017

Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves.’” Mark 11: 17

Bible reading: Matthew 21: 1–11

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A house of prayer for all nations

Message

We follow Jesus out of love, and focus our prayers on the gospel.

Elaboration

On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem. This was the fulfil­ment of a promise given in con nec tion with the Messiah of Israel (Zechariah 9: 9). The peo­ple cheered Him and praised the coming kingdom of David (Mark 11: 10). The day after, Jesus cleared the temple of all the merchants and money changers, thereby showing His contemporaries what dis­pleased Him and, at the same time, what He expected of the chosen people.

The temple

We interpret the term “temple” as follows:

■■ the place where God dwells (1 Kings 8: 13), where the congregation meets God and worships Him togeth­er—a house of prayer;

■■ the fellowship of the believers, in other words the church of Christ (Ephesians 2: 21);

■■ each and every believer personally (1 Corinthians 3: 16).

With the cleanising of the temple, Jesus

■■ demonstrated His disgust at the behaviour of those doing business there. We are not members of the Church in order to improve our earthly lives. We do not make deals with God: “If You give me this, I will give You that.” Our rela­tionship with God is based on love. We follow Jesus because we love Him, and we love Him because He first loved us.

■■ made reference to the prophet Jeremiah, who accused the Jews of hav­ing made the temple a den of thieves (Jeremiah 7: 11). Jeremiah explained to the people that it was not enough to come to the temple and perform rituals in order to escape God’s judgement. He told them that it was far more important for them to amend their ways and doings (Jeremiah 7: 5)!

A house of prayer for all people

Jesus also expects the people of God to be a collective house of prayer. The elect have been

called to glorify God and to praise His goodness, and to tell others about this.

In order to please God with our prayers they must be defined by

■■ humbleness. We are dependent on God (Luke 18: 13);

■■ trust. We talk to God as to a good father (Romans 8: 15);

■■ faith. We long for the salvation that God offers (Mark 11: 24);

■■ persistence. Let us do as the persistent widow did in the parable (Luke 18: 2–8).

God wants us to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56: 7). Only devout Jews were admitted to the temple. In order to be able to sacrifice and pay tribute, they had to exchange their money into the currency used there. By overturning the tables of the money changers, Jesus showed that Gentiles now also had access to sal-vation. Today, all those who are willing to walk the path laid down by Jesus can be saved.

Today, the temple of God is con-stituted by the faithful, who are very different from each other in every respect. Let us not forget the promise of Jesus: God will hear those who agree about anything they ask (Matthew 18: 19). Let us pray for our own sal-vation and that of our neighbour!

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

Following His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus cleanses the temple by driving out the merchants and overturning the tables of the money changers and those selling sacrificial animals. In so doing, Jesus cites the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. In his temple speech, Jeremiah had denounced the deplorable state of Jerusalem and demand-ed a living faith (Jeremiah 7; 26). The purpose of the tem-ple—as a house of God—had been completely turned on its head owing to all the commer-cial activities going on there. It had become a den of thieves. Isaiah demanded that the temple be open for all people (Isaiah 56: 7).

Palm Sunday

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Summary

■■ The temple is the place where God dwells. Both the congregation and the individual believer can likewise be described as the “temple”.

■■ We follow Jesus out of love—not because we think it might be to our advantage.

■■ In our prayers we show gratitude, humbleness, trust, faith, and per-sistence.

■■ We pray for our own salvation as well as that of all human beings.

Good Friday14 April 2017

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offer­ing for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53: 10 Bible reading: Matthew 27: 31–50

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Victory over evil!

Message

Jesus defeated evil with His sacrificial death.

Elaboration

The book of Isaiah was writ-ten hundreds of years before the gospels were written. Our Bible text can be understood as a reference to the events of Good Friday. The suffering and death of Jesus are important events of salvation history.

Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20: 28). The term “offering for sin” in our Bible text is a reference to the consequences of the dis-obedience of Adam and Eve. Ever since man’s fall into sin, he has been subject to the dominion of the evil one. In order to save mankind from this, the Son of God, “who knew no sin”, made Himself equal with sinners (2 Corinth­ians 5: 21).

Subject to the power of evil

The Son of God subjected Himself to the power of the evil one and got to know his evil in all its facets: lies, injustice, cor-ruption, spitefulness, betrayal, and humiliation. He showed His solidarity with sinners right to the end. He entered into the darkness, into remoteness from God, which came about as a result of the fall into sin (John 1: 5). His cry, “Why have You forsaken Me?” express-es the full extent of despair of those who have been robbed of fellowship with God.

Jesus has defeated evil

Despite the overpowering pain, His fears, and His suffer-ing on the cross Jesus

■■ remained faithful to God. He continued to call Him “My God” (Matthew 27: 46);

■■ forgave His tormentors (Luke 23: 34);

■■ continued to serve by showing compassion to one of the criminals that had been crucified with Him (Luke 23: 43) and by caring for those who were close to Him;

■■ was obedient to death and fulfilled His Father’s will right until the end (John 19: 30).

Through Christ’s victory, evil can no longer prevent human beings from coming near to God. The accusations against the sinner have been rendered obsolete, since Jesus grants forgiveness.

Resisting evil

After Jesus’ resurrection the number of disciples increased. It is in this respect that He has descendants, as Isaiah says, when he uses the word “seed”. All human beings nowadays have the possibility of becom­ing descendants of Jesus Christ. Thanks to His example, and because of His help, we can resist the evil one by

■■ remaining faithful. Let us not leave Christ no matter how difficult our circum­stances may be, and not even if we do not receive answers to our questions.

■■ forgiving those who have done something awful to us;

■■ continuing to serve God and our neighbour;

■■ being obedient to God and aligning ourselves with His will.

Let us not be deceived by the apparent success of the evil one. Nothing will hinder the Lord from completing His work. We can count on the fact that God’s plan will pros­per in His hand.

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

Christian tradition connects Jesus with the Suffering Serv­ant mentioned in Isaiah 53 (whose name is not known to us). In Isaiah 53: 4–5 it says: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” The griefs and sorrows the Suf­fering Servant bears are not punishment for a sinful and godless life. On the contrary, the Suffering Servant is in ­nocent and He takes on the suffering for others—namely for those who are in the captiv­ity of sin (original sin) and who are guilty in the eyes of God.

Good Friday

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Summary

Out of love for human beings, the Son of God made Himself equal with sin­ners. Through His death on the cross, He defeated evil.

Despite pain, fears, and suffering Jesus

■■ remained faithful to God.

■■ forgave His tormentors.

■■ continued to serve His fellow human beings.

■■ remained obedient to death, and fulfilled the will of God to the end.

By following His example, and with His help, we too can resist the evil one.

Easter16 April 2017

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.John 2: 19, 22

Bible reading: Matthew 28: 1–8

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Belief in the resurrection

Message

We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in our own resurrection.

Elaboration

On Easter we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. The almighty God made it possible for Jesus Christ to resurrect from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus was so outrageous, so completely new, that the dis­ciples had difficulty believing it. They thought that the reports of the women were nonsense (Luke 24: 11). And when Jesus appeared to them in Jerusa­lem, they thought He was a spirit visiting them from the realms of the dead (Luke 24: 37). After some time, and after moving the words of Jesus in their hearts, they realised that He had truly risen from the dead.

The resurrection as the foundation of our faith

Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ became the foun­dation for the early Christian congregations. It was the rea­son for their

■■ trust in the word: every­thing that Jesus told them was true.

■■ trust in the power of Jesus: He was victorious over evil and death.

■■ certainty: Jesus lives and will continue His work.

■■ willingness to serve and sacrifice: they wanted to enter into the kingdom of God.

■■ enthusiasm to spread the gospel.

Nowadays many people consider the resurrection of Jesus nothing more than a tale fabricated to console the weak. Some Christians do believe in Jesus and call on Him for help and comfort, but they are very cautious when it comes to the resurrection and its implications. They under­stand the resurrection of Jesus symbolically.

Our resurrection

Apostle Paul explained to the Corinthians that the resurrec­tion of Jesus Christ and our own resurrection are connect­ed. We firmly believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

and in our own (Second and Ninth Articles of Faith, CNAC-QA 37). In 1 Corinthians 15: 14–17, Paul emphasises the fundamental importance of belief in the resurrection. On the basis of this belief

■■ we recognise the truth in the gospel.

■■ we trust in the power of Jesus: Jesus will be victorious over evil.

■■ we recognise that Jesus is still at work, and we commend ourselves to His love and care.

■■ we are prepared to serve and sacrifice, because we are aware of the kind of inheritance we can expect.

■■ we profess our faith with-out fear, and endeavour to share this treasure with our neighbour.

Jesus resurrected, and so will we—and then we will be with the triune God forever.

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

The gospel of John reports that Jesus already began referring to His sacrificial death at the beginning of His public activity (John 2: 19–21). The gospel explicitly records that it was only after Easter that the disciples understood what Jesus had said, and that this was the starting-point for their faith (John 2: 22; 20: 9).

Notes

Easter

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Summary

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was so outrageous that the disciples did not immediately believe it. Only when they remembered the words of Jesus, did they believe. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ became the foundation for the early Christian church.

We likewise

■■ believe in the resurrection of Christ and in our resurrection,

■■ trust the words of Jesus and His victory,

■■ commend ourselves to His care and love,

■■ are prepared to profess our faith and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Midweek 19/20 April 2017

Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him … Luke 24: 31

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Recognising and professing the Risen One

Message

We have encounters with the Lord and testify of these.

Elaboration

We commemorated the cruci-fixion and resurrection of Jesus on Good Friday and Easter. The time following Easter was marked by encounters with the Risen Lord and by people who professed His resurrection.

What were these encounters like?

The Bible mentions many peo-ple who actually saw the Risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15: 6). Some of these encounters are described in detail.

■■ Our Bible text is taken from the account of the Risen One appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It was only when the Lord sat at the table with them in the evening and “took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 24: 30) that they realised it was the Lord who had joined them (verse 31).

They must have suspect-ed something before, because they said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us?” but now they were sure (verse 32).

■■ Mary Magdalene needed only one word from Him to know that it was the Lord. As she stood out-side His tomb weeping, two angels addressed her—and then Jesus Himself spoke to her. All He said was, “‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher)” (John 20: 16).

■■ When He came and stood in the midst of His dis ciples who had as sem-bled, it was His greeting of “Peace be with you” that removed all doubts. They were very glad to see Him (John 20: 19, 20).

Whoever met the Risen One was able to testify with the dis-ciples of Emmaus: “The Lord is risen indeed” (Luke 24: 34).

We too experience the defining features of these encounters in our divine services today: namely in the breaking of bread, the word of God, and the comforting words of the Risen One that promise us peace. These encounters with the Lord assure us that Jesus Christ is present in His congre-gation, which is why we want to remain in it (John 6: 68). Let us constantly seek encounters

with the Lord in divine service and tell our neighbour about them.

What was the result of these encounters with the Risen One?

Mary Magdalene immediately went to the disciples and told them about her meeting with the Lord. The two disciples who had been on the road to Emmaus turned around and joyfully went back to join the other disciples in Jerusalem. The disciples of Jesus were overjoyed when their Lord and Master stepped into their midst again. They felt ready to take on their future duties and bold-ly proclaimed the Risen One.

Just as the Apostles of that time praised and professed the Risen One, so too the Apos-tles of today speak about and proclaim the Risen One. Their sermons stir up faith in that which Christ did on earth and in that which was promised through Him (Romans 10: 17). Whoever denies the resur-rection has no fellowship with Christ. Such a person’s belief in God’s saving grace and eternal fellowship with Him is empty, in other words, of no effect (1 Corinthians 15: 14).

And anyone who only believes in the person of Jesus and in His help for our lives here on earth will be disappointed (1 Corinth ians 15: 19), because the Lord does not fulfil all of our earthly hopes and wishes. But He will fulfil His promises in the future kingdom of God.

Context

The Risen One joined the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus. They had left Jerusalem and the other dis-ciples following the crucifixion of Jesus. They did not recog-nise Him at first. He explained to them what the Scriptures said about the resurrection of Jesus. Only when they ate supper together in the evening, and He broke bread with them and gave it to them, did they recognise their Lord.

Notes

Recognising and professing the Risen One

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Summary

■■ The first encounters with the Risen Lord had special defining features: the breaking of bread, His word, and His message of peace.

■■ In the word inspired by the Spirit, the breaking of bread, and the promise of peace we can also encounter the Risen Lord today. We tell our neighbour about these encounters.

■■ Those who deny the resurrection have no fellowship with Christ. Belief in the resurrection is inex-tricably linked to belief in the redeeming grace of God.

Eastertide – Raised with Christ

Sunday23 April 2017

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Colossians 3: 1

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Set your heart on things above

Message

We strive for those things that are divine and which endure, and await the coming Lord.

Elaboration

At the beginning of his letter to the church in Colossae, Apos-tle Paul expresses his thanks and joy over the development that their faith has taken. How-ever, he goes on to warn the Colossians about deceptive philosophies (Colossians 2: 8) and finally urges them to focus on the risen Son of God.

Raised with Christ

The death, resurrection, and return of Christ are the corner-stones of the gospel. Jesus Christ died for us. He rose and became the firstfruits for all who are His (1 Corinthians 15: 23). Although the resur-rection of the dead in Christ as well as the transformation of the living—which will take place at Christ’s return—have not yet taken place (1 Thessa­lonians 4: 15–17), the bap-tised already today share in the death of the Lord and in the new life that Jesus was

granted at His resurrection (Romans 6: 4). In fact, the congregation partakes in the crucified, risen, and re -turn ing Lord every time it cele brates Holy Communion (CNAC 8.2.13; CNAC­QA 503). This shows us just how important the sacraments are, by way of which we share in the resurrection.

Seeking the things which are above

Considering that we now share in the risen Risen One, it is not only important but also pos sible for us to take Him as our ex ample and grow into His nature. “Above” is an image for everything that is divine and enduring, in contrast to all those things that are earthly and transitory.

■■ God designates those who only worry about earthly matters, and do not store riches for them-selves in heaven, as fools (Luke 12: 20; Matthew 6: 20)

■■ Through the rebirth out of water and Spirit our citizen ship is in heaven (Philippians 3: 20): it is important for us to secure this right by overcoming evil with good.

■■ Stephen saw the heavens opened (Acts 7: 55–56). Let us seek a connection to God when we are in distress and under pres-sure. God will strengthen us!

Christ at the right hand of God

Through the resurrection, Jesus Christ was raised to the Father. This is expressed in the Second Article of our Creed and in the Apostolic Creed: “He is seated at the right hand of God, the Father, Almighty …” The exalted Lord is our Mediator and is pre­paring a place for us. He has promised that He will return and take us unto Himself. This promise He will keep!

The words: “… from where He will return,” are inseparably linked to this, however. One event of the first resurrection is the return of Christ to bring home the bridal congregation (John 14: 3). The congregation of the Lord is admonished to lift its gaze from the mundane and look up in expectation to the coming Lord!

Context

The letter to the Colossians is a warning to the church to guard against false teachings that promote a return to Jew­ish principles and laws. Being raised with Christ means that those who believe in Christ partake in this new life that has become a reality in the Risen One. Our Bible text urges us to focus on Christ and all that is divine and not only align our lives with that which is earthly and transitory.

Notes

Raised with Christ

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Summary

■■ Jesus Christ shares His resurrec­tion and new life with us.

■■ It is important to seek that which is divine and enduring, as opposed to that which is earthly and transi­tory.

■■ Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, from where He will return!

Midweek26/27 April 2017

He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 2 Kings 18: 5–6

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Trusting in God

Message

Let us trust the Lord, continue to follow Him, and keep His commandments.

Elaboration

Our Bible text today deals with Hezekiah, who became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five. He reigned in a man ner that was good and right before God for nearly three decades. Under threat from the enemy and serious-ly ill, he prayed to God and asked Him for help—and recovered (2 Kings 19: 16; 20: 5). Hezekiah’s fear of God made him stand out among the kings of that time. He cam-paigned against idolatry and asserted and promoted the worship of the living God.

Trusting in the Lord

What distinguished Hezekiah was his trust in the Lord. The result was that the Lord was with him and he was suc-cessful in everything he did (2 Kings 18: 7).

If you place your trust in some-one you may end up getting disappointed. That is why it is important to weigh up the situation if you want to avoid disappointment. Trusting the evil one is a venture that is doomed to fail “for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8: 44). Trusting in the One who is truth, is a decision from which we will benefit.

■■ Moses persevered because he saw Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11: 27) and led the people out of Egypt. If our trust in the triune God is similar, nothing will prevent us from reaching our goal.

■■ The three men who were cast into the fiery furnace were convinced that God could save them from the heat, but maintained their unconditional trust even in the event that God refused to intervene (Daniel 3: 17–18). In the “heat” of life we can trust God to intervene. And should we ever fail to understand Him, our trust in Him is still justified.

■■ The prophet Malachi compares those who consider it useless to serve God with those who fear and trust the Lord, and then adds that He is quite able to discern between the righteous and the wicked (Malachi 3: 16, 18). We trust that our following Him and

our attitude of faith are pleasing to God and that He will save us.

Following the Lord and keeping His commandments

Those who hold fast to the Lord and follow Him are close­ly connected with Him and one another. Their devotion is expressed primarily by hear­ing and accepting the advice of the Lord given in the divine services (Luke 19: 48). They endeavour to put this into practice in their own lives in thought, word, and deed.

They heed God’s command­ments and are aware of the importance of the First Com­mandment: “I am the Lord, your God. You shall have no other gods before Me.” Heze­kiah destroyed the idols of his time and prayed to God (2 Kings 18: 4–5). Even today people create idols for them­selves, such as power, hon­our, money, or maybe even themselves. They do not seek God’s help in difficulties. May God be the only One whom we praise and worship!

Like Hezekiah, let us show our trust in the Lord by remaining faithful to Him and by looking up to Him from whom our sal­vation and help come.

Context

The narrative of Hezekiah’s life, who was king over Judah, is quite extensive in compari­son to other kings. He held fast to the Lord and followed His instructions exactly. He destroyed the shrines and idols of the time. Hezekiah is made to stand out in the two books of the Kings because he reject­ed idol worship, and asserted and promoted the worship of the one God. The king also fulfilled the Mosaic Law, which requires that only the God of Israel be worshipped.

Notes

Trusting in God

19

Summary

■■ King Hezekiah’s fear of God made him stand out among the kings of that time.

■■ Our trust in God overcomes obstacles on our way of life.

■■ We hold fast to the Lord and follow His commandment to have no other gods before Him.

Eastertide – Christ, the head of the church

Sunday 30 April 2017

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3: 11

20

Jesus Christ: foundation of the church and our faith

Message

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church and of our faith.

Elaboration

In the third chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, Apostle Paul speaks about the relationship between ministry, church, and Jesus Christ and emphasises that ministry and church are built on Christ.

Ministry and church

The Apostle writes that he and his brothers are “God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3: 9). These workers serve God and work to further that which He wants to achieve.

Thereafter the church is described as “God’s field” and “God’s building”. The Apostles and their fellow workers are there to prepare the church in the same way that a field is prepared for planting or a building is constructed. A field does not produce crops on its own. It takes people to pre-pare the ground. It is the same

with the image of the building. This too is a reference to the fact that things do not come into being by themselves, but that it takes people who work and make an effort to erect a building.

Both images indicate that the church must not be left to its own devices. The church is not able to preserve itself or de velop by its own efforts. It is God who is at work here, and He uses human beings as instruments in His hand. The image of the field and the building addresses a fun-damental position of our New Apostolic faith, namely that the church needs ministers—first of all Apostles, to be specific. In this way, the church can develop according to the will of God in every respect.

Jesus Christ: foundation of the church

Apostle Paul says that by preaching the gospel he laid the foundation as a wise mas-ter builder (1 Corinthians 3: 10). The foundation is Jesus Christ. He is the foundation of and the essential prerequis ite for the existence of the church. No one can replace this foun-dation with anything else. With-out Jesus Christ—the head of the church—as its point of reference, neither church nor congregation are possible. Nor can ministers act on their own, but alone through the author-ity that Jesus Christ has con-ferred upon them.

Jesus Christ: foundation of our faith

Jesus Christ is the foun - d ation of the church and of the proclam ation of the gospel, and is therefore also the foun-d ation and content of our faith. We believe that Jesus Christ

■■ is true Man and true God and has sacrificed Him-self for us so that we can have fellowship with God already today.

■■ rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will return so that we may have a hope focused on everlasting life.

■■ instituted the sacraments, and that we receive sal-vation and strength from God through them.

■■ desires to build His church through Apostles until His return, and that we can be His fellow workers.

■■ is our example for our relationship with God and our relationship with our neighbour.

Those who rely on Jesus Christ, in other words, who allow their lives and activities in the church and in daily life to be filled with the Holy Spirit, are building on a secure foun-dation, and can feel safe and secure every day.

Context

Paul’s first letter to the Corinth-ians is a reaction to disputes within the church. It seems that some members of the church felt a special obligation towards the persons who baptised them (1 Corinth ians 3: 5). This caused divisions in the church. Paul emphasises that it is not specific persons who matter, but rather Jesus Christ alone.

Notes

Christ, the head of the church

21

Summary

The image of the field and the build-ing is a reference to the fact that the church needs ministers—first of all Apostles. Jesus Christ is the foundation and the essential prerequisite for the existence of the church, whose head He is.

Jesus Christ is the foundation and con-tent of our faith. We believe that He

■■ is true Man and true God, that He rose from the dead, and that He will return again.

■■ instituted the sacraments for our salvation and that He builds His church through Apostles.

■■ is our example for our relationship with God and our relationship with our neighbour.

The reality of the resurrection

Youth serviceApril 2017

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted. Matthew 28: 16–17

22

Believing in the resurrection of Jesus

Message

Christ has truly risen!

Elaboration

Doubts can call a person’s belief into question. Doubt is part of a person’s nature. To question things in our earthly lives is not necessarily bad. In fact, progress in science, tech - no logy, medicine, and in other fields would not be possible if existing claims were not ques-tioned or challenged.

Even faith is not irrational per se. It is, however, impos sible for us human beings to fully grasp God in His nature, think-ing, and action with our minds. We cannot elevate our limited earthly horizon of ex perience to a standard for divine reality. It would therefore be wrong to say: “What I cannot imagine does not exist.” What is pos-sible from a techno logical point of view today was inconceiv-able a few decades ago, let alone a few centuries ago.

Should we therefore not con-cede that the Creator of all things is able to do things that are inconceiv able for us?

What prompted the first Apostles to profess the Risen Lord?

Following the crucifixion of the Lord, the disciples were full of fear. They hid themselves from the people in a room and locked the door (John 20: 19).

And then at Pentecost the Apostles preached about the Risen One without fear (Acts 2: 14 et seq.). They would likely not have been able to do this if they had not actually seen the Risen Lord. Fear and doubt had dissipated and had made room for joy and enthu-siasm.

This was followed by a peri-od when the Apostles and the early Christian church were persecuted for their faith, a time when some died for their faith. Their willingness to suf-fer through this could never have been built on a lie that the disciples had agreed upon among themselves. The mar-tyrs took the strength for this from the attested resurrection of the Lord.

The testimony of Apostle Paul regarding the resurrection

In chapter fifteen of the first let-ter to the Corinthians, Apostle Paul discusses the same topic in detail and poses the rhet-

orical question as to why he would have fought with wild animals in Ephesus and why the church would have put up with the constant jeopardy it was in if Christ had not resur­rected.

Apostle Paul also makes it clear that if we did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, then our belief in our own res­urrection would be futile (1 Corinthians 15: 14–19).

Belief in the resurrection today

Without belief in the resurrec­tion, the Christian faith loses its future dimension and is reduced to mere ethics.

Belief in the resurrection of Jesus and in our own resur­rection gives us a magnificent hope for the future.

Context

Galilee is the region where Jesus taught the people and healed them (Matthew 4: 23–25). The mountain is reminiscent of Jesus’ third temptation (Matthew 4: 8), the Sermon on the Mount (5: 1; 8: 1), and the mount of trans­figuration (17: 1–9).

The reaction of the disciples is divided. While some believe others still doubt even though the Risen One is standing right in front of them. Even the mani­festation of the Risen One can only be grasped in faith. If peo­ple are not prepared to believe this, there will be doubts even if the Risen Christ is standing right in front of them.

Notes

The reality of the resurrection

23

Summary

■■ The kind of belief that seeks to understand the resurrection of Christ in merely symbolical terms robs the gospel of its core and meaning.

■■ Christianity must not be reduced to mere ethics.

■■ Our belief in the resurrection of Jesus gives us a magnificent hope for the future.

Bible readingApril 2017

24

Bible reading on Palm SundayMatthew 21: 1–11

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Bible reading on Good FridayMatthew 27: 31–50

And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Bible reading on Easter

Matthew 28: 1–8

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Bible reading

25

April 2017

Notes

May

1 Mon.

2 Tue.

3 Wed. Mark 10: 52

4 Thur.

5 Fri.

6 Sat.

7 Sun. John 15: 1–2

8 Mon.

9 Tue.

10 Wed. John 21: 17

11 Thur.

12 Fri.

13 Sat.

14 Sun. 1 John 4: 1, 4

15 Mon.

16 Tue.

17 Wed. Psalm 92: 4–5

18 Thur.

19 Fri.

20 Sat.

21 Sun. John 16: 33

22 Mon.

23 Tue.

24 Wed.

25 Thur. Hebrews 10: 12–13 Ascension

26 Fri.

27 Sat.

28 Sun. John 16: 7

29 Mon.

30 Tue.

31 Wed. Luke 6: 46

April

1 Sat.

2 Sun. Luke 22: 17–18

3 Mon.

4 Tue.

5 Wed. John 13: 10

6 Thur.

7 Fri.

8 Sat.

9 Sun. Mark 11: 17 Palm Sunday

10 Mon.

11 Tue.

12 Wed.

13 Thur.

14 Fri. Isaiah 53: 10 Good Friday

15 Sat.

16 Sun. John 2: 19, 22 Easter Sunday

17 Mon.

18 Tue.

19 Wed. Luke 24: 31

20 Thur.

21 Fri.

22 Sat.

23 Sun. Colossians 3: 1

24 Mon.

25 Tue.

26 Wed. 2 Kings 18: 5–6

27 Thur.

28 Fri.

29 Sat.

30 Sun. 1 Corinthians 3: 11

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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