Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer for School Year

[08:27, 30/08/2019] Mike and Izabela

Caleb - Starting Nursery

Esmae, Alex, Lexi, Vince - Year 1 of Primary School

Caelah (Kala), Lizzie - Year 3 of Primary School

Esmae starting year 1

Alecks- Year 1 of High School

Shauna - Year 2 of High School

Janna - Year 2 Sixth Form College

Becca - Year 2 University

Alecks - starting high school

[08:28, 30/08/2019] Mike and Izabela Clarry: Alecks - starting high school

Caleb - Starting Nursery

Primary

Caelah (Kala) - same as Lizzie

Esmae, Alex, Lexi, Vince - Year 1

Beth and Errol.

Caelah, Lizzie - Year 3

Esmae starting year 1

High School

Alecks - Year 1

Lidias children ?

Shauna - Year 2

Janna - Sixth Form - Year 2

Caleb - starting nursery??

Becca - University - Year 2

Sandhya s little girl - 3 ?

Scripture Reading

Luke 16

Death and Dying

Malcolm Martin

As most of you know Malcolm Martin fell asleep in the Lord early last Sabbath (at 5am).

Malcolm was a member at this church but had been ill for some time with hospice care.

His funeral is this coming Friday at 12.45 at Lowestoft church, and a burial afterwards at Kirkley.

The family are holding a private function after that.

Our Preoccupation with Death

It is true that “The living have a preoccupation with Death and Dying”.

If this sickness should prove fatal, what passage would you select as the text for your funeral sermon?”

He replied, “Oh, I feel that such a poor sinful creature is unworthy to have anything said about him; but if a funeral sermon must be preached, let it be from the words, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.’

” From Psalm 51.

In the same spirit of humility he directed in his will that the following inscription and nothing more should be cut on his gravestone:—

WILLIAM CAREY, BORN AUGUST 17th, 1761: DIED- -

“A wretched, poor, and helpless worm

On thy kind arms I fall.”

When Dr. Carey was suffering from a dangerous illness, the enquiry was made, “If this sickness should prove fatal, what passage would you select as the text for your funeral sermon?”

He replied, “Oh, I feel that such a poor sinful creature is unworthy to have anything said about him; but if a funeral sermon must be preached, let it be from the words, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.’

” In the same spirit of humility he directed in his will that the following inscription and nothing more should be cut on his gravestone:—

WILLIAM CAREY, BORN AUGUST 17th, 1761: DIED- -

“A wretched, poor, and helpless worm

On thy kind arms I fall.”

Pastor Role

A large part of a Pastor’s role is seeing sickness and death, up-close and very, very personal.

Most weeks I am reminded of my own humanity and fragility.

Often I say to myself, “There go I soon, if the Lord tarries”.

Teach Us To Number Our days

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Moses, the man of God, said in Psalm 90

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Two Wheeled Skooter

Have you seen one of these?

Have you tried one?

I did, humorous illustration, skate board at our home on slop.

My mind and my body were not in synch, and it hurt.

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Getting Old

One of the wisest men that lived on this earth wrote about getting old in ,

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This Parable

So In coming to the Parable for today, we have a picture and subject common to all.

We all think about death, more or less, depending on our age and what is happening.

Reincarnation, Out of body expereinces

Can engage in conversation on eternity,

Today’s Parable is not about what literally happens after death, but rather preparation in light of death and our final accounting to God.

It that sense this Parable logically follows the Parable of last week about the Shrewd Steward.

Luke 16

“A Picture is worth a thousand Words”

Principles when looking at Jesus Parables

Let us first remind ourselves about Parables and their Interpretation.

It is especially important today.

For God would have us learn spiritual lessons so we avoid self inflicted wounds to our hearts!

Let us remind nsiderations when looking at Parables,

Three quick Rules for interpretation of Parables

1) A Parable is a narrative, or a story, placed alongside certain spiritual truth for the purpose of comparison and clarity.

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And,

2) A Parable is a mirror by which truth can be seen, it is not truth itself.

So let us look at one the final verse in the parable for today,

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The picture here is of “He” the Rich Man, now in torment, now in everlasting Hell, in Hades, talking across this great gulf to “Him”, Father Abraham, who is in the tranquility of Heaven, with Lazarus .

This scene is a mirror to bring out important spiritual truth.

The scene is not truth itself.

The truth is in the verse above.

That Truth is ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

How prophetic is that Truth!

For the one speaking this very parable will rise from the dead!

That truth is hearing hearing and believing, not about what happens to people once they die.

So here the story is about when two people die in very different circumstances, one goes to torment and hell, one goes to heaven, to be with Father Abraham.

And they still did not believe!

What an insult to the very character of God.

That is a story to bring out the truth, it is not truth itself.