19th November 2023
Prepared by Rev. Saul Tadzaushe
‘On The Final Judgement Day- Separation‘

Call to worship : Psalm 100:1-3
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of  His pasture.

Hymn STF 55 Immortal Invisible
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Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render, O help us to see
’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

Walter C. Smith (1867)

Prayers of Adoration

Loving God, we adore you, Sovereign of all, we praise your holy name. For you are our God and our King: We are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand.

Suffering Christ, we adore you. Saviour of all, we praise your holy name. For you are our God and our King: We are people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand.

Joyous Spirit, we adore you. Freedom of all. we praise your holy name. For you are our God and our King: We are people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand.

Shepherd God our Maker, Redeemer and Friend, we adore you. Amen

Bible Reading Matthew 25:31 – 46
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Theme: On The Final Judgement Day- Separation

It is an enormous privilege to share the word of God with you. We are going to focus on Matthew 25:31-46. It is known as the parable of the sheep and the goats. This parable deals with eschatological events and how we should prepare ourselves for the judgement day when those who do the will of God shall be separated from those who do not do the will of God. The parable encourages us all people to observe equality, diversity and inclusion as we wait for the coming of the King of kings as the judge.  Where will you be when the Son of God comes? Be ready. Jesus is coming. Are you an obedient follower a sheep or a pretender unbeliever a goat?

The parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence, they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others’ needs.

Here are some ways you and I can actively engage in acts of service as encouraged by Matthew 25: 31-46.

1 Volunteer: Look for organisations or charities in your area that align with causes you care about.

Find opportunities to volunteer your time and skills to support their work.

Whether its serving at a soup kitchen, working at a local shelter or participating in community clean up efforts, volunteering allows us to directly contribute and make a difference.

2 Donate: Consider donating to charitable organisations or causes that you believe in.

You can donate money, but also consider donating items or resources that can benefit those in need. Look for a food bank in your community and start donating something now.

3 Support Local businesses: By shopping Locally, you can support small businesses and contribute to your community, this can have a positive impact on the Local economy and job opportunities. Start today to buy certain products from a local businessman or woman

4 Offer your skills: Identify your unique talents and skills and consider how you can use them to benefit others.

5 Be kind and compassionate: Show empathy and listen actively and offer support to friends, family or even strangers who may be going through tough time. Remember the story of joseph and his brothers when they came to Egypt for food

In conclusion Let us look at other people with the eyes of Christ.  He came for all; he loves them all. Christ sees value in every human being for they were created in the image of God. Christ suffered and died for all. He is the truth, the way and the life whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Every act of service, no matter how small, has the potential to make a positive difference in someone’s life

See and serve now Jesus is coming

AMEN

Hymn STF 672 Where can we find you ?
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Where can we find you, Lord Jesus our Master?
We want to serve you, to answer your call.
Where do you lead us and ask us to follow?
What should we do in our service to all?

Go to the hungry, to those who have nothing;
Go where the farmlands are empty and bare.
I broke the bread for the people around me;
Out of my plenty, think what you can share.

Go to the homeless, to those who have nowhere;
Go where my people sleep out in the rain.
I had no comforts but what others gave me;
Offer them shelter, give ease to their pain.

Go to the outcast, to those who have no-one;
Go where my sheep are rejected and lost.
I dined with sinners and reached out to lepers;
Go and do likewise, and don’t count the cost

Where will we find you, Lord Jesus our Master?
We are your servants who answer your call.
You go before us, and there we will follow,
Taking our cross in the service of all.

Allan Charles Dickinson © 1993 Allan Dickinson

The Lord’s prayer

Prayer of dismissal.
As the children of God, let us bear fruit in the lives of those around us,
As the household of God, let us be the salt in our communities,
As the people of God, let us be light to the world     .

Benediction.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and for evermore. Amen.