May 14-20 Family Worship Guide

The Guide for the Week
May 14-20th, 2023 AD.
The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Bible Passage for the Week
Proverbs 3:1-12
Ephesians 4: 1-16
Micah 1
Psalm 72

Verse to Memorize
Matthew 6:9-13
 
Catechism Questions
Q. 120. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is asking God for things which he has promised to give.

Q. 121. In whose name should we pray?
A. Only in the name of Christ.

Q. 122. What has Christ given us to teach us how to pray?
A. The Lord's Prayer.

People to Pray for:
Church: Christ Church Columbus
                Pastor Andrew Halsey
Ministry: Round Table Media
Civil Magistrate: Indiana House of Representatives
                                    Rep Rita Fleming
                           
Notes for Parents:
Proverbs 3:1-12
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Jack who was very confident in his abilities and thought he knew everything. One day, he went to a wise old teacher to learn more and asked the teacher to pour some water into his cup. However, as the teacher tried to pour the water, Jack's cup was already full, and it spilled over, unable to hold any more water. The teacher told Jack that his cup was already full and that he could not receive any new knowledge until he emptied his cup and humbled himself.

The book of Proverbs is written so that we might grow in wisdom.  One of the things that would keep us from growing in wisdom is that sadly we are already too wise in our own eyes.    Our cup is too full to receive the actual wisdom of the Lord.  The receive we lean on our own understanding is that we don’t fear God enough.
 
The beginning of wisdom is both knowing that God is holy and just but also in knowing that we are not God.  When we know God rightly and know ourselves, then we have plenty of room for the knowledge of God to pour in us.
 
One way we trust in our own wisdom is seen in how we grow dull to the simple truths of scripture.  We think, “I’ve already heard that.  I’ve already done that and bought the t-shirt.”   But we never should think we have grown to the point of not needing the faithful teaching of God’s word.

Ephesians 4: 1-16
Because we are children of God by the work of the Holy Spirit and by the sacrifice of Christ, we ought to live like who God has declared us to be.  We ought to live in obedience to Him.  And we ought to preserve the unity of the Spirit.  Last week, we learned about the foundation of our union.
 
We did not create the unity, we were grafted into it by the Holy Spirit.  We were brought in by God and His great mercy.   Our union then is founded on the fact that we are all a part of one body, we have on Holy Spirit, we have together a hope that is for the whole world, we have one Lord whom we submit to, we have one faith which we proclaim, and we are brought into all this through one baptism, having one Holy Father.

Our unity is the unity of brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are united in and through the truth.  And this oneness we have is displayed in the diversity of gifts which God has given us.  And in particular the fact that God has given the church government.  

This past Sunday, we looked at the purpose for our union.  We are all one and yet have a variety of giftings so that we may all grow together into maturity.  We are one so that we may do the work of service and so that we can building each other up.  Our union exists to keep us from being like children, immature, stunted in growth, and unable to stand up against the lies and schemes of the devil.  

This week go through the entire chapter and see all the ways how we are to preserve the unity- Humility, gentleness, patience, showing tolerance for one another, diligence, and speaking truth in love.

Micah 1

The book of Micah is a collection of prophetic messages from Micah, a prophet of Judah who lived during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.  
 
God was having enough of the people’s idolatry, injustice, and wickedness.  They had drifted for far too long from His commands.   Even though Hezekiah was a good king, the people did not give their hearts fully to God.
 
The book then begins with a lament over the impending judgment on Judah and Israel for their sins. Micah paints a vivid picture of the destruction and devastation that will come upon the land. The prophet declares that the Lord is coming in judgment against the people's idolatry, injustice, and oppression. Micah accuses the leaders and rulers of the nation of corruption and warns them that they will not be able to escape the coming judgment. The judgment will be so severe that even the hills and mountains will be melted away, and the people will be left desolate and in mourning.  There children will be taken from them.   God’s discipline will be severe.

We ought to learn from this that God will not put up with sin forever and even having good leaders over you will not prevent God from disciplining.   Going to a good church, listening to good sermons, and giving verbal ascent isn’t enough.  We must all examine our lives and repent of our falling into idolatry and evil.

Psalm 72
This Psalm is titled "A Psalm of Solomon". It can be translated as either "of" or "for". Some see it as being written by Solomon as a prayer for himself, while others believe it was written by David praying for Solomon. Either way, it is a prayer that God would give his blessing to the king and allow him to reign uncontested. In part, the prayer was answered during the reign of Solomon as he built the temple, and the nation experienced a golden age. However, there are clauses throughout the Psalm that suggest it is referring to someone greater than Solomon. For example, verse 5 says, "May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations." This was not fulfilled by Solomon, who died, and whose kingdom did not last. Rather, this Psalm finds its ultimate meaning in Christ Jesus.

He is the King whose kingdom shall not end. He is the one who shall rule from sea to sea, even to the ends of the earth. He is the one who will deliver the needy and have compassion on them. This Psalm then speaks of the Lordship of Christ over all the earth. It even speaks of calling all kings and nations to serve Him. It should be our heart's prayer that we would be used by God to proclaim the Kingship of Christ. When we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come," we are praying a prayer like Psalm 72.

It is easy to look around and see our culture going to hell in a handbasket and become bitter and nihilistic. It is easy to forget that Jesus is reigning, and the nations can only rage in vain. All that our culture is doing is according to God's plan, and it is for the good of God's people. We may not be able to see how that is right now, but we can trust that Jesus is the one who saves the lives of the needy.

(Some of the themes in this psalm deal with civil rulers bowing the knee to Jesus.  The latest Patriarchy Podcast by Pastor Joseph delves into some of the debate over Christian Nationalism. You can watch or listen below)

Catechism/ Memory Verse
Our catechism question says, "Prayer is asking God what He has promised to give." In other words, prayer is speaking to God in faith, holding firm to His promises and trusting that He will do what is right and best.

Prayer is one of the biggest tools that God has given us and one of the greatest blessings He has bestowed upon us, yet it is the one thing we neglect so often. Teach your children to pray. Jesus Christ knew that His disciples needed to be taught to pray. He gave them a prayer that they could follow as a guide for their own prayers. The Lord's Prayer is such a treasure from God to us.

Teach it to your children. It isn't that difficult to memorize, and frequent use of it is helpful in teaching us all how to pray. It is a blessing to watch your children pray. My son, Ezra, who is two years old, loves to pray, and even he has the Lord's Prayer memorized.

Over the next few weeks, the children are going to be studying each aspect of the prayer. Help them to see the prayer not only as something to memorize and repeat but as a guide to forming prayers of their own. Each petition or section in the Lord's Prayer will be a pattern to follow. When you don't know what to pray, just pray through each section and meditate on what it means. For example, what does it mean to ask for your daily bread?

It teaches us to go to God for all our needs. It teaches us that every day's supply comes from God. It teaches us gratitude for simple provisions in our life. We ought to be pleased with only bread, and yet the Lord lavishes on us feasts all the time.

People to Pray for:
Prayer for Christ Church Columbus
                    Pastor Andrew Halsey

O gracious and loving God, our heavenly Father,
We come before you with humble hearts to pray for Christ Church in Columbus and their pastor Andrew Halsey. We give you thanks for the gift of your son Jesus Christ and the salvation that he has wrought for us. We thank you for the faithful witness of Christ Church in Columbus and for their commitment to the gospel.
We pray that you would grant Andrew Halsey wisdom and discernment as he leads the flock of Christ Church. Give him a heart that is attuned to your will and a mind that is guided by your Holy Spirit. May he always seek to honor and glorify you in all that he does, and may he be a faithful steward of the gifts and resources that you have entrusted to him.
We also pray that you would bless the efforts of Christ Church to reach the lost and to grow the kingdom of God in Columbus. May they be steadfast and unwavering in their commitment to proclaiming the gospel, and may they be effective in sharing the good news of salvation with those who do not yet know you.
Finally, we pray that you would bless Christ Church with an increase in their number, and that you would continue to build them up in faith and in love. May they be a beacon of hope and truth in the midst of a world that is lost and wandering, and may they always be faithful to your word and obedient to your will.
We ask all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.


RoundTable Media
O God, our King,
Thank you for the gospel you have given us to proclaim.  It is the hope of the nation.  We also are grateful for the various means you have given us to be able to proclaim this hope.  Thank you for printers, tracts, street corners, computers, cameras, the internet, and even this app.   We also thank you for gifting people with all kinds of different skills to do this work.  Thank you for the media team at our church.  Think for being able to livestream our services so that those who are sick or traveling may join in and that we may be able to pull up sermons again in the future.  We also thank you for the creation of this new endeavor, Round Table Media.  Please bless the work in making audio and video podcasts.  Protect Pastor Joseph and the other men involved from pride, selfish ambition, and discouragement.  Help them this work to be done in proportion to the call you have given.   And please bless those who listen.  Use the work to spread the gospel and build your kingdom.  
We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


Prayer for Indiana House of Representative Rita Fleming
                                    Rep Rita Fleming

Dear God our Father,
Thank you for your kind provision of your creation in providing sunshine and rain to fall on both the just and the unjust.  You are good and worthy of all praise.   Thank you for your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord who came to earth, became man, and lived a holy and blameless life.  He was unjustly condemned and murdered but we know that he willingly laid down his life for sinners like us.  He rose again from the dead and has been declared King of Kings and Lord over all.
We come to you know and ask your kind blessing on Representative Rita Fleming.  Provide for all her needs and keep her in good health.  Most importantly, help her to know the depth of her sin and the height of your holiness.  Cause her to fear disobedience and to trust on Jesus Christ for all her needs.  Make her to know that any office of authority she holds is because you have ordained it.  Therefore give her wisdom and confidence to use that authority for your glory and in accordance with your commands.
Turn her heart towards the plight of the preborn.  Help her to seek justice and not allow any more little children to be harmed in the womb in the state of Indiana.  
Lord if she will not stand for what is right then please replace her with someone who will, we pray in the most magnificent name of Jesus, Amen.


Church History Spotlight
Erik, King of Sweden, Martyr
17 May 1160

Erik IX—also called Erik Jedvardsson, Eric the Lawgiver, and Saint Erik—was a Swedish king and Catholic saint, reigning from around 1150 to May 18, 1160.  He was the head of a Christian kingdom surrounded by nearby pagan kingdoms, all sharing an old tradition of fighting. Around 1155, he headed an expedition into Finland, then loosely under Swedish rule, to consolidate Swedish authority there and to establish a protected Christian mission, headed by Henry of Uppsala, now considered the founder of the Church in Finland. Erik is also known for undertaking to provide Sweden with fair laws and fair courts, and for measures designed to assist the poor and the infirm. As he was in church on 18 May 1160, the day after Ascension Day, he was told that a pagan Danish army was approaching to kill him. He replied, "Let us at least finish the service. The rest of the feast I shall keep elsewhere." As he was leaving the church, the pagans rushed upon him and killed him.
Erik was honored both as an upholder of the Christian faith and as a national hero, the ancestor of a long line of Swedish kings. The silver casket with his remains still rests in the cathedral at Uppsala.

Upcoming Events:
May 17 King’s Men
May 21 King’s Men
May 24 Women’s Bible Study
June 1 Evangel Presbytery Meeting