Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday November 21, 2021
Message: Go and Do Likewise
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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* Reverend Darren May has been assigned as your interim moderator. Rev. May will be here to lead worship with you next Sunday and your elders will have his contact information for you
* It has been an honour and a blessing to serve you these past two years, and I thank you for welcoming me into your lives. I pray God will work through Knox and Zion, blessing all you do in His name.
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession & The Lord’s Prayer
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We exalt you, O God, our Lord and our King;
We praise your name today and for ever.
Every day we shall praise you name – we shall
sing Your praises for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of our praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
thus, we pause to meditate on your wonderful works. ///

Lord, we celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
There is none like You – Creating – Redeeming – Sustaining God.
So together we lift our hearts in praise to You – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – blessed Trinity.
Hear our praise Lord, and hear our confession, for we confess we don’t praise You enough. We really don’t! We love the beauty of creation, but don’t always pause to soak it in and give You thanks. We love to receive Your blessings, but often take credit upon ourselves for our successes, instead of giving You the glory.
We confess that in a world filled with hurt and brokenness, we sometimes turn our backs on those who are suffering. We walk on the other side of the road to avoid getting involved. You call us to love our neighbours, which we are happy to do, unless, that is, if it means getting our hands dirty or sacrificing our own comfort and security.
God, forgive us for the many things we take for granted – forgive us when we take Your love, grace and mercy for granted. Forgive us our complacency - for the times when we turn from those in need instead of turning towards them. Forgive us and bless us with renewed commitment to love and serve as we are called.
LORD, You are gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love. You offer pardon to all who will confess their sins in truth and in love. You are merciful – You are God.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, enable each of us to feel Your presence as we join our voices to repeat the prayer Jesus taught us, saying:

Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. for Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. AMEN______________________________________
Prayer of Thanksgiving & Intercession
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Father God, we give thanks and praise for the very breath of life You give each of us. We give thanks for those who have learned this week that their gift of breath has increased.
Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour we give you thanks for the gift of eternal life made possible through Your death on the Cross and through Your resurrection into eternity.
Holy Spirit, we give thanks for Your daily presence to guide and strengthen us through life’s journey.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are with us through the joys of life, through the struggles we face and you are in us, working through us in the ways that we lift one another up and carry one another when we are beaten and bruised. Blessed Triune God, we give you thanks for Your great love and for the love of our neighbours.
We are grateful for the very gift of prayer – for the ability to talk with You and the assurance that You listen. O Lord, hear us now as we bring to You our prayers of intercession.
We pray healing for individuals living with mental and physical illnesses.
We pray relief for those living with chronic pain.
We pray comfort for all who mourn.
We pray for peaceful solutions to growing conflict between those who accept vaccines and those who do not.
We pray for our neighbours in British Columbia whose lives have been disrupted by flooding.
We pray for our family and our friends and our neighbours. Bless them with a deep understanding of Your great love, mercy and grace.
And, Lord, I lift up the congregations of Knox, Port Carling and Zion, Torrance as they enter into a time of vacancy and transition. Bless them as they continue to serve as Your hands and feet in their communities.
All this we pray through Christ our Lord. AMEN
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“ Go and Do Likewise ”
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Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

This proverb encourages us to acknowledge and submit to God, and He will make a straight path for you. To trust God, not just a little, but with all our heart. (not always easy, but certainly worth the effort) It is a good reminder to put God first in our thoughts and actions.
Our reading of the Parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us of our call to love God and neighbour. Again, we put God first. Love, not just with words, but with intentionality – sincerity and with actions. That is to love with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. (again, not always easy, but we are blessed abundantly when we strive to do so)
Jesus often spoke through parables. The Parable of the Talents, parable of the sower, parable of the weeds amongst the wheat, the prodigal son, the lost sheep, the unforgiving servant and the parable of the kingdom divided, to name only a few. Parables by definition are easy to remember stories that convey a moral or spiritual message.
This parable is not a guide on what to do if you run into a person beaten on the side of the street; but rather a message on how we should treat one another PERIOD.
It is easy to focus our attention on the good Samaritan, but a parable shines light on a variety of people, situations and possibilities, and if we allow the parables of Jesus to open our eyes and ears, we could at any time view ourselves, our situations and our behaviours on any of the characters or situations. That is to say, a parable can be an eye-opener that helps us see our sin and leads us back on the path to follow Jesus – to hear His words – see His actions and to Go and do likewise!
So, let’s not focus on the parable, per se; instead, let’s focus on the over arching message and on Jesus’s instruction to go and do likewise.
You see, sometimes you are on a journey and looking forward to the road ahead, but life happens – you encounter something on your path that changes your direction, at least for the moment. A robber, an illness, a pandemic, a financial crisis or the loss of someone dear to you. These things happen. They are a reality in a fallen world. No matter how difficult the situation is, and no matter how beaten you may feel, trust that God is with you. Acknowledge His presence and He will make the path straight.
So let’s not focus on the struggles and challenges, because they are not the point of the parable, and we can trust God has our back.
How about we focus instead on those who step onto your path and lift you up. Focus on the people who carry you when you don’t have the strength. Consider your neighbours – the people sitting next to you right now – the people in your life that you call friends and the ones God has placed you in family with and the ones that cross your path for a brief period of time.
Has anyone ever nursed you back to health, driven you to an appointment, sat with you in hospital? Focus on them, and then Go and do likewise for others.
Has anyone ever prayed with you – prayed for you? Kept you close in prayer during a difficult time in your life? Go and do likewise.
Can you remember someone bringing you a bowl of soup on a cold day or shared their watermelon with you on a hot day? Go and do likewise.
Consider the people who shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with you. Go and do likewise.
Then there is the person who stopped to help shovel you out after a snow storm. The young men who towed you out of the ditch when the first snowy roads of the season caught you off guard - - they just pulled you out, asked if you were okay to drive and then with a wave they were off - - you may not have gotten their name, but they are your neighbours - - Go and do likewise.
Do you remember the neighbour who dropped off a fruitcake to welcome you into the neighbourhood, or the teen from down the road who always stopped to clear the snow off your car on their way to school, or how about the young fellow at the grocery store who always took a few minutes to chat and make you feel welcome. Go and do likewise.
We have all experienced the love of a neighbour, so we know what a difference if makes - - Go and do likewise, says Jesus.
Go and do likewise Jesus tells us.
Go about every day loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with every ounce of your strength. Give God your everything. And love your neighbour as yourself. PERIOD!
The Golden Rule begins with loving God with all that you are and all that you have and it is completed in the love of our neighbour.
Think of a triangle with God at the top (because God should always be top on our list and the head of our lives) Then you are down here on the left and your neighbour is down here on the right.

God

You Neighbour

God loves You God loves your neighbour
You love your neighbour as yourself
The Golden Rule connects us – it makes us stronger. Living by the Golden Rule deepens our relationship with God and with one another. God loves you – Go and do likewise. Jesus came to show God’s love to the world – Go and do likewise. The Holy Spirit empowers us to love and serve one another – Go and do likewise.
Love of neighbour is centered on the love of God – on God’s love for us and on our love for God.
You are the church – God’s people, called to love and serve God and to love and serve you neighbour.
I know that the news these past couple weeks has been a shocker to everyone. Many are feeling a bit like the person on the side of the road who has been robbed and beaten. It’s not a great feeling, but I encourage you to pray for one another and to trust in God. Put your faith fully in the One who knows your heart – the One who created you – the One who loves you.
You are His people, His flock and He will guide you through this next pasture. Keep your eyes and your heart fixed on the Great Shepherd, for He knows the way forward.
You are Christ’s church – His hands and feet in this world. You are called to share God’s love – to reach out in neighbourly love to those in your community and across this world. And I know that you will pick one another up and you will encourage and support one another. Most of all, I know that you will love one another as Christ has loved you.
Your new interim moderator, Reverend Darren May, will be here to lead you in worship next Sunday. I pray that as you travel this new path with him that you will focus on where and what God is calling you to. I pray you will focus on the people and situations God places along your path.
Love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul and with all your strength and He will make your path straight for you.
Love your neighbour as yourself so the whole world can see the love of Christ living in you.
Consider the ministry of Jesus and go and do likewise
Feed the hungry, cloth the naked, care for the elderly, the widows and the vulnerable, provide shelter to those in need, take time to visit and contact those who are lonely and keep on sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord.
God bless you all.
Please pray with me: Lord God, I thank you for your faithful servants in the congregations of Knox and Zion. I thank you for the ministry you have given to them and for the ways they reach out to welcome others into their family. May all who worship You in truth and love be filled with Your grace.
Bless these congregations moving forward. May they trust in and follow Your will always. May they be filled with peace and joy. In Christ’s perfect name I pray. AMEN
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Support the Work of the Church
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DONATIONS TO ZION, TORRANCE
Mail cheques to Zion Presbyterian Church 1046 Torrance Rd, Torrance, ON, P0C 1M0
E-Transfers to zionchurchpc@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765 3797 to arrange pick up

DONATIONS TO KNOX, PORT CARLING
Mail cheques to Knox Presbyterian Church Box 283, Port Carling, ON,
P0B 1J0
E-Transfers to KnoxChurchPC@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765-3797 to arrange pick up