Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday Nov 8, 2020
Sermon Series: The Ministry of Jesus
Message: The Ministry Continues . . .
Reverend Glynis Faith (705-765-3797) (muskokalakesministry@gmail.com)
Ministry of Sacrifice and Reconciliation_______________________________________

Announcements
________________________________________* Lectio Divina Thursday evenings at 8pm via Zoom. If you would like to take part contact Rev. Faith to receive a Zoom invitation.
* Anyone considering membership at Knox or Zion can contact Reverend Faith to discuss (705)765-3797 (leave message) or muskokalakesministry@gmail.com Membership classes will begin in January.
* If you are looking for a way to contribute your time to the ministry of the church, perhaps you would consider sharing two hours of your week to help with the recording of the services. Please contact Rev Faith if you are interested.
* We will be celebrating Communion on Sunday November 29th via Zoom. More details in the coming weeks.
* The online worship services have been put together on a begged, borrowed (but never stolen) shoestring budget. As it has become apparent that online services will continue for the foreseeable future, we are hoping to beg a little less, return some of the borrowed and purchase some equipment to bring us into the 21st century. If you are able, please consider making a donation to the production of these services. Please note on your donation “online worship services.” And thank you in advance for your support.
* Today is our final Autumn Outdoor Worship Service. God has blessed us with an additional week a beautiful weather and we are going to gather outdoors one last time and sing His praises.
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
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
Thank you for your continued support!
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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All authority in heaven and earth belong to You, O Lord. You created them and they are Yours.
We are Your workmanship – created by Your hand – given life by Your breathe. You created us in Your image and we are Yours.
Loving God, You have called us and we have chosen to respond – to turn from our sins and commit our lives in service to You.
Not all have heard or understood the Good News of Jesus, so we are called to share the Good News – to Go and make disciples of ALL nations.
Lord, we hear the words of Jesus, “go and make disciples,” yet we confess our failure to do so. We allow fear of what others may say or lack of confidence to silence us. Lord, forgive us. Forgive us and embolden us to ‘go’ and share the joy and peace we have found in Jesus with everyone we meet. This we pray in Jesus’ name AMEN

WORDS OF ASSURANCE
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Repent of your sins – accept forgiveness and then go out and share Christ’s message of salvation with the world. AMEN
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Scripture
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Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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Message
“The Ministry Continues . . . Go, and make disciples”
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GO - - - Go and make disciples . . .
That is what Jesus did. He left heaven (Go), and He made disciples. Jesus came and made disciples, teaching them to obey the commandments of God. He gave them proof that He had authority in heaven and earth through His amazing teachings and miracles, multiplying food, calming storms, healing the sick and driving out demons. His disciples saw something in Him that inspired them to answer His call to come and to stick with Him to learn more.
Jesus came, made disciples, taught them, prepared them and then He calls them to Go – go and do as He has done – go and make disciples of all nations.
Jesus commissioned His disciples to do as He had done, and He continues to call us to do the same.
Today we conclude our sermon series on the ministry of Jesus, a ministry that did not end when Jesus ascended into heaven. We see in this passage that Jesus does not conclude His ministry; but rather, He passes on the torch to those who called Him Lord.
The eleven disciples took this commission from Jesus seriously. They went out and they shared all they had seen and learned from Jesus. They shared the powerful message of Jesus’ death and resurrection and they called people to believe and put their faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Scripture tells us they sometimes had doubt, but they did not let doubt stop them from sharing what they had seen and heard from they called Teacher, Rabbi, Lord and Friend.
And lets be clear, they were aware of the opposition they would face, as they themselves had witnessed it firsthand through Jesus’ ministry. But it did not stop them. Why? This is a good question, why would they face persecution to share the Good News? Why not just keep it to their selves? Why risk it?
Yet risk it they did. Traditions tell us that Bartholomew, Peter and Paul were martyred for sharing the Gospel, Simon the Zealot was killed for refusing to sacrifice to a sun god, Matthias (who replaced Judas) was either burned, stoned or beheaded (there are multiple traditions regarding his death) Andrew was crucified, Thomas was speared by soldiers and according to the book of Acts, James was executed by Herod. John, it is believed, was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he experienced something that led to the writing of the book of Revelation. John eventually died of old age.
Jesus commissioned them to GO – go and make disciples. They could have stayed, but they chose to accept Christ’s call for them to continue His mission, and they went and they made disciples. Why? Perhaps the question should be, How could they not?
These men witnessed first-hand the death and resurrection of Jesus – the atonement and salvation Christ achieved for us. They are the eye-witnesses to the Good News of Jesus.
Through His death on the Cross, Jesus made atonement for our sins, and His resurrection is the evidence (the proof) that death no longer has a claim on those who follow Christ. The message is this: Those who follow Jesus through life, will also follow Him through death into the resurrection into eternal life. Death has ZERO claim on those who make Jesus the Lord of their life. That, my friends, is Good News, and Good News is what we are called to share. Go and tell people about Jesus – tell them that sin separates us from God – that Jesus died to save us from the consequences of our sins – that Jesus was without sin when He died, making Him the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity – Jesus repaired what Adam had broken – Jesus restored our relationship with God – and because Jesus was without sin when he died, death had no hold (no hold) on Him. Death’s hold is on sinners, which Jesus was not, so God raised Jesus from the dead!
That is Good News, but it is not all the news! Jesus took our sins to the Cross and made atonement for our sins. Everyone who comes to Jesus, everyone who confesses their sins before Christ, everyone who turns from the things in life that are in opposition to God’s perfect Creation and lives their life for Christ – everyone who chooses to follow Jesus in this life will (not might) will follow Him through death and into the resurrection in the eternal presence of God our Creator – God our Saviour and God our Sustainer. Death has NO Hold on those who serve the Risen Lord – No Hold!
You and I have not witnessed first-hand the death of Jesus on the Cross, or experienced the shocking joy of that first-hand realization that God raised Christ from the dead. We have not been given the opportunity to see the nail holes in Christ’s hands and feet – to put our hand in His side where he was speared. The disciples witnessed this and they went out and shared this Good News throughout the nations, making disciples who would write down the accounts of what they witnessed and who would continue to share the Gospel from generation to generation.
You and I have not witnessed first-hand the death of Jesus on the Cross, or experienced the shocking joy of that first-hand realization that God raised Christ from the dead, but we have read the Gospels written by those witnesses, the apostles Matthew and John, and by those who wrote the accounts of other witnesses, Luke and Mark. We have also seen, heard and experienced the evidence of Christ’s love living in those who shared the Gospel with us.
Each of us has seen, heard and/or experienced the Good News through different people and situations in our lives. Others shared their faith with us – they told their stories of how they came to know Jesus and How Jesus has blessed them. Our stories are different, but they are also the same.
From the moment Jesus commissioned the first disciples, people have been preaching, teaching, singing about and sharing how they have experienced God’s love, mercy and grace.
The Great Commission is for all of us – each of us called to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus – each of us call to Go and make disciples. Friends, hear the Words of Jesus to YOU…
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Please pray with me: Jesus we give you our hearts in gratitude and praise. Thank you for coming to teach us God’s love and His truth and love found in the Commandments we have been given. Thank you for showing us how to face temptation by firmly fixing ourselves upon Your Word. Thank you for those who faced persecution and gave their lives to record the accounts of Your ministry. Thank you for every individual throughout time who have responded to Your commission to go and make disciples. Jesus, we put our faith in You and trust that You are with us always – trusting that nothing in life or in death can separate us from God’s love. Jesus, we present these prayers in Your perfect Name. AMEN
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Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession
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Creator God, we give You thanks for this spectacular mid-fall weather. After the cooler weather we have been experiencing, we are that much more mindful of the recent warm sunny days we have been graced with. Thank you Creator.
Everlasting Father, we give You thanks for family – for the family we are born into – for the families we create of friends and neighbours – and also for our extended Christian family who help us grow in our faith.
Lord Jesus, sometimes we have doubt. Instead of reprimanding our doubt, You remind us that You will always be with us – Always – even in our doubt. Jesus, we thank you for the strength and assurance Your presence brings
Holy Spirit when we question, You open our eyes to see. When we seek, You enable us to find truth. When we are weak, You give us the strength and courage we need for each moment.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we lift our hearts to You in gratitude and praise.
Let Your Spirit move amongst us and stir our hearts as we pray together the Lord’s Prayer…. Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thine will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. AMEN
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Commissioning and Benediction
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Friends, forgiveness is a gift. Get up each morning remember the gift God has given you, determined to share what you have received with others…

And as you do, May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He make His face to shine down upon you. May the Lord, be gracious to you – today, tomorrow and every day here after. AMEN