The Israelites would one day find themselves in Babylon … confused, disoriented, despairing: “Sitting by the waters of Babylon, how can we sing the songs of Zion?”

You can sing the songs of Babylon because of the certainty of our covenant God’s steadfast faithfulness, the certainty of his promise: if he has spoken it, it is as good as done. It is the certain, trustworthy power of God’s Word with which Isaiah encourages the Israelites living in exile:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55: 10-11)

Throughout Scripture, the Word of God is conceived of as having in itself power to create and sustain; protect and defend; rescue and restore. Why? Because it is carried on the very life-giving breath, the very life-giving Spirit of the living God and so is imbued with life-giving power. What was true for Israel in the midst of godless Babylon, what was true for the first Christians in Jerusalem and Antioch, remains true for God’s people in Jesus in the 21st Century: we are created and sustained, protected and defended, rescued and restored by the power of God’s Word applied to us by the life-giving Spirit of the risen and reigning Jesus Christ.

Come, then, let us rejoice and revel together by the strength of that Word, even that Word-made-flesh, Jesus Christ - worshipping, fellowshipping, and serving together to the praise of his astounding glory before the nations.

Order of Worship for 11.09.08