Sunday Services
Our Sunday service runs from 10:45am to 12 noon and there is an opportunity for a time of fellowship both before and after the service, with tea, coffee and cake/biscuits. The service is designed to have broad appeal, with a relaxed, informal style, a mix of older & more modern worship and mainstream teaching - explaining what the Bible means and how it can be applied to your daily life.
Children are very welcome. The last Sunday of each month is an all age service, when the children stay in church. On other Sundays they leave the service part way through for Sunday school - parents are welcome to help out on a regular or occasional basis with this, or stay in church. Occasionally, in addition, we also have some Messy Church services.
Most people dress smart/casual, but formal is ok too. We celebrate communion on the second Sunday of each month . Our building is wheelchair accessible, there is a hearing induction loop and also baby-changing facilities.
Please use the Contact Us page if you would like to know any more.
Our Sunday service runs from 10:45am to 12 noon and there is an opportunity for a time of fellowship both before and after the service, with tea, coffee and cake/biscuits. The service is designed to have broad appeal, with a relaxed, informal style, a mix of older & more modern worship and mainstream teaching - explaining what the Bible means and how it can be applied to your daily life.
Children are very welcome. The last Sunday of each month is an all age service, when the children stay in church. On other Sundays they leave the service part way through for Sunday school - parents are welcome to help out on a regular or occasional basis with this, or stay in church. Occasionally, in addition, we also have some Messy Church services.
Most people dress smart/casual, but formal is ok too. We celebrate communion on the second Sunday of each month . Our building is wheelchair accessible, there is a hearing induction loop and also baby-changing facilities.
Please use the Contact Us page if you would like to know any more.
Jude
Some people seem to think that the Old Testament is all about judgement and the New Testament all about love. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is a God of judgement as well as love – the two sides of one coin - and both are portrayed in each Testament.
Last week we looked at the little book of Obadiah and as I have looked at this little book of Jude, I have been amazed at the similarities in content. Obadiah speaks of God’s judgement – so does Jude. Obadiah speaks of the sovereignty of God from first to last – so does Jude. Obadiah speaks of lifestyles unacceptable to God – so does Jude. I guess it should not really be surprising. Whether it’s 600BC, 60AD or 2021, man does not change!
But first, who was Jude? He describes himself as a servant of Jesus and brother of James. It is therefore most likely that he is actually a younger brother of Jesus. Initially Jesus’ family, His brothers and sisters, did not believe in Him so here he is obviously clarifying his position now. Saying he is the brother of James I think not only says exactly who he was but also identifies him with James who wrote the letter with his name. That letter focuses a great deal on the fact that faith without works is dead. Here Jude is saying the same thing. Our faith much be seen in our deeds. Our deeds must tie up with our faith. In fact we must practice what we preach!
This letter, just like Obadiah however, starts and finishes on a very positive note. He makes sure that his readers understand just who they are in Christ – called, kept and loved (v1). In fact what more do we need to know? It is through His grace that we have been chosen to be part of His family and as such He takes responsibility to keep us going through all that we may face and loves us unconditionally. This is so important to understand before he launches into his words of criticism. He loves them dearly describing them several times as ‘dear friends’. He wanted to write in a more positive way but he feels the responsibility to help them understand where they may be going wrong. They are being tempted to veer from the truth by people around them who seem so persuasive. A situation we can so easily find ourselves in.
They are reminded that this truth that they heard from the beginning is eternal truth and does not change. (v3) Jude is so concerned for their Christian growth that he writes things hard to take instead of a load of pleasantries. Of course there is a place for pleasantries because we all need encouragement, but we must also be prepared to hear and, sometimes, share concerns. Sharing such concerns must however always be done in the right manner and for the right reasons.
This poses a very important question – how ready are we to receive criticism from fellow believers or even from God? Criticism often hurts and makes us feel uncomfortable, and yet right criticism would enable us to grow as Christians and bring us closer to God. The writer to the Hebrews in chapter 12 says we must be prepared to be disciplined and that sometimes means hearing things we do not really want to hear. It is for our good and demonstrates that He loves us and wants us to become more like Jesus.
In his desire to help his readers Jude reminds them of three situations in the past where God has passed judgement on rebellion. God graciously rescued the people of God from slavery in Egypt and led them towards the Promised Land. However, because of their lack of belief that God could see them through, their constant moaning and their idolatry, none of them except Caleb and Joshua actually got there. Rebellion against God’s purpose and plan for them. Refusing to walk in the way that God wanted.
The second example is of a heavenly one – the rebellion of some angels against the authority of God which resulted in Satan and his angels who now seek to wreak havoc in our world. Rebellion against authority.
The third example is of Sodom and Gomorrah and the way some of the people were living. Rebellion against God’s standard. In the same breath he speaks of hell – a subject which we avoid because we find it uncomfortable.
We say that hindsight is a wonderful thing because we can learn from the mistakes of others. This is what Jude is doing. He is reminding them of people who went down a certain path and the way that God inevitably judged them. He is trying to warn them that ignoring or rebelling against God has consequences.
He goes on with three more characters from the Old Testament. Cain who killed his brother – a man who was arrogant and selfish which led him to hatred and murder. Balaam – a man tempted by the promise of money. And Korah who rose up against God’s appointed leadership, Moses.
What an incredible picture this is of our world today. We can never say that the Bible is out of date and irrelevant. Man does not change so what happened then still happens today – lack of belief, rebellion against authority, depraved lifestyles, greed, hatred, arrogance and selfishness. It was all there in the time of Obadiah, the time of Jude and still in the 21st century.
Jude then uses picture language to describe these folk who are trying to steer them away from the truth. He really doesn’t mince his words. He describes them as ‘dreamers’ who are living in a way inconsistent with God’s way. He’s trying to get his readers to first look at where these ideas are coming from. Are these people worthy of being listened to? He describes them as greedy shepherds, useless clouds, fruitless trees, uncontrolled waves and wandering stars. How important it is for us to be sure who we are listening to. Just because someone wears a dog collar or is well-known, it doesn’t mean that they are right and we should listen to them. It is so important as I have said before, that we test what has been said alongside God’s Word. That is our ultimate authority. People change – God’s Word does not.
In the light of all this Jude then finishes on a flourish of encouragement – encouragement to continue growing in their faith; encouragement to pray; encouragement to remember God’s unending love for them. To encourage others who are faltering; to share the good news of Jesus and finally to remember that we have a God who is able … able to keep us faithful until we meet Him face to face. Paul had the same thought when he wrote to the Ephesian church speaking of ‘Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.’ (Ephesians 3:20-21)
I have simply given an overview of this little book but there is so much within it that I believe we must spend more time with it. There are issues I have skirted round which may trouble you. What does it mean to be ‘kept by Jesus’? How do we ‘build ourselves up’? What does it mean to ‘pray in the Holy Spirit’? I want to set a challenge … read this book every day for the next week and see what God is saying to you. Read it with an open mind, asking God what He wants to say to you personally. Then next week we will have time for you to share your thoughts. Not compulsory of course!
The final word must be Jude’s final word – words of praise to our God who is worthy of all we can give Him because of His glory, majesty, power and authority. During this past week Jane posted a song called ‘Immanuel’. Within that song the writer describes this Immanuel, our God, as Unseen, Unveiled, Unmade, Uncaged, Unknown and Unleashed. The whole ethos of the song was that this God who is beyond all that we can imagine is actually with us in all the ordinary everyday matters of life – every moment. And that is Jude’s final encouragement – the God of glory, majesty, power and authority is with us.
Some people seem to think that the Old Testament is all about judgement and the New Testament all about love. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is a God of judgement as well as love – the two sides of one coin - and both are portrayed in each Testament.
Last week we looked at the little book of Obadiah and as I have looked at this little book of Jude, I have been amazed at the similarities in content. Obadiah speaks of God’s judgement – so does Jude. Obadiah speaks of the sovereignty of God from first to last – so does Jude. Obadiah speaks of lifestyles unacceptable to God – so does Jude. I guess it should not really be surprising. Whether it’s 600BC, 60AD or 2021, man does not change!
But first, who was Jude? He describes himself as a servant of Jesus and brother of James. It is therefore most likely that he is actually a younger brother of Jesus. Initially Jesus’ family, His brothers and sisters, did not believe in Him so here he is obviously clarifying his position now. Saying he is the brother of James I think not only says exactly who he was but also identifies him with James who wrote the letter with his name. That letter focuses a great deal on the fact that faith without works is dead. Here Jude is saying the same thing. Our faith much be seen in our deeds. Our deeds must tie up with our faith. In fact we must practice what we preach!
This letter, just like Obadiah however, starts and finishes on a very positive note. He makes sure that his readers understand just who they are in Christ – called, kept and loved (v1). In fact what more do we need to know? It is through His grace that we have been chosen to be part of His family and as such He takes responsibility to keep us going through all that we may face and loves us unconditionally. This is so important to understand before he launches into his words of criticism. He loves them dearly describing them several times as ‘dear friends’. He wanted to write in a more positive way but he feels the responsibility to help them understand where they may be going wrong. They are being tempted to veer from the truth by people around them who seem so persuasive. A situation we can so easily find ourselves in.
They are reminded that this truth that they heard from the beginning is eternal truth and does not change. (v3) Jude is so concerned for their Christian growth that he writes things hard to take instead of a load of pleasantries. Of course there is a place for pleasantries because we all need encouragement, but we must also be prepared to hear and, sometimes, share concerns. Sharing such concerns must however always be done in the right manner and for the right reasons.
This poses a very important question – how ready are we to receive criticism from fellow believers or even from God? Criticism often hurts and makes us feel uncomfortable, and yet right criticism would enable us to grow as Christians and bring us closer to God. The writer to the Hebrews in chapter 12 says we must be prepared to be disciplined and that sometimes means hearing things we do not really want to hear. It is for our good and demonstrates that He loves us and wants us to become more like Jesus.
In his desire to help his readers Jude reminds them of three situations in the past where God has passed judgement on rebellion. God graciously rescued the people of God from slavery in Egypt and led them towards the Promised Land. However, because of their lack of belief that God could see them through, their constant moaning and their idolatry, none of them except Caleb and Joshua actually got there. Rebellion against God’s purpose and plan for them. Refusing to walk in the way that God wanted.
The second example is of a heavenly one – the rebellion of some angels against the authority of God which resulted in Satan and his angels who now seek to wreak havoc in our world. Rebellion against authority.
The third example is of Sodom and Gomorrah and the way some of the people were living. Rebellion against God’s standard. In the same breath he speaks of hell – a subject which we avoid because we find it uncomfortable.
We say that hindsight is a wonderful thing because we can learn from the mistakes of others. This is what Jude is doing. He is reminding them of people who went down a certain path and the way that God inevitably judged them. He is trying to warn them that ignoring or rebelling against God has consequences.
He goes on with three more characters from the Old Testament. Cain who killed his brother – a man who was arrogant and selfish which led him to hatred and murder. Balaam – a man tempted by the promise of money. And Korah who rose up against God’s appointed leadership, Moses.
What an incredible picture this is of our world today. We can never say that the Bible is out of date and irrelevant. Man does not change so what happened then still happens today – lack of belief, rebellion against authority, depraved lifestyles, greed, hatred, arrogance and selfishness. It was all there in the time of Obadiah, the time of Jude and still in the 21st century.
Jude then uses picture language to describe these folk who are trying to steer them away from the truth. He really doesn’t mince his words. He describes them as ‘dreamers’ who are living in a way inconsistent with God’s way. He’s trying to get his readers to first look at where these ideas are coming from. Are these people worthy of being listened to? He describes them as greedy shepherds, useless clouds, fruitless trees, uncontrolled waves and wandering stars. How important it is for us to be sure who we are listening to. Just because someone wears a dog collar or is well-known, it doesn’t mean that they are right and we should listen to them. It is so important as I have said before, that we test what has been said alongside God’s Word. That is our ultimate authority. People change – God’s Word does not.
In the light of all this Jude then finishes on a flourish of encouragement – encouragement to continue growing in their faith; encouragement to pray; encouragement to remember God’s unending love for them. To encourage others who are faltering; to share the good news of Jesus and finally to remember that we have a God who is able … able to keep us faithful until we meet Him face to face. Paul had the same thought when he wrote to the Ephesian church speaking of ‘Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.’ (Ephesians 3:20-21)
I have simply given an overview of this little book but there is so much within it that I believe we must spend more time with it. There are issues I have skirted round which may trouble you. What does it mean to be ‘kept by Jesus’? How do we ‘build ourselves up’? What does it mean to ‘pray in the Holy Spirit’? I want to set a challenge … read this book every day for the next week and see what God is saying to you. Read it with an open mind, asking God what He wants to say to you personally. Then next week we will have time for you to share your thoughts. Not compulsory of course!
The final word must be Jude’s final word – words of praise to our God who is worthy of all we can give Him because of His glory, majesty, power and authority. During this past week Jane posted a song called ‘Immanuel’. Within that song the writer describes this Immanuel, our God, as Unseen, Unveiled, Unmade, Uncaged, Unknown and Unleashed. The whole ethos of the song was that this God who is beyond all that we can imagine is actually with us in all the ordinary everyday matters of life – every moment. And that is Jude’s final encouragement – the God of glory, majesty, power and authority is with us.
After the service, from 12:15pm - 12:45pm, we can receive food for Kingston foodbank (who sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher. This voucher can then be taken to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers also meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve their longer-term problem). You can find which food items are most needed at the moment here.
