大象传媒

Opening announcement from Radio 4:
大象传媒 Radio 4.听 And now at ten past eight, it鈥檚 time for Sunday Worship which today comes from City Church in Cardiff.听 The service, led by the Senior Pastor Steve Ball, begins with a poem delivered by spoken word artist Jim Morehouse which alludes to the story of the Apostle Peter's calling by God, failure and restoration.

ITEM 1听 READING听

Humbly he came to a place full of hurt

ITEM 2听听 WELCOME听 PASTOR STEVE BALL
Good morning and welcome to City Church in the centre of Cardiff. We are an Elim Pentecostal Church made up of people from all walks of life and over 40 different countries from around the world. As we worship today we focus on the transformation that takes place when someone encounters God and the change of perspective that brings to every part of life.
The hymn, 鈥淐rown Him with many crowns鈥� encourages us to lift our gaze from the things of this world that concern us and fix our eyes on Jesus the risen king.

ITEM 3听 HYMN听听听 BAND/CONGREGATION听听
Hallelujah, Christ My Saviour, Hallelujah, Christ My Saviour
听
Crown Him with many crowns

ITEM 4听 PRAYER STEVE BALL

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have just been singing about the Bible says that we can approach God with freedom and confidence. So, let鈥檚 do that now.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, We worship you today. We praise you for your majesty, glory and power and we agree with scripture and its declaration that, 鈥淭he heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you.鈥�

Yet we also know that you are the God who knows us, cares for us and watches over us. Thank you for revealing your love most fully in the person of your Son, Jesus Christ and in his sacrificial death upon the cross. Help us to encounter you afresh today as we worship and help us to gain a divine perspective. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN.

ITEM 5听 LINK听 STEVE BALL
The Word of God instructs us to 鈥淓nter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise鈥� as we come before God in worship. So we sing together 鈥淚 will give thanks.鈥�

ITEM 6听 SONG 听BAND / CONG听
I will give thanks to the Lord forever, I will give thanks 听

ITEM 7听 BIBLE READING听听 DOROTHY DEBRAH

Our reading is taken from Luke鈥檚 gospel, chapter 5 verses 1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water鈥檚 edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 鈥淧ut out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.鈥�
Simon answered, 鈥淢aster, we鈥檝e worked hard all night and haven鈥檛 caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.鈥�
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus鈥� knees and said, 鈥淕o away from me, Lord: I am a sinful man! For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon鈥檚 partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.鈥� So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.鈥�

ITEM 8听听 PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION听 NIGEL & KATHY听
NIGEL
Let us pray.
Lord, we are so grateful that you are a gracious and loving God, concerned with every area and detail of our lives. We pray that in every circumstance and situation we face we might experience your reassuring presence and that we might see the world around us from your divine perspective.

KATHY
Lord, we pray for our neighbours and our communities - especially those facing times of anxiety or fear: we pray for the vulnerable, the lonely, those battling with sickness, and those struggling to make ends meet. Would you give them your hope and strength?

NIGEL
Lord, in these uncertain times we pray for our nation - For our leaders, Her Majesty, the Queen and the Royal Family, for the Government and all in authority. We pray, too, for all who serve faithfully to protect and preserve the freedoms we enjoy.听听 Please grant your heavenly wisdom to all who lead and all who serve.

KATHY
Lord, we pray for the nations across our world - for those especially where there is war, terrorism, persecution and oppression .听 We ask for your peace to prevail. We ask for your help to see each nation, each community and each individual, as you see them.
Would your love, mercy and grace cover all.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.听 Amen.

ITEM 9听 LINK听 STEVE听
It seems to me that the pace of life seems to get ever quicker - instant communication, social media and the demands of modern society constantly compete for our attention. Continuous live updates give us the latest news but can leave our souls lifeless and depleted.听听 The simple chorus, 鈥淭urn your eyes upon Jesus鈥� reminds us of the importance of focussing on God and being filled again with his love and his life.

ITEM 10 SONG听听 BAND / CONG
Turn your eyes upon Jesus

ITEM 11听 LINK听 STEVE BALL
Life sometimes takes an unexpected turn leaving us feeling lonely and afraid.听听 El-Ruth Harmony, a 20 year old Law student at Cardiff University, shares her story of how family tragedy led to a greater understanding of God鈥檚 love.

ITEM 12听听 STORY听听听听 EL-RUTH HARMONY
At the age of 5 my family emigrated from Nigeria to the UK.听听 On arrival, my parents ensured that my two older sisters and I were settled with family before they returned to Nigeria with my younger brother and sister.听 They planned to re-join us as soon as they could.

Little did I know that would be the last time I would see my Father - as within a few weeks he was tragically killed in a car accident.听 My small childhood world collapsed.听 I can鈥檛 describe the pain of losing my Dad, but I know that I felt like I had reached the maximum threshold of pain for a child.听听 However, worse was to follow 鈥� my younger brother died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as Cot Death,听 and shortly after that my Grandmother became very sick and also died 鈥� it was truly awful.听听听听 To make matters worse we then found out that my Mother was unable to come back to the UK听 -听 so my sisters and I had to grow up without either of our parents.

Looking back now I can see that this loss and bereavement caused me to become very independent and self-sufficient as I grew up.听 I achieved good grades at school and had a big group of friends. On the outside it seemed like I had everything going for me, but on the inside I was broken.听听 I had been brought up to believe in God, but now I felt I had to do everything for myself as I couldn't rely on God.听听 After all, where was God when my Dad was killed in the car accident?听听听听听

Two years ago, I went back to Nigeria to visit my mum and whilst I was there she was involved in a car accident and almost died.听听 As I watched my mum zone in and out of consciousness on what I thought was her deathbed I questioned, 鈥淕od, how could you let this happen?鈥�

Even though my mum miraculously survived the accident, I could no longer pretend that I was okay when in fact I felt broken,听 alone and angry at God. But then one day, I was thinking about the story of Lazarus in the Bible 鈥� Lazarus was a man who died and whom Jesus brought back to life.听听 I thought I knew the story so well but then something stood out to me that had never caught my attention before.听听 John鈥檚 Gospel simply says that, 鈥淛esus wept.鈥澨� Up until that point I could never understand why Jesus wept, when he knew he was going to bring Lazarus back to life.听 But then seeing things from His perspective, a divine perspective, I understood that Jesus wept because he knew it was never God鈥檚 intention for human beings to experience the pain of death.听 I began to realise that even though God is all-powerful and transcendent, he is also present in our pain and suffering.听听 He weeps with us.听听 I now knew that God had never left me.听 In fact, he had been with me all the way through, but I just hadn鈥檛 been aware of it.

I still feel lonely from time to time and often feel overwhelmed and in need of my Dad. At those times though, I know my Heavenly Father is there for me and that he truly is a Father to the fatherless.

ITEM 13听 LINK听STEVE
El-Ruth鈥檚 story is a reminder that God cares for us at all times.听 The Rev鈥檇 Chris Cartwright, General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Church, is our preacher this morning.听 He reflected a few days ago on the need for us to gain a divine perspective if we are to truly live life to the full. But first we continue to give praise to God 鈥淕reat are you, Lord.鈥�

ITEM 14听 SONG听听听听听 BAND / CONG
You give life, you are love

ITEM 15听 ADDRESS PART 1听 REV CHRIS CARTWRIGHT听听
48 years ago this week Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon and spoke the famous one-liner, 鈥渙ne small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.鈥澨� Armstrong had stood where no human being had been before and saw things previously only dreamed of.
Just three years later, astronaut Jack Schmidt took a picture of the Earth from Apollo 17.听 That photograph, which came to be known as 鈥淏lue Marble鈥�, has become one of the most reproduced and recognisable images in history, showing the earth as 鈥榓 whole鈥�, beautiful, inspiring, unforgettable.听 Nicholas Mirzoeff, New York University professor of media and culture, considers that says 鈥渕any people at the time believed Blue Marble changed their lives.鈥澨� I think it was almost as if they were seeing the planet from the vantage point of God.
Blue Marble is a vivid example of how perspective changes things. When Jesus began his earthly ministry at the age of 30, he came to bring a whole new and life changing perspective to ordinary people everywhere. The religious leaders of the day were awaiting a promised saviour, many expecting a political leader who would overthrow the Roman occupation. The fact that Jesus began his ministry not in Jerusalem, but 鈥渙ff radar鈥� in rural remote Galilee, is striking. The Gospels reveal that it was there that Jesus showed the core of his message and mission.听 Jesus went to real people in real places to give them a whole new perspective and purpose for living in direct and personal relationship with God.
The reading which we heard a few moments ago brings to life one such encounter. Jesus, by the seashore near the town of Capernaum, is being pursued by huge crowds.听 Thousands rush to hear him, to see him in the hope that their lives will be transformed.听 The gospel writer Luke, with the eye of a film director, uses a narrative close-up lens to focus on some fisherman, a fishing boat, and a man called Simon Peter. We hear nothing of what Jesus taught the crowds that day. This moment is all about Jesus coming to, and coming for, Peter.
听We know from the gospels Simon Peter has already met Jesus in Capernaum. He has seen Jesus work miracles with his own eyes.听 Yet this day Peter is not in the crowd with those looking for Jesus. Along with his brother Andrew and business partners James and John, he is just going about his trade and getting on with life.听 I imagine this ambitious young man with dreams of making it big in the fishing business.听 His boat represents his world 鈥� all the sacrifice and hard work 鈥� all his hopes and dreams for the future. And Jesus steps right into his boat. It鈥檚 a remarkable scene, Jesus the carpenter inviting the fisherman to fish: at the wrong time, in the wrong way and after a night of fishing failure.听 It鈥檚 not just the resulting extraordinary catch that gets Peter鈥檚 attention in the boat that day but the extraordinary presence of Jesus himself. Luke鈥檚 close-up lens shows Peter overwhelmed, falling at Jesus鈥檚 feet in a boat so full of fish its beginning to sink. Conscious of his own inadequacy in the face of the presence and power of Jesus, Peter begs Jesus to leave him alone.
But Jesus has come into Peter鈥檚 world for this very moment and with Peter face down in fish Jesus calls him to get up and, from now on, follow him.听 Simon Peter鈥檚 life will never again be the same. In that boat Jesus gives him God鈥檚 perspective on his whole life past, present and future. Up close and personal Peter receives the invitation from Jesus to live life 鈥渨ith him鈥� and to begin to discover a whole new identity and destiny. In the words of the hymn 鈥淕reat is Thy Faithfulness鈥� Jesus offers not just to Peter but to all who would trust in him 鈥渟trength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.鈥�

ITEM 16听听听听听 SONG听PIANO听 & ALEX
Great is thy faithfulness

ITEM 17听 ADDRESS PART 2
The Christian Gospel is all about moments like Peter鈥檚 encounter in the boat. Moments where everything changes. They are not always as dramatic, or as public, but God still comes to people where they are. In the struggles, the disappointments and uncertainties, in the ups and downs of everyday life, Jesus still calls people to personally receive his promise of new life.听 As we heard so poignantly from El-Ruth earlier in this service.
After the fishing boat experience Simon Peter travelled with Jesus for the next three years and听 life would not be plain sailing.听 The Gospel accounts are surprisingly vivid and raw, showing his recognisable humanity and that of the disciples. So often we see them struggling to really take in all that Jesus has come to do in them and through them.
Perhaps the most challenging moment for Peter would be on the night Jesus is arrested just prior to his crucifixion.听 Peter runs to the place where Jesus has been taken. In the courtyard outside people begin to ask him 鈥渁ren鈥檛 you one of his followers?鈥澨� Afraid for his life, three times Peter denies he knows Jesus.听 As the cock crows he remembers that Jesus had foretold that very moment. Peter whose big heart had said he would never听 forsake Jesus was utterly distraught.听 I wonder if in the hours and days that followed Peter would think back to that moment in his fishing boat when he had felt so unworthy of Jesus鈥� love and his invitation to new life.听听
Within days the risen Christ would make sure that Peter wouldn鈥檛 run back to his old viewpoints as he personally assures Peter of his forgiveness and continuing presence, again around the seashore in Galilee.
Like Peter, I鈥檓 aware in my own life of times when I find it so hard to comprehend that God really loves me: Times when I鈥檓 more aware of my own failure and inadequacy听 than of his abiding love towards me.听 Yet Jesus promised to those first disciples what he also promises to us today - His living presence in the person of the Holy Spirit with us always. He is not distant or disinterested. He is present, bringing hope to those who receive Him, even in the most challenging circumstances of life.
Within the last few weeks researchers at the Brain Research Unit at Cardiff University produced the world鈥檚 most detailed scan of the brain. The remarkable images reveal the brain鈥檚 activity in hitherto unseen detail. This significant advance offers much hope for further research into many neurological conditions including alzheimer鈥檚, schizophrenia and epilepsy.听 As the media conveyed these stunning colour images to us, Professor Derek Jones, the Centre鈥檚 Director, said it was 鈥渓ike getting hold of the Hubble telescope when you have been using binoculars.鈥澨� He spoke with understandable excitement as he considered where this fresh perspective on brain activity could lead.
What if we could see how much God loves us? What if we could truly know how much the God of love longs to step into our lives to bring not just a moment of insight but a life lived from His divine perspective? I believe that鈥檚 what Jesus offered to Simon Peter in the boat that day and that he offers the same 鈥渇rom now on鈥� to all who would put their trust in him.

ITEM 18 PRAYER NIGEL

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you came to bring the Father鈥檚 love, life and light to all the world. Thank you that no one is outside the range of your love today. Come to us afresh.听听 Give us the perspective to see ourselves, our neighbours and our world through your eyes and your living presence and power to face each day with fresh hope. In your name we pray. Amen.听听

ITEM 19 LINK听 STEVE
We close our service with the song, 鈥淥 praise the Name鈥� declaring the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death.

ITEM 20听 HYMN听听听听 BAND / CONG
O Praise the name

ITEM 21:听 BLESSING听听听

BLESSING听 1
May the Lord be gracious to us and bless us,
May the Lord make his face shine upon us.
May the amazing grace of God the Father,
The abundant love of Jesus Christ, the Son
And the promised presence and power of the Holy Spirit be with us all
This day and into all the days to come.
Amen.

BLESSING听 2
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
And the love of God,
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with you all.听 Amen.

BAND & CONG CONTINUE & SING CHORUS

Closing anno from R4
This morning鈥檚 Sunday Worship came from City Church, Cardiff, led by the Rev鈥檇 Steve Ball.听听 The preacher was the Rev鈥檇 Chris Cartwright, General Secretary of the Elim Pentecostal Church.听听 The Music Director was Dan Harries and the Vocal Director the Rev鈥檇 Stephen Gibson.听 The producer Karen Walker.听 Next week鈥檚 Sunday Worship comes from St Patrick鈥檚 Church, Donegal Street in Belfast and reflects on the Biblical imagery of Light.听 And you may like to know that 大象传媒 Radio 2鈥檚 Young Choristers of the Year competition closes at the end of July; a link to details about this annual competition can be found on the Sunday Worship web page.