Newsletter 2015/5/17

Lord’s Day Message: John 15

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ ²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Message Outline

A. The Lord is the true vine and the Father is the vinedresser (1-8)

1. The vine and the branches – the life relationship between us and the Lord (5)
2. Fruit bearing – the expression of the divine life we have received within (2)
3. To experience such salvation in life

• The caring of the Father – taking away and pruning that we can be clean and bear more fruits (2)
• Abiding in the Lord through His words and our prayer (7)

4.  The Father is glorified – the purpose of salvation (8)

B.  The experience and the expression of abiding in the Lord – love and joy (9-17)

1. Abiding in His love by keeping His words (9-10)
2. Receiving revelation (His words) to have full joy (11)
3. Loving one another (12, 17)
4. Becoming the Lord’s friends (13-15)

• Receiving His great love of dying for us
• Knowing the Father’s will and what the Lord has done

5.  The Lord’s choosing and appointing (16)

C. The hatred of the world (18-25)

1. The world does not know God and hates the Lord (18-21)
2. We will experience what the Lord has experienced because we do not belong to the world
3. However, we and the Spirit will testify the Lord in the world (26, 27)

Next Topics: John 16

Church Meetings/Time/Place

Home Meeting: 18/5 Mon., 7:30pm, (Dinner @ 7pm) Richard Cui’s

Young Professions Meeting: 19/5 Tue. 7:30pm, Thomas & Lena’s

Sisters Meeting: 20/5 Wed. 10am, Anne’s

Prayer Meeting: 20/5 Wed. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall

Pursuing of Words: 22/5 Fri., 8:00pm, David’s

Young People Meeting/Pursuing for Adults：23/5 Sat. 7:30pm, Thomas & Lena’s

Announcements:

1. We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today and hope that you can leave your information for us to contact you in the future.
2. Today is Mother’s Day. May the Lord bless every mother with peace and joy. After lunch we have high tea and everyone is welcome to enjoy. We also expect all the brothers and young people to do the cleaning after lunch.
3. The church has invited Brother Richard Yeh to come visit us in the early of June. He will helps us to perfecting on hymns, gospel and lessons for new believers. We hope brothers and sisters can spend time to attend these perfecting lessons on the long weekend from 6~8 of June.
4. The church plans to have a whale watching activity on June 30 (Tuesday, the school break). If you are interested in participating, please go online (www.ozwhalewatching.com.au) to purchase the ticket. The trip is about 4 hours and the boarding is at King Wharf 8. When you purchase the ticket, you need to enter the voucher code “midweekwhales” for a half price discount, which is $47 per person. If you have any question, please contact Sister Lamee or Susan.

<Reminder>

1. Please take the Bible Reading Supplement for your daily Bible reading.
2. Please come on time for the meeting. During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence.
3. When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts that someone may have food allergy. After the love feast, please remember to bring back your plates.

 Intercession:

1. May the Lord keep us fervent in spirit to serve in the church together so that the Lord may give us more and greater blessings.
2. Pray for those who are newly baptized. May the Lord lead them to grow and be built in the church life so they may become a blessing and testimony for the church.
3. Pray that the Lord can continue to bless His gospel work to show His great love and power so that the gospel friends among us, especially among the young people and our family members, can receive salvation and become a member in God’s family.
4. Pray for the brothers and sisters who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them grace. Also pray for some relatives of our brothers and sisters (Jack, Pauline, Susan, Brett) that the Lord may heal and care for them.

Serving Today: (May 17)

1. Sharing:  Yulin Wang
2. Breaking the Bread:  Yulin Wang & Olsen YU
3. Serving Bread and Cup:  Richard Chen & Jason Wang
4. Pianist:  Hannah Cui
5. Cleaning:  Bill & Christine Family, Sam & Hannah Family, Tina & Fiona Jiang, Patrick & Lily Family, Baolin Lei

Serving Next Week: (May 24)

1. Sharing:  Yulin Wang
2. Breaking the Bread:  David Tan & Jason Wang
3. Serving Bread and Cup:  Sean Dong and Patrick Li
4. Pianist:  Hannah Cui
5. Cleaning:  Richard & Flora Family, Joyce & Chris, Olsen & Likun Family, Pauline Zhang, Rebecca Li