ICF Delft

Prayer does not begin with us, but with the awareness of God. Throughout history we see many times that the church fell asleep and lost its awareness of God. There were still sermons, songs and prayers. But the awareness of God seemed almost to be gone. But when God sent times of revival, people again became aware of God. The holy and living God. The coming Lord. His holiness and his mercy, his power and his preciousness. You could hear it and taste it, in the sermons, the singing and the prayers.

The times we live in are not encouraging. Another lockdown. Another variant of the virus. Even the Dutch weather may not have felt very encouraging. We all know we need something to hope for. To rejoice in. But what if hope seems so far away? What if we lack joy? Upcoming Sunday we will again turn to the Gospel according to Luke. We will see how Mary receives a message of great hope and joy. Not only is the content of that message offering hope for us too. We can also learn from Mary how to receive good news in such a way that it transforms us.

Have you ever known a true genius? Perhaps at some time in your life you lived or worked with a genius. An academic city like Delft has a large number of extremely smart and creative people, and it is likely you know quite a few that are brilliant and mentally gifted. But true genius is a rarity.

Those who are regenerate have a place to stay that is more real than any visible place. In it they enjoy complete safety. From it they receive protection against any threat. Under frightening circumstances their fear is taken away from them. In answer to their prayer, angels come to protect them. Their future is great and good. Is that really possible?

Upcoming Sunday, 31 October, is `Reformation day'. We will read, sing and listen to Psalm 46. It was Martin Luther's favourite Psalm. His time was a time of great anxiety. Thousands died because of the plague. Wars broke out. Luther was declared an outlaw. He found a hiding place in a fortress: the Wartburg. Based on Psalm 46, he wrote his famous song `a mighty fortress is our God'. But how could he sing, feel safe, keep joy and peace, while so much was going on? This had everything to do with his rediscovery of the biblical good news - the Gospel. Luther's discovery is still as powerful as it was in his time.

How do you start your day? What are the first things you do after you wake up? Wouldn't it be good to start your day with prayer? Perhaps you agree. But you may also feel (sometimes) that you lack discipline. Even if you want to start your day with prayer, what and how could you pray best? The book of Psalms is a school for our prayers. In Psalm 5 we hear David pray in the morning. It is a shocking prayer. Probably you would not have thought of praying such a prayer. Upcoming Sunday we listen to this prayer. We will learn why the church today desperately needs this prayer.

Sometimes it is not hard to fall asleep. After a wonderful, satisfying day, when you are tired, you may fall asleep easily. But what if you had a sad day. Many things did not go as you would have liked. You are worried. You feel angry. There is so much unrest. Upcoming Sunday we will read a prayer that king David made for the end of a very sad day. A prayer that would help God's people of all ages to find joy, peace and safety amidst of unrest through prayer. You are so welcome to join and learn more!

Last week we learnt that obedience comes with objections. If you really want to do what God tells you to do, you will soon find out that there there comes a lot of unrest - from without and from within. Therefore we are easily inclined to give up. Jesus didn't give up. He knew that God would support Him. He went on, in his obedience, until the cross and the grave. But have you ever wondered how Jesus was able to continue? We know that prayer helped Jesus. But what kind of prayer would have helped Jesus? Maybe such prayer might also help us.

Spend ten minutes on Twitter and probably you will have found some things that make you angry. Regardless from which bubble you read the tweets. How can people say and do such foolish things? Incredible! Someone should do something about it! We really wonder: why? Why are people like this? This is not only the world we live in. We are part of that world. Whereas the world can have questions for God: God, why? - we should be aware that God has his' why? - for us, also for me. We live in a restless world and we are part of that world.

Lord willing, this Sunday, we will start our journey from Mathew 27 and go through Psalm 22, to stand closer to the cross and hear the psalm our King and Savior cried by quoting "Eli Eli lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me". Some bystanders heard Him and thought he had called on Elijah and therefore missed the window Jesus opened to see that He is the promised King who was fulfilling Psalm 22. This Sunday we will stand closer to the cross and hear His full cry "Eli Eli lema sabachathani?" by going through the psalm to see the intensity of the pain He has gone through in his obedience, the imminent victory, and the hope He secured for us. I pray that we see and be transformed as God opens our eyes through the Holy Spirit to see the unspeakable price His Son (the King) paid on the cross and the ultimate revelation of His Glory. "

The Bible shows us another way to go in life. Not the common way. Not the easy way. Not the attractive way. But the way that God calls us to go. The way of listening to and of obedience to Gods' Word. We might know we should go this way. But how attractive is it? It feels as if you are almost alone, if you would go this way. As if you will end up unhappy, lonely and laughed at. Now listen at this song: Psalm 1. Hear how a choir sings that those who go this way, are blessed. Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 invite us to join a people and a King who go this way. The book of Psalms is a songs- and prayerbook to be heard and sung, making you aware that you are not at all alone when you go this way. You are very welcome to come to church upcoming Sunday (Psalm 1)

At the beginning of a new season we may feel some anxiety about all things upcoming. Is it possible to experience real rest through prayer? Sure and even more. In the Bible we find a perfect prayer, taught by Jesus, helping us to pray for our daily concerns.

At the beginning of a new season you may feel overwhelmed. By your responsibilities, your targets. By things you want and things you lack. And so on... The Bible shows us a way out: we can survive and even thrive when we pray. But we don't find it easy to pray, do we? Upcoming Sunday we look at the most famous prayer ever: the Lord's prayer. And we learn from Jesus how and what to pray.

Many things are happening in the world, these days. They may frighten us. We may wonder what we can do about these things and where this will all lead. Yet sometimes we feel we cannot do so much. We may wonder: what is God doing? The heart of the Christian faith is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not primarily something that we have to do, or something that God may or should do today. The Gospel informs us about something marvelous and extraordinary that God has already done for us. He sent his Son into this world, to obtain the greatest victory ever. He gave his Son, the Savior, as a gift, that through Jesus we might have eternal life, joy, peace and hope. Christ ransoms us from a perishing world for the world that is too come. We may receive this gift for free, by faith. Yet, we may wonder, what does this practically imply for my everyday life? In this sermon, we continue to read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We see that Christ equips believers with a variety of gifts. On the way, during our lives, we may learn to happily use what we received to serve others. And to receive and benefit from what Christ has given to others so that they may build us up as well. You are so welcome to join and to learn more!

Last Tuesday the new season of the Dutch parliament started with the king’s speech. The speech started with a reference to the achievements of the Dutch athletes at the Summer Olympics. We may be a tiny country, yet we may be proud of what we have achieved and can achieve – the message was something like that. It is a very common thing to base your identity on what you perform and achieve. However, there is a huge risk in that. What is your value, once you are not able to achieve so much? Are those who achieve much more than others of greater value than those who hardly seem to contribute anything? Thinking in worldly ways can easily creep into the minds of Christians, creep into the church and lead to dissension and trouble. We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4:1-16). All Christians receive a portion and gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet, not all receive the same portion – says Paul in verse 7. Such a difference, not only as regards the kinds of gifts, but even as regards the amount of giftedness might easily lead to trouble. Either to boasting and pride, or to envy, to jealousy. It seems to make unity among Christians hard, if not impossible. The difficult and important question is why Christ does not distribute equal amounts of spiritual gifts. The answer Paul gives in this passage is – as we will see – perfectly satisfying and most encouraging. You are so welcome to join and to learn more.

In the beginning of a new season we all need strength. Strength to be able to accomplish our tasks and to thrive. Yet, not only whether or not we are able to succeed matters. The way and manner wherein we do things also matters. Matters a lot. And for that we also need strength. Upcoming Sunday we continue to read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4:1-6). We learn that the first characteristic of the Christian life is and should be humility. In Paul’s time, humility was not seen as a virtue, but as a vice. Maybe that is still the same. However, we will see in this Sunday sermon how beautiful and attractive true, Christian humility is. Also, why it so necessary, though we find it hard. Last but not least, also how one might obtain and exercise this humility. You are most welcome to join and listen to this service and to learn more.

For many in the end of August a new seasons is starting. A new year of your studies, work, maybe even a whole new period in your life. That may feel exciting, but also (a bit) threatening. Can I make it? Where do I find the strength? In this Sunday sermon we read a small passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:14-21), where Paul prays for strength for the Christians at Ephesus. He knows that they live in a world wherein godliness is far from easy. Yet through his prayer the Spirit of God has strengthened both them and many ever since.May we receive the same, in this sermon, when we explore this empowering prayer. You are so welcome to join and learn more!

The feeling that you are a bit an outsider as regards the people of God, the saints and the Gospel, is not uncommon. You can think of others as those who are the real saints, the real believers and hence the right ones to make the Gospel known to others. Upcoming Sunday we read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (3:1-13). We will see how Paul also received it all as a gift, by grace, once he was an outsider himself. We will read that he regarded himself as `the least of all the saints’. Yet, just as the riches of the Gospel first were made known to him personally and then he was entrusted with the task to make it known, so also the church of Ephesus and all believers may first receive the fulness thereof and then they will also be used to make it known. We encourage you to hear more and to see how this is relevant for you as well.

In new situations, we have to adapt. Though the situation is new, we may be inclined to act in accord with what we were used to, rather than in accord with what is appropriate now. Everyone who comes to true faith in Jesus Christ, finds himself or herself in a totally new situation. You are born of God. Part of God’s family, God’s people. Spiritually you have been made alive. By Jesus’ blood you have received God’s forgiveness, peace and adoption. Now, you are the Spirit’s project. You are being built into a temple, fit for God’s own dwelling place. We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and we explore about what the peace that God has given to us, means and implies for us. We read Ephesians 2:11-22.

Always, when you go to a Bible-believing church, you will hear, again and again, the word `Grace’. And you will hear `by grace we are saved’. But what does this mean? This Sunday we looked at that. The children stayed in the service, so the preaching was for them as well, for all ages. Though the message of grace on the one hand is not complicated and though a child can understand it, we are seeing that nowhere there are more misunderstandings, than around this point: what grace is all about. We read Ephesians 2:1-10.