Some house-keeping information -

• Sheet music is available for the hymns. Please put up your hand if you would like a copy.
• No collection will be taken during the service; however, there is a donation box at the back of the church if you care to use it.
• The toilets are behind the church, between the church and the hall.

Our sentence for today is from the book of Acts, Chapter 1 verse 8 :

"When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power."

Please stand for the hymn

"All over the world the spirit is moving".

Let's imagine ourselves back in Jerusalem a few years after Jesus's death.

Of course, as it's only imagination, we can't really do that, but we can imagine what might have happened to someone like us called - say - Curius Nosiparka, one day in Jerusalem. ( points to Curius ) Look - here he is, coming down the side aisle !

As Peter answers the questions he looks back to some of the happenings just after Jesus died. Some of these flashbacks will be re-enacted by a 'younger' Peter.

We invite you all to join Curius in asking the questions. ( These questions are coloured red on the screen. )

Hey, Look. I've always wanted to ask you about the death of Jesus. Did you really see Him die ?

That's where I made my worst mistake ever.

I said something wrong because I was frightened, and afterwards I was deeply ashamed. And it was really hard to recover from it.

As Peter speaks, servants move to centre, with Servant 2 and Servant 3 by the altar warming their hands at an imaginary fire, Servants 1 and 4 nearer the front, and Servants 5 and 6 between the other two groups. )

I remember just how He put it : "Before the cock crows", He said, "you'll deny me three times". Of course, I knew better, and so did the rest of us, and we all said we'd stay faithful.

But then Jesus was arrested, and too right we all scattered.

John and I followed Him right into the High Priest's house, right into the enemy's camp, you might say - and this is what happened -

Peter went out crying bitterly.

Peter and Curius return to centre.

The shame was very hard to bear. I wanted to go back to that courtyard, back to those servants, and tell them that Yes, I was with Jesus, Yes, I loved Him above all others, Yes, I would die with Him if that's what it came to.

But you can't go back. And isn't it easy to be brave when there's no more danger ?

All that day I hid from everyone and just cried and cried.

So I missed it all.

Eventually I crept back to the house where the others were and they told me everything that had happened - that Jesus had died on the Cross and was buried.

And I'd missed it all.

Jesus dead.

What could I do now ?

I was really worried.

Would Jesus forgive me for deserting Him ?

We talked about it - and it turned out that most of the others had run away too. All but John.

That was the worst day of our lives for all of us, for we were all wondering, "Would Jesus forgive us ?".

Then we remembered Jesus telling people to repent. So we did.

We all said "Sorry" to God, and asked Him to forgive us, and to help us not to let Him down again.

That made things a bit better. But I still wondered, was I really forgiven ?

They came running back saying, "The tomb's empty and Jesus is alive !".

I found that hard to believe.

Well, would you have believed it ? People who are dead and buried just don't come back to life, do they ? Anyway, John and I went to look and sure enough the tomb was empty.

And then I remembered what Jesus had told us about being raised from the dead and I began to believe that Jesus really had risen.

I felt heaps better.

But still at the back of my mind was the question, "Have I been forgiven ?"

"Forsaken once, and thrice denied."

A few days later we were all fed up and decided to go away for a few days. We went to Galilee and while we were there we went out on the boat for a night of fishing.

You know that I was a fisherman ?

X, Peter 2, John and fishermen stand in the 'boat' facing hospital side ready to row.

So they tried the other side.

They got the net ready and threw it over the side.

They kept trying all night until they were exhausted.

Jesus comes onto shore ( hospital side, top step )

Jesus gave them the fish and bread to eat.

Simon son of John, do you truly love Me ?

Simon son of John, do you truly love Me ?

Follow Me.

Curius and Peter move to centre.

But Jesus didn't just forgive me. He gave me a job to do - "feed My sheep", He said - and after letting Him down so badly I determined to do it as well as I could. Although I still didn't know how, but it fitted in with His telling me earlier on that I would be a "fisher of men".

But it was great to have a job to do for Him. He was giving me another chance, and I'm not going to let Him down again.

Helpers hand activity out to the children.

I thought a lot about the question Jesus had asked me - "Do you love me ?" - and I decided that loving Jesus was going to be the most important focus for my life. I think many of the others decided this too.

Then one day when we were all praying together this is what happened.

When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing,

Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd :

"I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will have dreams.
Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my spirit in those days,
and they will proclaim my message.
I will perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
There will be blood, fire and thick smoke;
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood,
before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes.
And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved."

This is the Word of the Lord.

Peter and Curius move to centre.

But God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and so what happened then is available to all who ask Him today.

It doesn't have to be quite so dramatic, but people are still moved by the Spirit of God to offer their service to Him and join His church.

In these baskets there are some flame-shaped 'lapel' badges ( picks up a badge and shows it ) to symbolise the coming of the Holy Spirit. Once you have placed your "heart" on the board do help yourself to a badge.

While this is happening the organist will play "Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me". When all who wish have come to the front we will prayerfully sing this song.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Together we sing The Lord's Prayer.

"Lord, the light of Your love is shining".

Blessing