Worship for Sunday 19 September 2021

by Peter Goddard 19 September 2021

Welcome to our worship today which has the theme of “Pray to the Father; to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”

Introduction
Sometimes as Christians we are unsure what we can do to play our part in the work of God’s Kingdom. Particularly as we get older and are less able to undertake the practical tasks we once accomplished so easily, we perhaps wonder what we still have to offer. Well, one thing we can all do, is pray.

James 5:16 tells us that: “the prayer of a righteous person has a powerful effect.” The Bible also tells us that we only become ‘righteous’ in God’s sight when we repent of our sins and accept His Son Jesus as our only Lord and Saviour, for on the cross Jesus took our sins upon Himself, so that we may share in His righteousness.

When we do this, we become part of a “royal priesthood; a holy nation; God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called us out of darkness into his own marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) This is not what I say about you who have faith in Christ; it is what God says about you. To me this doesn’t sound like a people who cannot do much and have little to offer!

For this reason, we’re told in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from your life in union with Christ Jesus.”

‘Pray at all times’; or ‘pray without ceasing’ as some other Bible translations put it. But as Christians, how do we pray and to whom do we pray?

The answer to that question is both simple and more complicated than we might think! So, I thought it might be helpful to consider this question in a little more detail.

The pattern, or model or template for Christian payer is of course provided for us by Jesus in the words of what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. The start of this prayer tells us that we pray to our Father God and that our prayer should be that His ‘kingdom will come; and His will shall be done. on Earth, as it is in Heaven’ That is the essence of all Christian prayer; that’s the simple part.

The detail though is rather more complicated! For example, on Trinity Sunday we remember that we worship and serve a God who is ‘three in one’; three persons in one God. God the Father; God the Son (that is Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.

The Bible tells us that each member of the Trinity plays a different role in our lives and therefore it encourages us to pray to each one in a different way.

Today then I’d like to look at four short passages of scripture which illustrate some of the ways we are able to do this. That then, is the theme of our Service today.

Opening Prayer
Our God – Father; Son and Holy Spirit we worship you, for you alone are worthy of our praise. You are the source of all that is good in our lives; yesterday, today and forever. We praise you Father for the love you show us; we praise you Jesus for the salvation you offer us; we paise you Holy Spirit for the help you give us. Father we know that we are not worthy of these gifts. Please forgive us for the times we refuse to accept them and for the times we take them for granted.

We commit this time of worship to you now and pray that it will be a blessing to everyone who has joined us today and an encouragement to all those who view it or read it later. We ask that you will enable us to worship you ‘in Spirit and in truth’ and that this time of praise will glorify you our God – Father; Son and Holy Spirit; for we ask this ‘in the name of Jesus’. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Hymn: All Praise to Him - Prayers of the Saints

Firstly then, let’s consider how we can best pray to our Heavenly Father; and here of course our pattern is provided by the Lord’s Prayer.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.”  

[Clearly these are massive subjects; a few observations on each point will have to suffice for today. I would encourage you however to explore each topic in more detail as part of your personal devotions and prayer life.]

1. The Coming of His Kingdom - “Thy kingdom come, … on Earth as it is in Heaven” - as we have already noted, this is the essence of Christian prayer. Unfortunately, however, we’re often not very good at inviting people into God’s Kingdom! We live in a ‘Western Liberal Democracy’. Western Liberal Democracies are all about the rights and freedoms of the individual person. We are therefore now often uncomfortable with the idea of trying to convert people to our faith, in the way that our predecessors did so effectively. Some other faiths however, particularly Muslims, don’t generally have this problem, which is probably why Islam is often given more respect and taken more seriously than Christianity in this country today. The Kingdom of God is not a ‘Liberal Democracy’, but nevertheless we should pray for the Coming of our Father’s Kingdom – the effectiveness of the Church’s ministry in this regard depends in part, on our prayers!

2. The Food We Need - “Give us this day our daily bread” most obviously refers to the food we need to sustain our physical bodies. The Bible, however, tells us that: “People cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.” (Matthew 4:4) This refers to the spiritual food we need to sustain us spiritually.

In this country today we generally have more than enough physical food to eat; indeed, a significant percentage of the population is overweight.

Sadly, however, an even; larger percentage of the population is spiritually starving. They need our prayers. Maybe you are able to financially support the Bible Society or the Gideons or some other organisation which makes Bibles available to people. If not, you are certainly able to pray that your family; friends and neighbours will in some way have the opportunity and inclination to feed upon the word of God.

3. Forgiveness - “Forgive us our trespasses” - we all of course need to pray daily for forgiveness, for every day we do selfish things which are hurtful to others and displeasing to God; even me, or so my wife tells me! We however, also need to pray that those around us will seek God’s forgiveness, for the Bible tells us, as we have already noted, that it is only through repentance and faith in Christ that we receive God’s forgiveness and share in His eternal life. Those who haven’t yet done this, therefore need our prayers if they are to live forever in the Kingdom of God!

4. Protection from Evil - “Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” I don’t know about you, but I can resist everything except temptation! It’s easy for me not to smoke cigarettes; I’ve never smoked, so I’m not tempted. I have however, eaten chocolate! The devil seeks to ‘lead us into temptation’ at every opportunity, just as he did Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. So, we need to pray for protection for ourselves in this regard; but equally we need to pray for our family; friends and neighbours and especially we need to pray for other Christians, particularly church leaders, so that they might be able to resist the temptations which would harm them, so that they will be protected from the forces of evil which seek to deprive them of the blessings which God offers them. They need our prayers.

So, prayers to the Father should emphasise His provision, the things He provides; access to His Kingdom; physical and spiritual food; forgiveness and protection from evil.

Hymn: Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow

Prayers to the Father then are mainly about provision. Prayers to the Son are different, they’re mainly about salvation.

Jesus said:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
and announce that the time has come
when the Lord will save his people.”

1. Good News - “He has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about ‘good news’; indeed ‘gospel’ means ‘good news’. There are so many different facets to this ‘good news’ that a thousand sermons wouldn’t cover all of them.  

In essence however, the ‘good news’ is about how Jesus re-establishes the relationship between God and humankind, a relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve first disobeyed God. When the Bible speaks of ‘the poor’ in this context, it doesn’t just mean those who have no money; it more importantly means those who have no relationship with God. The ‘good news’ is that through repentance and faith in Christ, we get a foretaste of this relationship, during this life and will experience it’s fulfilment in the life to come. Those who haven’t yet done this, therefore need our prayers, so that they might hear and respond to the ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ.

2. Liberty - “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.” Like Paul and Bartimaeus in the Bible, many people since have indeed been liberated from prison and have regained their physical sight through faith in Christ. What this verse is really talking about however, is those who are blind to and held captive by sin – and that is, or was, every one of us, for as we’ve already noted, we’re all sinners. If you are a Christian however, Jesus has set you free from the penalty of sin; He is setting you free from the power of sin and He will one day set you free from the presence of sin – and that is true ‘liberty’. Those who are not in this position are still blind captives and they need our prayers.

3. Freedom – “Set free the oppressed.” People are ‘oppressed’ by those who wish them harm. This verse therefore refers to all the forces of evil, both human and demonic, which cause suffering; injustice; crime; addiction; abuse; persecution and all manner of others wrongdoings. Oppression therefore has many forms; physical; mental and spiritual. The Bible however, tells us that people are only truly set free from these evils when they find ‘new life’ in Christ.  As Colossians 2:20 says of Christians: “Your (old sinful nature) has died with Christ (on the cross), and he has set you free from the (evil) spiritual powers of this world.” Those who are still oppressed by these forces, really do need our prayers and you don’t have to look far to find such people.

4. Salvation - “The Lord will save his people.” When Jesus read the words of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue, those who heard Him would have interpreted “his people” to mean ‘the Jews’ – whom the Old Testament describe as ‘God’s chosen people’. The New Testament of the Bible however, tells us that those who “receive (Jesus) and believe in Him; become children God.” (John 1:12) When this happens, as we have already noted, we become part of a “royal priesthood; a holy nation; God's own people.” (1 Peter 2:9) It is the ‘children of God’ therefore, whom Jesus came to save. Please pray that many people will find salvation by becoming His people, the Children of God.

So, prayers to the Son should emphasise His work of salvation; the good news of liberty; freedom and salvation from sin and death, which He offers to all who accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

Hymn: King of Kings - Hillsong Worship

Prayers to the Father then should be mainly about provision. Prayers to Jesus should be  mainly about salvation. Prayers to the Holy Spirit are different; they’re mainly about assistance.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 14:15-16)

                                   “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

1. Help - “He will give you another Helper.” I often need help and I guess you do too?! So, to whom should we pray? Clearly, we should pray to the Holy Spirit, for He is the ‘Helper’ who God has given us. The Greek word used here, (Paraclete), is variously interpreted in different Bible translations not only as ‘Helper’ but also as: ‘Comforter’; ‘Counsellor’; ‘Encourager’; and ‘Advocate’, which taken together give you a good idea of the assistance the Holy Spirit offers us. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit even helps us to pray: “the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness, for when we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in sighs that words cannot express.” So, when you need help, you should pray to the Holy Spirit; I’m not sure that all Christians realise and practice this as perhaps they should.

2. Revelation – “The Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” Likewise, the Holy Spirit is sent to reveal God to us. Nowadays we are exposed to so many different religions; philosophies and ideologies, that it can be very difficult to know what is true.

Our Heavenly Father however has given us the Bible as “a lamp to guide us and a light for our path.”  (Psalm 119:105) and has sent the Holy Spirit to help us interpret and apply it correctly to our lives today. The important thing therefore is that we read the Bible and pray for the Spirit’s assistance when we are uncertain about what God is saying to us.

3. Power - “You will be filled with power.” Often, as Christians, we try to do things in our own strength, rather than waiting for God to give us the power to do all that He asks of us.
Before Jesus left His Disciples by ascending to Heaven, He told them: “‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 1:4) How often, I wonder, do we ‘leave Jerusalem’ to go our own way and do our own thing, when we should actually be waiting for the revelation and empowerment of the Holy Spirit? So, we need to pray for the Spirit’s power and we need to wait patiently for His response.

4. Witness - “You will be witnesses for Me.” Finally, we need to remember that the ultimate purpose of our relationship with the Holy Spirit during our time on Earth, is that the Church be enabled to bear witness to the Love of God and to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in both word and deed. And as Christians we all have a part to play in this. Because of our circumstances, we may not be able to do as much physically as we once did, but as I suggested at the start of this message, we can all pray.
The world and the worldwide church need our payers and if you pray this way, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will be playing your part in the work of God’s Kingdom and one day our Heavenly Father will say to you: “Well done My good and faithful servant”! (Matthew 25:21)

So, prayers to the Holy Spirit should be for His assistance; His help, His revelation, His power and His ability to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, I’m certainly not suggesting that this is the only way to pray, but it might be helpful to remember that prayers to the Father should be mainly about provision - the things He provides; access to His Kingdom; physical and spiritual food; forgiveness and protection from evil.

Prayers to Jesus should be mainly about salvation - the good news of liberty; freedom and salvation from sin and death, which He offers to all who accept Him as Lord and Saviour. And prayers to the Holy Spirit should be mainly about assistance - His help, His revelation, His power and His ability to bear witness to the Gospel.

Pray in these ways and not only will your prayers be more effective, but also you will grow to have a better awareness of the ministry and personality of the three persons of the Trinity, who are our God; Father; Son and Holy Spirit! Amen.

Prayers of Intercession
Heavenly Father, we pray for the coming of your Kingdom. We pray that the work and witness of your worldwide church will prompt people to seek you and the salvation you offer through faith in Christ. Help us to play a part in this work through the things we say and do, but especially through the prayers we offer.

Lord Jesus, we pray that through your church you will continue to led people to liberty, freedom and salvation, as they respond to your Gospel.

Holy Spirit we ask you to empower your people throughout the world, so that together we might effectively share the ‘good news of Jesus Christ’ in word and deed, with all who will listen.

Father we pray also that you will feed; forgive; protect and heal your people throughout the world today, and we ask that you will confirm and strengthen our faith in you, so that whatever happens to us during this life, we will know your love; the salvation of Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

We pray this especially for those known to us who are struggling with illness; isolation; loneliness; fear; grief or any other affliction.  

We pray also that you will guide the governments of the world in the decisions they make about how to contain the pandemic and preserve their economies. We pray this especially for those areas of the world in which Covid cases are again increasing and where access to vaccines is very limited. And as this country comes out of ‘lockdown’, we pray that people will be cautious and sensible in the ways in which they enjoy their new found freedoms.

We pray also for all those whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters and for those, especially churches, who are working hard to bring help to the people affected. Indeed, we pray for all who strive to bring relief to those who suffer for whatever reason, and we ask your blessing on all who seek to promote justice; equality; peace and reconciliation.

Lord, as we pray for the work and witness of your Church throughout the world today, we ask a particular blessing for this church and circuit.

Here at Newmount, we give thanks for the commitment of all who work to maintain our building and grounds; we give thanks for the success of our online Holiday Club for children and contacts made; and we give thanks for the church and community groups who have restarted meeting in person on our premises.

Likewise, we pray for our new minister, Jacky Quarmby, as we get to know each other and discuss future plans; we pray for the further development of Sue's work with children, families and schools as new plans and ideas take shape; and we pray for new ways to engage with our local community. Finally, Father we ask that your blessing will be upon our offerings donated today and during the week. We pray that they will be used effectively in the work of this church to bring your blessings to others and to bring glory to you.

Our God – Father; Son and Holy Spirit we worship you, for you alone are worthy of our praise. Father, we thank you for your love; Jesus, we thank you for your salvation; Holy Spirit, we thank you for your help. Be glorified in us we pray, now and forever more. Amen.

 

Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty (Early in the Morning) 

The Grace
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen.