Set your mind on things
above
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FslkPeLEhIk
Colossians 3:1 – 12
1 Since, then, you have
been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your
minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you
died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When
Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore,
whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual
immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which
is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is
coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you
once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of
all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and
filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each
other, since you have taken off your old self with its
practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is
being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here
there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but
Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s
chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Meekness and Majesty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChkDsSWB9Bo
Matthew 5: 1 - 12
1 Now when Jesus saw the
crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came
to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said: 3 “Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they
will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for
they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful for
they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of
God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you
when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds
of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be
glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
According to the Bible,
humility is referred to as meekness, lowliness, and absence of self.
The Greek word which is translated as “humility” in Colossians
3:12 and
elsewhere in the New Testament literary means “lowliness
of mind.” Hence,
we can say without doubt that humility is more of a heart attitude,
and not merely an outward demeanour. Behold, one can put on an
outward show of humility but still have a heart full of pride and
arrogance. Christ Himself said that those who are “poor in spirit”
would have the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3). In simple terms,
being poor in spirit means that only those who admit to an absolute
bankruptcy of spiritual worth will inherit God’s special gift of
eternal life. Thus, humility is a prerequisite for all Christians.
Blest are the the poor in
spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnVjF-3PVKA
Prayer on the Beatitudes; read
in silence or while listening to the link below there are gaps
/pauses for you to think about what you have read.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRQrJLYQGU
Jesus, you said,
“Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Lord of grace, we
thank you for calling us in this time to this place. Help us to
become the people that this context needs, to become the people you
are calling into being, poor in spirit, strong in faith, abounding in
love, steeped in prayer, - and in everything - full of joy. pause
Jesus you said,
“Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted”. Lord of grace, we thank you
for bringing your hope and healing into every area of our lives. Help
us now to carry your hope and healing for this place and for these
people. May we be with those who mourn; may they be comforted. May we
be with those who are forgotten; may they find themselves remembered.
pause
Jesus you said,
“Blessed are the meek, for
they will inherit the earth”. Lord of grace, You are here in our
gathering, and you are here in our community. The mission here is
yours, the healing of all things is your work, and your delight. Help
us to discern your presence, and in our actions to be both humble and
faithful, meek and bold, pause
Jesus you said
“Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”.
Lord of grace, In this place,
hidden or for all to see -there is much need - and there is much to
celebrate. Help us to walk beside those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness. May they and us be filled with the source of all joy
that come from you.
pause
Jesus you said,
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy”. Lord of grace, Thank you for reaching
out to us, wherever we have been, whatever we have done. Help us now
to reach out in mercy to those around us. Give us courage to enter
places that seem unknowable, even unsafe. Enable us to be people with
open hearts and open arms. May shame and blame give way to mercy and
peace. pause
Jesus you said,
“Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see God”. Lord of grace, give us, we pray,
clarity to see this world as you see it. Give us wisdom to understand
how others see things, and compassion when their view seems strange
or difficult. Help us to be people who are pure in heart, growing in
transparency, through whom your love and light may shine. pause
Jesus you said
“Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”.
Lord of grace help us to
become adept at recognising the elements that shape the various
cultures of this time and this place. Help us to celebrate all that
is good, and to resist whatever is destructive. Give us courage to
bring the peace of your resurrection here in word and in action, in
gesture and in proclamation
pause
Jesus you said,
“Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”. Lord of grace, help us, we pray, to share your good news
in word and action, in gesture and in proclamation, that are both
accessible in our cultures and true to you. Give us grace, mercy and
peace as we speak of you. Give us courage when this comes at a cost.
Bless all our sisters and brothers around the world who are being
persecuted at this time for their love for you; may they know your
presence strength and peace. pause
Jesus you said
“Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me.” Lord of grace, there are many in this
world to day who are physical and mentally hurt when speaking out
about your love and mercy, be with them as they stand up for their
faith and give us strength to speak up when given the opportunity
presents it’s self.
pause
Jesus you said,
“ Rejoice and be
glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” We thank
you for the prophets who in times gone by spoke the words you gave
them boldly. We pray for the prophets of to day.
pause
Lord of grace, help us always
and at all times to give you thanks and praise That it was by your
death that we should gain eternal life. Sinners that we are can be
saved to the very uttermost by such amazing love and grace.
Pause
(for your own prayers)
Lord of grace, hear these
our prayers. Amen..
fade out music with volume
control
Let us look at one of the
beatitudes in a little more depth
“Blessed are the meek, for
they will inherit the earth”
Meek, humble, modest. When I
was a girl guide on enrolment I recited the promise back then the
wording went something like this was “On my honour, I promise that
I will do my best: To do my duty to God, to serve the queen,
to
think of others before myself, and to keep the Guide law.
ORIGINAL LAW
A Guide’s honour is to be
trusted.
A Guide is loyal.
A Guide's duty is to be
useful and to help others.
A Guide is a friend to all
and a sister to every other Guide.
A Guide is courteous.
A Guide is a friend to
animals.
A Guide obeys orders. (God’s
Orders)
A Guide smiles and sings
under all difficulties.
A Guide is thrifty.
( careful
and not wasteful God created this planet for us to take care of. )
A Guide is pure in thought,
in word and in deed.
These laws were challenging
then and I have tried my best over the last 50 years to for fill them
humbly with out boasting.
But I found at the age of 12
when memorising the laws I found myself saying Christian instead
of guide ( Give it a go ) this was when I signed the young disciples
roll and took being a Christian to the next level, one of commitment.
And when I took my first Holy
communion the words the minster said made me understand what being
meek and humble was about. Not being worthy in the presence of God.
It is because I am a sinner that I go to Church it is because of Gods
love that I am saved not by any goodness that is in me. My first
lesson in humility.
The words of the Holy
Communion brings us to a lowness of mind; personally it draws me to
a real state of humbleness as the minister would read the following
prayer “We do not come to this Your table, O merciful Lord, with
self-confidence and pride, trusting in our own righteousness, but we
trust in Your great and many mercies. We are not worthy to gather the
crumbs from under Your table. But You, O Lord, are unchanging in Your
mercy and Your nature is love; grant us, therefore, God of mercy, God
of grace, so to eat at this Your table that we may receive in spirit
and in truth the body of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, and the merits
of His shed blood, so that we may live and grow in His likeness and,
being washed and cleansed through His most precious blood, we may
evermore live in Him and He in us. Amen .”
Christ Himself showed us
humility (humbleness.) in His majesty by being a servant during the
sharing in the last supper Jesus washes the disciples feet.
The servant King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-IxT-2_jRg
In those days one of the
lowest jobs of a servant/slave was to wash the dust and filth of the
feet of his Master, his house hold and his guests.
John 13: 1 – 13
1 It was just before the
Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for
him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his
own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in
progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon
Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had
put all things under his power, and that he had come from
God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the
meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his
waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began
to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that
was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter,
who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You
do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter,
“you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless
I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon
Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those
who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is
clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For
he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said
not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished
washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his
place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he
asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and
‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now
that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should
wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I
tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a
messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that
you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesu Jesu fill us with your
love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvQz513Jl8M
Prayer.
Almighty God, our heavenly
Father: We have sinned against you, through our own fault, in
thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. For the
sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all our offences;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of
your Name. Amen.
Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and
Wretched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yQeOLxTOLI
We come to Christ as sinners
who are willing whole-heartedly to lay before him our sins.
We must empty our selves of
worldliness Coming before Him in humility we must acknowledge that
we are not worthy of His grace. We are like beggars in His presence
we have nothing to offer but our sin and our need for salvation..
When Christ offers us the Grace and Mercy of God, it is with a
humble heart that we should receive. This unmerited favour that we
receive from Christ is one that should boost our desire to commit our
lives to Him and to serving others. It is by “dying to self” that
we can live as new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:17).
There was a country and
western song out quite a few years ago you may have heard it
by Mac Davis
“O Lord it’s hard to be
humble when you’re perfect in every way.”
This song talks about the
worldliness of trying and failing to be meek/ modest.
You can find it on you tube.
The writer said this about the song
"Back
a few months was headlinin' a great big nightclub
And
they put me up a couple days early, I came in a couple days early
And they put me up in what
they call the "Star Suite"
Now
here I am, headlinin' in one of the biggest nightclubs
In
the country and I wake up at eight o'clock in the morning
In this "Star Suite"
all by myself"
"Awwww"
"Yeah, that's what I
said, "Awwwww."
"But
I did what I've always done, man, to cheer myself up
I
picked up my guitar, I sat down and I wrote me a little song
Now
this is how it feels fto
be alone
at the top of the hill
Tryin'
to figure out why"
Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
When
you're perfect in every way
I can't wait to look in the
mirror
Cause
I get better looking each day
To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh Lord It's hard to be
humble,
But
I'm doing the best that I can.
Trying
to be humble does not work. God wants sincerity.
You may have read or seen a
film about a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in
his 1850 novel David Copperfield. A certain Mr Uriah
Heap “ a
character that is David's clerk who pretends to be ' humble ' and to
want to serve him well, but in reality cheats him. His name is
sometimes used for a person who pretends to show great respect but is
not sincere.
So as Christians we must
learn from Jesus the ways of being humble. This does not mean being
a door mat that gets walked all over, it means we must not brag about
what we are good at but to give and do in humility. To Put God
before all things. And although this may seem very hard to put Him
before family and friends, quietly serving him in the best way we
can. To the best of our abilities.
Being a servant, Christ
like, Christ lead, Christ for ever glorified. Guided by God Spirit
filled with Gods Love there is no greater power no greater joy no
greater wonder than the fact that you an I are loved beyond measure.
Amen
How great thou Art
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_dtbmVdQY
Benediction
Go out into the world in
peace, and in Christ’s name be –
the humble who make
others proud the poor who have riches to share
the
weak who help others be strong the empty who overflow with
loving kindness.
And the largess of the love of God, and
the treasure of the grace of Christ Jesus,
and the buoyant
health of the Holy Spirit will be with you now and forever.
Amen.
servant king please watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alrM5k38JBA
Rev.
7:12 -
Amen!
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power
and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.
