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.
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