Come, let
us sing for joy to the Lord;
let
us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let
us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with
music and song.
For
the Lord is
the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his
hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong
to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands
formed the dry land.
Come,
let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before
the Lord our
Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his
pasture,
the flock under his care.
Psalm 95. verses 1 to 7
Song: Praise You Lord
Praise You, Lord For The Wonder Song Lyrics Video - Divine Hymns - YouTube
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
First letter of John, chapter 1, verses 6 & 7
Prayer:
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father;
We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
And we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
And there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults.
Restore thou those who are penitent;
According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake;
That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
Taken from www.stmichaelsanglican.org
Song: From heaven you came
From Heaven You Came (Servant King - 4vv+refrain) k [with lyrics for congregations] - YouTube
Reading: Book of Isaiah, chapter 53, verses 1 to 8
Prayer:
Lord, we pray for those who are suffering;
those caught up in the war in the Ukraine;
the refugees who are fleeing from war, we pray that wherever they are, they will be welcome, and will adjust to the culture of their hosts.
We pray for an end to conflict, And the return of people to their homes.
We pray that you will stay the hand of Vladimir Putin, and other people of war, that we may avoid another world war.
Lord we pray for our own country;
for our king, and Prime minister, both new in their positions;
give them wisdom in their decision-making, may they be aware of the seriousness of the decisions they have to make. We pray that the people of the U.K. may be treated fairly, without favouritism.
We pray for places where Christians are experiencing persecution.
At the moment, we hear reports from India, traditionally a country of religious freedom, of legislation being enacted which prevents the conversion of people to Christianity. There are stories of violence against property and ministers. We pray for the protection of people and property, and the ability to practise their faith without fear.
We pray that the kingdom of this world may become the kingdom of God. Amen.
Song: Jesus is the name we honour.
Jesus is the name we honour worship song with Lyrics - YouTube
Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 1, verses 29 to 34.
In the modern world, we are used to seeing “famous” people being used to endorse a variety of products. Often, stars are used to promote products, such as watches, which the majority of us could never afford. My problem is that often, I can remember the star, but the name of the product or service escapes me totally.
If you holiday in Royal Deeside in Scotland, there is a town called Ballater. This is the closest to to Balmoral, one of the Royal Castles. In the town there is a station, which no longer has trains, but it was built, along with the railway, to take the monarch to Balmoral. Most of the traders in the town have the Royal Arms on display to signify that they supply “by Royal Appointment”. We take this to indicate that the product or service is worth having.
In John’s gospel, we hear of John the Baptist endorsing Jesus and his ministry. He is saying that Jesus’ message is worth having!
A little later, John refers to Jesus as the “Lamb of God”.
What does this mean to you and I? The message of the bible is intended to be practical for the reader.
The title of “Lamb” is used 29 times in the book of Revelation. Paul refers to Jesus as the “Passover Lamb”, Peter uses the title of “A lamb without blemish”.
These are probably allusions to the idea of the passover lamb. Used in the celebration of the Passover, the event when the blood of a lamb was smeared on the door post, and the angel of death passed over the occupants of the houses so treated.
The message is that only Jesus can save us, deliver us from the sinful nature. In John’s gospel, chapter 3, we hear of Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. We can guess that he came by night in order to avoid being seen,
In the letter to the Hebrews, We are told that Christ was sacrificed to take away the sins of the many.
Many people find themselves in positions where they have to make sacrifices for their faith. Perhaps they are told to do things that their conscience won’t allow them to do. Perhaps they feel they have to speak up against something that has been said or done. These stands can mean that someone’s career is damaged, perhaps beyond repair.
John the baptist’s father was Zechariah, a priest. John would have been familiar with the requirements of sacrifice, where a lamb was offered for the sins of individuals, and for the people. Hence his prophetic description of Jesus.
In Jesus alone we have the sacrifice to give complete freedom from sin and its consequences.
Jesus as the Lamb of God, is our only hope, our only access to the presence of God.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah, chapter 53, verse 6.
Song: Meekness and Majesty
