After Pentecost | Tuesday 19 Sep 2023
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O God, because without you
we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
“We must not just please ourselves.
We should help others do what is right
and build them up in the Lord.”
(Romans 15:1-2)
__________
From Psalms: Psalm 77 – Poor Bishop Hooper
i cry out to god oh yes i shout out
how i wish he’d listen
to me when i am deep in need i search
for him all the night long
i wake up at night with hands up high
but my soul is lonely
i think of my god and deeply long
i wish that he would help me
you kept my eyes shut my mouth was stuck
and i was left to thinking
of the years gone by my song at night
and i began to wonder
will the lord reject forever
will he never love again
has he forgotten to be gracious
has his promise come to the end
what god is so great
what god has displayed
his mighty arm to the children of the chosen promise
__________
OT Reading: Nehemiah 9:9-15 (NLT)
9:9 “You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea. You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten. You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters. You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.
“You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good. You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions.
“You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.
__________
Be Thou My Vision | Reawaken Hymns | Official Lyric Video
__________
NT Reading: Romans 14:13-15:2 (NLT)
14:13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Living to Please Others
15:1 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
__________
We Will Stand – Natalie Grant (feat. Tauren Wells, Jekalyn Carr, & CAIN) Official Lyric Video
__________
+ O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace to take to heart the grave dangers we are in through our many divisions. Deliver your Church from all enmity and prejudice, and everything that hinders us from godly union. As there is one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so make us all to be of one heart and of one mind, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and love, that with one voice we may give you praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in everlasting glory. Amen.
+ Our God, in whom we trust: Strengthen us not to regard overmuch who is for us or who is against us, but to see to it that we be with you in everything we do. Amen. (Thomas à Kempis)
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
Grant us the confidence, Lord
to step out in faith and become
the people we are meant to be.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 