After Pentecost | Wednesday 23 Oct 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Set us free, loving Father,
from the bondage of our sins,
and in your goodness and mercy
give us the liberty of that abundant life which
you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
“I’ve given you an example that you should follow.”
(John 13:15)
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From Psalms: Psalm 37 | Poor Bishop Hooper
if i delight in you it is your promise
my every hearts desire will be accomplished
if i commit all i have to you
your justice will shine your justice will shine
if i stay still within your holy presence
no matter what the world has i wait patient
if i commit all i have to you
i know you’ll delight i know you’ll delight
my inheritance will be perfect and unending
my inheritance will be beneath your watchful eye
there’s nothing that can take it no hour can decay it
forever forever forever and a day
if my steps are taken and established
and you are pleased with everywhere i put them
though i fall i wont be overwhelmed
for you hold my hand you hold my hand
my inheritance will be perfect and unending
my inheritance will be beneath your watchful eye
there’s nothing that can take it no hour can decay it
forever forever forever and a day
once i was young and now i am an old man
ne’er have i seen a righteous one forsaken
for my children never begged for bread
but gave and gave again, gave and gave again, gave and gave again
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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 12:1-25 (GW)
Samuel’s Spotless Leadership
12:1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you have said to me and appointed a king over you. And now, here is the king who will lead you. I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. Here I am. Testify against me in front of the Lord and in front of his anointed king. Did I take anyone’s ox? Did I take anyone’s donkey? Did I cheat or oppress anyone? Did I take a bribe from anyone to look the other way? ⌞If so,⌟ I will give it all back.”
They answered, “You didn’t cheat us, oppress us, or take anything from anyone.”
Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness to what you’ve said, and his anointed king is a witness today that you’ve found nothing in my hands.”
“He is a witness,” they answered.
Samuel told the people, “The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. Now, stand up while I put you on trial in front of the Lord and cite all the righteous things the Lord did for you and your ancestors. When your ancestors went with Jacob to Egypt ⌞and were oppressed⌟, they cried out to the Lord, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt. The Lord settled them in this place. But they forgot the Lord their God. So he handed them over to Sisera, who was the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. All of them fought against your ancestors. Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned. We have abandoned the Lord and served other gods and goddesses—the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.’
“Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel and rescued you from your enemies on every side so that you could live securely. But when you saw King Nahash of Ammon coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, a king should rule over us,’ though the Lord your God was your king.
The New Kingship
12:13 “Now, here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, the Lord has put a king over you. If you fear the Lord, serve him, obey him, and don’t rebel against what he says, then you and your king will follow the Lord your God. But if you don’t obey the Lord, if you rebel against what he says, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your ancestors. Now then, stand still and watch this great thing the Lord is going to do right before your eyes. Isn’t the wheat being harvested today? I will call on the Lord, and he’ll send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what a wicked thing you did in the Lord’s presence when you asked for a king.”
Then Samuel called on the Lord. That day the Lord sent thunder and rain so that all the people feared the Lord and Samuel very much.
All the people pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us so that we will not die. We have added ⌞another⌟ evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel told the people. “You did do all these evil things. But don’t turn away from the Lord. Instead, serve the Lord wholeheartedly. Don’t turn away to follow other gods. They can’t help or rescue you, because they don’t exist. For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not abandon his people, because the Lord wants to make you his people. It would be unthinkable for me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I will go on teaching you the way that is good and right. Fear the Lord, and serve him sincerely. Consider the great things he did for you. But if you go on doing what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”
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We Will Fear The Lord – Ben Slee
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NT Reading: John 13:1-17 (GW)
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
13:1 Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. Jesus loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end.
While supper was taking place, the devil had already put the idea of betraying Jesus into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
The Father had put everything in Jesus’ control. Jesus knew that. He also knew that he had come from God and was going back to God. So he got up from the table, removed his outer clothes, took a towel, and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that he had tied around his waist.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered Peter, “You don’t know now what I’m doing. You will understand later.”
Peter told Jesus, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus replied to Peter, “If I don’t wash you, you don’t belong to me.”
Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t wash only my feet. Wash my hands and my head too!”
Jesus told Peter, “People who have washed are completely clean. They need to have only their feet washed. All of you, except for one, are clean.” (Jesus knew who was going to betray him. That’s why he said, “All of you, except for one, are clean.”)
After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothes, he took his place at the table again. Then he asked his disciples, “Do you understand what I’ve done for you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you’re right because that’s what I am. So if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet. I’ve given you an example that you should follow. I can guarantee this truth: Slaves are not superior to their owners, and messengers are not superior to the people who send them. If you understand all of this, you are blessed whenever you follow my example.
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The Servant King – Graham Kendrick / WeAreWorship
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O Lord our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served, but to serve: We ask you to bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; endue them with wisdom, patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who fall, and, being inspired by your love, may worthily minister to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
+ Do what only you can do to make your faithful people the blessing promised to every family on earth.
+ Protect them from the assaults of the evil one, coming from every direction and in every form.
+ Grant your heavenly wisdom to Israel’s leadership; give them the courage to do what’s right in your sight.
+ Comfort all those who mourn the loss of loved ones; deliver the hostages from captivity and restore their souls.
+ Destroy every stronghold and every expression of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
+ Protect the Israel Defense Forces and every soldier engaged in their mission to root out this evil.
+ Strengthen the Messianic communities; use them to restore your faithful people to their proper place in your kingdom.
+ Unify your faithful people around your promise to Abraham – to bless every family on earth through them.
+ Intervene in the Middle East in ways that only you can; protect the innocent and punish the guilty, that all may live in peace.
We ask in Jesus’ name.
O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us into your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the ⌞holy⌟ place behind the curtain where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.
6:9 Dear friends, even though we say these things, we are still convinced that better things are in store for you and that they will save you. God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him. You helped his holy people, and you continue to help them. We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end. Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
The Peanut Gallery 