[Did you miss last Sunday’s services? They can still be found at Worship Archive – October 10th 2021.]
Sunday Service from Connexion for October 17th 2021:
Sunday Services from Hillside Circuit for October 17th 2021:
Theme: Be humble and serve others
Occasion: 21st after Pentecost
Psalm 104: 1-9, 24, 35c
Job 38: 1-7
Hebrews 5: 1-10
Mark 10: 35-45
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to listen and/or read it for yourself and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube, or go to the Songs for worship webpage to find them embedded.
Here is love, vast as the ocean.
Beauty for Brokenness (God of the Poor).
I Cannot Tell Why He, Whom Angels Worship.
Prayers:
You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermons:
Bible readings:
Psalm 104
1 I praise you, LORD God, with all my heart.
You are glorious and majestic, dressed in royal robes
2 and surrounded by light.
You spread out the sky like a tent,
3 and you built your home over the mighty ocean.
The clouds are your chariot with the wind as its wings.
4 The winds are your messengers,
and flames of fire are your servants.
5 You built foundations for the earth,
and it will never be shaken.
6 You covered the earth with the ocean
that rose above the mountains.
7 Then your voice thundered!
And the water flowed 8 down the mountains
and through the valleys to the place you prepared.
9 Now you have set boundaries,
so that the water will never flood the earth again.
24 Our LORD, by your wisdom you made so many things;
the whole earth is covered with your living creatures.
35c LORD! I praise you!
Job 38
1 From out of a storm, the LORD said to Job:
2 Why do you talk so much when you know so little?
3 Now get ready to face me!
Can you answer the questions I ask?
4 How did I lay the foundation for the earth?
Were you there?
5 Doubtless you know who decided its length and width.
6 What supports the foundation? Who placed the cornerstone,
7 while morning stars sang, and angels rejoiced?
Hebrews 5
1 Every high priest is appointed to help others by offering gifts and sacrifices to God because of their sins. 2 A high priest has weaknesses of his own, and he feels sorry for foolish and sinful people. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of others. 4 But no one can have the honour of being a high priest simply by wanting to be one. Only God can choose a priest, and God is the one who chose Aaron.
5 That is how it was with Christ. He became a high priest, but not just because he wanted the honour of being one. It was God who told him,
“You are my Son, because today
I have become your Father!”
6 In another place, God says,
“You are a priest forever
just like Melchizedek.”
7 God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to save him. He truly worshipped God, and God listened to his prayers. 8 Jesus is God’s own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God. 9 Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him. 10 This is because God chose him to be a high priest like Melchizedek.
Mark 10
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, will you do us a favour?”
36 Jesus asked them what they wanted, 37 and they answered, “When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.”
38 Jesus told them, “You don’t really know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?”
39 “Yes, we are!” James and John answered.
Then Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must! 40 But it isn’t for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to decide.”
41 When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John. 42 But Jesus called the disciples together and said:
You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule. 43 But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 44 And if you want to be first, you must be everyone’s slave. 45 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.
Text version of message for Hillside Circuit on October 17th 2021 in English, with Dr Christine Tenga:
I greet you in your homes in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen
Let us pray.
Our heavenly loving Father, we come before your throne of grace to worship and give you honour and glory for who you are. We thank you for the gift of life.
We ask for forgiveness of sins so that we can be acceptable to you.
We are bringing to you Father, the troubled at heart, the sick, those mourning for lost loved ones and any other worries.
Father we pray that your word will work in the hearts of the listeners and transform them.
Amen.
In today’s world people have forgotten all about humility especially when they hold big positions. All they look for is honour, fame and self satisfaction.
This we find also in the Mark passage where brothers John and James think that because they have been with Jesus for a long time, they may hold high positions in Jesus kingdom.
We must remember that disciples hopped for a kingdom on earth where Jesus would be ruler after conquering the Roman empire. This was a misunderstanding on the disciples part. Its therefore not surprising that the brothers asked to sit one on the right and the other on the left in Jesus kingdom. They were asking for high positions for their own benefit because they were disciples. Jesus asked them if they would be prepared to drink the cup he drank and be baptised with his baptism. The cup and the baptism meant Jesus suffering on the cross. They showed willingness to do that but Jesus then told them that it didn’t depend on him because rewards of Glory were hidden in the eternal purpose of God. This misunderstanding of disciples can be seen today among Christians who also think that by being followers of Christ they will easily go to heaven or they will have good life on earth. Our theme which is extracted from this text clearly tells us what the requirements are – humility and serving others. It is not about fame or honour. The other disciples were not amused by the brothers’ request but who knows , perhaps they were also eying for positions. Jesus took this opportunity to reveal and teach disciples about himself. It is not every Christian who clearly understands what being a Christian means. Christians do not know their responsibilities. Some refuse to do small duties and think its enough just coming to church. At one time disciples wanted to know who would be greatest in the Kingdom of God and Jesus told them that if one wants to be first, he must be the very last and be a servant of all. To Jesus greatness is giving instead of receiving and there is no vocation which can afford one that opportunity better than being a servant. Worldly greatness is for a few but in the Godly kingdom all can be great by serving. Any believer can fulfil Jesus mission by serving. In God’s Kingdom its about humbling yourself not seeking fame or honour.
Jesus in this text says in v 43 who desires to be greatest among disciples will be their slave and who ever desires to be first shall be a slave of all. You are all aware of what kind of person is a slave. One looked down upon. Labours without rest for others to enjoy themselves. Jesus was such . He came to serve and not to be served and to give His life a ransom for many or let’s say for all because everyone who believes in him can be saved through his suffering. God demonstrated what a perfect servant is like because He gave His son to save humanity from sin. You can serve others by drawing them to Jesus making Him known by teaching the word. In Isaiah 53: 10-11 the servant suffers for many. Christians have a duty to see to the needs of others in many ways. It mustn’t be only to serve for physical needs but also spiritual needs. Jesus saved us from sin. Sin hinders us from inheriting the Kingdom of God . God gave the only begotten son for our salvation.
Job was an upright man but in today’s passage from the book of Job , God is angry with him despite the suffering he was going through. Like the disciples Job didn’t understand how God operates. Job had complained of his physical suffering and had not used that opportunity to educate his friends who for us we can also act like Job yet we need to be humble and wait upon God. We dont know His character, we cannot judge God. We know very little especially when we look at all that God created including ourselves. So we just have to be humble and not complain against God. In this passage, Job’s suffering symbolises the suffering of Christ but the difference is that Christ never complained to God during all that time until he died on the cross. We complain because we are human like Job but we must learn to trust and wait upon the creator.
In Hebrews passage, we are made to understand that God appoints who should serve him. Aaron and his descendants were appointed by God and also Christ was chosen by God. Melchizedek also was a priest of Salem. Jesus prayers were heard because of his obedience, his humility which he acquired through suffering. We are chosen by God to serve and we must obey Him. We must humble our selves through suffering like Christ. God will help us to pull through. When we face suffering, we can approach our Father in prayer and in humility and He will hear us and save us.
In conclusion,
Jesus Christ lived on earth and understands what suffering is. He was chosen as a high priest and sits at the right hand of God. He intercedes for all those who obey him.He still serves all and we must emulate him as we live here on earth by serving others in humility.
May God bless His word.
Amen.
Let us pray. Thank you heavenly Father for affording us the opportunity to listen to your word as you speak to us. Thank you for Jesus Christ who suffered for our redemption and salvation. Teach us Holy Spirit the ways of serving others and to be humble always in our service. We ask all this in the name of Jesus our Lord Saviour and redeemer. Amen.
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more.
Amen.
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 