BURTON JOYCE
COMMUNITY CHURCH
Sunday September 12th 2021
A Service written by Rev Dr David Monkton
the whole earth is full of your glory.
Hymn SoF 619
Ye holy angels bright.
Prayers
Heavenly Father guide us. in our worship today - as individuals, as a congregation, and through all means of communication by which we can keep in touch with you.
When we see the world around us, many things fill us with a sense of wonder but we realise especially that you are the God who has shown your love to us and your creation by granting to us the gift of your Son Jesus Christ. He gave his life for us on the Cross so that we might know the depths of your forgiving love.
Forgive us for the wrong things that we have done. For the way in which we have sinned against others and misused the many gifts that you have given us. May we be ready to make a new beginning in the service of your Kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s prayer
Psalm 19
Reading Mark 8 v 27-38
Hymn SoF 1120
Will you come and follow me
Sermon
Our New Testament reading from the Gospels for today is from St Mark chapter 8 v 27 to 38, and I have based my message on verses 34 and 35. Taking this reading from the Revised English Bible Jesus says:’ Anyone who wants to be a follower of mine must renounce self. He must take up his cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’
These words are found in the very middle of St Mark’s gospel. This I believe is a reminder to us that the message of the Cross is to be at the very centre of the life of the Christian.
The Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John all have details of what they see as important background details to the birth of Jesus. The stories of his birth, His ancestry, his origins in the history of creation and the whole human race.
St Marks gospel however does not go into any special introductory details into the life of Jesus, but simply begins by saying quite bluntly ‘The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.’
After his own baptism by John the Baptist and his forty days in the wilderness there is the calling of the disciples.
Jesus says to them ‘follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ But this is more than a recruiting ground for people to be followers of Jesus. Yes, Jesus is sharing good news of healing, good news that the kingdom of God is not far away, Jesus is saying ‘come unto me or you who are weary and heavily laden and I will give you rest. In other places, Jesus saying ‘my peace be with you.’
But here in the heart of Marks gospel is a stark challenge. There is a challenge that those who follow Jesus must accept. If the listeners are to follow the way that has been chosen by God to bring about his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It is the way of the Cross. Anyone who wants to be a follower of mine says Jesus, must renounce self and follow me.
When I was about fifteen, I was very involved in midweek meetings in my church. I had recently made a commitment to follow Jesus and I took the promise seriously. A task that I took on was to play a harmonium for the two mid-week fellowship services. One hymns that we sang. The hymn that caused me some anxiety however, had these words in it. ‘May this poor self-grow less and less.’
It is about the renunciation of oneself. Giving oneself up completely to work ‘in the name of Jesus the Christ, the chosen one, in working for the kingdom of heaven, but does it mean getting rid of the idea of self altogether? Are we really to become nonentities? The answer Is no! To follow Jesus is to vibrate with a new sense of vitality and vigour because Jesus came into the world to bring new life into people’s lives. I think the Good News Bible sums it up well when it says. ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me.’
Perhaps the prayer attributed to St. Francis sums it up well when it says:
‘Teach us good Lord to serve you as you deserve to give a not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wound, to labour and not to ask for any reward save knowing that we do your will.’
God made us all in a particular way. He made everyone able to be far more than we are able to become on our own. For the Christian life is more than just getting on well. It is more than wanting a comfortable life- style-especially at the expense of others. It is necessary for example to love our neighbours as ourselves. To want the best for them as well as good things for ourselves, and to want the best for all people in the world. This is a very positive thing, but it can be costly.
There are some times when we have to deny ourselves by equipping ourselves for other forms of service. We do need leisure of course and changes of activity and the support of friends to refresh us, but just to live for self-indulgence alone for the main part makes us ‘lesser’ human beings.
Last year I received from the Methodist Conference a message of congratulation on completing 60 years of presbyteral ministry. It has not always been easy, far from it, and I have at times made mistakes in my actions, but it has certainly been a fulfilling time with many changing scenes of work for the kingdom.
But what Jesus goes on to say is true. ‘Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’ If we seek the way of humility and recognise that we are not ‘the centre of the world’ this is what really matters. Jesus wants us to have, something far more wonderful than we can imagine.
Lord, help us along this way of challenge, that shows us the way to eternal life. Amen
Hymn SoF 519 Take my life & let it be
Thanksgiving
We say together:
Almighty God Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you our humble and heartfelt thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us and all people.
We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life, but above all, for your inestimable love in the redeeming of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory.
And we ask that you will give us such an awareness of all your mercies, that our hearts may be genuinely thankful, and that we tell of your praise not only with our lips, but also in our lives.
Let our lives redound in praise to you as we give ourselves to your service, and as we walk before you in wholesome ways and right living all our days.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen
(General Thanksgiving, adapted.)
Hymn SoF 664 Beauty for brokenness
Let us now say the words of the hymn together as our intercessions and, as we say them, to pray for the people that we think of and who are in our hearts, especially in these extremely anxious times.
Closing prayer
We say together:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us and all who are in great need. Amen
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