Sunday 12 April 2015

Sunday Service Marsden Road Uniting Church 12 April 2015



Richie led the Call to Worship, declaring:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Hallelujah!  Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Richie then welcomed us as one people, in unity with Christians the world over, to hear the good news.


Hymn TIS 155 "How great thou art" When we think on how great the blessings are that have been bestowed upon us, our only response can be: How great thou art!

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

In this prayer, Richie spoke of God's amazing creation and of us, as not only as his creation but as the first fruits of his new creation, asking that we will rejoice in this new day.

To the God of all majesty, and beyond any estimation of value, Richie offered blessing, glory, honour and power.

He then led us in our confession of our sin:

"We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. And for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, We ask that you will have mercy on us, and forgive us; that we may delight in your will and walk humbly with you, to the glory of your name. Amen."

Assurance

"Hear then Christ's word of grace to us: 'Your sins are forgiven.'"

Thanks be to God.

Hymn TIS 217 "Love divine, all loves excelling" A prayer to God to dwell within us, thereby making us whole, never leaving us.

Bible Readings

John 20: 19-31 The disciples were hiding away when Jesus appeared among them, showing them his wounds. But Thomas wasn't there and so wouldn't believe their story about Jesus visit. But when Jesus visited again, Thomas did believe: "My Lord and my God."

1 John 1:1-2:2 Referring to the risen Jesus, John says: that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. He continues to warn his readers that we must confess our sins and that when we do that we have an advocate with the Father.

Sermon

Richie began by speaking about the original 12 disciples and speculating about who was the best known. Judas comes to mind as the traitor and Peter was famous for many things but the man that who came to be synonymous with doubt was Thomas.

The modern church welcomes doubt, welcomes questions, but not all questions will be answered so the only solution is to step out in faith. Faith in Jesus, trust in Jesus.

We are not talking about trusting in what we hear about Jesus. This is trust or faith IN Jesus.

Thomas didn't say that he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. He said, "My Lord and my God."

The appearances were not just to establish that he had risen. They were to establish who he was.

The church grew because people who never saw Jesus believed in him, trusted in him.

"Because you have seen me, you have found faith. Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith." v.29

"Why have these people believed?" "Why doesn't someone today need the same evidence that Thomas and the others needed? the difference, I think, is that the subsequent generations of Christians have had the Holy Spirit working in their hearts." Otherwise we would all be dumbfounded.

"It does seem to be though, that it is the action of the Holy Spirit within us that enables us to take the leap from hearing the message, knowing things about Jesus, to believing in him.

This can happen in many ways: John Wesley, on hearing Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans related that "I felt my heart strangely warmed." He had known the story of Jesus for some time but it was only then that he realised God's grace.

From our reception of grace comes responsibilities. Richie made the point that Christians should be forgiving sins. When we are confronted with evil - in the myriad of forms it takes in this earth, our task is to forgive.

The bible offers more, much more about Jesus but to return to the subject of doubt: "Today, our doubts are put to rest by the presence of the Holy Spirit, if we will only open our hearts to the Spirit's presence."

Hymn TIS 315 "Mine eyes have seen the glory." A stirring declaration that the lyricist can see God's glory and God's triumph approaching. His triumph which is in our hands. Maybe not the type of triumph some would hope for but the triumph of his spirit,

The Offering was received and dedicated to the work of God's kingdom.

Prayers of Intercession

"Almighty and Eternal God, whose goodness and grace overflowed when you raised Jesus from the dead, Let your goodness and grace continue to flow upon your people."

Richie prayed for the stone to be figuratively rolled away for those whose path to new life is blocked; for those in despair and for those in ill-health.

Thanks was then given for the life of Luke Shambrook.

In the light of the resurrection, Richie prayed for the world: for areas of hostility and violence: areas of famine and disease: for the family of Stephanie Scott and the family of the three children drowned in the lake.

Richie, on our behalf, prayed for the church world-wide and at Marsden Road that wise and sensitive leadership be given. We then prayed for those people associated with Marsden Road who are ill or in other need, joining together for The Lord's Prayer.

Hymn TIS 380 "Yours be the glory" This hymn reminds us that God's victory is forever. It is the victory that supports us in every part of our life and in every area of our inner being, bringing us new life.

Benediction

"God has loved us with an everlasting love, and even when we were far off, he met us in his son Jesus and brought us home. We come to know Jesus today through the scriptures, through the witness of faithful Christians of all the ages, and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

As we have been reminded today: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

And as we go out, let us be assured of that blessing - the blessing of God Almighty: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

 
Amen. Amen. Amen.

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