with Revd. David Burrow
Video Service
Or watch on youtube here.
Suggested Hymns & Songs:
MP 14 ‘All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord’
MP 678 ‘There’s a quiet understanding’
‘God’s spirit is in my heart’
MP 590 ‘Seek Ye First’
Or this version for more ‘Alleluias’
MP 162 ‘Servant King’
MP 1201 ‘Longing for light, we wait in darkness’
Mavis Staples - "Far Celestial Shore"
MP 681 ‘There’s a sound on the wind like a victory song’
Other Links
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Our Website: https://www.rossendalemethodistcircuit.co.uk/
Our Email Address: rossendalemethodistcircuit@gmail.com
Transcript
Psalm 19 Enjoy the pictures of the cosmos this psalm ‘paints’.
MP 14 ‘All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord’
MP 678 ‘There’s a quiet understanding’
Prayer - Taken from The Act of Prayer by John Birch: Creator of a universe beyond imagining, yet close enough to hear a whispered prayer and hold an outstretched hand; this is our God.
We join the heavenly chorus joyfully declaring that those who seek will find and those who find will know such love and grace, beyond imagining. This is our God.
Lord Jesus, You willingly walked the path laid out for you, striding purposefully toward Jerusalem and a crowd that cried, ‘Crucify!’
Forgive us who hesitate along the road, when our stride shortens, and our faith is challenged as we glance toward the cross. Grant us courage and perseverance as we journey with you, for we cannot do it in our strength alone.
By faith we know you created us for a purpose, love us unconditionally, call us to follow you and forgive us when we fail you, raise us up when we stumble, and bless us in your service.
Thank you that your promises are always true, and your faithfulness can be relied on eternally.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
‘God’s spirit is in my heart’
MP 590 ‘Seek Ye First’
Or this version for more ‘Alleluias’
Once again we are in Mark’s Gospel and this week we have come to the major turning point in Jesus’ life. Up to this point Jesus has shown his power through his miracles, there have been mass crowds and what we might describe as a successful ministry. From this moment on things change.
Jesus begins his walk to suffering and the cross. Paradoxically it is also the road to glory, but first the cross has to be faced.
Geographically at the northernmost point of his ministry, Jesus turns from the adulation of the crowds in Galilee to the opposition of the authorities in Jerusalem.
Caesarea Philippi is a beautiful place. The river Jordan rises from the foot of the cliffs as a wide slowly flowing pool. It’s about 15 miles north of Lake Galilee, at the foot of Mount Hermon. Originally it was called ‘Paneas’ because the Greeks built a temple to their god Pan and in Jesus’ day it was on a main highway and was the centre of all kinds of idolatrous worship. It was very busy with worshippers coming and going and offering sacrifices.
So, when Jesus asked the question “Who do you say that I am?” he and the disciples were surrounded by the statues of false gods. Peter and the disciples had to decide if Jesus was for real, or, was he like the statues and idols that surrounded them?
Today the place is called Banias because, according to local folklore, people were unable to pronounce the letter ‘p’.
For the Christian, however, it is where Jesus asked Peter and the other disciples, “Who do you say that I am”.
And what was Peter’s answer?
Matthew tells us that Peter replied: “You are the Messiah the Son of the living God” (16:16).
Luke says it was, “You are God’s Messiah” (9:20), but in Mark’s Gospel, Peter’s answer is simply recorded as, “You are the Messiah”.
Mark liked to keep things short, simple, and straight to the point.
Read: Mark 8:27-38
The Olympics and Paralympics are a major event in the lives of athletes.
All their training leads up to this great event.
Their hope is glory, for a medal, but for the majority it will simply mean earning the right to be called an Olympian, and when the Games are over life will never be quite the same for them.
I am sure that when you look back over your life there have been moments when things changed, and life was never the same again for you.
This is that moment - when Mark reveals the secret of who Jesus is.
Mark builds up to this moment and after it nothing is the same.
The journey to the cross begins here.
The question on everybody’s lips, the question they’ve been afraid to ask has been, ‘Who is this?’
Who is this man who teaches with authority, who has power over demons, who feeds thousands?
Who is this man who can still the wind and waves, who walks on water?
Who is this man who heals the sick and makes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak?
Who indeed, is this man?
But before anyone asked, Jesus got his question in first. “Who do you say that I am?”
And Peter answered, “You are the Messiah”.
But how did people understand the title, ‘Messiah’? It means ‘anointed’. The name Christ, from the Greek ‘christos’ means the same thing and the people of Israel would have described the Messiah as 'God's anointed', or 'deliverer'. Kings and priests were anointed.
By Jesus’ day people expected God’s anointed one to deliver the nation from the oppressive occupying Roman power that ruled over them. Jesus, however, saw things in a very different way.
The real oppressor in life is not a foreign political power, but the ‘foreign’ power of sin that leads the people into disobedience to God.
People expected a king like king David who would restore Israel to its former glories, get rid of the Romans, bring in a time of peace and prosperity for all and restore Israel to its rightful place as the chosen people of God!
They did not expect a suffering Messiah who had to die!
It was on no-one’s agenda! Except Jesus’ of course.
So, how do you and I, God’s people, the church today, understand Peter’s words?
Photo by Peter Nicola via Unsplash
Well, I hope that we believe that Jesus is God's anointed one, who through his suffering, death and resurrection came to deliver the whole world, not from an army of occupation like the Romans, but from the powers of sin and death.
Only Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God was able to pay the price of our sin so that we might receive God’s forgiveness.
Only Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God can bring us into a right relationship with God the Father. He defeated sin, and ultimately sin no longer has power over us.
Only Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God can give us the promise of eternal life. He alone conquered death through his resurrection.
After Jesus’ death, resurrection and return to heaven; after Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with God’s Holy Spirit, Peter and the other disciples finally understood that to say and believe Jesus is the Messiah is to be obedient even to death. Only through sacrifice and suffering is glory achieved.
Olympic athletes make incredible sacrifices. Suffering to achieve glory.
They are obedient to their coaches and trainers day in and day out to get to the Olympics.
Their reward may be the glory of a medal, but before long very few people will remember who won what, and, hopefully, in three years the Olympics will all happen again in Paris.
Such a sacrifice, such obedience for a fleeting, albeit glorious, reward. I admire them greatly.
But there is a far greater reward.
The gift of life in all its fullness, eternal life beginning here and now.
To say to Jesus, ‘You are the Messiah’, is to lose your life for the sake of the gospel and for Jesus.
It is to accept that a cross will need to be carried, that sacrifices will need to be made.
It is the greatest decision you or I will ever make.
And the wonderful truth is, that when you lose your life for Jesus you will, in the words of Jesus, “save it”. Suffering and glory, as for Jesus, go hand in hand.
The Christian teacher, Sadhu Sundar Singh, wrote, “It is easy to die for Christ. It is hard to live for him. Dying takes only an hour or two, but to live for Christ means to die daily. Only during the few years of this life are we given the privilege of serving each other and Christ…
We shall have heaven forever, but only a short time for service here, and therefore we must not waste the opportunity.”
“Who do you say that I am?” asks Jesus.
And our answer?
“Jesus, you are the Messiah”.
MP 162 ‘Servant King’
MP 1201 ‘Longing for light, we wait in darkness’
Prayers of Intercession
As we pray, we invite you, holy God to transform us, by your Spirit, that we may play our part in being an answer to someone’s prayer today. We pray for people who need your love and comfort.
You might like to whisper a person’s name or hold a picture of a face or two in your mind as you pray and perhaps play some gentle, music.
Lord God, you know our hearts, and you know our hurts.
You know the names, the faces and the situations we have brought to you.
You know the people we pray for on a regular basis.
You know the world and all her needs right now.
We pray for the people of Afghanistan, remembering the courageous women protesting their loss of freedom.
May your Spirit move through every war-torn land and turn hate to love and war to peace.
We remember all who are suffering the effects of the climate crisis through flood, fire and famine.
Show us how we can be an answer to prayer.
Teach us how to be a people of grace, justice, life, and comfort, in a broken world.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
Here’s a prayer to use for yourself.
It is a daily prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: ‘Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your Spirit and love.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance to Yours. Amen’
Mavis Staples - "Far Celestial Shore"
MP 681 ‘There’s a sound on the wind like a victory song’
Blessing: Be filled with the Spirit of God in your hearts.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit continue your walk of discipleship and faith.
In love and hope, travel with people who need a companion today, and take your next steps in faith. Amen