ST ANDREW’S  CHURCH

MARCH  6th  2022     LENT  ONE

 

LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to this service of worship on this 1st Sunday of Lent. Thank you Rev. Shirley Cochrane for leading and guiding our worship today.
March’s Loonie Offering will be going to the Shuswap Hospice Society. For more info please see the “recent posts” to the right of your screen.

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

We live in the shelter of the Most High,

We abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Let us worship God who is our refuge and our strength,

For God is the One in whom we trust.

The Lord will deliver us from the perils that threaten us.

Under God’s wings, we will find refuge and not be afraid.

So let us praise God, in song and in silence, with thankful hearts!

We will worship God with heart, mind, soul and strength, now and always.

 

HYMN                193  Out of my bondage sorrow and night

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come;
into thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to thee;
out of my sickness into thy health,
out of my want and into thy wealth,
out of my sin and into thyself,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come;
into the glorious gain of thy cross,
Jesus, I come to thee.
out of earth’s sorrows into thy balm,
out of life’s storms and into thy calm,
out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come;
into thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to thee;
out of myself to dwell in thy love,
out of despair into raptures above,
upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come;
into the joy and light of thy home,
Jesus, I come to thee;
out of the depths of ruin untold,
into the peace of thy sheltering fold,
ever thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to thee.

 

OPENING PRAYER

God of our living and our loving, we rejoice in your grace and mercy which has called creation into being, and makes all life complete. We praise you for Jesus Christ who reveals your loving purposes for all people; in his face we glimpse your love; in his life we see the pattern for our lives. We bless you for the Holy Spirit  who guides us and strengthens us, drawing us into the embrace of your tender love. We praise you, O God, our eternal, creating father who loves us, united with Christ, our savior, and your Holy Spirit, the breath of life, Three in One, now and always.  Incline your ear to us as we confess together ….

 

UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Almighty and most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in things we have done,

and things we have neglected to do.

We have held back from giving

to protect what we have.

We have not trusted in your goodness

and relied on the world’s empty promises instead.

Forgive what we have done and direct who we shall become.

Help us to serve you

by serving your world with generous spirits.

 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Hear and believe the good news! Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.  The old life is gone.  The new life has come.  Know that you are forgiven, and so, in Christ, forgive one another.

 

THE PEACE

 

HYMN      364  Approach my soul the mercy seat

 

 

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
where Jesus answers prayer;
there humbly fall before his feet,
for none can perish there.
Thy promise is my only plea,
with this I venture nigh;
thou callest burdened souls to thee,
and such, O Lord, am I.
Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
by Satan sorely pressed,
by war without and fears within,
I come to thee for rest.
Be thou my shield and hiding place,
that, sheltered near thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
and tell him thou hast died.
O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
to bear the cross and shame,
that guilty sinners, such as I,
might plead thy gracious name.

 

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16;

 

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

 

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

 

Luke 4:1-13.

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.”

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:‘ He will command his angels concerning you   to guard you carefully;  11 they will lift you up in their hands,  so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

 

SERMON

As your word is read, heard, and preached, O God, send your Holy Spirit to aid our understanding and nurture our faith with the Good News we meet in Jesus Christ, your Living Word. Amen.

 

Just as we know spring will come, we know that Easter is on the horizon. But for now, we’re not there yet As we begin Lent, the season encourages us to slow our pace so that we can take stock and reflect upon our faith and life.

Christians since the first century have had the blessing of knowing the whole story of Christ’s life on earth, his resurrection and ascension into heaven. We have the gift of knowing “the rest of the story.” So, when we enter into the scriptures, when we meet Jesus in the wilderness, when we see him preaching and teaching in Jerusalem, we know the gruesome death that awaits him – and we know the glory of the resurrection. But does this knowledge really change how we live our daily lives? It’s easy for us to “tsk-tsk” the Disciples and their inability to understand what was happening as it happened. But I wonder, do we really understand the fullness of what Jesus is teaching us?

Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor suggests: “When the world did not end as Jesus himself had said it would, his followers stopped expecting so much from God or from themselves. They hung a wooden cross on the wall and settled back into their more or less comfortable routines, remembering their once passionate devotion to God the way they remembered the other enthusiasms of their youth. And for this reason, the early church announced a season of Lent, from the old English word lenten, meaning “spring” — not only a reference to the season before Easter, but also an invitation to a springtime for the soul. Forty days to cleanse the system and open the eyes to what remains when all comfort is gone. Forty days to remember what it is like to live by the grace of God alone and not by what we can supply for ourselves.” (Taylor, Barbara Brown. Settling for Less )

Wow! What a novel idea! Lent is a set of forty days designed for us to remember what it is like to live by the grace of God alone.  So often our idea of Lent is wrapped up in “giving things up,” denying our comforts and reciting litanies of what we CAN’T do, that we forget that what this season is really about is emptying ourselves so that we can be more filled by the Spirit of God and the power of God’s grace.

We know how these six weeks are going to end. We know Christ will enter triumphantly into Jerusalem –  Judas will betray him –  Peter will deny him. We know that he will be beaten and crucified –  he will die, be sealed in a tomb. And yet on the third day he will be resurrected. The story doesn’t change. The truth of the story doesn’t change. The grace and love of the story doesn’t change.

One could wonder why the Spirit would fill Jesus and lead him into the wilderness. Yet, in several places in Luke the Spirit fills people and leads them into trials, uncertainties, and wildernesses.

Luke reports Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit and is led by the Spirit. Today we read that between baptism and the beginning of his ministry  the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. Scarred by precipitous cliffs, deep ravines, tumbled boulders and dust , it is a region so barren that animals can not be pastured in it. In this remote, largely uninhabited area, Jesus must be more alone than anywhere else in Israel.”

So The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, during which time he eats nothing When those forty days end, he is mighty hungry (4:2).

Look for a moment a VS. 3.” In  Greek  the word “IF” which begins the phrase can be translated 2 different ways. IF or SINCE.  IF indicates a measure of uncertainty. The devil isn’t certain about the nature of Jesus. However using the word SINCE indicates the devil recognizes the status of Jesus. He IS the “Son of God. As Christians we affirm that Jesus is indeed the Son of God

“Since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” The real temptation here is one we face nearly every day. The devil is challenging Jesus and us to take care of our own needs first. The temptation is to rely upon ourselves, our own abilities and desires instead of relying on God.

None of us has ever been tempted to turn stones into bread, because for us it is impossible. But Jesus could have done it in an instant, and his hunger screamed, ‘Do it!’ It is a brazen attempt to try to create doubt in Jesus’ mind.

On the surface, we see that Jesus is tempted to eat bread for a frivolous use of miraculous powers. Virtually every commentator you read on this passage argues that Satan was trying to force Jesus to misuse his powers. Well, that is part of it, but if we examine this text carefully we see that the issue confronting Jesus was deeper than that, more basic, more foundational.

Jesus’ response insinuates that the Scriptures should not be used to cast doubt on God’s presence with God’s people. They should not be used for a game of “gotcha” nor should they be recited to serve selfish interests. Instead, the Scriptures are reminders of God’s powerful presence with God’s people even in the wilderness. Jesus immediately knows that Satan’s hermeneutic ( interpretation) of Scripture is flawed. Satan twists Scripture against itself.

Next the devil takes Jesus and shows him all the kingdoms of the world  saying “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, will worship me, it will all be yours” (4:5-7).

Jesus responds with, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve ” He affirms that we are to worship and serve only God. To worship and serve anyone else is to disobey God and his written word. Notice the incredible subtlety of Satan. Jesus responds to Satan’s temptations by quoting God’s word to him. What is under attack here is not really the identity of Jesus, so much as the trustworthiness of the word of God.”

There is a sense in which what Jesus did was unique.. By believing and obeying God and his word completely, not only during these temptations, but also throughout his entire life, he is able to secure salvation for sinners like us.

I think it is important to keep in mind that Jesus was fully God and fully man. He had two natures (one divine and one human) in one body. However, during his incarnation “he placed the exercise of his divine knowledge and power under the discretion of God the Father (Philippians 2:5–11).” Jesus had to obey God as a man in order to secure salvation for sinners. If he obeyed his Father as God, he would not by that means have secured salvation for sinners.

 

By the time Jesus leaves the wilderness, returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, we can glean how he navigates the wilderness successfully and with true power. Each of the three trials that satan presents raises a question about power: Jesus’, satan’s, and ultimately God’s. Hence, satan attempts to get Jesus to put God on trial

Christ triumphed over Satan because he believes God. He trusts God, he puts his life in the hands of God, and he is victorious.  Jesus’ power is rooted in confidently following the Spirit into the unknown.

Nevertheless, his example is instructive for every one of us. Jesus is able to combat the temptations of Satan by knowing, believing, and applying the word of God to each temptation. Jesus knows the word of God so well that even when Satan quotes Scripture to him, Jesus is able to rightly interpret God’s word and not fall into sin.

Each one of us needs to know, believe, and apply God’s word to every area of our lives each day. Because, if you do not know God’s word, how can you believe God when temptations come your way?

In our minds, we overcome the temptations in our lives simply by avoiding them and then we feel pretty good about ourselves.

But that’s not the Biblical witness. Jesus did not avoid temptation. He did not run from the Devil. He stood there: and faced every temptation, falling victim to none. He was filled by the Spirit and through the power of the Spirit he prevailed over the power of evil.

Hiding from temptation is not defeating temptation. Avoiding temptation is not conquering temptation. Temptation is only defeated when in faith and armed with the strength of the Lord we meet it head-on. Christ did not avoid going into the wilderness – he allowed himself to be led there by the Spirit. Christ did not run from the devil as he was being tempted – he stood strong in the faith and defeated temptation through the power of God’s words.  Christ held fast to teachings of God in his heart. He denied worldly desires in order to lay treasures in heaven and give glory to God.

How do we demonstrate that we have entrusted our whole being to God? Any of us can resist temptation if we refuse to place ourselves in its path. But that’s not what today’s scriptures tell us to do

No temptation has seized you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Scripture encourages us to put ourselves in the path of temptation – to meet temptation head-on – and to trust God to provide the strength and power for us to stand firm in faith. Humans should lean into the Spirit’s leading—even in uncertain circumstances.  Temptation is not a sin, but playing with temptation invites sin

The devil is always there, waiting for just the right time, the right situation to lead us down the wrong path and away from the will of God.

How do we handle the temptations that the devil puts in our way? How do we respond to the “tests” the devil puts before us as children of God?

His primary targets are those who are most committed to Christ. In fact, he’s not worried about those not committed to Christ, or those with a lukewarm commitment. It’s the dedicated, serious followers who are the tempter’s target. The more deeply we commit ourselves to Jesus Christ the more the devil steps up his attacks against us. He is a real, true force, which can call all the hosts and forces of evil against us. So beware – if you choose to be more devoted to Jesus, or make a stronger commitment to Him in some area of your life, you will be tempted, perhaps as never before. Notice verse 13 – Luke wrote that when the devil was done, “He left Jesus until an opportune time.” He knows not only when to strike –he’ll also always return.

Testing God is tempting, isn’t it? Much of our misery comes, not from making the wrong goals but from taking the wrong roads to good goals!

“Surely, if I’m a Christian, God will do this for me. I’ve lived a good life, I’ve worked hard for God, I’ve been faithful at church – surely God will heal me. I’ve given a lot of money to the cause of the Kingdom – certainly God will answer my prayer. He owes me.” That’s the world’s view; compromise your trust for your own gain.

The devil knows most of us would never agree to do something grossly or clearly evil. So he stays in the realm of the good and within our capabilities, and works on our motives. He tempts us to do good things for bad reasons.

Knowing most of us are greedy, selfish, and driven by pleasure he tempts us in those areas. The definition of temptation, in fact, is “the act of enticement to do wrong, by promise of pleasure or gain.” Remember ! Satan’s attack was gracious. He offered Jesus gifts!

 

We are people to whom the word has come near, who have heard the word proclaimed. Although we all travel along roads where we are bound to encounter the forces of evil, “The Lord will guard you in all your ways” (verse 11).

Lent is about seeking God’s words and wisdom for our lives. Lent is a time for learning to draw our strength in every situation from the ever-flowing fountain of God’s care. Lent is about denying the selfishness of our souls so that God may be central in our lives and prevail in all our thoughts, words and deeds.

This Lent I challenge us to bring God’s desires to the forefront of our lives that we may we seek to be agents of God’s mercy, love and grace – even while the world around us tempts us to be judgmental, egotistical and elitist.

May we recognize the power of God’s Spirit at work in our living, and may we use this power to stand strong and promote the truth of God’s message in a world that doesn’t always want to hear it. May we seek to confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that the Lord is near and salvation is at hand. For this faith is our power and our strength today and forever more.

If you have given something up for Lent – great! Go for it!  But also accept the challenge to add some Lenten discipline and growing to your life. Work on deepening your relationship with Christ and strengthening your reliance upon God’s grace that we may seek to live as Christ lives. To love as Christ loves. And to worship God with our whole heart, and soul, and mind. To God be the glory, now and forever more. AMEN

HYMN                682 Just as I am without one plea

Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou biddest me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee I find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

 

OFFERING

We all have something to share. As we present our offering this morning, know that what we share enables the Church to reach out in Jesus’ name, meeting needs, offering hope, and working for the justice Jesus proclaimed.

 

DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below

Praise him above ye heavenly host.

Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

 

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Generous God, we thank you for all the goodness we receive in Christ and in creation.  Bless the gifts we offer to share in the work of the kingdom Jesus declared, and bless our lives so that we may be witnesses to his love and mercy .Amen

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

 

God of grace, You are our Judge and our Hope. Transform us with your love and harness our energy for your purposes in the world into which Christ came and for which he died. Hear us as we pray for the world, the church and our community:

 

We pray for the earth as your creation, staggering under the demands of human activity and expectation.  May this planet, our home, be held in reverence in every culture. Where we are tempted to use resources carelessly, where human lifestyles endanger homes and habitats of other peoples or other species, where immediate gain tempts people to give no thought for the future ,send your wisdom to guide citizens and decision makers to act responsibly.

 

We pray for the Church facing the challenges of rebuilding ministry and mission amid the uncertainties created by the pandemic. Where congregations are tempted to guard traditions and resist new possibilities, where members magnify differences instead of celebrating our unity in Christ, where energy for leadership and community life has grown weaker, send your healing and transforming grace.

 

We pray for relationships suffering under the stress of prolonged pandemic restrictions. Where families are tempted to nurse grudges and harbour complaints, where friendships have been wounded by misunderstanding or neglect, where workplace tensions have arisen over clashing opinions or exhausting demands, w humbly ask  to send your reconciling and restoring mercy.

We remember Lord, that on Tuesday, March 8 International Women’s Day it is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Recognizing that for many women  there is still a great  amount of struggle  in so many areas  the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.

 

We pray for the world filled with increasing threats and conflicts. Where countries are torn by unrest and persecution, where communities are diminished by prejudice and discrimination, -where those with power and authority degrade or dismiss their critics  we pray fro you to ,empower those who work for just solutions and advocate for the powerless.

sovereign God  we  place in your hands the situation  with  Russia and Ukraine in the second week of  war and all the destruction, fear  injury and death  which has  enveloped these two nations and the  coutries  surrounding  them May they under your hand find justive and lasting peace.

 

We pray for all who are troubled and find it hard to face these uncertain times, we pray for those who face illness or loss of any kind, for those challenged by economic hardship, and for those faced with the reality of death, their own or of someone dear.

Loving God  you have heard our spoken  expressions of thanks  and concerns  fro  those  who are  dear to us ………..

 

In silence, we name those on our hearts this day:…………….

Embrace each one with your compassion and courage.

 

Even as we remember the many challenges around us, we give you thanks for the blessings we know, for moments of pleasure, for laughter shared, for conversations that brightened a day.Thank you for your steadfast love and the comfort we draw from your presence with us in all things. And now we offer together the prayer Jesus taught;

 

THE  LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name,  thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

HYMN                667 God you touch the earth with beauty

 

God, you touch the earth with beauty;
make my heart a new;
with your Spirit recreate me,
pure and strong and true.
Like your springs and running waters,
make me crystal pure;
like your rocks of towering grandeur,
make me strong and sure.
Like your dancing waves in sunlight,
make me glad and free;
like the straightness of the pine trees,
upright let me be.
Like the arching of the heavens,
lift my thoughts above;
turn my dreams to noble action,
ministries of love.
God, you touch the earth with beauty;
make my heart anew;
keep me ever by your Spirit
pure and strong and true.

 

BENEDICTION

Go out into the world – not fearing temptation  but standing in the  strength of faith and the power of God’s  word  May the grace of God , the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirt  lead  you

through the coming week  blessing you richly in all you do

 

CLOSING SONG