Worship at home service – 17 May 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone.

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

From John 14:15-18 we read the words of Jesus: ¹⁵ “If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify.

• Praise the name of Jesus, He’s my rock…
• Bless the Lord O my soul (10,000 Reasons)

Pray: ‘Loving Father, we come before you today, body and soul. Bless this time of worship we ask. May your love and faithfulness be large in our awareness and deep in our heart. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.’

Prayer for Tranzsend

Let us pray…

Sovereign God, you are at work right throughout this world, by your Spirit and through your people. We pray that your name and purpose would be exalted in all the earth.

We bring before you our Tranzsend Baptist missionaries serving in Asia. Bless them in the work they are doing. Encourage their hearts, protect their bodies from illness and lift their spirits to soar on wings like eagles.

We pray for R and C, along with their team, as they work on the e-school learning project. We ask for continued, steady progress with this project.

We thank you for the work of Freeset. Please continue to provide for their workers. Help them as they make 20,000 masks for the community and deliver 20,000 meals to people.

We ask your wisdom and strength for AJ, the new director of NZBMS. May you empower A with the wisdom and strength he needs in leading both NZBMS and SWBC through this time. 

We think too of the communities in which our missionaries work. We ask for your love and faithfulness to be evident in those communities. May Jesus be real in people’s homes and relationships. Raise up indigenous church leaders to speak your word to the people in their heart language.

Help us to be generous as you are generous Father. Multiply what is offered to the praise of your glory.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or download on Spotify. This next song, ‘Your love O Lord’, is based on Psalm 36.

• Your love O Lord reaches to the heavens
• Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)

Bible Reading – 1^st Samuel 24:1-17

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” ² So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he saidto you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ⁹ He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹² May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴ “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

¹⁶ When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷ “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

General Offering

As you make your monetary offering sing:

• ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ (on YouTube or Spotify)

Pray: ‘Generous Father, we thank you for your provision through all the seasons of life. Give us eyes to see your goodness and ears to hear what your Spirit is saying, through Jesus we pray. Amen.’

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes attached to this email. Or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon & intercessory prayer via the following link:

Intercessory Prayer

David’s prayer for God to be exalted is a universal prayer. It can be applied in so many different situations because it is essentially a prayer for God’s will to be done in the world. It is a prayer for God’s purpose (his justice & mercy) to be lifted up everywhere. With this in mind, following is a prayer of intercession with the response, “Be exalted, O God”.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, you were a teacher. We pray for students who are returning to school this week. Keep them safe. Help pupils, teachers and parents with this transition.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the well of living water. We pray for those people and animals in the Hawke’s Bay, Auckland and Northland who are adversely affected by the drought. May you bring the rain they need. Restore the land we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were a self-employed carpenter. We pray for business owners who have lost income and livelihoods. May you restore what the locusts have eaten.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the corner stone of the church. We ask your blessing on the churches in Tawa. May you be present through the on-line Alpha course and touch the lives of each one who participates in this.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were beaten mocked and scorned. We ask your deliverance for those women and children who are trapped in abusive relationships. Set the captives free we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are our King. We pray for wisdom for our government. May they act as your servants, promoting justice and compassion in our society.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you have the power to heal: mind, body, soul and relationships. Make us whole and grant us your peace we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead. May your resurrection be real in and through us. Strengthen our hope, renew our joy and keep us in God’s purpose we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Thank you Lord Jesus that you hear our prayer. Amen.  

Song – Be Exalted, O God

Listen and/or sing along to ‘Be Exalted, O God’ (I will give thanks to Thee). Google the song on YouTube or Spotify.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’