Worship

Sing or say the words of this familiar chorus, based on Matthew 6:33-34, as an expression of your praise & worship to God.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
And His righteousness,
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Seek ye first …….

Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God.
Allelu, alleluia.
Man shall not ……….

Ask & it shall be given unto you,
Seek & ye shall find;
Knock & the door shall be opened up to you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Ask & it shall ……..

Sermon on the Mat: ‘His door is always open.’

‘One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them, before he left.’ Matthew 19:13-15. NLT.

I wonder if you realise just how much God longs for you to be a member of His eternal household? A loved, valued & cherished member of His eternal household, at that! Loved, valued & cherished, not on the strength of our goodness but on His. His willingness to call us His own, despite all that He knows about us. I.e. Those hidden, as well as public acts of sin & disobedience that, ordinarily speaking, would disqualify us from entrance into the family but under the terms & conditions of His grace, mercy, love & forgiveness become the very basis upon which it is secured!

Here’s how Jesus, Himself puts it in Luke 5:32 – ‘I did not come to call the self proclaimed righteous who see no need to repent but sinners to repentance, to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin & to seek God & His righteousness.’ AMP. In a similar vain, author & Pastor, Max Lucado helpfully adds – ‘If anybody understands God’s order for His children, it’s someone who has rescued an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us. God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers & took you home!’

We need to come to Him, don’t we, as a trusting child comes to a loving parent? A loving parent we know won’t ever condemn, judge or reject us. A loving parent who’ll always be ready to open the door to us, whenever we’re ready to come home, as the following true story I believe serves to illustrate – ‘When my wife, Anne-Marie was a little girl, probably around five years of age, she had a minor ‘tiff’ with her beloved dad. A minor tiff which left her feeling that she had no choice but to leave home, immediately. Once he’d helped her pack her special suitcase, complete with her favourite dolly. I’m sure you’ll be able to guess what happened next? Yes, that’s right! Within seconds of leaving the house, Anne-Marie found herself knocking on the front door, asking to be let back in again, because, as she subsequently told her dad, ‘it was cold & dark & I didn’t like it!’ How did her dad react when he saw his little girl, tearful, anxious & afraid, her tiny suitcase in her hand? By scooping her up in his arms, smothering her in kisses & telling her just how much he loved her.’

If that was his response to the return of his little girl, after her brief outing into the big wide world, imagine our Heavenly Father’s reaction towards us, the moment we pluck up the courage to come knocking on His front door?! As today’s reading makes abundantly clear, the instant those children appeared in the presence of Jesus –

‘He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them & blessed them.’ Will He do any less for you, as with childlike faith, trust & humility you venture to do the same. Nb. ‘An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others!’ A. W. Tozer.

Prayer of blessing

May the beauty of God
Be reflected in our eyes,
The love of God
Be reflected in our hands,
The wisdom of God
Be reflected in our words,
And the knowledge of God
Flow from our hearts,
That all might see,
And seeing, believe.
Amen.

Please pray for –

• The continued protection & support for all staff & students in schools, colleges & university. For the NHS & care workers as they continue to serve the sick & dying under these difficult circumstances.

• For the nations that are experiencing social unrest at this time, that God would bring peace. Continue to pray in particular for Israel, Nigeria, the USA, France, Belarus, Afghanistan, Yemen & Hong Kong at this time.

• Christ Church, that by the grace, power & love of God, it will be a strong beacon of light & hope in the days that lie ahead.

Notices: World Day of Prayer

The women of Vanuatu, a small island nation in the Pacific 2,000 miles from Australia, have prepared a lovely service for this year’s World Day of Prayer. Their theme is ‘Build on a Strong foundation’. The official date for holding this service is the first Friday in March which this year falls on March 5^th. As it will not be possible for us to meet together then, an alternative date will be chosen later in the summer.

Watch this space!