Sunday Sermon - 04/07/2019 - Isaiah 43:16-21
Opening Prayer:
O Holy God, not long ago we were among those who lived in futility, every one of our goals an attempt to fuel our pride or deaden the gnawing of our consciences. So large was our self conception that we had no category for life centered around anything other than our own pleasure and prestige. In retrospect, we see how futile that life was, how every desire merely lead to another desire, the hunger for contentment and peace never stilled. You freed us from that futility. You brought us into an awareness of the divine glory of Jesus Christ, and in so doing you showed us the reality of our selfishness, our baseness, our lack of goodness. And the void left by our bloated self-conception was filled with the simple truth that you are greater than us. O God, let that simple understanding of your greatness loose a torrent of holy humility in your church. Let our minds grasp with ever-increasing clarity the perfection of the God of Israel. And let that inner awe of the Deity cause our mouths and hands and minds to offer you some return for your compassion in the form of honest thanksgiving, humble patience, and words of timely truth spoken to our nearest neighbors. Truly, truly, “The Lord has done great things for us.” And so may you be honored in the beauty and peace and thankfulness of your church.
We pray this in the name of Jesus and for his glory. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
O Holy God, we praise you for the truth of truths that Jesus Christ sits on his holy throne, unfettered by death, unstained by sin, reigning over all his creation, staying his hand of judgement in patient compassion, continually calling souls to bend low before the God of Israel. Health and relationships and finances and plans may fail, but still Jesus Christ sits on his throne, never indifferent, always aware, always active, always kind. Lord, what would we do without such firm truth? How could we survive even a day, when trouble pounds on us and bids us forsake you? Blessed be the God the Father for providing us a Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving us sure hope in him, and for granting us the stability and contentment that the world seeks with all abandon.
We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sunday Sermon
04/07/2019
Isaiah 43:16-21 Lent 5
Ben Warren
Click the image below to listen to the message:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hd_NqiehHikPTOx6nWPVdDlkYicEKevD/view?usp=sharing
