Welcome:  –

Introduction:  –

Call to Worship: –

It was Remembrance Day yesterday, so I planned to incorporate that theme in the prayers for today, based upon a liturgy prepared by the Uniting Church Assembly Working Group on Worship.  The first three hymns which we will sing today have a common mention of peace.    

We meet in the presence of God who calls us to share in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation.

We commit ourselves to pray for God’s kingdom to come and to work together with all people of good-will toward that justice and peace between nations and peoples which is the hope of our calling.

We commit ourselves to remember all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.

We commit ourselves to remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.

We affirm that God came in the crucified and risen Christ to make peace, and that God calls us to be peacemakers, to save life, to heal and to love our neighbours.  We affirm that as the Church, we are committed to be a peacemaking body to work for peace for all peoples on Earth to the glory of God.

Prayer of Praise  

We have placed our faith in you God, Creator of the World and of all people.  We have placed our faith in you, Jesus Christ, incarnate among us, who died and rose again.  We have placed our faith in you, living and moving Holy Spirit, present with us to guide, to strengthen, and to comfort.

  Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, you come to us in your mercy.  By your cross and your life laid down, you set your people free.  When they were about to perish, you saved your Disciples.  In the greatness of your mercy, you loosened us from the chains of our sins.  You make yourself known as our Saviour and mighty Deliverer.  You come now and dwell with us, you hear our prayers and honour your promise to be with us always.  And when you come in your glory, you will make us to be one withyou and to share the life of your Kingdom.

  We rejoice in every sign of God’s Kingdom, in the upholding of Human dignity and community, in every expression of love, justice, and reconciliation, in each act of self-giving on behalf of others, in the abundance of God’s gifts entrusted to all Humanity, so that all may have enough to meet their daily needs.

  God of eternity, Lord of the Ages, we thank you that in times past, when darkness and evil enveloped the Human family, ordinary men and women, from all parts of society, in many Nations, responded to resist aggression, and to defend freedom.

  We thank you for all who gave their lives in the service of their country, for all who suffered in battle, for all who were taken prisoner, for all wounded in body, mind and spirit.

  We thank you for the contribution to this struggle made by men and women who stayed at home, working in factories, in offices and on the land.  Lord, for all who defended the freedoms we so often take for granted, we thank you.

  To you God, the Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we give you praise, honour and glory, now and always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or jopin in singing the Hymn “Glory and honour, living God to you” 

[This clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune. The words are printed below]

Verse 1 of 5

Glory and honour, living God, to you,

Teacher of truth, our guide in all we do.

Your Spirit gathers us in common prayer;

yours is the ministry of love we share.

Verse 2 of 5

Yours is the gift of faith when we believe,

you are the strength in all that we achieve,

you are the wisdom, help us to discern

Christ in each other; Christ in all we learn.

Verse 3 of 5

Longing to serve you, looking for a home,

hopeful and hungry, this is how we come.

Welcome us, heal us, living God, and then

feed us and send us out to serve again.

Verse 4 of 5

Send us to love the World that you hold dear,

speaking your truth in words that it can hear,

Good News of Jesus. Gifts of peace and bread,

stories of people healed and people fed.

Verse 5 of 5

O God, unsettle us, and make us grow,

trusting you to pass the edge of what we know.

Send us, and give us courage to embrace

struggle and blessing, poverty and grace.

Elizabeth Smith

Prayer of Confession 

Ever-loving God, through the pain and agony experienced by your Son on the cross, you bore the brunt of the World’s violence, you wore its insults scorched upon his back; and in his haunting cry of desolation he utters our grief, our anguish, and our loss.  Hear then the cry of your people.

We confess our sins before you, Merciful God, our sins individual and collective, our sins by silence or by action;

  through the violation of Human dignity based on race, class, age, gender, Nation, or faith;

  through the exploitation of people by greed and indifference;

  through the misuse of power in personal, communal, national, and international life;

  through the search for security by military and economic forces that threatens Human existence;

  through the abuse of technology which endangers the Earth and all life upon it.

  Remember, O Lord, the peoples of the world, divided as they are into many Nations and tongues, divided as they are into those with power and those who experience the oppression by the powerful, divided as they are into those who despair of their next meal and those who throw away what they don’t feel like eating.  Forgive our foolish and wasteful ways that disregards the needs and the very presence of others.

  Deliver us from every evil that gets in the way of your saving purpose; and prevents the fulfilment of the promise of peace to your people on Earth.

Deliver us from the prison of hatred against another people or race.  Set us free from the powers of revenge.  Liberate us from bitterness and anger.  Help us to use the freedom defended and won in times past to remove the curse of war and the human greed that causes war, from pride that turns its back on you, and from unbelief that will not call you Lord. 

Deliver us from national vanity that poses as patriotism, from loud-mouthed boasting and blind self-worship that admits not guilt, from self-righteousness that will not compromise, and from selfishness that gains from the oppression of others.

Deliver us from the lust of money or power that drives people to kill, from trusting in the weapons of war and mistrusting the councils of peace, from hearing and believing false and misleading propaganda, and speaking lies about other Nations, from groundless suspicions and fears that stand in the way of reconciliation.

Deliver us from words and deeds that encourage discord, prejudice, and hatred, from everything that prevents the Human family from fulfilling your promise of peace.  God our Father we pray for all your children on Earth, of every Nation and of every race, that they may be strong to do your will.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 2 Corinthians 5: 19) 

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.  By his wounds we have been healed and made whole.  Hear and live Christ’s word of grace; your sins are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

Almighty, gracious Father, for as much as our whole salvation depends upon our true understanding of your holy Word, grant to all of us that our hearts, being freed from worldly affairs, may hear and comprehend your holy Word with all diligence and faith, that we may rightly understand your gracious will, cherish it, and live by it with all earnestness, to your praise and honour, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

(Prayer of Martin Bucer: 1538)

Reformed Worship 21 © September 1991 Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church.  Used by permission.

Bible Readings

Joshua 24:

1  Joshua gathered all the Tribes of Israel together at Shechem.  He called the Elders, the Leaders, the Judges, and the Officers of Israel, and they came into the presence of God.  2  Joshua said to all the people,

“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel has to say:

‘Long ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and worshipped other gods.  One of those ancestors was Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor.  3  Then I  took Abraham, your ancestor, from the land across the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan.’”

11  “You crossed the Jordan (River) and came to Jericho.  The men of Jericho fought you, as di the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  But I gave you victory over them all.  12  As you advanced, I threw them into panic in order to drive out the two Amorite Kings.  Your swords and bows had nothing to do with it.  13  I gave you a land that you had never worked and cities that you had not built.  Now you are living there and eating grapes from vines that you di not plant, and olives from trees that you di not plant.

14  Now then,” Joshua continued, “honour the LORD and serve Him sincerely and faithfully.  Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the LORD.  15  If you are not willing to serve Him. Decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living.  As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD.

16  The people replied,

“We would never leave the LORD to serve other gods!  17  The LORD our God brought our fathers and us out of slavery in Egypt, and we saw the miracles He performed.  He kept us safe wherever we went among all the Nations through which we passed.  18  As we advanced into this land, the LORD drove out all the Amorites who lived here.  So we also will serve the LORD; He is our God.”

19  Joshua said to the people,

“But you may not be able to serve the LORD.  He is a holy God and will not forgive your sins.  He will tolerate no rivals,  20  and if you  leave Him to serve foreign gods, He will turn against you and punish you.  He will destroy you even though He was good to you before.”

21  The people said to Joshua,

“No!  We will serve the LORD.”

22  Joshua told them,

“You are your own witnesses to the fact that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”

“Yes,” they said, “we are witnesses.”

23  “Then get rid of those foreign gods that you have,” Joshua demanded, “and pledge your loyalty to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

24  The people then said to Joshua,

“We will serve the LORD our God.  We will obey His Commands.”

25  So Joshua made a Covenant for the people that day, and there at Shechem he gave them Laws and Rules to follow.  26  Joshua wrote these Commands in the Book of the Law of God.

Psalm 78:

1  Listen, my people, to  my teaching, and pay attention to what I say.  2  I am going to use wise sayings and explain mysteries from the Past,  3  things we have heard and known, things our fathers told us.  4  We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about the LORD’s power and His great deeds and the wonderful things He has done.

5  He gave Laws to the People of Israel and Commandments to the descendants of Jacob.  He instructed our ancestors to teach His Laws to their children,  6  so that the next generation might learn them and, in turn, should tell their children.  7  In this way they also will put their trust in God and not forget what He has done, but always obey His Commandments.

Romans 12:

16  Have the same concern for everyone.  Do not be proud, but accept humble duties.  Do not think of yourselves as wise.  17  If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong.  Try to do what everyone considers to be  good.  18  Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody.

Romans 14:

17  For God’s Kingdom is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.  18  And when someone serve Christ in this way, they please God and is approved by others.  19  So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another.

(Today’s English Version)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Matthew 5: and Mark 9:

9  Jesus told the crowd,

“Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them His children!

50  Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?  Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”

John 18:

33  Pilate went back to the Palace and called Jesus,

“Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked.

34  Jesus answered him,

“Does that question come from you or have others told you about me?”

35  Pilate replied,

“Do you think I am a Jew?  It was you own people and the Chief Priests who handed you over to me.  What have you done?”

36  Jesus said,

“My Kingdom does not belong to this World; if my Kingdom belonged to this World my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish Authorities.  No, my Kingdom does not belong here!”

37  So Pilate asked him,

“Are you a King, then?”

Jesus answered,

“You say that I am a King.  I was born and came into the World for this one purpose, to speak about the truth.  Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.”

38  “And what is truth?” Pilate asked.

(Today’s English Version)

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “May the mind of Christ my Saviour”  (AHB537  TiS609)

Katie Wilkinson

Sermon

After dying in a motor vehicle crash, three friends go to Heaven for orientation.  They are all asked the same question:

“When you are in your casket, with friends and family mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?”

  The first of the friends immediately responds,

“I would like to hear them say that I was a hard-working and honest employee, and a great family man.”

  The second of the friends says,

“I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband and schoolteacher, who made a difference in our children of tomorrow.”

  The third of the friends thinks for a bit longer and replies,

“I’d like to hear them say ‘Look, he’s moving!’.”

  Self-preservation is a powerful motivating force isn’t it.  Countless stories can be told of the achievements or just the survival of people motivated by the desire to safeguard their health and wellbeing.  But what if a person’s actions are motivated by a desire that goes beyond self-preservation, towards self-glorification or self-enrichment?  Or consider the actions of a Nation motivated by the same desires of self-glorification and self-enrichment?

  In an episode of the television series ‘Game of Thrones’, a character by the name of Tywin Lannister says to his son,

“A lion doesn‘t concern himself with the opinions of the sheep.”

(Game of Thrones Series One Episode Seven (?), aired on 26 September 2021 or 21 November 2015 depending on which Web site you consult.)  https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones/status/1441809725528621059

  Craig Conover, in a Website by the name of Spiritual Crusade, writes about this quote, saying,

“We must be careful who we give power to in our lives.  I love this quote because it helps remind us that we are lions and we should not allow the opinions or words of sheep to impact us at all.  Be strong, be bold, and move forward in confidence!!”

(https://spiritualcrusade.com/2020/09/a-lion-does-not-lose-sleep-over-the-opinion-of-a-sheep.html)

  Such a stance, however, troubles me, because though we may well “move forward in confidence” as an indication of personal maturity, our actions may still influence the lives of “sheep” to whom we are called “to love as Jesus loves us”  (John 14: 34, 15: 12 & 17)  . 

 The context of this quote from the television series is not one of self-preservation nor of developing self-confidence, but, rather, one of a small group of people in a society, (the lions), exercising power and control so as to achieve self-glorification and self-enrichment, at the expense of the welfare and the wellbeing of the majority of people in that society, (the sheep), those who cannot exercise such power and control.  The assertive and aggressive actions of ‘the lions’ have a direct negative impact upon ‘the sheep’, such that these ‘sheep’ are inhibited, prevented, from ‘moving forward in confidence’.

  It is the same in a natural environment, wherever lions exist in close proximity to their prey, be it sheep or any other herbivore, where the lions undertake their hunting irrespective of the opinions of whatever prey they are hunting.

  But there is wider application for Humanity on the international scale, with regard to the assertive and aggressive actions of Nations who are willing and able to exercise political, economic and military power and control over other peoples and Nations, in their desire for self-glorification and self-enrichment, to obtain land and wealth and influence for their leaders and their people, at the expense of the welfare and wellbeing of those living in other Nations in their nearby or even distant proximity.  Such is the case throughout today’s World, be it in the Ukraine, with the Nations bordering the South China Sea, in Yemen, in Sudan, in Mali, in Myanmar, in Libya, in Azerbaijan, and in a myriad of other locations.

  What clear guidelines does God’s Word give us as to how we are to examine and judge such actions by the leaders and the peoples of Nations who seek to act as ‘lions unconcerned with the opinions of the sheep’?  Is there someone with an authority to which even ‘lions’ must submit and to whose will and purpose they also are required to comply?

  In Joshua chapter 24 we see Joshua gathering the people of God together before he died.  He was wanting to emphasise something to them and to have them make a solemn commitment for the future.  He noted that their history since the crossed of the River Jordan was one of armed conflict.  And we read:

“You crossed the (River) Jordan and came to Jericho.  The men of Jericho fought you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”  (Joshua 24:11) 

  Are we to understand that the people of Israel were acting as ‘lions’, invaders of a foreign land, usurping and evicting ‘sheep’, the indigenous peoples of Canaan, solely from a desire for self-glorification and self-enrichment?

  We need to look at this from the understanding that it was the land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham and Sarah.  God said to Abraham,

“It will be four generations before your descendants come back here, because I will not drive out the Amorites until they become so wicked that they must be punished.”  (Genesis 15: 16) 

  As the people of Israel gathered on the east bank of the River Jordan, before they crossed the waters of the river to commence their conquest of the land of Canaan, Moses said,

“Do not say to yourselves that God brought you in to possess this land because you deserved it, or because you are good and do what is right.  No, the LORD is going to drive these people out for you because they are wicked.”  (Deuteronomy 9: 4 & 5) 

  One writer states,

“Canaan (at the time of the Israelite conquest) had been irrevocably corrupted by the actions of the then current occupants.”  (study note in NIV Study Bible p266) 

  We are to understand that God, in the History of Nations, acted as He saw fit.  We are to understand that God was not just active in the life of the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, but oversaw the life and times of other Nations, blessing and judging them according to their social and spiritual life as a people, according to their relationship with Him, as we read in the Old Testament of God acting in the History of the Nation of Israel, often judging them to be as wicked as had been the Amorites. 

  When we read Joshua chapter 24, we see that it was not the people of Israel who initiated the conquest, nor achieve military victory.  It was God fulfilling His will and purpose for the life of the people of Israel, and, ultimately, God fulfilling His will and purpose for the salvation of Humanity.

  But at this point in the narrative, we need to focus on what God is saying to the people of Israel through Joshua,

“I gave you victory over them.” God said, “Your swords and bows had nothing to do with it.”  (Joshua 24: 11b & 12b) 

  So, what is God saying here.  God is saying that when the Israelites looked back upon their past, they are not to congratulate themselves for their military prowess and power.  It is the complete opposite.  They are to humbly accept that it was through God’s actions alone that they are now occupying the land of Canaan.  As such, what is expected of them?  Is it to make a display of their military might so as to say to their neighbours, “Look how powerful we are, do not try us!”  No.  Verses 14 to 19 gives Joshua’s direction to the people gathered before him.

  “Come humbly before God, God who brought you out of Egypt, who led you through the Wilderness travels and provided for you and protected you for all of those 40 years, God who gave you victory over all of your enemies.  Honour the Lord your God, and honour Him alone.  Serve the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.  Disregard completely the gods of your ancestors back in Mesopotamia, the gods of the Egyptians under whose oppressions you suffered, the gods of the peoples in whose land you are now living, and the gods of your neighbours who surround you.  For God is a holy God and will tolerate no rivals.”

  They were not to place their trust in what they themselves can achieve.  They were to put their trust solely in their God, who proves His reality by what he has achieved for them, and who proves His love for them by what He has achieved for them.  And in verse 22 we see the Israelites answering Joshua; “Joshua told them, ‘you are your own witnesses to the fact that you have chosen to serve the Lord.’  ‘Yes’, they said, ‘We are witnesses.’”.

  So, two things are brought out here.  Firstly, the mark of their character as a People is clearly shown in their relationship with God.  How well do they keep their promise to honour and serve God alone?  Have they retained their stance of humble worship of their God who has demonstrated His power and His love to them and also to the peoples around them?

  Secondly, the mark of the character of God is clearly shown in His relationship with the Israelites.  God shows His love for the Israelites, not because of any intrinsic value that they have as a People, not because they have earned or deserved His love, not because of anything God expects to receive from them in return; God loves because that is His nature, His Character.  God is a holy God, in part because He shows love for the Israelites when there is no way they can do anything for Him except to show humble and sincere worship.

  This close relationship of love between the People of God and their God has been valued throughout the History of the people of Israel as is recorded for us in the Old Testament.

Psalm 78 begins with a description of God at work, as the writer says:

“ Listen, my people, to my teaching, and pay attention to what I say.  I am going to use wise sayings and explain mysteries from the Past, things we have heard and known, things our fathers told us.  We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about the LORD’s power, His great deeds, and the wonderful things He has done.”  (Psalm 74: 1 to 4) 

  And the emphasis is on God’s power, His great deeds, and the wonderful things God has done for those whom He loves and whom he calls into a close relationship with Him.

  What is the response from the People? 

“He gave Laws to the People of Israel and Commandments to the descendants of Jacob.  He instructed our ancestors to teach His Laws to their children, so that the next generation might learn them and, in turn, should tell their children.  In this way they also will put their trust in God and not forget what He has done, but always obey His Commandments.  (Psalm 74: 5 to 7) 

  And the emphasis is on what the people are to do: not forgetting what God has done, of placing their trust in God, and of obeying God’s Commandments.

  What we understand of God at work in the World is that this description in the Old Testament of God’s close relationship with the Israelites is but an image of how God seeks to relate to all of Humanity today.  There are three aspects to this which we need to note.

  We read in the book of Deuteronomy these words of Moses,

“The Most High God assigned Nations their lands, He determined where peoples should live.”  (Deuteronomy 32: 8) 

  This is a reference to what is termed The List of Nations in Genesis 10, in which we read of the three sons of Noah, their descendants, and the lands to which they spread out over the Earth.  There is the emphasis on “God’s sovereignty over all Creation”.  (study note in NIV Study Bible p281)  But, there is the added understanding that it was God who assigned the  boundaries to the lands in which each family group settled, and in which they lived, firstly as a family or tribe, later as a race, and later still as a Nation; its “inheritance” as one Commentary states.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews & Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the Old Testament p205, study note in NIV Study Bible p1714) 

  The Apostle Paul referred to the same understanding when he addressed the City Council of Athens at the Areopagus.  Paul said to them,

“God, who made the World and everything in it, is Lord of Heaven and Earth.  From one man He created all Races of Humanity and made them live throughout the whole Earth.  He Himself fixed beforehand the exact Times and the limits of the places where they would live.  (Acts 17: 26) 

  The Prophet Amos spoke to the people of Israel with the same understanding, when he said to them,

“The LORD says,

‘People of Israel, I think as much of the people of Sudan as I do of you.  I brought the Philistines from Crete and the Syrians from Kir, just as I brought you from Egypt.’”  (Amos 9: 7) 

  But as peoples of various lands drifted away from the worship of the one true Creator God to the worship of their own gods, so too did these peoples assign to their false gods that it was they were granted the people the right to occupy their lands, and occupy other lands.

  One Commentary states,

“It was not uncommon for Kings in the Near East seeking expansion of territories to claim that (their) deity had assigned or delivered (the lands of other peoples) to them.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews & Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary to the Old Testament p205) 

  This was the claim by the Assyrians at the time of their invasion of the Land of Judah during the reign of Kling Hezekiah.  The three Officials who led the invading Assyrian Army marched up to the walls of the besieged Jerusalem and defiantly challenged King Hezekiah and the people of Israel inside the walls of Jerusalem, saying,

“Don’t let Hezekiah fool you into thinking that the LORD (your God) will rescue you (from the might of the Assyrians).  Did the gods of any other Nations save their Countries from the Emperor of Assyria?  When did any of the gods of all these countries (which we have conquered) ever save their Countries from our Emperor?  Then what makes you think the LORD (your God) can save Jerusalem?”  (2 Kings 18: 32 to 35) 

  But we go on to read that God did save the people of Jerusalem from the invading Assyrians in such a miraculous way, defying the presumptive arrogance of the Assyrian Officials, and demonstrating God’s unquestioned power and authority in Worldly affairs.

  The point that I seek to make is that the greed of Nations for more land, the desire to

enrich themselves with more territory and the wealth and influence that flow on from occupying more territory, to the detriment of the peoples who already occupy that land, is to be clearly understood as these Nations seeking more land than what God has granted to them, and seeking land which God has granted to others.  Thus, they are acting counter to the Will and Purpose of Almighty God, regardless of their justifications.

  We can understand, then, the shock felt by the Christian Church Worldwide when the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, “approved the invasion (of the Ukraine), and blessed the Russian soldiers fighting there”.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Orthodox_Church) 

  In doing so he is acting with arrogance and with ignorance, as did the Assyrian Officials, in their claiming that the false god who they worshipped approved of them acting in such a way that is not approved by Almighty God, “who made the World and everything in it, (and who) is Lord of Heaven and Earth.  (Acts 17: 26) 

  At his trial before Pontius Pilate, Governor of the Roman Province of Judaea, Jesus defiantly refused to give Pilate a simple response in reply to the charge laid against Jesus by the Chief Priests, that he claimed to be “The King of the Jews”.  (John 18: 33) 

  His reply is significant, for Jesus said,

“My Kingdom does not belong to this World”.  (John 18: 36) 

  In saying this, Jesus is asserting that his Kingdom “is not the kind of Kingdom that has soldiers to fight for it.  It was not built, nor is it maintained by military might.”  (study note in NIV Study Bible p1661) 

  From the very first, the focus of Jesus in his ministry was on “the Kingdom of Heaven”  (Matthew 4: 17)  .  He taught with the authority of God  (Matthew 7: 28 & 29)  , his acts of healing and blessing demonstrated that he was acting with God’s authority and blessing  (Matthew 15: 31, John 3: 2)  , his wisdom confounded those who sought to trap him into saying something blasphemous to the Jewish faith or traitorous to the Roman Authorities, silencing them into ceasing their questioning  (Matthew 22: 22 & 48)  , he was viewed as a Prophet of God by the Jewish people  (Matthew 21: 46, 22: 33)  ,yet Jesus strenuously avoided the attempts by people “to make him a King by force”  (John 6: 14 & 15)  .

  Jesus stressed that the priority for people was to “be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what God requires of (them).”  (Matthew 6: 33, Col 3: 1 & 2)

  Elsewhere, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen.  No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.”  (Luke 17: 21)  Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is not something physical, something that can be seen, but something spiritual, internal to the person, something relating to their inner being, to their ‘heart’.  (study note in NIV Study Bible p1601) 

  Jesus warned his listeners, “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on Earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal.  Instead, store up riches for yourselves in Heaven.  For your heart will always be where your riches are.  (Matthew 6: 19 to 21)  This was the dilemma of the ‘rich young ruler’, who could not forgo his riches on Earth to “have the riches in Heaven”.  (Matthew 19: 21 & 22) 

  So there is, then, the understanding that if an individual, or Nation, strives for a physical Kingdom on Earth, above all else in their life, they are living a life ignoring the command of  God to seek first what He has to offer, to forgo what treasures the Earth can offer, for the far greater treasures God offers of forgiveness of sins, of reconciliation with Him, of close fellowship with others in the Church on Earth, and of the promise of eternal life to come.

  One Commentary states,

“The idea of God’s Kingdom is central to Jesus’ teaching.  In the preaching of Jesus as recounted in the Gospels, it is understood as the reign of God that He brings about through Jesus Christ, that is, the establishment of God’s rule in the hearts and lives of people, the overcoming of the forces of evil, the removal from the World of the consequences of sin, including death and all that diminishes life, and the creation of a new order of righteousness and peace.”  (study note in NIV Study Bible p1466) 

  Thus, if an individual, or Nation, is not actively doing all they can to further the Kingdom of God, but, instead, furthering their own Kingdom, they are not just ignoring God’s command, but actively doing all they can to counter the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, and, in so doing, bringing upon themselves the deserved condemnation and judgement of God.

  In my well-spent youth, I and some friends from the Sunday night youth group went to see the movie, “Conan the Barbarian”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  In a scene from the movie, Conan is undergoing training in military strategy.  He is asked, “Conan, what is best in life?”  To which Conan makes the memorable reply, “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!”

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

(https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian_(1982_film))

  That, to me, typifies the type of character portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in his movies.

  So, it came as a surprise the other evening when I read in a Web article that he was awarded an anti-bigotry award at a ceremony at a Holocaust Museum in the United States, where, in his speech, he made reference to the ongoing ‘Israeli-Hamas war’, and stated,

“and let them know that the only way to go through life is with love and not with hatred”.

(Daily Mail  08/11/2023)

Arnold Schwarzenegger  Daily Mail  08/11/2023

  One may well ask why it takes the acceptance speech of a celebrity for people to listen to the message that God has for Humanity, for that is, indeed, the message that God’s Church has been preaching for nearly 2000 years.

  “Happy are those who work for peace”, Jesus says, “(those who) have the salt of friendship among themselves”, those who strive to “live in peace with one another”, because that is the way in which they demonstrate their love for their neighbour, in the same manner in which God loves both them and their neighbour.  (Matthew 5: 9 and Mark 9: 50) 

  In his Letter to the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul has the same message,

“Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody, always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another”, because that is the way in which they demonstrate their love for their neighbour, in the same manner in which God loves both them and their neighbour.  (Romans 12: 18, 14: 19) 

  There is no room for hatred in one’s relationship with one’s neighbours.  If God seeks to demonstrate His love for people, where, then, is there any room for hatred in our relationship with the same people?  If God seeks for us to strive for peace in our relationships with others, as an outcome of the love that He has for both them and for us, where, then, is there any room for hatred and for a corresponding lack of peace in these relationships.

  To not actively demonstrate a love for our neighbour, as far as it is possible, and for us to not actively strive for a peaceful relationship with our neighbour, as far as it is possible, we are then actively refusing to heed the call of God to “reflect His character in our lives” and to commit ourselves to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  (study note in NIV Study Bible p1471 & 1541) 

  So, what of the present?  What should be our focus?  What should be the focus for our leaders and for our Nation?  Is it the winning and the ruling over of an Earthly empire?  Is it the demonstration of our military and commercial power so as to defend what we have and to deter aggression from our neighbours, such that we have no need to be concerned “with the opinions of the sheep” nor the aggressive actions of a ‘lion’? 

  No, our call is the same that Joshua presented to the Israelites at Shechem:

To get rid of any other gods that distracts our attention from the worship of the one true Creator God,

To humble ourselves before Almighty God who has demonstrated His love for us and for our neighbours in such wonderful ways, and

To give honour to the Most High God, to serve Him sincerely and faithfully, and to obey His commandments.

  How we do this in our daily lives is the daily challenge presented to each of us.  How we pass on this knowledge to our children, and to our grandchildren, and to our great-grandchildren, is such an important responsibility that God presents to each of us.    I pray that we can all declare with the same sincerity as did Joshua when he stated, “As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD.”  (Joshua 24: 15b)  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “Here mid the stress, and tumult round us streaming”  MHB1000

[This clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune. The words are printed below]

Verse 1 of 3

Here mid the stress, and tumult round us streaming,

here mid the surge of life day after day,

yours is the peace that passes all our dreaming,

peace that this World gives not, nor takes away.

Verse 2 of 3

Though there be burdens that beset our going,

though there be shadows falling on our face,

yours is the joy, like rivers overflowing,

abiding joy, and all-sufficient grace.

Verse 3 of 3

Lord, be our peace, our joy, our strength unfailing,

fill out our souls with all you have in store,

O friend divine, o’er every foe prevailing,

be you our hope and portion evermore.

Edwin Wesley Howard Fowles

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria – there is no introduction.]

[This YouTube is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

[

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

God of peace, of truth and of justice, we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know; those who have died in the service of their country or who have died in the violence of war.

We pray for those who love them in death as in life, for relief from the distress of their grief and the sadness of their loss.

We pray for civilian women, children and men whose lives are disfigured by war or terror, all who have suffered from the effects of war.  Grant them your peace and healing strength.  Please ease their troubled minds and souls.

May they see in you the peace that has been taken from their lives.  May they see in you the comfort and compassion that has been ripped from their lives.

We pray for all members of the armed forces who are in danger this day as they work to bring peace and stability to troubled regions, as they work to ensure a brighter future for those who lives have been disrupted by violence and hatred. 

May they find protection and strength in you as they fulfil the task they have been called upon to do.

We pray for all Defence Force chaplains offering support, encouragement, acceptance, compassion and understanding wherever and whenever it is needed. 

We pray that the ministry they offer will mediate God’s love and grace, that they will be a calm and encouraging presence in situations of crisis, turmoil and fear.

We pray for those who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and religious;

that they be granted the gift of wisdom to make decision to bring about your will, that they will search for dialogue and discussion before the call to arms, and that they have the resolve to achieve for reconciliation and peace.

Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm. 

As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever.

We commit ourselves individually and as a community to the way of Christ; to take up the cross; to seek abundant life for all humanity; to struggle for peace with justice and freedom; to risk ourselves in faith, hope, and love, praying that God’s kingdom may come. 

Loving Father, have mercy on our broken and divided world.  Give your Spirit of peace to all people and remove from them the spirit that makes for war, that all may live as members of your family.

  Lord, we offer ourselves to you and ask that you will enable us to care for each other as you cared for the world.  Lord, hear our prayer in Jesus’ name.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn

“I don’t know about tomorrow”

[This clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune. The words are printed below]

Verse 1 of 4

I don’t know about tomorrow,

I just live from day to day.

I don’t borrow from its sunshine

for its skies may turn to grey.

Verse 2 of 4

I don’t worry o’er the future

for I know what Jesus said,

and today I’ll walk beside him

for he knows what is ahead

Chorus

Many things about tomorrow

I don’t seem to understand;

but I know who holds tomorrow,

and I know who holds my hand.

Verse 3 of 4

I don’t know about tomorrow,

it may bring me poverty;

but the one who feeds the sparrow

is the one who stands by me.

Verse 4 of 4

And the path that be my portion

may be through the flame or flood,

but his presence goes before me,

and I‘m covered with his blood.

Chorus

Many things about tomorrow

I don’t seem to understand;

but I know who holds tomorrow,

and I know who holds my hand.

Ira Stanphill

Benediction    

In all we do and say may we strive to bring Glory to God and peace to God’s people on Earth. 

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or jopin in singing the Benediction Song

“I am His, and He is mine.”  Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 193

Verse 4

His forever, only His,

Who the Lord and me shall part?

Ah, with what a rest of bliss

Christ can fill the loving heart!

Heaven and Earth may fade and flee,

First-born light in gloom decline;

But while God and I shall be,

I am His, and He is mine.

But while God and I shall be,

I am His, and He is mine.

Wade Robinson