Worship at Home
Worship for the Week Beginning 6th March 2022
First Sunday of Lent
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Sunday 6th March
Rev Francis M’Itiiri has prepared this week’s message.
This short act of worship is for use from home. Please use this service whenever you like during the week.
Pause to settle yourself in God’s presence, knowing that other people are sharing in worship with you.
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© ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com. Reproduced with permission.
Call to worship with Psalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Highest will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Let us pray together:
We gather today during this lent season as your people, and your treasured possession encountering stories of goodness, please merciful God from heaven, may we find your compassionate grace. Protect us from the evil ones and make us feel safe with your angels encamping around us.
Amen.
Hymn: Facing a Task Unfinished by Keith & ‘Kristyn Getty
Facing a task unfinished, that drives us to our knees.
A need that undiminished, rebukes our slothful ease.
We, who rejoice to know Thee, renew before thy throne.
The solemn pledge we owe thee, to go and make Thee known.
Where other Lords beside Thee, hold their unhindered sway.
Where forces that defied thee, defy thee still today.
With none to heed their crying, for life and love and light.
Unnumbered souls are dying, and pass into the night.
We go to all the world
with kingdom hope unfurled
No other name has power to save
But Jesus Christ the Lord.
We bear the torch that flaming, fell from the hands of those.
Who gave their lives proclaiming, that Jesus died and rose.
Ours is the same commission, the same glad message ours.
Fired by the same ambition, to thee we yield our powers.
O Father who sustained them, O Spirit who inspired.
Saviour, whose love constrained them, to toil with zeal untired.
From cowardice defend us, from lethargy awake!
Forth on thine errands send us, to labour for Thy sake.
Prayers of confessions
Lord God, we confess our deep sorrow that we have gone against your teaching and forgotten and have not obeyed your voice. Forgive us our many sins and bring about a fresh spiritual awakening among us that we may once again be careful to walk in your ways. We bring these prayers in the holy name of Jesus our risen saviour.
Bible Reading
Jesus is tested in the wilderness
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 splendour; 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.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Time to Reflect with Luke 4:1-13
There are a couple of insights we can draw out from this chapter of Luke 4. Firstly, we can say with certainty Jesus lived His life and performed His ministry as a Spirit-filled man, choosing not to rely on the resources of his divine nature, but willingly limiting himself to what could be done at every point.
What are some of the sources of temptation?
Note down the temptation Jesus faced as accounted in Luke gospel 4:1-11.
Can you pinpoint how Satan manifests his powers in the world today? If yes in which way?
If Jesus accepted to yield to any of the devil’s temptations, our salvation would have been impossible. This is a lesson to us today!
What are some of the types of temptations that you face on a daily basis? Note them.
And how do you respond to each of the temptations you have listed down? Let us now compare the manner how Jesus reacted to each of the Satan’s temptations.
Remember you must weigh the consequences of yielding to any type of temptations.
After the temptation we see Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, stronger than before, you will all be stronger when you stand firm in your faith.
We have an enemy, and he is the same enemy that confronted Jesus in the wilderness.
But Jesus defeated the enemy by setting up a standard. A standard that the devil cannot measure to.
How often do we deal with temptations when they come your way? 40 days was too much for any of us to endure. One day is unbearable!! When you feel that you might doubt yourself or doubt the goodness of God, remember that without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus set up his standards that can never be lowered or compromised. He won, through prayer and fasting, and word of truth. You can too.
Take a time to sit quietly and pray together
Loving God, when I am tempted, fill me with your Spirit. When I am doubting, assure me of your love. When I am questioning, teach me your truth. When life is hard and even when it is not, help me to seek you first, to see what you want me to do, one day at a time. We pray for this broken world that groans through years of abuse and bad stewardship. Lord, we pray for broken people, broken nations by evil totalitarian rulers, who have violated human rights and disrespect the rule of the law, and with impunity have undermined the progress made in civilized societies. Merciful Lord intervene and restore fallen states, remove evil rulers from power and leadership. We pray for the restoration of the sovereignty of Ukraine and Afghanistan and other countries affected by conflict and war, and we pray for families running for safety and pray that we will all work together for the common good and welcome the strangers and make them feel safe. We pray for broken homes, families, and relationships, that you bring them peace and healing. We pray for those who have suffered much at the hands of others. We also do recall the materialism and greed of our society. As individuals we have so much, yet we take it for granted.
We even worship people in power, celebrities, dictators and evil rulers who harm other citizens, our worship extends to material things like vehicles, properties, clothes, jewels. Lord forgive us. We worship you alone. We pray that we might show forth fruits that are worthy of you and your name. We pray that we will understand fully when you say that we do not live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We ask that your Holy Spirit Lord, work in our lives and strengthens us to resist evil and to follow the Spirit of Love. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
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.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as 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 for ever.
Amen.
Hymn 🙁 STF 343) All my days I will sing this song of gladness.
All my days I will sing this song of gladness,
give my praise to the fountain of delights;
for in my helplessness, you heard my cry,
and waves of mercy poured down on my life.
I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer,
I will sing of the blood that never fails,
of sins forgiven, of conscience cleansed,
of death defeated and life without end.
Beautiful Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor,
clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
you’re the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness,
you’re the risen one, heaven’s champion,
And you reign, you reign over all!
I long to be where the praise is never-ending,
yearn to dwell where the glory never fades,
where countless worshippers will share one song,
and cries of ‘worthy’ will honour the Lamb!
Beautiful Saviour….
A prayer of blessing:
We go in the assurance that Jesus has won the victory over the enemy. We go knowing that we do not live on bread alone, but nourished by every word of God. May now the strength of God sustain us; may the power of God be with you.
The Grace.
Service prepared by Rev Francis M’Itiiri
Webpage: Paul Deakin