SUNDAY JUNE 14
SURELY THERE IS A GOD WHO
JUDGES THE EARTH?
A WARM WELCOME!
God is to be praised with every fibre of our being, with every breath in our body. Great and marvelous are his deeds, just and true are his ways. There is no one like God. He is majestic in holiness. Awesome in his steadfast love. He rescues and redeems a people to be his very own. In his strength he guides them to his heavenly home. The LORD will reign for ever and ever.
Around the throne of God in heaven all his creatures offer him endless praise. And because of God’s mercy and grace to us in Jesus Christ we can join in and be part of that heavenly gathering now! So let's join with them in their praise
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things
and by your will they were created and have their being.
You are worthy, Lamb of God, for you were slain,
and with your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honour and glory and power,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13
Let’s continue to praise God in song for his saving plan. God sent his one and only Son to seek and to save the lost. Jesus suffered and died in our place. He has been raised from the dead as the Lord of all. All who call on the name of this Lord Jesus will be saved. Praise God!
God is the judge of all the earth. He judges us in righteousness and truth. Let’s continue to sing his praises.
PRAYERS
Some prayers for children
Our Father, you are always there.
You are always loving.
You are a big strong steady rock that doesn’t budge.
Help me to depend on you. Amen.
(James 1:17)
Dear Father,
You are the loving creator of the world.
Thank you for showing how much you love me
By sending Jesus to die for me. Amen
(1 John 3:1)
As we praise God together we also need to hear his loving warning. His warning given for example in Psalm 95 – not to be people who hear His word but harden our hearts against him. We mustn’t test God in this way and rebel against his loving kindness. God’s wrath is real. Please join in saying Psalm 95.
Psalm 95
O come let us sing out to the Lord:
let us shout in triumph to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his face with thanksgiving:
and cry out to him joyfully in psalms.
For the Lord is a great God:
and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth:
and the peaks of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his and he made it:
his hands moulded dry land.
Come let us worship and bow down:
and kneel before the Lord our maker.
For he is the Lord our God:
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Today if only you would hear his voice:
‘Do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness;
‘When your fathers tested me:
put me to proof though they had seen my works.
Of whom I swore in my wrath:
‘They shall not enter my rest.’
AMEN!
BIBLE READINGS
Revelation 14:14-20 (ESV)
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
Psalm 58 (ESV)
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,
like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
SERMON
Discussion/Reflection Questions:
1. How do you react to injustice? Are you outraged or apathetic/unaffected?
2. What injustices do you see in society today?
3. How can we respond as Christians to injustice in society?
4. Why do you think it is important for Christians to be passionate about justice?
5. What are some dangers of confusing human justice for God’s justice?
6. Why is human justice so flawed?
7. Do you feel more comfortable praying for justice against the wicked generally instead of praying for justice against someone who has wronged you? Why do you think that might be?
PRAYING TO GOD
Although we are the people of God, Scripture reminds us that we still sin. We need to confess our failures, knowing that the Lord Jesus died for us and intercedes for us with the Father. God freely forgives us, through his infinite goodness and mercy. So let us draw near to him with sincerity and confidence and pray this prayer of confession together.
Heavenly Father,
we praise you for adopting us as your children
and making us heirs of eternal life.
In your mercy you have washed us from our sins
and made us clean in your sight.
Yet we still fail to love you and serve you as we should.
Forgive us our sins and renew us by your grace,
that we may continue to grow as members of Christ,
in whom alone is our salvation. Amen.
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. God therefore forgives you through Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord God,
we rejoice in your greatness and power,
your patience and love,
your mercy and justice.
Enable us by your Spirit
To honour you in our thoughts,
words and actions,
and to serve you in every aspect of our lives;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN!
CLOSING WORDS
Our Closing Words
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13