Call to Worship

Prayer of Approach & Confession & The Lord’s Prayer (NBoP 831; BoP 605)

Opening Praise: NBoP 209 O Love that will not let me go

BoP 447

 

Responsive Reading  – Psalm 31:1-14 (BoP 628)

¹ In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

² Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

³ For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

⁴ Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

⁵ Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

⁶ I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

⁸ And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

⁹ Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

¹¹ I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

¹² I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

¹³ For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

¹⁴ But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.

Children’s story – Palm branches and BlackBerrys

Children’s Hymn: NBoP 218 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

BoP 157

Scripture Readings:

OT – Isaiah 50:4-9

⁴The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ⁵The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. ⁶I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. ⁷For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. ⁸He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. ⁹Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

KJV

P_____

⁴ The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

⁵ The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears,

and I have not been rebellious;

I have not drawn back.

⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.

⁷ Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame.

⁸ He who vindicates me is near.

Who then will bring charges against me?

Let us face each other!

Who is my accuser?

Let him confront me!

⁹ It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.

Who is he that will condemn me?

They will all wear out like a garment;

the moths will eat them up.

NIV

Epistle – Philippians 2:5-11

⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

KJV

P______

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

⁷ but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

NIV

 

Hymn of Illumination: NBoP 231 When I survey the wondrous cross

BoP 178

Scripture Readings:

Gospel – Matthew 27:6-25

⁶And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. ⁷And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. ⁸Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; ¹⁰And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

¹¹And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. ¹²And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? ¹⁴And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. ¹⁵Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. ¹⁶And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? ¹⁸For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. ¹⁹When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. ²⁰But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ²¹The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. ²²Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. ²³And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. ²⁴When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. ²⁵Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

²⁶Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. ²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

KJV

P______

⁶The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. ¹³Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²²“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

²⁵All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

NIV

Sermon: Surely Not I

It think you’ll find this scene somewhat familiar. Three otherwise good well behaved boys, rubbing shoulders as they standing in the entryway from the porch to the kitchen, all with their head down trying to avoid eye contact.

It is a scene of the guilty standing before the judge and executioner – unless she says the fateful words ‘you just wait until your father gets home’.

In the living room is the evidence of the crime; broken glass, and in the midst of it a baseball.

In the boys hands on holds a baseball bat while the other two have gloves. And there they stand, shuffling back and forth, still filled with twitch and shuffle of little boy mischief.

“Didn’t I tell you NOT to play baseball in the front yard?”

And of course not one of them answers

“Now, who wants to tell me how that baseball came in through the front yard?”

And again, not one of them offers a word or a peep.

“Which one of you is responsible for this?”

And what answer would you expect.

“Answer me”, their mother says.

“It’s not my fault.”, says the boy who threw the ball.

“It’s not my fault.”, says the boy who hit the ball.

“It’s not my fault.”, says the boy who was supposed to catch the ball.

And then they point at each other.

Whose fault do you think it was?

 

One of the major lessons that Jesus taught the disciples and the others who came to hear him speak was about sin. The Pharisees through they knew everything about what sin was and what sin wasn’t. Then there were other people who did not know anything about sin and believed that it did not even matter. We have people like that today. There are some people that have very strong beliefs about right and wrong, and even though they might not think they know everything, they think they know enough to always be on the right side of things. There are others who just don’t seem to think that it makes any difference what they do.

Instead of letting the world fall into one of these two camps, Jesus teaches and calls on his disciples to become responsible about what they do and what they believe.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus said that peacemakers, meek, humble, the persecuted that these were the people who would receive God’s blessing. But what that means is that everyone else, those who fight over things, who are proud and puffed up, and people who put others down to make themselves seem more important, those people are outside God’s blessing.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees he did not mock the things they did, but he challenged what they believed about what they assumed their actions meant. Jesus was just as critical about people who did not believe in anything at all.

Today, the reading from the letter to the church in Philippi, Paul tells the church that God likeness is not our goal. It is not as if we are trying to earn our way or even be forgiven enough to be God. Jesus did not see being  God as something to be grasped, but took the form of a servant. A Pharisee would never have done that since they competed over their own sense of righteousness, the most righteous being given titles like Rabbi and Priest. There is no name that other people can ever assign to you that will put you higher in the great book of life than the one God has given to you. What greater name could you ever bear than to be considered a child of God.

 

When we look at the scene of final accusation, as Jesus stand before the Sanhedrin, and then before Pilate, and then before the crowd of people, while recognizing the abandonment by Christ’s disciples; we need to try and understand which party we are most like. It is sort of like choosing which political party you’re going to vote for. You’re not too sure you belong to any one party, but even in trying to avoid the choice you have made a choice.

No one would wish to say; “Oh, well I am most like the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus because they were too proud to see the truth.” And yet this may be true. In the same way it is not comfortable to admit we are like any of the other groups. And right there is our biggest problem when it comes to Christ’s sacrifice. We are ashamed to admit it was necessary.

But it is true, the cross is necessary for not only the sins you admit, but the cross is especially necessary for the sin you can’t admit, that you don’t let anyone else see. The cross is the cost for all those sins that good acts don’t make up for.

Jesus is the king of kings; just as he was proclaimed when he rode into Jerusalem amidst the cheers of a joyful crowd. But this last crowd jeers him, laughs at him, mocks him and questions his kingship. And in that scene we want to say, “Surely, not I.” Surely we don’t have a place in the midst of the persecution and ridicule of Christ. Surely, we are not still like those who caused or – at the very least – allowed Christ to be brought to trial, humiliated and than taken away to a painful & shameful death.

But surely, it is us. It is us who God loves so much as not to leave us in shame and sin. It surely is us, who God will not leave us standing at the threshold of forgiveness, with our heads hung in the sorrow of our own guilt.

Just a follow-up on that illustration I used to open the sermon. There is no doubt that all those boys were at fault. They knew the rules, they broke them [and the window]. But there mother, for all her threat and scolding, she still would have a hug at the end of the day. Even though those boys deserved punishment, at the end of the day, as she tucked them into bed, she would still have a warm hug and a kiss, as they said their prayers and went to sleep.

That’s how God loves us. That’s right, surely you and I. And may God be praised.

 

Special Reflection – Now the Green Blade Riseth /

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession

God’s Tithes and our gifts

Doxology (NBoP 830; BoP 603)

Offertory Prayer

The Lord’s Supper

Commissioning Hymn: NBoP 216 Hosanna to the king of kings

(overhead)

 

Benediction

 

Dismissal: Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord [NBoP 260, insert]