When Destruction is Good - Sermon for Sunday 7th March 2021, the Third Sunday of Lent

Service for Sunday 7th March

Third Sunday of Lent

Hymns in Most Hymnals, and on spotify

(Scroll to bottom of spotify Playlist for this week's hymns, prayers for use with this sermon below the Order of Service)

Order of Service

Call to Worship: Psalm 19

Hymn: Away with our fears

Prayers

Lord’s Prayer

1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

2nd Reading: John 2:13-22

Hymn:  Happy are they who find the Grace

Sermon

Prayers of Intercession

Hymn: O thou who camest from above

The Grace

 

Prayers for use with this sermon

Prayer of Adoration

O Lord our God, so far beyond our understanding and yet ever near to us, we bring to You our praises this day. We praise You as the one who gave us Your son, so that we might have the blessings of Grace, and the Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us. We praise You as the Holy Spirit, given unto all who would take it, to have a constant presence of God within them. We praise You in every form that You take, and glory in calling You Our God, The Holy One, Praise be unto You, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Amen

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord our God we thank you for all the blessings You have provided for us. The Spring that brings brightness back into the world, reminding us that the brightness of creation always returns after the darkness of winter. We give thanks that through the Love and Mercy of Christ, we can have spring in our souls at any time of the year. We thank you O God that every day, we can turn to you. We thank You for all that You have brought to us, for the love and mercy that You bestowed all these gifts on us with, and ten thousand more blessings besides. Thanks be unto You Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen

Prayer of Confession

Lord God, we come before you now, to confess our sins. To confess that we have done wrong, turning from all the good and blessings that you filled the world with for us, instead turning to all the wicked things of this world. Lord, we bring before you the wrongs we have done. In the silence Lord we bring to mind those that weigh most heavily upon us, and ask for Your forgiveness.

(Pause)                              

We ask Lord for forgiveness of these and all our sins, we are sorry and we know we have done wrong, yet still Your forgiveness is given to us as soon as we ask for it. We know that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to You our God, Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

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,

Forever and Ever Amen

 

Prayers of Intercession

We bring our prayers of Intercession before God to ask his help in the world, as in the traditional way there is a response, after the words “Lord Hear us” the response is, “Lord, Graciously Hear us”

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Those in Material Want

O Lord we bring before You those who are in want of material things, be it of food, of water, of shelter or anything else that is necessary to life. Lord, we know that their stories are many and varied, as are their needs. So we ask that where we can help their relief from want, we shall know how to do so, and shall set to it with a will. Where we cannot help them with our hands, we pray for the hands and hearts of others to be moved to help with all possible speed. We pray for all who are afraid in this difficult time, asking for their comfort.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Those in Sickness

We pray for those who are ill. We pray for those whose sickness is but seasonal or of short duration. We pray for those whose ailments are long lasting or slow to heal. God grant them healing if it be possible, and comfort in all cases. We pray too for doctors, nurses, carers, porters and all those who work in healthcare to the aid of others, give them strength and keep them from tiredness and error. We pray too for those who labour to find new cures and treatment, please God, bless their hands and their efforts, that they may know much success and never want for ideas. We pray especially for the roll out of the vaccines, Lord, help the supplies to flow in abundance and for competence to guide the distribution throughout the world.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Those in mourning 

We bring before You those who mourn, Lord, we ask that they may know the comforts of Your Gospel and its truth, that they may be shielded from despair, sure in the knowledge of Heaven and of places prepared for Christian folk the world over there, praying for those who lose those they care for in this time of pandemic.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Those who labour unto God

We pray Lord God for all those who work for the Church. We pray for this Church and Circuit, tending the flame of the Spirit amidst our broad skies and comfortable homes. We pray for the Church throughout Britain, that it may grow and prosper as never before, for we see again and again in history how the Church can revive, and we ask for such again. We pray for the Church in lands abroad, for we know that we have brethren in every land, under every flag and crown, for all wreaths of Empire meet upon Your Brow. We ask that the Church may flourish in every corner of the world, and be safe from those who would work for the Evil One amongst the sheep. We pray for those who lack the knowledge of You our God, whether they be in total ignorance, know but little of the Gospel, or if they know all but the surety of faith. We ask God that we may be a help to those we can to know You, as Father Son and Holy Ghost. For those we cannot reach, we pray for the armies of preachers, ministers and clergy, missionaries, Sunday School Teachers and honest Christians who are abroad in the world and able to help spread the news of You, that their tongues might speak freely and that ears may be open to them.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Those who labour unto the World

We pray for those who endeavour to keep this world going. We pray for governments and administrations, especially remembering our own as a new age for our land looms, may those able to make decisions be guided to make the right ones, and may those who must labour to make things happen see the works of their hands prosper. Please God, bring better times to the world. May the desire to be a Godly people light the hearts of all, so that evil shall be stopped. We pray too for the Royal Family, Lord, guard and guide them just as You do us, and May they all know and faithfully serve you. We pray especially for Prince Philip in his illness, may He be restored, and we pray for peace amongst that whole family, as we pray for it for every family.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Our close kin and neighbours

We pray for those folk who are around about us, for one another, may we be a useful brethren here amongst us. We pray for this town and district, varied in its needs and wants, that those who are in need may be helped, and that they may know always that they may come to come us for aid, no matter their need. We especially remember to You

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Ourselves

We pray for our own needs Lord, for we are so often weak and weary. We ask that You help us all in our difficulties, whatever they may be. We ask to be strong for ourselves and others, that we may know much help and relief and be strong and sure in the faith. We ask that those things we long for may be known to us as fulfilments of Your promises.

Lord Hear us

Lord Graciously Hear us

Assurance of prayers being heeded

Lord we pray, knowing that when we pray, You hear us, and our prayers shall not want for answer. Thanks be unto You, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

 

The Grace

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, And the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, Be With Us All, Ever More, Amen