The journey nears its end - Luke 18

Welcome

Invitation to sit nearer the front – and then identify some  readers

Gathering prayer

Come: all you in need of hope.

Come: all you who seek faith.

Come: all you who long for peace.

Come: all you in need of comfort.

Come: all you who seek reassurance.

Come: all you who long for love.

Come, dwell in the house of Lord.

Amen.

337 Come, O Fount of every blessing

Prayers of Hope and Confession

Faith the size of a mustard seed brings us here,

sown through the witness of saints and apostles

and people of faith met along the way.

Lord, make yourself known to us through our worship.

Hope the size of a mustard seed brings us here,

made known through the voices of the prophets

and those who refuse to accept despair.

Lord, make yourself known to us through Scripture.

Love the size of a mustard seed brings us here,

shown through those who cared for and nurtured us

and constantly prayed for us.

Make yourself known to us, Jesus Christ our Saviour.

For those times when we have heard what we have wanted to

hear and shut our ears to your voice:

forgive us and help us.

For those times when we have followed our own desires

and not followed your way:

forgive us and help us.

For those times when we have turned to false prophets

and turned away from the truth:

forgive us and help us.

Amen.

In the knowledge that we are forgiven let’s join in saying the Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

The Word of God

Reading:  Isaiah 6:1-8

Psalm 51 – the Congregation

28 Amazing grace

Reading the Bible

The best book to read is the Bible

The best book to read is the Bible

If you read it every day it will help you on your way

The best book to read is the Bible

It must be about 55 years ago since I first sang that chorus on the beach at Criccieth.  It’s where we had our family holidays and I was a regular at the CSSM beach mission.  This year we found ourselves walking along the front at Criccieth on the last day of the beach mission.  We got talking with the leaders who told us they had come to Criccieth for a couple of weeks each summer for nearly 40 years helping to lead a holiday club on the beach there that’s been going strong from long before I started to go as a youngster! 

So, what do you think?

What makes the Bible a good read? 

What are the best bits of the Bible for you? 

Do you have any tips about how to get the best out of the Bible?

If you sometimes find yourselves saying, Help!  I don’t get this!  Actually you are not alone.  We all need help.  It’s one of the main reasons for us coming together in church Sunday by Sunday – to seek help in reading the Bible.

We can help each other.

It’s good to seek help from someone to share thoughts with in preaching.

It’s good to seek help – I am going to invite you to join me next year in reading the Bible.

This year has been the invitation to share in a pattern of prayer.

Next year I want to add something else in – guidance for reading the Bible.

It would be great to see a pattern developing.

Word for Today available in church.

All sorts of aids.

I want to share something I have found helpful over the years – all 55 of those years indeed!

The International Bible Reading Association.

What I like about it is the unexepceted views of the contributors – it gets you thinking, it gets you asking questions, it gets you engaging with the Scriptures.

One of the ways I find helpful in reading the Bible is read bigger chunks.  Try and get the hang of how a book works.

That’s what we have been doing in Luke’s gospel.

The backbone of the book is this journey Jesus is making towards Jerusalem.

AS we enter into chapter 18 the journey is nearing its end.

He’s busy telling stories and the stories go to the heart of what Christian life is about.

First, the importance of prayer.  As the widow keeps on praying to the unjust judge, how much more important it is for us to keep on praying.  That persistence in prayer is all important.

But with persistence in prayer comes humility too.

Not saying how much better we are .;.. but acknowledging our weaknesses, our frailty, our sin – that we don’t get it.

God be merciful to me, a sinner.

We have all done things, said things, thought things that are not worthjy of God and the wonderful thing is that God loves us and his love reaches out to  us.

For Jesus the measure of that humility is in our attitude to children.

Then comes the tough stuff from Jesus as a rich ruler asks the question that previously an expert in the law had asked: what must I do to inherit eternal life?  Not what must I do to get into heaven.  But what must I do to receive from those who have gone before life in all its fullness that is not bounded by death but is nothing less than eternal life?  Luke 16, 17, 18 – Jesus comes back time and again to teach about money and our attitude to wealth and riches.

Verses 18-25

A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He replied, ‘I have kept all these since my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

Maybe grace – that salvation – is not dependent on what we do … but on God, and the capacity of God to change our lives.

The journey is drawing to a close … and so Jesus then takes the 12 aside and speaks to them of all that is in store.

It’s the third time he has looked to his death and resurrection …  but still they don’t understand.

They cannot see – and then as he is approaching Jericho – down to the Dead Sea now about to go up to Jersualem.

There is a blind man sitting by the roadside.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Contrast with the Rich Ruler in an echo of that story of the rich man and Lazarus, Dives and Lazarus.

It’s the blind man who sees – not the 12.

Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

What do you want me to do for you?

Lord, let me see again.

Maybe that’s the prayer of us all

Jesus, have mercy on me.

Help me to see.

To see your Word in all the words of the Scripture.

There’s a wonderful note to finish chapter 19 on – it’s a note of joy and praise as the people join in praising God.

Maybe this is what the Bible is about – getting us to see things in new ways, getting us to see the incredible love of God in Christ that has mercy on us … and getting us to live our lives in the way God in Christ wants of us.

247 Father of mercies

Prayers of Concern

Offering and Dedication

397 Behold the eternal King and Priest

The Lord’s Supper

274 Glory to you, my God, this night

Words of Blessing