Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

from 2 Samuel 22.31

Today’s Proverb

Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

Proverbs 15.10

As we have seen once or twice, for discipline and punishment God lets us experience the consequences of our sinful and selfish decisions. This does not mean every bad thing that happens is a direct punishment for sin, so that people who suffer more are worse than the rest of us. But it does mean sin has consequences: life or death consequences.

In the Garden of Eden, God warned Adam and Eve about the consequences for disobeying his command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: death. The cunning serpent made them doubt God’s Word (or rather, gave them the excuse they were looking for all along… sound familiar?), and lied: ‘You will not certainly die,’ it said (Genesis 3.4, NIV).

In a sense, it was right; Adam and Eve did not die… instead they were cast out of the garden, forced to fend for themselves (though even then God still provided for them… see 3.21). Some argue that because they were no longer able to eat from the other Tree (of Life) they were now subject to death; had they stayed in Eden they would have lived forever.

I’m not convinced, because the real death they died was a spiritual one: separated from God, no longer in direct and close relationship with him, they may as well have died.

That is the condition we all find ourselves in… without Jesus. He comes looking for us, bringing hope, bringing life. The message of the gospel is both a warning, and a promise: a warning to listen to the danger we are in, and a promise that in Jesus we can be saved from the danger, because he bears the ultimate consequence of our sin – death – by dying in our place.

The life of a Christian is daily repenting of our sin and receiving forgiveness in Jesus. I don’t care how many times you’ve done it – today or otherwise! – spend some time doing exactly that now, and ask God to fill you with gratitude for this gift of life.

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:

Hazel Lawson, Olive Carter, Julia Pinner

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Overseas Mission Partners (Sarah Paine; Claude, Ruth, Caleb, and Nathan Baraberewe)

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
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 for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.