Sunday 11th June 2023
Prepared by Rev. Saul Tadzaushe
‘God Calls’
Call to worship – Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his[a]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Hymn Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! – STF 11
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Holy holy holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy holy holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity
Holy holy holy
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns
Around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim
Falling down before Thee
Which wert and art
And evermore shalt be
Holy holy holy
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee
Perfect in power
In love and purity
Holy holy holy
Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth and sky and sea
Holy holy holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity
John Bacchus Dykes | Reginald Heber © Words: Public Domain
Lord’s prayer
Our Father….
Hymn – Take my life, and let it be – STF 566
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Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my King
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose
Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love my Lord I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
Ever only all for Thee
Frances Ridley Havergal | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart © Words: Public Domain
Prayers of adoration
O God of all people, we come to worship you because you make us one great rainbow family, with different gifts and abilities, ages and experiences, backgrounds and insights. May the people praise you, O God: We come to rejoice in your loving power which overcomes the barriers we build between ourselves.
We come to celebrate together, to receive your forgiveness of our sins, to hear your good news and to go in your name to proclaim your love. May all the people praise you, O God.
Prayers of Confession
Psalm 51 An individual lament crying to God for deliverance from a life-threatening situation David ‘guilt over his sins of adultery. God forgives us of our sins.
Bible Reading Genesis 12:1-9
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Sermon: God Calls
Prophets; apostles; evangelists; pastors and preachers were called by god they all knew who was calling them. hence they responded to the calling of god.
There are so many voices calling us today. Listen to the voice of God; God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The creator and sustainer of our lives. GOD THE FATHER THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE IS THE TRUE GOD
Illustration: Bridges are built for a purpose. Bridges link, they carry and are an effective means of transportation. We are called by GOD to build relationships between GOD and communities for God’s glory. Our foundation is Jesus Christ. We are built and equipped through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God calls us all to be bridges John 3:16 ‘For GOD so loved the world…………………’
God gives us special gifts to participate in building his Kingdom.
Abraham was called by God. He was just an ordinary person like us and living in a community just like our communities. He was not made righteous because of anything he had done. Abraham responded to the calling of God to be a bridge of God’s love to the Communities. The disciples were called to be bridges. We are called to be bridges despite our imperfection and shortcomings.
Abraham was called from his comfort zones of this world.
He sacrificed what he had and his life in faith for God ‘s glory.
We should always seek God ‘s Kingdom and his righteousness first and then these other things will be added unto us.
Genesis 12:1 ‘’ Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household. The promises of God to ABRAHAM Genesis12:2-3’ I will make you a great nation and I will bless you ;I will make your name a great name and you will be a blessing …………’’
Abraham was called to be responsible. When God calls us, he wants us to be responsible for our communities and God ‘s creation.
Greedy and injustice; selfishness and corruption; pride and violence have destroyed the image of God in our communities. God is calling us all to restore GOD’S Image in the communities. We are called to be the light and the salt in our communities.
Joshua 24:15 ‘’ But if serving the Lord God seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river…………But as for me and my household, will serve the Lord’.
Adam and Eve chose to disobey GOD. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of GOD IS eternal life.
Abraham obeyed God and he was blessed to bless others. He had a repented heart. He made mistakes just like any other person, but he confesses his sins. King David was not perfect but when he realized his mistakes, he would come to God with a repented heart asking for forgiveness.
2Chronicles 7:14 ‘’If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin , and will heal their land. ’GOD IS CALLING US ALL TO BE BRIDGES OF PEACE, JUSTICE AND LOVE. AMEN.
Prayers of intercession:
God of love we pray for those who are anxious about the future; those who have difficult decisions to make; and those who are troubled. Bring your comfort and courage. We prayer for those who are ill or unhappy; and those who face physical, mental or emotional difficulties. Bring your healing and wholeness. We pray for those who have grown complacent; and those whose faith needs refreshment. Bring your challenge and excitement. We pray for those who are the victims of injustice and any form of harassment; those who seek to care for the environment, fighting pollution, and waste; those who work for wise use of the world’s resources. Lord hear our prayers.
Hymn – Make me a channel of Your peace – STF 707
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Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
It is in giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life
Blessing