Sermon Tone Analysis

Announcements

God’s call

Call to worship:

O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.

Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

(Proverbs 8:5-6,10–11)

Blessing:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen.

(Galatians 1:3–5)

The congregation responds

Prayer: Forgiveness of sins

Lord God of justice and grace, you are of purer eyes than to look upon sin, but you have also promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all who repent and believe in Him.

We confess that we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory.

We have neglected and misused your holy worship.

We have dealt unjustly and unkindly with our neighbours.

We have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness.

You have revealed your wonderful love to us in Christ and have offered us pardon and salvation in him; but we have turned away.

We have run into temptation, and the sin we should have hated, we have committed.

Have mercy on us, merciful Father.

In your Son is our salvation, in your promise is our hope.

Take us for your children and give us the Spirit of your Son, and in the end receive us into glory, through Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, Amen.

God’s mercy

Assurance of forgiveness:

[Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

(Hebrews 7:25)

The congregation responds

Hymn 389:

“I hear your welcome voice”

Prayer:

Adoration and thanksgiving

Gracious Father, we praise You for your love without beginning in which You chose us in Christ from before the creation of the world.

We thank You for your love without measure so that You entered into covenant for our redemption.

We thank You for your love without failure which at just the right time appeared in the person of your Son, Jesus to accomplish our salvation.

We thank You for your love unchanging even though we wander; for your love without end, from which none can separate us.

We thank You for your love which is faithful forever, even though we are unfaithful.

Merciful Father, we praise You for keeping us to this day, and for the full assurance that You will never let us go.

Thank You that when we wander away from your presence, You leave the 99 safe in the fold in order to seek and to save that which was lost.

We worship You that you restore our souls, and having brought us to yourself, You will surely keep us from total destruction and one day present us faultless in your presence with exceeding joy.

We bless You with all our being, we praise your holy name.

You alone are the one who keeps our feet from stumbling, who has established us firm and solid on the rock of Jesus.

Receive our praise; in Jesus Name.

Amen.

Hymn 25:

“Great is your faithfulness”

Offering and Dedication of offering

Prayer:

Intercession

God’s Word

Bible Readings:

Psalm 45; 1 Peter 2:13-17

The Congregation responds

Hymn 568:

“Lord, speak to me that I may speak” (Tune 535)

Prayer:

Your Word, as Luther said, is “the cradle of the Christ,” not a manual for self-reform.

It shows us that wisdom is a Person to trust, not a set of formulas to perfect.

It reveals the depth of our need, so we might boast in the riches of your provision for us in Jesus.

Reset our spiritual GPS to be focussed on Jesus Christ and the truth and riches of the gospel.

In Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.

Amen.

Sermon:

“Free servants of God submitting to earthly authority”

Introduction

Only last week Andrew Thorburn was forced to resign as chief executive officer of the Essendon Football Club, as ABC news recorded it, “for chairing a church that has broadcast views opposing same sex relationships and abortion.”

The same ABC article also declares,

“There are warnings of a Marxist plot to cancel religion and overturn Western civilisation.”

The issue revolves around same-sex relationships and abortion.

The Victorian Premier called Thorburn’s views appalling and disgusting.

The ABC article actually exposes the incompatibility between worldly standards and Biblical standards.

It writes:

"People of faith have many interpretations of biblical teachings.

It has been said the Bible is not one book but a library — complex and contradictory.

It is also possible for people to hold orthodox Christian views and yet speak those values in a way that is respectful and not harmful to others.

That is another Christian virtue: humility.”

The question always remains: who defines the terms?

What is humility, justice, judgment.

When are things disgusting and appalling and why?

Some time ago an officer in the State of Kentucky in the USA was instructed to issue marriage certificates to same sex-couples.

She rules and said:

"I promised to love Him [God] with all my heart, mind and soul because I wanted to make heaven my home.”

The Christians to whom Peter wrote became citizens of a new kingdom.

Their highest allegiance was to God and not to the Caesar.

He presented himself as god and his subjects worshipped him as god because they saw him as the one who gave them life and kept them safe them.

These last words have echoed in our world in the last few years during lock-downs.

But Christians under the Caesar did not bow to him.

Therefore caesar-worshippers looked at Christians are citizens who turned against the gods of old whom they thought had made Rome strong.

Therefore Christians were easily held responsible for the disasters which were slowly overtaking the Roman world.

Westminster Confession of Faith

How do Christians live in the world hostile to the Gospel and Kingdom of Jesus Christ?

Our Confession helps us.

God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained civil authorities, to be, under Him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good.

And, for this purpose, has armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them who are good, and for the punishment of evildoers.

It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people.

Submission with the purpose of doing good

Peter writes:

Is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

(verse 15)

We get our directions for living and conducting our lives in a pagan culture from the Bible where the will of God is revealed.

Remember, we are aliens and strangers in this world; our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 2:20).