INTRODUCTION
In todays’ service sheet we focus on Peter’s recognition of Jesus as Messiah and ask the question, who do we say that Jesus is?
CALL TO WORSHIP
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
StF 46 “Everlasting God”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjOLDaSfIHQ
Prayer
Almighty and Loving God,
we come before you now,
at different times and indifferent places
to offer you our worship and praise,
to pray to you
And to hear your word for us.
Lord, unite us as sisters and brothers in Christ,
separated by time and place,
But united in our love for you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
HYMN: STF 15 “The Splendour of the King”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE
PRAYERS
Adoration
Gracious and loving God,
we have come together
in all our different places and circumstances
to worship you, to praise you and to adore you.
We worship you as the source of all things.
Without you there would be nothing,
with you there is everything
for you are the ground of all being.
We worship you as Father and Mother,
a divine parent who cares for each of us
as your precious children,
who you nurture, teach and love,
forgiving our mistakes
and giving us eternal life.
We worship you as Christ,
The Lord and Saviour of our world:
God and man, fully divine and full human,
the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life,
the Light of the World, the True Vine,
the Way, the Truth, the Resurrection and the Life.
We worship you as Holy Spirit,
as our Counsellor and Guide,
Dwelling within us and showing us
the way to live and love.
To you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
the ground of all being,
belongs all worship, praise and adoration forever.
Amen.
Confession
Almighty God, loving and forgiving,
we come to make our confession.
We confess all the times our actions or inactions have hurt others.
We confess all the untrue and hurtful words we have spoken.
We confess our unloving and unforgiving thoughts.
Forgive us, loving God,
for the sake of Jesus who died for us,
and hep us to obediently and joyfully serve you,
this day and forever more. Amen.
READING: Matthew 16: 13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
HYMN: STF 363 “My Jesus, My Saviour”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqSQvoinDE4
SERMON
Most people can point to significant turning points in their lives, to a time or times in their lives when things really changed.
I remember the big turning points in my own life; the day I asked Susan to marry me and she said yes, the day I gave my life to Jesus at Hollybush Farm Christian Fellowship in the Yorkshire Dales and the day I was ordained as a Presbyter in Coventry Central hall.
Our gospel account this morning marks several turning points:
It is a turning point in Matthew’s gospel, the lynch pin of the gospel if you like. It marks the moment in history when Jesus was first acknowledged by another human being as Christ.
It is a turning point in the life of Jesus. Before this time he seems to wander around somewhat at random, healing people, teaching large crowds and enjoying good company. After this Jesus spends much more time alone with just the twelve disciples, teaching them about his suffering and death as he sets off towards Jerusalem.
It is a huge turning point in the life of Peter. Knowing who Jesus was made a huge difference to him.
So, Jesus asks his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” This is one of the most important questions ever asked in whole history of human race. Jesus asked it of the twelves and asks it of us today. “Who do you say I am?”
Various answers have been offered by people to that question over the years. There are hundreds of books published today with ideas about who Jesus was – it nearly is always ‘was’ too, few will admit the truth that Jesus is still alive with God in heaven.
Some say Jesus never existed, but they are in a very small minority.
Some say Jesus just a gifted teacher like the Buddha, or Mohammed.
Some say that Jesus a prophet. Muslims say he is indeed a prophet second only to Mohammed.
Some say he was a political revolutionary whose main aim was to overthrow Romans, and he was executed as a revolutionary.
I think that there are many ideas and theories about Jesus because truth too uncomfortable for many. If Jesus was and is who he said, the Son of God who died on the cross for forgiveness of sins, rose from the dead to bring the assurance of eternal life and ascended to heaven then that is the most important thing in the world. It means we have listen to what he says and live the lives he would have us live, selfless lives full of giving, self-sacrifice and love. Many don’t want Jesus to be who he really is because he is too challenging, so they come up with all sorts of ideas about who he might have been to avoid the very real and uncomfortable truth; that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead.
Who do you say Jesus is?
Peter was certain who Jesus was. In answer to Jesus question he replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” As a result of this Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.”
What did Jesus mean by this, and how does it apply to us today? William Barclay calls these verses “one of the storm centres of New Testament interpretation.”
It is possible to understand this passage as meaning that the rock is the truth that Jesus is the Son of the living God. The truth that Jesus is the Son of God is indeed the foundation stone of the church’s faith and belief.
Another way to understand these verses is that the rock is Peter’s faith. It was from that faith that Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, the day the church was born in Jerusalem.
The final way to understand it is that Peter himself is the rock, but in a special sense. The rock on which the church is founded is, of course, Jesus Christ himself. Peter, in his first Letter, writes of Jesus in these terms, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner.” The words of a hymn also come to mind: “The churches one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Peter is the rock in the sense that he is the first person to profess faith in Jesus: the first person to declare that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, the first Christian, in fact! In that sense the church is built on him. What Jesus said to Peter was: “Peter, you are the beginning of the new people of the Lord, the new fellowship of those who believe in my name.”
There is something helpful in all these understandings. Peter’s faith in Jesus is the faith we should all share as Christian believers. When Jesus asks us “Who do you say I am?” we too should be replying “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” That statement is the foundation of our faith, the rock on which we should be building our lives; the faith that, like Peter, we should be proclaiming to others in our words and deeds and our very lives!
HYMN: STF 331 “King of Kings, Majesty”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnuRIdNwiwg
PRAYERS
Please use the suggests headings as areas for your prayers of concerns.
Let us offer our prayer with all God’s people|
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
who ever lives to pray for us.
We pray for the needs of the world….
We pray for your church….
We pray for all in trouble or distress….
We pray for all who make a new beginning today…..
God of compassion and mercy,
listen to our prayer.
May what we ask in Jesus Christ your Son
be done according to his word who said,
“Ask, and you will receive,
seek, and you will find,
knock, and the door will be opened to you,”
To you, merciful God,
through your son,
in the lifegiving Spirit,
be glory and praise forever. Amen.
HYMN: STF 317 ‘At the Name of Jesus”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4d4UXSJXig
BLESSING
May the love of the Lord rest upon your soul.
May his love dwell in you throughout every day.
May his countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May his Spirit be upon you as you leave this place.
And may the blessing of Almighty God, Spirit, Son and Father,
be with you all,
this day and for eternity. Amen.
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