17th January 2021 Pastor Steve Mayo LISTENING
Complete Link: https://youtu.be/2Mq6lpEK9dc
Call to Worship Psalm 139:1-6 & 13-18 NIVUK
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.
This is the Word of the Lord; Thanks be to God.
Hymn:https://youtu.be/2e475ww32Jg
1.
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
2.
Jesus - the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
‘tis music in the sinner's ears,
‘tis life, and health, and peace.
3.
He speaks; and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
4.
Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come;
And leap, ye lame, for joy!
5.
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
The honours of Thy name.
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
Prayer Poem:
BE STILL AND KNOW
Be still, and know that I am God,
Where you now tread, I too have trod –
I know your griefs – I have a part,
I know the anguish of your heart.
Did I not walk the toilsome road,
A wanderer, without abode?
Did I not stand in Pilate’s Hall,
Though innocent, hear judgement fall?
Did I not hang on yonder Tree
At Golgotha, to die for thee?
Did I not break the bars away,
On that first Resurrection Day?
Ah, yes, my friend, I’ve journeyed far,
To break the might of death’ cold bar –
‘Twas all for you I paid the price,
For you, I made such sacrifice,
In Me, you’ll find your source of power,
To gird you in this trying hour –
Let not your heart then troubled be,
Believe in God, and so in Me,
Where you now tread, I too have trod,
Be still, and know that I am God.
[Author unknown]
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
1 Samuel 3:1-10 NIV-UK
The Lord calls Samuel
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ 5 And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
6 Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’
This is the Word of the Lord; Thanks be to God.
Hymn: https://youtu.be/w0d6DFH95Zc
1.
Master, speak: thy servant heareth,
Waiting for thy gracious word,
longing for thy voice that cheereth;
Master, let it now be heard.
I am listening, Lord, for thee;
What hast thou to say to me?
2.
Speak to me by name,
O Master,
let me know it is to me;
speak, that I may follow faster,
with a step more firm and free,
Where the shepherd leads the flock
in the shadow of the rock.
3.
Master, speak: though least and lowest,
let me not unheard depart.
Master, speak! for O thou knowest all the yearning of my heart,
Knowest all its truest need;
speak! and make me blest
indeed.
4.
Master, speak: and make me ready,
when thy voice is truly heard,
with obedience glad and steady
still to follow every word.
I am listening, Lord, for thee;
Master, speak! O speak to me!
Listening – Pastor Steve Mayo
Introduction
We live in a world that is full of busyness and distractions, and often this can impede us hearing the still, small voice of God as He speaks to us.
Q: So, what about you personally?
Q: Are you tuned-in to God’s voice?
Q: Do you hear Him when He speaks to you?
Q: Do you hear Him above the noise of this world? //
The aim of this message today is to hopefully, make us more aware of God speaking to us, and more aware of when, and how, He speaks to us.
Q: So, how do we hear God’s voice?
Firstly, we have to tune-in to Him, we have to be on the same wave length; we have to learn to isolate God’s voice from the noise around us.
‘A Native American and his friend were in New York City, walking near Times Square. It was during the lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxis were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening.
Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket.”
His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!”
“No, I’m sure of it,” the Native American said. “I heard a cricket.”
“That’s crazy,” said the friend.
The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement plant pot where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed. “That’s incredible,” said his friend. “You must have super-human ears!”
“No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.”
“But that can’t be!” said the friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.”
“Yes, it’s true,” came the reply. “It depends on what you’re listening for. Here, let me show you.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the ground. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
“See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what you’re listening for.”’
Q: So, what are you listening for? //
If you have tuned-in to God’s Word, God’s voice, it doesn’t matter what’s going on around you, you will still hear Him speak.
Q: So how do we tune in to God?
Well, there are a number of ways of achieving this.
Tuning In
We can read through the Old Testament and see the different stories of how God spoke to certain people. Like Adam in the Garden of Eden; or when God spoke to Noah telling him to build a huge boat; or when He spoke to Abraham and told Him he could have all the land wherever he went. Or how about when God spoke to Moses through a burning bush; or even in the New Testament when God spoke to Mary through an angel
Q: But here’s where we can’t help but think, “So why doesn’t God speak to us like that today?!”
He may well be doing so, but maybe we’re just not listening, or just not tuned-in to Him.
The people who were around in our Bible reading had the same concerns we have today. The second part of verse one says; ‘In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.’ [NIV]
Q: But was His word rare?
Q: Or were the people at that time so far from Him in their living, that they couldn’t hear Him over the din of their own lives?
Maybe God doesn’t reveal himself today in the same ways as He did in Biblical times. But He does still reveal Himself to us in various different ways;
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through the hymns we sing
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the prayers we make
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the words we hear
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the world around us
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the people we meet
but we have to be tuned-in to hear Him.
And even if we attend church or watch a service on YouTube every week, doesn’t mean were on the same frequency as God!
‘There was once a preacher who went for a position in a new church. He preached a fine sermon that morning. When the congregation came back for the evening service he preached the same sermon again. The deacons met and attributed the fact that he preached the same sermon to nervousness and extended a call to him to become the new pastor. The preacher arrived the next Sunday to preach and again he preached the same sermon. The people just shook their heads and came back that night to see what he would preach. Well he preached the same sermon again. The deacons had had enough by this point and said among themselves, “If he preaches that sermon again we will be forced to confront him. Well the next Sunday rolled around and you guessed it, he preached the same sermon again. The deacons met with the pastor after the service and said, Now preacher that is a fine sermon that you have been preaching, but when are you going to preach something new?” The preacher replied, “When you do what God told you to do in that sermon, we will go on to something else.”’ Hearing God’s Word is one thing… but actively listening and acting on it, that’s a different story. //
We can tune in by listening to God speaking.
God Speaking
Whenever you listen to a service like this one, you’re hearing from God. He speaks through me and others who bring you God’s Word. //
He also speaks through His written Word.
Psalm 119:105 says; ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.’ [NIV]
You first learn how to hear from God by following His written Word. If you can’t follow what He’s written in His Word, the chances are, you can’t follow His audible word. //
God also speaks through the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:16 says; ‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.’ [NIV]
This is also known as inward intuition. The Holy Spirit will verify that you are doing the right thing or going the right way. If you’re going in the wrong direction, or making the wrong decision, you’ll feel uneasiness on the inside, and that’s the Holy Spirit letting you know something’s up. //
God also speaks to us through our conscience.
Romans 9:1‘I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit…’ [NIV]
I’m sure you have all heard the phrase “still, small voice”? This is it. It’s not a real loud, “DON’T DO THAT!” It’s your own spirit speaking to you and it mostly speaks in just a word or a phrase. Maybe if you’re planning on doing something or going somewhere, the inward voice may say, “Wait,” or “Not Yet,” or even “Stop.”
God speaks to us through the authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:19 says; ‘While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs.’ [NIV]
Now, if God speaks to you like this, it’s going to seem a lot louder on the inside. It may even seem audible, like you can hear it with your ears, because it’s so strong.
I remember being called to full time ministry, and I heard God’s voice very clearly. And I had to look around to see if anyone else heard because it seemed so loud to me. //
So God speaks to us through His word, through the Holy Spirit via our conscience and through the authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit.
So, chances are, you’ve had the opportunity to hear God’s voice at some point or another, but still, the question remains;
Q: Are you listening?” //
Deadly Interference
And just to finish, here’s just a quick warning about our listening to God. And it’s a warning about ‘Deadly Interference’.
Just the same as certain things interfere with radio signals and television reception, certain other things can interfere with our reception of God’s voice. Maybe there’s something wrong in our lives. Maybe it’s something we won’t let go of that’s keeping us ‘out of tune’ with God.
Or maybe it’s not that we’re preoccupied with sin, but we’ve just got a totally different agenda than God.
In order for us to hear God clearly, we have to get rid of distractions in our lives. We have to be so tuned into God that no interference can cut in.
Q: Have you ever been listening to the radio and a favourite song or piece of music comes on and just as you are starting to enjoy it you get static or somebody’s voice from a taxi radio cutting through?
Q: Or when you’re streaming a film and right in the crucial bit you get that annoying buffering symbol in the centre of your TV screen?
That’s interference. That could happen because all your children are in their bedrooms all trying to stream a film at the same time; which happens in our house! Or it could possibly be that you’re out of range, that you’ve moved too far away from the source of the signal. Well, if you’re experiencing interference while trying to hear from God, it could be that you too, have moved too far away from the source of the signal.
If you think this could be, then really make the effort to draw closer to Him and remove distractions.
By bringing yourself closer to Him, spending quality time with Him, reading His word, you’ll get to know Him better and His will for your life. Practice listening to Him, after all, practice makes perfect. Take prayerful time to hear that still small voice. The joy and benefit of praying, is not that God would hear us, but that we would hear Him! //
When you read God’s word, question what God could be saying to you. As with us in a physical sense, the closer we get to God the louder His voice will become.
And lastly, don’t be afraid of what He might say to you. He might just what to tell you how much He loves you, and how much you are valued.
Listen to Him, after all, He has something to say to all of us. Amen.
Hymn:https://youtu.be/74kyfROS4q8
1.
I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Come unto Me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one,
lay down thy head upon My breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
and He has made me glad.
2.
I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Behold I freely give the living water, thirsty one,
stoop down and drink and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in Him.
3.
I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘I am this dark world’s light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.’
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in Him my Star, my Sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk,
till travelling days are done.
Intercessory Prayer
Dear Lord, we come before you, before your Throne of Grace, to bring our prayers for others. We pray with thanksgiving as your word gives us assurance that can confidently come before you, knowing that you hear our prayers.
We thank you for all answered prayer and we rejoice and thank you for everything you have blessed us with. We thank you Lord that you lead us and guide us. Please help us to learn to listen to you.
We thank you for our church family. We think of each one and ask you please to bring comfort and strength to us all and have us in your care. Please continue to guide us, especially through this time of lockdown. We pray for those who have recently had operations and pray that they will recover and feel well very soon. We pray for Colin and Cathy and all who lead in our churches. Please continue to lead them in their work for you and protect them. We pray a special blessing on them and their families.
We pray for our world. Lord of all the earth, You hold the universe in your hands. You have authority and power over everything. And in your power we ask you to bring an end to this Corona Virus and all the new strains that are spreading. We thank you for the vaccine and pray for its speedy distribution.
We pray for the USA and all the unrest there. Please bring peace.
We pray for Apolina, Romania and ask you to continue to protect that community and give your blessing to the work of Pastor Attilla.
We pray for our country and all those in power. We pray for the many businesses who have had to close. Please help these businesses to survive.
We pray for all the school children whose lives are so restricted. They are missing out on their normal education and their social lives. Please may this not have a lasting bad effect on them.
Dear Lord, we bring before you all who have asked for prayer for their loved ones. You know all about these needs and the people involved. We lift these dear people before you, into your loving care.
We will have a moment’s silence while we each pray in our hearts for the people known to us who need your special touch.
May you grant healing and health and surround them with your peace and love.
We pray for all who have caught COVID 19 and we ask you to heal them. Please be with their families too in this worrying time.
We pray for all the NHS staff who are overwhelmed. Please protect them.
We pray for all hospital chaplains that they will be protected and will be able to give your strength and support to the patients, relatives and staff.
We pray for ourselves. This is such a difficult time we are going through. But we know Lord that we can trust you to help us through as you bring your own wonderful love, peace and strengthening for each day.
We think of all who are suffering the bitter grief of mourning. Please have them in your care and surround them with your comfort and strength.
Dear Lord, We thank you that you have heard our prayers and we pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to listen to you, to your leading every day. Please give us wisdom and peace so that we can move in step with your guidance.
We bring these prayers in the great and powerful name of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that His name stands for. AMEN
Hymn: https://youtu.be/5vcRak7BdMg
Chorus:
How wonderful,
how glorious
is the love of God,
Bringing healing, forgiveness, wonderful love.
1.
Let celebration echo through this land;
We bring reconciliation,
We bring hope to every man.
Chorus…
2.
We proclaim the kingdom
Of our God is here;
Come and join the heavenly anthem
Ringing loud and ringing clear;
Chorus…
3.
Listen to the music
As his praises fill the air;
With joy and with gladness
Tell the people everywhere:
Chorus…
Benediction
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus -
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
[Romans 15:5]
For your prayers for the week ahead.
Prayer book update 15.01.21. From Sue Sandling
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Please remember Claire as she started a new job on Monday. May God lead her and guide her and help her to remember all the new things that she has to learn!
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I would be grateful for your prayers for my friend Pauline and her son Neil and all the family. Pauline’s husband Alan died yesterday. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and also caught Covid.
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Colin has heard from Kay Wills, the daughter of John and the late Olive Prothero. Some of us will remember them as being great friends of Canvey Church over many years. John is sadly poorly with a bad non covid chest infection and Kay asks for our prayers.
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Please remember the family of Marge Tiley in your prayers. Sadly, Marge has just died after having a stroke. She was a member of the Wives Club for many years and was a dear friend to many.
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Please pray too for Pat who was a very close friend of Marge Tiley. They had been friends for many years and were always together. I'm sure the virus and further lockdown must be taking its toll on all the ladies in the Wives Club as they are mostly elderly and in poor health. May our Lord be with each one and comfort them in their sadness.
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Last week we prayed for Dionne, a relative of Valerie. She caught Covid in November got over that but caught the new strain before Christmas and was having trouble getting better. Valerie gave an update that Dionne is still feeling rough.
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Dionne’s sister in law, Allison, was rushed into hospital with heart problems - one valve had burst so they operated, then she developed blood problems but Val has heard that sadly Allison has passed away. Please pray for her family. Allison was in her 40’s, married with 2 children.
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Also Valerie’s 98yr old Auntie Jenny has been in and out of hospital since Xmas because of falls but she's now in Queens hospital, Romford and unable to talk clearly. She has very poor sight and although usually very bright and intelligent she's very confused now. She has a very strong Christian faith and she always enjoys talking to Val about it. Presently they are not allowing visitors. So she's very isolated. The Drs say she'll remain in hospital for at least 10 days whilst they run tests.
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Please continue to pray for Sue’s recovery and John’s recovery after their operations.
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Please pray for our dear Eva, she is suffering with a lot of pain at the moment. May this pain leave her and may she feel well again very soon.
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An update about Eva’s brother. He is recovering well. He went to stay with his daughter in November for Rehab and is still enjoying his time there. We pray for his complete recovery.
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Roma has told us that her sister has been poorly. She’s just been tested positive for covid and also her sister’s son’s wife is also positive. So far they are poorly but coping.
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Roma thanks us for our prayers and says that Cathy is on the mend but John is left with damaged lungs, heart problems & blood problems. John is still poorly and is on blood thinners for life now.
From Linda Enwrite
Dear everyone,
Can we please pray for teachers as they have the hard job of teaching children online throughout this lockdown. I can see my neighbour opposite, she is a teacher and is sitting all day every day at her computer doing her best to support her pupils, it must be a very difficult task to hold their attention. We pray that the covid numbers will soon begin to fall so children can return to school.
Claire started a new job on Monday. May God bless her, we pray that this will be a good move for her.
Our prayers are needed for Sue's friend Pauline, her son Neil and
the family. Pauline's husband died on Wednesday. He suffered from Alzheimers and had also caught Covid. We pray they will be aware of God's loving comfort in this very sad time.
Roma thanks you all for your prayers for Cathy and John. Cathy is on the mend now but John is still very poorly and is struggling every day with various health issues. May God touch him with healing and help him get stronger.
Our dear Eva needs our prayers as she is in a lot of pain and needs the gentle touch of our dear Lord Jesus to ease the pain away. Eva is always the first one to come alongside another when they need words of encouragement.
Last week we prayed for Valerie's relative Dionne who is still feeling very unwell after catching Covid and then the new virus. Dionne's sister-in-law Allison was rushed to hospital with heart problems, one valve had burst so the hospital operated but she developed blood problems and has sadly died. Allison was in her 40's and was married with 2 children. Please pray for the family especially the children.
Also Valerie's aunty Jenny, who is a lovely Christian lady of 98 is in need of our prayers as she has been in and out of hospital since Christmas due to having falls. She is in Queen's hospital where she will stay for 10 days but she is very confused and has lost some of her speech.
Colin has asked for prayers for John Prothero who used to come to our church with his wife Olive. He moved to a sheltered accommodation to live near his daughter Kay. Kay has asked for prayers for John as he has a bad chest infection (not covid), and is very poorly, but because of the covid restrictions, she is unable to visit him.
How thankful we can be that we have a God who cares about us, a wonderful Saviour who will walk alongside us through times such as these. Strengthen our faith Lord Jesus for You are our hope and our stronghold. Amen.
Love in Jesus to you all,
God bless you and keep you safe.
Linda
17th January 2021, Canvey Island Methodist, Online
Call to Worship: Psalm 139:1-6 & 13-18 NIVUK
Opening Hymn: O For a thousand tongues to sing…
Prayer Poem: Be Still and Know
The Lord’s Prayer
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 NIVUK
Hymn: Master, speak! Thy servant hearth… https://youtu.be/w0d6DFH95Zc
Message: ‘Listening’
Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say…
Intercessory Prayer
Closing Hymn: How wonderful, how glorious… https://youtu.be/5vcRak7BdMg
Benediction