Sermon from St Andrews Church, Slip End, UK. Sermon given by our priest in charge Rev’ Nick Mwandia, given on the 18/7/21. This is the fifth in a series with the theme of Staying Alert To The Spirit. This sermon called ‘Watch and Pray’.
Sermon starts at 5:00
Download Mp3 HERE!
Isaiah 55.1–12 (Diane)1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come; buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Mark 14.32–52 (Sue Lyons)
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.
34 And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”
35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”
37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?
38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.
40 And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him.
41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”
45 So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested him.
47 But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
48 Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?
49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.”
50 All of them deserted him and fled.
51 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him,
52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.