26 February 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
The first Sunday in Lent, and the readings tell us of the entry of evil into the world, and the devil tempting Jesus in the desert. In his sermon Father Chris pointed out that the devil is still here and working in the world. We play into the hands of evil if we believe he has gone! Be on your guard for the wiles of the devil. Giving something up for Lent? do something positive with the time or money that you save!
The choir sang 'O Lord my God' Words based on 1 Kings vs 8 setting by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) as the anthem.
There was coffee after the service.
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
A reading from the book of Genesis.
The Lord God took the man
and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
And the Lord God commanded the man,
‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal
that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, ‘Did God say,
“You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’
The woman said to the serpent,
‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree
that is in the middle of the garden,
nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’
But the serpent said to the woman,
‘You will not die;
for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate.
Then the eyes of both were opened,
and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.
Romans 5:12-19
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Just as sin came into the world through one man,
and death came through sin,
and so death spread to all because all have sinned—
sin was indeed in the world before the law,
but sin is not reckoned when there is no law.
Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses,
even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam,
who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass.
For if the many died through the one man’s trespass,
much more surely have the grace of God
and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,
abounded for the many.
And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin.
For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation,
but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.
If, because of the one man’s trespass,
death exercised dominion through that one,
much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the free gift of righteousness
exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man’s trespass
led to condemnation for all,
so the act of righteousness of one
leads to justification and life for all.
For just as by the one man’s disobedience
the many were made sinners,
so by the one man’s obedience
the many will be made righteous.
Matthew 4:1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist according to Matthew.
Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was famished.
The tempter came and said to him,
‘If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread.’
But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
Then the devil took him to the holy city
and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,
‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down;
for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written,
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour;
and he said to him,
‘All these I will give you,
if you will fall down and worship me.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan!
for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil left him,
and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
