Pentecost 9–Followers of Christ Listen When God Speaks

The believer hears the Word of God and listens with a trusting heart. So many things in this world can distract us from that simple privilege and duty of believers! Living according to God’s will means giving the Word of God central place in our lives as the one thing needful.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Grant us, Lord, the spirit to think and do what is right that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you, may by your help be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. My Word will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Alleluia. (Isaiah 55:11b cf. NIV)

THE GOSPEL: LUKE 10:38-42

Twenty-first century Christians can certainly identify with Martha. So much to do and so little time! We have great excuses and fine rationalizations to explain the fact we have so little time to sit at Jesus’ feet. But like Martha, our reasons fail in the face of Christ’s simple statement: there is one needful thing—to hear the Word of God. On many an occasion, Martha would have surely sat at Jesus’ feet. But on this day, she was distracted by the many things being used to drag her away from where it was better for her to be. The busyness of Martha is contrasted by the devotion of Mary to Jesus’ words. When this one thing needful is truly treasured in the believer’s life, everything else falls into place and it will not be taken from us, even into eternity.

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May the one thing Mary chose be the one thing we forever seek: to sit at the Lord’s feet, listen to his teaching, and be satisfied in his beauty

Chris Powers

FIRST LESSON: GENESIS 18:1-14

The Lord appeared to Abraham and promised him a son. While the world laughs with Sarah at the seemingly impossible promises of God, we hear the Word of the Lord and believe it. Promises of free forgiveness, eternal life after death, and the perfection of heaven seem laughable to those who busy themselves with getting ahead or serving self. Even those who are familiar with the Word of the Lord find it difficult to believe his promises when guilt haunts our hearts. But with the Word of the Lord in its rightful, central place in the life of the believer, nothing is impossible. The Lord spoke and ancient Abraham had a son.

Artist	Bartolomé Esteban Murillo  (1617–1682)
Title	Abraham Receiving the Three Angels
Object type	painting
Genre	religious art
Date	1667
Medium	oil on canvas
Dimensions	236 × 261 cm (92.9 × 102.7 ″)
Collection	National Gallery of Canada

SECOND LESSON: COLOSSIANS 1:21-29

Paul became a servant of the Church to present the Word of God in its fullness. This Word proclaims the mystery kept hidden for generations: God has reconciled all people through Christ’s physical body and now presents us without blemish and free from accusation. Only one thing is needful: the Word of God in its fullness. This mystery, hidden from the ages, is now revealed to us, his saints. Because Christ is in us, so is the hope of eternal glory. We sit at Jesus’ feet to hear it again and again.

Jesus Christ–crucified and risen–is the centerpiece of all true preaching.

Chris Powers

SUPPLEMENTAL FIRST LESSON: 1 SAMUEL 3:1-10

Eli had issues. He was a man who falsely accused pious Hannah but failed to remove his wicked sons from office. He was a man who served in the Lord’s house but received a prophecy of judgment against him from God. Yes, Eli had issues. However, he knew one thing and passed it on to young Samuel: When God speaks, we listen. With Samuel, we humbly answer the Lord’s call, “Speak, LORD. Your servant is listening.”

Title	Samuel and Eli
Artist	John Singleton Copley
Object type	oil on Canvas
Location	Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

SUPPLEMENTAL SECOND LESSON: COLOSSIANS 3:12-17

Though we have been called to be God’s chosen people, we often fail to act like it. Such fruits of the Spirit as compassion, gentleness, and patience are replaced by irritation, intolerance, and impenitence. But as the Word of Christ dwells in us, so the peace of Christ rules in our hearts. Gathered around the Word of the Lord, we hear of his gracious forgiveness. We rejoice in thanksgiving. We put aside the urges of the sinful nature. We forgive as we have been forgiven. We love as we have been loved. Such is the impact the Word of the Lord has in the believer’s life. Indeed, when the Word has central place as the one thing needful, everything we do is to the glory of God.

PSALM OF THE DAY

Psalm 122

Psalm 122 describes the pilgrim’s destination, God’s holy city of Jerusalem. Note the ascending pattern formed by such words as “tribes,” “thrones,” and “peace.” This psalm contains two main elements: joy in the beauty of Jerusalem and a prayer for its blessing. The beauty of Jerusalem derived not so much from its construction as from the events that took place in it. In this city the Lord was worshiped in accordance with his will. In this city the judgments of God were received from his appointed rulers. All who loved God and his people therefore prayed for this city and its citizens. However, like the other psalms about Jerusalem, this psalm points beyond the earthly city in the land of Israel. That city was glorious for the things God accomplished there, but it did not remain a city of peace, because it rejected the One who was its peace (Luke 19:42). Today strife and hatred rule there. More glorious than Jerusalem is the spiritual Jerusalem, the church of all who believe. Each time we worship together, we are gathering in Jerusalem. This gathering will reach its most glorious stages in the new Jerusalem described in Revelation chapter 21. There God’s people will live in complete safety. There David’s greater Son will rule them with justice forever. This city is our joy. For this city our prayers ascend. To this city we are journeying.

Brug, J. F. (1989). Psalms 73–150 (2nd ed., p. 218). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

I Was Glad by C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918)

Uitgevoerd tijdens de Choral Evensong “ The Lord is my Shepherd” op za. 14 juni 2014 in de Grote of st. Michaëlskerk te Oudewater door ROV ‘Canto di Lode’. Leiding: Rinus Verhage. Organist: Arjen

HYMN OF THE DAY

Christia Worship #290, One Thing’s Needful

Other Hymns with Thematic Elements

Speak O Lord by the Gettys

Questions to Consider

(Please share your answers/thoughts in the comments below)

1. What is God saying to me in these lessons?
2. For what do these lessons lead me to give thanks?
3. What sins do these lessons lead me to confess?
4. For what do these lessons lead me to pray?
5. What is the connecting thought that sticks out the most in these lessons? What major theme(s) connect(s) all the lessons?
6. Which piece of artwork did you find to be most beneficial? Why?