Staines Congregational Church Sermons

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas b and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.

1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,    all the remnant of the people of Israel,you whom I have upheld since your birth,    and have carried since you were born.4 Even to your old age and gray hairs    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.I have made you and I will carry you;    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?6 Some pour out gold from their bags    and weigh out silver on the scales;they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god,    and they bow down and worship it.7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.    From that spot it cannot move.Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;    it cannot save them from their troubles.
8 “Remember this, keep it in mind,    take it to heart, you rebels.9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;    I am God, and there is no other;    I am God, and there is none like me.10 I make known the end from the beginning,    from ancient times, what is still to come.I say, ‘My purpose will stand,    and I will do all that I please.’11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.What I have said, that I will bring about;    what I have planned, that I will do.

Elijah Flees to Horeb
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you    from the fowler’s snare    and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers,    and under his wings you will find refuge;    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.5 You will not fear the terror of night,    nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,    nor the plague that destroys at midday.7 A thousand may fall at your side,    ten thousand at your right hand,    but it will not come near you.8 You will only observe with your eyes    and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”    and you make the Most High your dwelling,10 no harm will overtake you,    no disaster will come near your tent.11 For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways;12 they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble,    I will deliver him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him    and show him my salvation.”
 

Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,    the world, and all who live in it;2 for he founded it on the seas    and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?    Who may stand in his holy place?4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,    who does not trust in an idol    or swear by a false god.[a]
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord    and vindication from God their Savior.6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,    who seek your face, God of Jacob.[b][c]
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;    be lifted up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory?    The Lord strong and mighty,    the Lord mighty in battle.9 Lift up your heads, you gates;    lift them up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is he, this King of glory?    The Lord Almighty—    he is the King of glory.

Psalm 22
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me,    so far from my cries of anguish?2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,    by night, but I find no rest.[b]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;    you are the one Israel praises.[c]4 In you our ancestors put their trust;    they trusted and you delivered them.5 To you they cried out and were saved;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me;    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,    “let the Lord rescue him.Let him deliver him,    since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.10 From birth I was cast on you;    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,    for trouble is near    and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.13 Roaring lions that tear their prey    open their mouths wide against me.14 I am poured out like water,    and all my bones are out of joint.My heart has turned to wax;    it has melted within me.15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;    you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,    a pack of villains encircles me;    they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.17 All my bones are on display;    people stare and gloat over me.18 They divide my clothes among them    and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.20 Deliver me from the sword,    my precious life from the power of the dogs.21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;    in the assembly I will praise you.23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!24 For he has not despised or scorned    the suffering of the afflicted one;he has not hidden his face from him    but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;    before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;    those who seek the Lord will praise him—    may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth    will remember and turn to the Lord,and all the families of the nations    will bow down before him,28 for dominion belongs to the Lord    and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—    those who cannot keep themselves alive.30 Posterity will serve him;    future generations will be told about the Lord.31 They will proclaim his righteousness,    declaring to a people yet unborn:    He has done it!
 
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters,3     he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths    for his name’s sake.4 Even though I walk    through the darkest valley,[a]I will fear no evil,    for you are with me;your rod and your staff,    they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me    all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lord    forever.

Psalm 21
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.    How great is his joy in the victories you give!
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire    and have not withheld the request of his lips.[b]3 You came to greet him with rich blessings    and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—    length of days, for ever and ever.5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings    and made him glad with the joy of your presence.7 For the king trusts in the Lord;    through the unfailing love of the Most High    he will not be shaken.
8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;    your right hand will seize your foes.9 When you appear for battle,    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,    and his fire will consume them.10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,    their posterity from mankind.11 Though they plot evil against you    and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.12 You will make them turn their backs    when you aim at them with drawn bow.
13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord;    we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.2 Day after day they pour forth speech;    night after night they reveal knowledge.3 They have no speech, they use no words;    no sound is heard from them.4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,    their words to the ends of the world.In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.6 It rises at one end of the heavens    and makes its circuit to the other;    nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,    refreshing the soul.The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,    making wise the simple.8 The precepts of the Lord are right,    giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are radiant,    giving light to the eyes.9 The fear of the Lord is pure,    enduring forever.The decrees of the Lord are firm,    and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,    than much pure gold;they are sweeter than honey,    than honey from the honeycomb.11 By them your servant is warned;    in keeping them there is great reward.12 But who can discern their own errors?    Forgive my hidden faults.13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;    may they not rule over me.Then I will be blameless,    innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart    be pleasing in your sight,    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 18[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,    and I have been saved from my enemies.4 The cords of death entangled me;    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;    the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;    I cried to my God for help.From his temple he heard my voice;    my cry came before him, into his ears.7 The earth trembled and quaked,    and the foundations of the mountains shook;    they trembled because he was angry.8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;    consuming fire came from his mouth,    burning coals blazed out of it.9 He parted the heavens and came down;    dark clouds were under his feet.10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;    he soared on the wings of the wind.11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—    the dark rain clouds of the sky.12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.13 The Lord thundered from heaven;    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.15 The valleys of the sea were exposed    and the foundations of the earth laid bareat your rebuke, Lord,    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;    he drew me out of deep waters.17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,    from my foes, who were too strong for me.18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,    but the Lord was my support.19 He brought me out into a spacious place;    he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;    according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;    I am not guilty of turning from my God.22 All his laws are before me;    I have not turned away from his decrees.23 I have been blameless before him    and have kept myself from sin.24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,26 to the pure you show yourself pure,    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.27 You save the humble    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;    my God turns my darkness into light.29 With your help I can advance against a troop[e];    with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:    The Lord’s word is flawless;    he shields all who take refuge in him.31 For who is God besides the Lord?    And who is the Rock except our God?32 It is God who arms me with strength    and keeps my way secure.33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;    he causes me to stand on the heights.34 He trains my hands for battle;    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35 You make your saving help my shield,    and your right hand sustains me;    your help has made me great.36 You provide a broad path for my feet,    so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;    they fell beneath my feet.39 You armed me with strength for battle;    you humbled my adversaries before me.40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,    and I destroyed my foes.41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—    to the Lord, but he did not answer.42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;    I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;    you have made me the head of nations.People I did not know now serve me,44     foreigners cower before me;    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.45 They all lose heart;    they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!    Exalted be God my Savior!47 He is the God who avenges me,    who subdues nations under me,48     who saves me from my enemies.You exalted me above my foes;    from a violent man you rescued me.49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;    I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,    to David and to his descendants forever.