prepared by Rev. Dr. David Jebb – 1st February 2026
Welcome & Call to Worship
Leader: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
People: We gather to seek God’s justice, mercy, and humble presence.
Leader: What does the Lord require of you?
People: To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.
Let us worship together.
Opening Hymn STF 545- “Be Thou My Vision”
Prayer of Confession
All: Merciful God,
we confess that we have often sought grandeur over goodness, and success over righteousness.
We have neglected the poor in spirit, and turned from those who mourn.
Forgive our pride and our complacency. Renew in us a spirit of humility, that we may walk justly, love mercy, and find our blessing in You alone. Amen.
Scripture Readings
First Reading: Micah 6:1–8
| 6 Listen to what the Lord says: “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 3 “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. | 5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” 6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God. |
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Second Reading: Matthew 5:1–12
| 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. | 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. |
The Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake. This is the Word of God.
Thanks be to God.
Message “What God Requires: The Way of Blessedness”
Today’s passages present two visions of faithful living. In Micah, God calls Israel and us into account. We might be tempted to think faith is about grand gestures or elaborate offerings. But God makes it breathtakingly simple: “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.”
Jesus, in the Beatitudes, shows us what that looks like in the flesh. The “blessed” are not the powerful, the satisfied, or the triumphant. They are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the seekers of righteousness. God’s kingdom turns worldly values upside-down.
To “do justice” means to stand with the marginalized. To “love mercy” is to embody the compassion of Christ. To “walk humbly” is to recognize our dependence on God, not our own achievements.
This is the life of blessing not because it’s easy, but because it aligns us with God’s heart. As we go into a new week, may we seek our blessing not in comfort, but in living out God’s just, merciful, and humble way.
Both Micah 6:1–8 and Matthew 5:1–12 (the Beatitudes) to explain what a life that pleases God truly looks like. It unfolds in four main parts:
- The Divine Lawsuit (Micah): God brings a “case” against His people for a broken relationship. Israel responds by trying to negotiate with increasingly extravagant religious sacrifices, even to the point of absurdity. God stops them, declaring that He requires not ritual transactions but a transformed life: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him.
- The Upside-Down Kingdom (Jesus): On the Galilean hillside, Jesus describes who is truly “blessed”—the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, etc. This turns the world’s values upside down and paints a portrait of a life aligned with God’s heart. Jesus isn’t giving a new to-do list but describing the character of a citizen of God’s Kingdom, which directly embodies Micah’s three requirements.
- The Threefold Requirement in a Beatitude Life: The sermon shows how Jesus’ Beatitudes bring Micah’s commands to life:
- Do Justice means actively siding with the marginalized—the “blessed” whom Jesus names.
- Love Kindness means showing God’s steadfast, merciful love, as seen in the merciful and pure in heart.
- Walk Humbly means abandoning self-sufficiency and performance, embracing dependence on God like the “poor in spirit” and the meek.
- The Life of True Blessing: God’s blessing is not about worldly accumulation but about alignment with His character. This path is countercultural and demanding—it will break your heart with what breaks God’s and confront systems of power—but it is the way of true life and Kingdom citizenship.
Conclusion: We are sent out not with a burdensome list, but with a lifelong invitation: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. God doesn’t just demand this life; He offers it through the example and grace of Jesus, who walked the path of justice, kindness, and humility to the cross. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Let us pray for the world, the Church, and all in need.
For the Church: That we may be a community of Beatitude-living people poor in spirit, pure in heart, and makers of peace.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For world leaders and governments: That they may act justly, defend the vulnerable, and pursue peace with humility.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who mourn, who are persecuted, or who hunger for righteousness: That they may be comforted, strengthened, and filled.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For our local community: That we may love mercy in our dealings with one another, and walk humbly in our daily lives.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the sick, the lonely, and the anxious: That they may know God’s nearness and the support of this community.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For ourselves: That we may have courage to live as blessed people, seeking God’s kingdom above all.
Silent prayer
Merciful God, you call us to a life of justice, mercy, and humility. Hear these prayers and shape us into a people who reflect your blessing to the world. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together:
The Lord’s Prayer : Our Father, who art in heaven……
Closing Hymn STF 673 “Will You Come and Follow Me” (The Summons)
| Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown? will you let my name be known? will you let my life be grown in you and you in me? Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same? Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare? Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me? | Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name? Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same? Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen, and admit to what I mean in you and you in me? Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name. Let me turn and follow you and never be the same. In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show. Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me. © John L Bell (1949) |
Benediction
Go now, remembering what the Lord requires:
to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
And may the blessing of the God of the Beatitudes—
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—
be with you now and always.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
