Prepared by Rev. Rosemary Mutopo
SUNDAY SERVICE – 18th October 2026
Call to Worship
Let us come before the Lord with reverence and humility.
Christ reminds us to give to the world what rightly belongs to it, but to give to God what belongs to God.
We bear the image of our Creator and are called to honour Him with our hearts, our lives, and our worship.
Let us therefore lay aside every distraction and turn our hearts to the Lord, who alone is worthy of our praise.
Come, let us worship the Lord our God.
Youtube: STF 25: God is here! As we his people
1 God is here! As we his people
meet to offer praise and prayer,
may we find in fuller measure
what it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us,
all our varied skills and arts
wait the coming of the Spirit
into open minds and hearts.
2 Here are symbols to remind us
of our lifelong need of grace;
here are table, font, and pulpit;
here the cross has central place.
Here in honesty of preaching,
here in silence, as in speech,
here, in newness and renewal,
God the Spirit comes to each.
3 Here our children find a welcome
in the Shepherd's flock and fold,
here as bread and wine are taken,
Christ sustains us, as of old.
Here the servants of the Servant
seek in worship to explore
what it means in daily living
to believe and to adore.
4 Lord of all, of Church and Kingdom,
in an age of change and doubt,
keep us faithful to the gospel,
help us work your purpose out.
Here, in this day's dedication,
all we have to give, receive:
we, who cannot live without you,
we adore you! We believe!
Fred Pratt Green (1903–2000)
Opening Prayers
Almighty and gracious God,
We come before You in reverence and thanksgiving, acknowledging that all things belong to You. You have created us in Your image and called us to live faithfully in this world, giving to others what is rightly theirs and giving to You the honour, devotion, and obedience that belong to You alone. As we gather in Your presence, quiet our hearts and turn our minds from every distraction. Prepare us to hear Your Word, to receive Your grace, and to worship You with sincere hearts.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not always given You what belongs to You. We have allowed the concerns of this world to occupy our hearts, and we have sometimes placed our own desires above Your will. We have failed to love You wholeheartedly and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Forgive us, Lord, for our pride, our selfishness, our disobedience, and the ways in which we have fallen short of Your calling. Turn our hearts back to You. Renew us by Your Holy Spirit, and teach us to live as people who bear Your image and belong to You. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please read the Gospel reading: Matthew 22:15–22
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
STF 566: Take my life, and let it be
1 Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart — it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879)
Reflection
Today’s Gospel presents us with one of Jesus’ most familiar teachings: “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” The Pharisees and the Herodians approach Jesus with a question intended to put Him in a difficult position. They ask whether it is lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar. If Jesus answers yes, they can accuse Him of supporting the Roman authorities. If He answers no, they can portray Him as someone opposing Caesar. They believe they have created a question from which Jesus cannot escape. But Jesus does not allow Himself to be drawn into their political trap. Instead, He asks them to show Him the coin used for the tax. He then asks, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They answer, “Caesar’s.” Jesus responds, “Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.”
At first, these words may appear to be simply about separating our religious life from our responsibilities in society. But Jesus is making a much deeper point. The coin carries Caesar’s image, and therefore it can be returned to Caesar. But whose image do we carry? We carry the image of God.
From the very beginning, Scripture teaches that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Our lives, our dignity, our abilities, our conscience, and our very existence are gifts from Him. While we have responsibilities toward our families, our communities, our workplaces, and our country, ultimately, we belong completely to God. Jesus is not telling us that faith should have nothing to do with public life. Neither is He suggesting that we can divide ourselves into one part belonging to God and another part belonging to the world. Rather, He teaches us that our earthly responsibilities must always be shaped and guided by our greater responsibility to God.
As Christians, we are called to be responsible members of society. We should respect the law, contribute to the common good, fulfil our legitimate obligations, and treat others with honesty and fairness. We are not called to withdraw from the world. Instead, we are called to bring the values of the Gospel into the world—truth, justice, compassion, generosity, respect for human dignity, care for the poor, and protection of those who are vulnerable. At the same time, we must be careful never to give an earthly authority or possession what belongs exclusively to God. No government, political ideology, career, material possession, ambition, or desire for recognition should become the centre of our lives. Whenever something created takes the place that belongs to God, it becomes an idol. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for us is that we sometimes give God only what remains after everything else has been taken care of. We give Him our leftover time, our leftover energy, and our leftover attention. But God does not ask for our leftovers. He calls us to give Him our whole hearts. He invites us to live each day conscious that we are His beloved children and that our lives have been created for His glory.
This Gospel therefore invites us to examine our hearts and our priorities. Are there areas of our lives where we are trying to serve two masters? Have money, success, comfort, status, or popularity become more important to us than God's Word? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities as citizens while remaining faithful to our calling as disciples of Christ? The Christian life calls us to hold these responsibilities together wisely. We serve our communities, but we worship God alone. We respect legitimate authority, while allowing our conscience to be shaped by God's truth. We use the things of this world without allowing those things to control or possess us. The coin bears Caesar’s image, but we bear God’s image. And because we bear God's image, we are called to offer ourselves back to Him—not only through our worship on Sunday, but through every thought, decision, relationship, word, and action.
May the Lord grant us wisdom to fulfil our responsibilities faithfully in this world while never forgetting where we truly belong. May our lives reflect the image of God, and may everything we do bring honour and glory to Him. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we bring our prayers before You, trusting in Your love and mercy. We pray for Your Church, that we may faithfully proclaim Your Word and honour You in all that we do. We pray for our leaders and those in authority, that they may govern with wisdom, justice, and compassion. We pray for peace in the world, for the sick, the poor, and all who suffer, that they may find comfort, hope, and support. God of compassion, we lift before you the sick, the lonely, the grieving, and all who cry out for your help in this moment of need… (names) Surround them with your healing love and bring them peace. We pray for our families and communities, that we may live in love, honesty, and unity, reflecting Your image in our daily lives. Lord, help us to fulfil our responsibilities faithfully while remembering that our lives belong to You. Teach us to give You the honour, love, and obedience You deserve. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
STF 670 We have nothing to give
1 We have nothing to give
that didn’t first come from your hand;
we have nothing to offer you
which you did not provide.
Every good, perfect gift comes from
your kind and gracious heart,
and all we do is give back to you
what always has been yours.
Lord, we’re breathing the breath
that you gave us to breathe,
to worship you, to worship you.
And we’re singing these songs
with the very same breath,
to worship you, to worship you.
2 Who has given to you
that it should be paid back to him?
Who has given to you
as if you needed anything?
From you and to you and through you
come all things, O Lord,
and all we do is give back to you
what always has been yours.
Refrain
Matt Redman (b. 1974)
Benediction
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
May God grant us wisdom to fulfil our responsibilities faithfully, courage to stand for truth and justice, and hearts wholly devoted to Him. May our lives reflect His image, our actions reveal His love, and all that we do bring glory to His holy name. Amen.