Fear or Faith? Who Cares?-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost-RCL Readings

Description

Series:           Surviving THRIVING in a Mixed-Up World

The problems Jesus and His disciples experienced are no different than the problems we face today:  family problems, social problems, church problems, relationship problems.  Jesus taught His disciples how to rise above the problems of the world and not just survive – but thrive!  This series looks at some timeless truths that make the difference between surviving and thriving in the mixed-up world in which we live.

Part 4 Theme:         “Fear or Faith?  Who Cares?”    Mark 4:35-41

Theme: When problems rush in faster than we can process solutions, we PANIC!  And someone always flashes that ear-to-ear smile and says “God will never give you more than you can handle.”  Really?  Has God fallen asleep on the job?  That’s what the disciples thought when a sudden storm rocked their world on the Sea of Galilee.  When we can’t see God at work in our lives, we’re afraid.  But witnessing His power on display can be frightening as well.  How do we move from fear to faith?  Maybe the answer lies in examining our expectations.

 

… We Lift Our Hearts In Worship …

[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]

 

Time of Praise and Worship

Praise You In This Storm

Bernie Herms & Mark Hall, ©2005 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) BanaHama Tunes (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) My Refuge Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Songs LLC)

I Have A Hope

Tommy Walker, ©2007 Doulos Publishing (Admin. by Maranatha Music)

My Life Is In You

Daniel Gardner, ©1986 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

[Traditional Options]

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

BH 75 223; BH91 74; CH 686; CHH 67; EH 680; ELW 632; HWC 52; HPW 52; HFG 370; HLC 48; HGP 15; HSP 32; LBW 320; LSB 733; LW 180; NCH 25; PH 210; RH 81; STTL 95; WC 78; UMH 117; WAR 84; WHM 335; WIS 14

My Faith Looks Up To Thee    

BH 75 382; BH 91 416; CH 539; CHH 576; EH 691; ELW 759; HWC 410; HFG 84; HLC 366; HGP 192; HSP 8; LWB 479; LSB 702; LW 378; PH 383; RH 423; STTL 433; WC 552; UMH 452; WAR 419; WHM 433; WIS 54

 

Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme

Pastor:             Proclaim the power of God, who thunders with a mighty voice.

ALL:               Our God – Father, Son, and Spirit – tower of refuge and strength.

                         One God, mighty to save, mighty in the heavens and the earth.

Pastor:             You summon the earth and shine forth from Your throne,

You summon Your people and speak forth Your word.

ALL:               Your people have gathered to praise Your name.

                        Shine forth Your word, Mighty God.

 

Opening Prayer

Pastor            Lord God, You have been our refuge and tower of strength.  You have saved us when we were afraid, and calmed us when we were scared. Teach us not to fear the                                      world, O Lord, but to have faith.  Teach us not to fear Your power, O Lord, but to expect it. Give us the faith to live in the shadow of Your mighty power.  In Jesus name,                           Amen.

 

Time of Greeting

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

Pastor:              Today is about knowing our place and knowing God’s power. Let us confess our sins and surrender our power so that the power of God may be evident in our lives.

Pastor               Omnipotent, all-powerful God,

All                    Forgive us for trusting in the power of people, position, and money. Forgive us for relying on our own strength, rather than on Your power.  

Pastor              Omniscient, all-knowing God,

All                    Forgive us for our impure motives and thoughts. Forgive us for esteeming our wisdom above Your word. 

Pastor               Omnipresent, ever with us God,

All                    Forgive us for thinking we can hide from Your presence. Forgive us for thinking You don’t notice. 

Pastor              Sovereign God, ruler of everything,

All                    Forgive us for wanting the last word.

                        Forgive us for not trusting Your timing.

Pastor              Merciful, Longsuffering God,

All                    Forgive us for thinking You don’t care. Forgive us for thinking we don’t matter.                          

                         Forgive our iniquity, Father.  Teach us to fully rely on You, so that Your power may be made manifest in our lives, and in Your kingdom. 

Pastor:             It is with great joy that I can announce that your sins are forgiven!  Not because I say it, and not because you said some magical words, but because Christ has taken the                            punishment for what you have just confessed, and God has accepted his sacrifice.  Live in that grace.  Amen.

… We Hear God’s Word …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading          1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49

In this well-loved story we can find many reasons why David would have had fear. Instead, he shows remarkable faith and is able to accomplish what no one thought was possible. 

¹Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.⁴ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; ⁶ on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. ⁸ Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” ¹¹ On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”  ²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. ²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. ³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”  ³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”  ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.  ⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. ⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”  ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”  ⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.