Description
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Just as the Israelites had been given free food throughout their wilderness wanderings, we too have been given the free gift of Jesus and His love. But how do we treat this free gift? All too often, when something is free, we don’t treat it with the same honor and respect that we would for something that cost us a lot. The gift of salvation was free to us but not free to Him who gave His life for us. How will we treat this free gift?
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
Beautiful One
Tim Hughes, ©2002 Thankyou Music
Jesus Messiah
Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves, ©2008 Vamos Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)Alletrop Music (Admin. by Music Services)
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
Paul Baloche & Brenton Brown, ©2005 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music
[Traditional Options]
In The Cross Of Christ I Glory
BH 91 554; CH 328; CW 345; ELW 324; HFG 251; LBW 104; LSB 427; LW 101; NCH 193; PH 84; WC 209
Sing Praise To God, the Highest Good
ELW 871; LBW 542; LSB 819; LW 452
A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
ELW 340; LBW 105; LSB 438; LW 111
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor: Almighty God, we prepare our hearts and minds this day to worship Your holy and sacred name.
ALL: Hear us O Lord, our God.
Pastor: You have provided us with us with gift of salvation, paid through Your only Son’s precious blood, even though we don’t deserve it.
ALL: Hear us O Lord, our God.
Pastor: You have invited us to have a seat at Your table, to enjoy the feast of victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil.
ALL: Hear us O Lord, our God.
Pastor: You have called us to share the good news of Your salvation through Christ with others, so that they can claim seats to Your never-ending celebration.
ALL: Hear us O Lord, our God.
Pastor Thanks be to the LORD! It is good, right, and salutary that we give the LORD praise for His wondrous acts, His everlasting majesty, and His boundless love. He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9). He remains faithful to us even when we fall short of His glory. He has demonstrated His love for his people by sending His only begotten Son to be born of a virgin, die an excruciating death, and rise again with glory so that the covenant He established can be restored. Great is the LORD and worthy of glory. His words are better than our words; His deeds are better than our deeds. May His name be lauded and praised now and forever!
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor: O most merciful God, we have turned our nose up at the gift You so freely offer us.
ALL: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Pastor: We have acted as if we don’t need Your gift of grace. Our sinful nature has led us to act as if the world is all about us. We have reduced You to a God of convenience.
ALL: Have mercy on us Lord.
Pastor: We have far too often substituted Your command to love one another with a message of self-righteous intolerance and hatred toward our fellow man.
ALL: Have mercy on us Lord.
Pastor: Our actions are deplorable. You know all of the ways we have fallen short in thought, word, and deed. We deserve eternal punishment for these dreadful iniquities. We lay these sins at Your feet.
ALL: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Pastor: We repent of these iniquities, and cry out for forgiveness that comes from the death and resurrection of Your beloved son Jesus Christ. Renew us this day, O Lord, so we can enjoy a seat at Your holy and everlasting feast.
(pause for silent reflection)
Pastor: Almighty God is a God of love. He has heard your cries of mercy. I, as a called and ordained servant of the word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, your sins have been forgiven. May this precious gift that comes from the blood of the Lamb provide us with comfort and peace, both now and for all time.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-9
The invitation is sent out, the table is prepared, and the food is served. You have been asked to come and partake in the greatest banquet ever.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. 4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
