Description
Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus taught His disciples on the mountainside that contrary to popular belief, it was the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, and the peacemakers that were the ones who were considered blessed. Monetary gain and social status did not influence the awaited reward. How does your current way of living measure up to Christ’s culture?
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Matt Redman & Jonas Myrin, ©2011 Thankyou Music, Said And Done Music, sixsteps Music, SHOUT! Publishing (Admin EMI CMG Publishing)
Our God Saves
Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche, ©2007 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Integrity’s Hosanna! Music Leadworship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)
Brian Johnson, Christa Black, & Jeremy Riddle, ©2010 Bethel Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing) Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) ChristaJoy Music Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Blessed Jesus, At Your Word
EH 440; ELW 520; LBW 248; LSB 904; NCH 74; PH 454; UMH 596
Holy God, We Praise Your Name
CH 2; EH 366; ELW 414; HWC 12; HFG 385; HLC 9; LBW 535; LSB 940; LW 171; NCH 276; PH 460; RS 657; STTL 12; WC 3; UMH 79; WAR 138; WHM 117
God Himself is Present
LBW 249; LSB 907; LW 206; NCH 68
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Welcome friends and families and visitors to this place. Let’s rejoice together in the Lord, our Maker, and praise Him!
Worshipers
May Your praise be ever on our lips, O Lord, for You are good and worthy to be praised.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Holy Lord, we set our hearts and our minds on You. We are Your daughters and sons, from sinners to saints, washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are Your children, and we recognize and honor You as Father God, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. May Your Word be our bread, and may our praises be pleasing to You, Lord.
Worshipers
In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Father, it’s time to confess.
Worshipers
We must confess and stop hiding in secret.
Pastor / Worship Leader
You’ve commanded us to love one another and even our enemies. You desire for us to do good in the midst of evil, to lend without expectation of anything in return, and to bless those who curse us and mistreat us.
Worshipers
But we experience failure in our attempts. We repay evil with evil, count each other’s wrongs, and curse those mistreat us.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We have sinned in this way, and we need You more than ever.
Worshipers
We need Your graceful forgiveness and the strength of You Holy Spirit to fill us so that we would move in step with Him and not on our own sinful terms.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Thank you, Father, for Your powerful forgiveness that redeems us and saves us from sin. We worship you now.
Worshipers
Hallelujah! We are forgiven by Holy Father. Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Revelation 7: (2-8) 9-17
In a vision, John got a glimpse of the happenings in Heaven as a great multitude stood before the Lamb crying out in unison to God in worship.
Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. 9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
