Description
Matthew 25:31-46
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ teaching has announced and illustrated the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom does not function like a typical kingdom. Jesus welcomes those who have no status and seeks to serve others rather than exploit them. His final teaching in this section examines how we treat those in need. In this account, when Jesus returns in his glory, he will sit on his throne and separate people “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”. The separation depends on how we treat people in need. These are all people in need, whom the sheep served, for Jesus says, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” In God’s kingdom, no one is hungry, naked, sick, or alone. To bear witness to Christ as King is to be a messenger of this kingdom–to serve others and thereby profess the invasion of God’s glorious empire.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Pastor / Worship Leader
Good morning! I welcome you in the name of Jesus! We are so glad to have you with us as we join together to worship and draw near to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Worshipers
Praise the Lord!
Time of Praise and Worship
Victor’s Crown
Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, & Kari Jobe, © Integrity’s Praise! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sound Of The New Breed (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) EWI (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Worship Together Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
King of Heaven
Jason Ingram & Paul Baloche, ©2010 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI)) Leadworship Songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI)) Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. By Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) West Main Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) Windsor Hill Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
Cornerstone
Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan, William Batchelder Bradbury, ©2011 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Crown Him With Many Crowns
BH 75 52; BH 91 161; CH 45; CHH 234; EH 494; ELW 855; HWC 234; HFG 345; HLC 85; HGP 24; HSP 83; LBW 170; LSB 525; LW 278; NCH 301; PH 151; RH 192; RS 626; STTL 272; WC 92; UMH 327; WAR 317; WHM 51; WIS 162
Lift High The Cross
BH 91 594; CH 450; CHH 108; EH 473; ELW 660; HWC 304; HLC 141; LBW 377; LSB 837; LW 311; NCH 198; PH 371; STTL 237; WC 229; UMH 159; WAR 28; WHM 221
O Worship The King
BH 75 30; BH 91 16; CH 104; CHH 17; EH 388; ELW 842; HWC 10; HPW 13; HFG 336; HLC 21; HGP 1; HSP 6; LBW 548; LSB 804; LW 458; NCH 26; PH 476; RH 5; STTL 64; WC 29; UMH 73; WAR 2; WHM 14; WIS 6
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
We come, for God gathers us here,
with that community called faith:
Worshipers
Where the hungry are served first,
where the thirsty drink life’s water.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We come, for God welcomes us here
into that home called grace:
Worshipers
Where the naked are clothed in robes of hope.
where the stranger is embraced as the long-lost prodigal.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We come, for God reunites us here,
sisters and brothers in that family called love:
Worshipers
Where the imprisoned model justice,
where the sick are cradled in God’s peace. Amen.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Let us pray that our love of God may become real and tangible in our love of our neighbor. God, you display your almighty power in loving us without regret. In the human heart of Jesus your Son you have shown us how far love can go.
Worshipers
Give us a love that is forgiving, generous and gentle like his, that we may recognize and welcome him in our brothers and sisters. And may our hearts reach out first to the poorest and the least lovable, with the gratuitous love you have given us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
God of love, You created us to love you and one another. We confess that we have sometimes limited that love to words and failed to reveal your love by our actions. We have failed to recognize Christ in the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the naked, the sick, and the incarcerated. Too often, we have turned away from you, failing to share with our sisters and brothers who are in need.
Worshipers
Forgive us. Turn our hearts and guide us to follow you anew.
Pastor / Worship Leader
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Worshipers
The Lord is good to all and has compassion for all creation. Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
In an image similar to the language of Psalm 23, God speaks of his people as sheep, and himself the shepherd. Even in the Old Testament God declares himself a good shepherd – who will look for and gather together his scattered sheep. He promises to bring them home, to heal the wounded, to strengthen the weak, provide a safe place where they will eat and drink and rest. But the “fat sheep,” Israel’s leaders, who had only looked after their own needs and had oppressed he people (the “lean sheep”), God promises to judge and destroy.
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.
