Description

Matthew 5:21-37

Matthew continues from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had just said He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfil it. And so now He shows how sin is a matter of the heart, not just the act. Most people have not murdered, but even being angry makes one subject to judgement and in danger of hell. It’s not just the act of adultery, but also the lustful heart that places one in danger of hell. Jesus seems to have set the bar impossibly high.

 

                                      …  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

Only A Holy God

Michael Farren, Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson
2016 Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Integrity’s Praise! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, CityAlight Music (Admin. by CityAlight Music)

Way Maker

Osinachi Okoro, 2016 Integrity Music Europe (Admin by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Wonderful, Merciful Savior

Dawn Rodgers & Eric Wyse, ©1989 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) Dayspring Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

 

[Traditional Options]

Renew Me O Eternal Light

LBW 511; LSB 704; LW 373

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

BH 75 464; BH 91 453; CH 123; EH 644; ELW 620; HWC 94; HFG 229; HLC 88; LBW 345; LSB 524; LW 279; WC 102; WHM 12; WIS 111

I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb                                  

LSB 740; LW 517

 

 

Invocation

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

 

Worshipers

   Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

 

Worshipers

   I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

 

Worshipers

   Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Praise the Lord

 

Worshipers

   Amen!

 

 

Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

 Heavenly Father, We thank you for sending your Son Jesus, to live a perfect life. To fulfill your law. Your law, which we could not obey. Jesus, You are holy and perfect and without sin and only You could do this. Only you could satisfy the commandments. Only you could be the perfect sacrifice, the one to die on the cross to make us righteous, to save us, to give us eternal life. We thank you Jesus for showing us how to live, how to love, for showing us what the heart of the Father looks like. We praise you, Jesus! And we pray in Your Holy Name. Amen!

 

 

Worshipers

   Amen!

 

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Lord, we confess.

 

Worshipers

   Lord, we confess to you that we are sinners. We have broken your law, your commandments. We confess that our hearts are deceitful above all things.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   We confess the sins we have committed against you. We confess to you our anger and our inability to love as you have commanded us to do.

 

Worshipers

   We confess our improper thoughts and ask for forgiveness for the inappropriate words we have spoken.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   We repent Lord from allowing evil into our minds and into our homes and lives.

 

Worshipers

   Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Worshipers

   Amen!

 

 

 

…  We Hear God’s Word  …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading                                  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Moses speaks to the Israelites, standing in the presence of the Lord. He has reminded them of their time in Egypt and their passage to the promised land. He is speaking of following the law. He is commanding them and says the word is in their hearts so they may obey it. He sets before them life and prosperity, death and destruction and commands them to love the Lord their God and to walk in obedience.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.