Description

Luke 20:9-20

The Pharisees desperately wanted to arrest Jesus because He submitted to God’s authority above their own. So, they attempted to trap Him with their luring questions.  When Jesus answered by telling the parable of the evil tenants, the religious leaders had no trouble interpreting that they were the tenants in the story, and their motives of murdering Jesus were exposed once again.  The death and resurrection of Jesus followed, and God’s plan of transforming His people from the nation of Israel to the Church of the New Testament was finally set into motion.

 

…  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 King Forever

Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
2013 Be Essential Songs, Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

Build My Life

Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Kirby Kaple, Matt Redman
2017 Said And Done Music, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs, Karl Martin Publishing Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing), Kaple Music, Bethel Music Publishing (Admin Bethel Music) Arkyard Music Services

 

[Traditional Options]

Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

BH91 356; CH 403; CHH 275; EH 518; ELW 645; HS98 865; HWC 276; HFG 557; LBW 367; LSB 909; NCH 400; PH 416,417; STTL 671; WC 699; UMH 559; WOV 747

Christ Is Our Cornerstone

LSB 917; LW 290

God Loved the World So That He Gave

BH75 445; ELW 323; LBW 292; LSB 571; LW 352; NCH 208

 

Invocation

Pastor               I welcome you all in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

 

ALL                  To Jesus Christ belongs all authority in heaven and on earth.

 

Pastor               We exalt the name, Jesus!  The name above every name!

                         

ALL                  We worship our Lord, Jesus, Amen!

  

Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction

   Pastor/Worship Leader speaks

 

Pastor              Father God, we approach You in humility to be called Your Church and Your Bride.  We

                         give You honor and declare that all the glory belongs to You.

 

ALL                Praise God, the Father in Heaven.

 

Pastor             We humbly ask You to give us Your eyes and ears today so that we may hear Your

                        Word, receive it with gladness, and obey what You say.  We are Your servants looking to

                        be radically transformed by You.

 

ALL              In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. 

 

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

 

Pastor              As we reflect on the Word of God, we are reminded that the same God who parted the

                        seas for the Israelites is the same God we serve now.  He reminded the Israelites to not

                        dwell on the former things that were, but to look forward to the new things He was doing. 

                        The same Christ who transformed Paul from a life of persecution to a radical zealot for

                        Kingdom is Christ our Lord and Savior.  Paul looked ahead to the eternal prize of

                        Heaven, and so should we.  However, too often, we are trapped by the past unable to

                        forgive and move on.  And this is where we need the deliverance of our Savior.

 

ALL                Jesus, You selflessly sacrificed Your pure and spotless life for us to forgive us of

                        our sins.  We forget that we are to model Your actions of forgiveness, forgiving our

                        brothers and sisters in Christ seventy times seven.  

 

Pastor             We are at fault for holding grudges and allowing them to fester into pools of poison in our

                        souls.  Lord, this is not Your will or command, and we are sorry. 

 

ALL               We repent of unforgiveness.  Break our hearts for what breaks Yours.

 

Pastor             Restore what was lost and broken and turn our eyes to the eternal hope of meeting You

                        face to face. 

 

ALL               Thank you for forgiving us.  Give us the strength to in turn, forgive others.

 

Pastor            In Christ’s name we pray,

ALL              Amen.

 

…  We Hear God’s Word  …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading                                  Isaiah 43:16-21

God reminded the Israelites to not dwell on the past because He was doing a new thing that would continue to bring Him glory.

 

This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.