Description
Luke 6:20-31
Jesus’ message of comparing and contrasting blessings and woes teaches us what’s contrary to our current culture. The poor, hungry, mourning, and hated for the sake of Christ were called blessed. The rich, haughty, well fed, and popular would experience kingdom woes. Jesus went on to teach His disciples to live extremely by loving their enemies, being overly generous with material possessions, and praying for those who curse you. How does your current way of living measure up to Christ’s way of life?
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
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.)
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)
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]
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
Alleluia, Song of Gladness
EH 122, 123; ELW 318; HS98 819; LSB 417; WOV 654
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 Daniel 7:1-3; 15-18
Daniel had a troubling dream about four kings rising from the earth, but God’s people would possess the kingdom forever.
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
