Description
Matthew 22:1-14
In this parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king preparing a wedding banquet for his son. The people who are invited refuse to come, and some even kill the king’s servants for telling them about the banquet. So, the king invites those from the street corners, both good and bad, and the wedding hall is filled. The king, however, is not totally satisfied with all the guests.
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
Come, Now Is The Time To Worship
Brian Doerksen, ©1998 Vineyard Songs
*adapt text to “gladly serve You now…”
Build My Life
Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Kirby Elizabeth Kaple, Matt Redman, and Pat Barrett © 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew, Kaple Music, Capitol CMG Genesis, Housefires Sounds, Said And Done Music, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs, Bethel Music Publishing
Better Is One Day
Matt Redman, ©1995 Thankyou Music
[Traditional Options]
Soul, Adorn Yourself With Gladness
EH 339; ELW 488/489; LBW 224; LSB 636; LW 239; NCH 334; PH 506; UMH 612
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
BH 75 382; BH 91 416; CH 539; CHH 576; EH 691; ELW 759; HWC 410; HFG 84; HLC 366; HGP 192; HSP 8; LWB 479; LSB 702; LW 378; PH 383; RH 423; STTL 433; WC 552; UMH 452; WAR 419; WHM 433; WIS 54
Not What These Hands Have Done
HLC 242; LSB 567; WC 476
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
O Father, majestic is your name! From the rising of the sun to its setting your name is to be praised,
Merciful God, gracious Lord.
Worshipers
Hear us in the name of Your Son.
Pastor / Worship Leader
For He has promised that where two or three of us are gathered in Your name. He would be with us, and our prayer would be heard. Hear us in the name of Your Son
Worshipers
For He is the revelation of Your wisdom, the outpouring of Your glory, the incarnation of Your mercy toward us and the whole human race. To You be the glory,
Pastor / Worship Leader
All praise and honor, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Worshipers
One God, now and evermore.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Amen.
Worshipers
Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, the eyes of all look to You in hope; and You give them what they need. You open Your hand
and satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. We, too, turn to You again, longing to be filled—
to eat of the Bread of Life, to drink from Your life-giving streams, to taste Your goodness and live. May the time we spend together in Your presence nourish our hearts and minds; may it strengthen our relationship with You and renew our commitment to live in this world as Your faithful disciples.
For You alone are God, the Source and Sustainer of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Worshipers
Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, we confess.
Worshipers
God of mercy, in our impatience for answers, we sometimes turn to idols of our own making
and forget our covenant with you.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Passionate for what is right, we wrong those with whom we differ.
Worshipers
Pleased at the invitation to your banquet, we fail to arrive with humility and thanksgiving.
Forgive us when our faith is weak and our zeal too strong.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Help us to respond to your invitation and not to despise it. Help us to put away our old clothes of sin
and wear the wedding clothes of your Kingdom.
Worshipers
Today we ask for your forgiveness for living without your presence in our lives: for relying on our own achievements; for believing that we are the architects of our own destiny; for living as though you have no place in our modern world.
Pastor / Worship Leader
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Worshipers
Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 25:1-9
The Prophet Isaiah has been praising the Lord for the wonderful things He has done. God has been a refuge and a shelter, and perfectly faithful. Then Isaiah prophesies of a day when the Lord will prepare a banquet, a day when the Lord will destroy death forever. He will remove his people’s disgrace from the earth.
Lord, you are my God I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. 2 You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. 4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall 5 and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. 9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
