Skin Deep Religion-Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost-LCMS Readings 2021

Description

Mark 7:1-13

Mark tells us that some Pharisees and scribes come “down from Jerusalem,” revealing the seriousness of their concerns with Jesus and His disciples. They then confront and challenge Jesus by using their oral traditions as a standard by which to evaluate the actions of his disciples. They declare Jesus’ disciples unclean.  Mark gives the reader inside information by describing the ceremonial practices of the Pharisees and their oral law which includes washing hands, cups, and various vessels. Jesus replies to their challenge  by using the written tradition in Scripture as the standard by which to evaluate the Pharisees’ own traditions.  After quoting Isaiah 29:13, Jesus makes a further statement concerning their tradition. It produces false worship. The worship of the Pharisees was all external with no corresponding internal reality. Therefore, Christ declares it vain or fruitlessly. Their worship has no purpose, no fruit, and no importance. It is only skin deep. Jesus describes their vain worship as consisting of “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Thus, in the end, Jesus declares the tradition of the Pharisees to be not only a hindrance to integrity by producing hypocritic words, and to worship by producing false worship, but also to be an outright rejection of the very Word of God. This sort of hypocrisy enraged Jesus. Why? Because God wants us. He wants me. He wants you. He wants your heart. He doesn’t want your church attendance. He doesn’t want your quiet times. He wants you. Church attendance and quiet times are only good if they flow from an inner relationship with Jesus Christ. If they are replacements for a personal relationship with Him, they will benefit you nothing at all and are just man-made substitutes for true worship and devotion, which always comes from the heart first.

 

 

…  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 (Name of Church)! We welcome each one of you today in the name of Jesus Christ.

Time of Praise and Worship

At the Cross (Love Ran Red)

Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jonas Myrin, Matt Armstrong, Matt Redman, © Countless Wonder Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Fots Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) McKittrick Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Songs (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Tunes (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) S. D. G. Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Said And Done Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Sixsteps Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Worship Together Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Good Good Father

Anthony Brown/Pat Barrett, © 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Housefires Sounds (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Tony Brown Publishing Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Vamos Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Today Is The Day

Lincoln Brewster & Paul Baloche, ©2008 Integrity’s Praise! Music; Integrity’s Hosanna! Music; Leadworship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)

 

[Traditional Options]

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

BH 75 58; BH 91 208; CH 648; CHH 517; EH 657; ELW 631; HWC 92; HFG 21; HLC 5; HGP 3; HSP 24; LBW 315; LSB 700; LW 286; NCH 43; PH 376; RH 34; STTL 507; WC 558; UMH 384; WHM 94; WIS 16

Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice 

ELW 594; LBW 299; LSB 556; LW 353

Alleluia! Let Praises Ring

LSB 822; LW 437

  

Invocation  

Pastor / Worship Leader

   O Lord, our God, we gather together today to give You thanks and praise Your greatness. We praise Your mighty works to the whole world. We praise You for Your wonderful deeds. Your power is limitless, Your wisdom is unparalleled, Your grace is overwhelming, Your love is never failing. You promised that You will never leave or forsake us. Let us worship You in spirit and truth.  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,.

 

Worshipers

   Amen.

 

 

Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Lord, you know how easy it is for us to hide behind masks and play the part of good Christians, especially on Sunday morning. Today, may we not camouflage ourselves behind man-made religious talk and activities. We ask that you help us to come to You today as our authentic selves, limits, and strengths, broken and blessed. May Your word alone be our guide post for life, and help us to see where we have strayed from the path so that we may return to you.

 

Worshipers

   Amen.

 

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

 

Pastor / Worship Leader

   Father forgive us for being hypocrites. God, we want to honor You with every word that comes from our mouth and every action we take throughout the day. Holy Spirit, give us contrite hearts. Give us humility to see how far from perfect we are and how badly we need You if we are ever going to live lives that glorify You. Help us to realize when we’re being judgmental of others.

 

Worshipers

   Lord, I am not above You. You are the Creator and I am Your creation. I am your servant, Your child, and Your beloved. Help me see my need and confess it to You. I ask you to restore me in fullness with You. Teach me Your ways and help me be receptive to them, so I will not fall. Help me Lord. You rule and I surrender all my ways, thoughts, opinions, perceptions, and decisions to You. Amen.

 

 

…  We Hear God’s Word …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading          Isaiah 29:11–19

 

We can hide nothing from God, including the intention of our hearts. God sees that his people’s devotion to him is merely lip service, and their hearts are not in it.

 

¹¹ For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” ¹² Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.” ¹³ The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.  ¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” ¹⁵ Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” ¹⁶ You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? ¹⁷ In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest?
¹⁸ In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. ¹⁹  Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.