Description
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Where does evil spring from and what’s the solution for eliminating it from our lives? Jesus deals with this issue in response to the religious leaders’ concern with ritual defilement. In the beginning of this chapter Mark describes how Jesus is confronted by religious leaders because His disciples were eating without ceremonially cleansing their hands. Once again Jesus and the disciples were not living up to the religious standards of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus first responds to them by pointing out their hypocrisy and their misuse of the Law of God. Christ then exposes their legalistic hypocrisy, informing them they’ve elevated the traditions of men over the Word of God. This confrontation has drawn a crowd who are listening just outside the circle of religious leaders, the disciples and Jesus. Jesus then points his listeners to the source of true defilement — evil desires which come from inside a person’s innermost being. Sin does not just happen. It first springs from the innermost recesses of our thoughts and intentions, from the secret desires which only the individual soul can conceive. Jesus takes the issue of external legalistic religious observation to one of the heart. While some of us can manage our external image and religious performance in the world, all of us need cleansing and healing in our hearts. Only God can change our hearts and make them clean and whole through the power of the Holy Spirit. Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God through his Word and Spirit first brings it to light that we may recognize it for what it is and call upon his mercy and grace for pardon and healing.
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
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus! We are very glad to have chosen to come and worship with us today, we welcome you sincerely to our church in the name of the Lord.
Time of Praise and Worship
House of The Lord
Jonathan Smith | Phil Wickham, © 2020 Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Cashagamble Jet Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]) Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])
King of My Heart
John Mark McMillan | Sarah McMillan, © 2015 Meaux Jeaux Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Raucous Ruckus Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Sarah McMillan Publishing (Admin. by Watershed Music Publishing)
Come As You Are
Ben Glover, David Crowder, & Matt Maher, ©2014 9t One Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Ariose Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Glory Be To God The Father
HFG 574; HLC 8; LBW 167; LSB 506; LW 173; STTL 16; WC 11
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
All Depends on Our Possessing
ELW 589; LBW 447; LSB 732; LW 415
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Gracious God may your messages and preaching come to us through your Holy Spirit’s power, so that our faith might not rest on the articulation of words or the acumen of the human mind, but upon Your power and presence. Help us never to depend upon our own might or power, but always upon Your Spirit. May You, the God of all hope, fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in you, and in your holy Son, the Lord Jesus, Messiah of all people.
Worshipers
Amen.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
So often, Lord, we expect life to wow and dazzle us.
Worshipers
But God, You often come in the still, the small, and the meek.
Pastor / Worship Leader
So, when we’re overloaded by the constant stimulus of the world and the demands of man-made religion,
Worshipers
We pray that You’d settle us with the unforced rhythms of your grace and truth.
Pastor / Worship Leader
When our hearts are dried up by apathy and cynicism,
Worshipers
We pray that you would open up the wellspring of your mercy.
Pastor / Worship Leader
When we are tempted to disengage our hearts from serving you,
Worshipers
We pray that you bring us back into whole-hearted relationship with you.
Pastor / Worship Leader
God, we are seeking you in hopeful expectation.
Worshipers
Renew our hearts and minds by Your Spirit and your Word as we seek to worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out our transgressions.
Worshipers
Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin! For we know our transgressions, and our sin is ever before us.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Against You, You only, have we sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment.
Worshipers
Hide Your face from our sins, and blot out all our iniquities.
.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us.
Worshipers
Cast us not away from your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from us.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Restore to us the joy of your salvation, and uphold us with a willing spirit.
Worshipers
For You will not delight in sacrifice, or we would give it;
Pastor / Worship Leader
You will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
Worshipers
Our sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
Pastor / Worship Leader
A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Worshipers
Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
God has given his people commandments by which they are to live their lives by, thus being examples of God to the world.
Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? 9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
