Description
Matthew 18:1-20
With authority comes great responsibility like confronting brothers or sisters with their sin or setting up boundaries within a church per the examples given by Jesus. This is a profound responsibility especially when the community of believers represents God’s presence and power in the world. One thing that is so clear for us listeners is that we are not left alone to our own wisdom. Rather, we have full access to God through Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who guides us into wisdom, knowledge, and truth.
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
See A Victory
Ben Fielding, Chris Brown, Jason Ingram, Steven Furtick, © 2019 SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
Won’t Stop Now
Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, © 2018 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
Holy Spirit
Bryan Torwalt & Katie Torwalt © 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
O That the Lord Would Guide My Ways
ELW 772; LBW 480; LSB 707; LW 392
Lord Jesus Christ Be Present Now
ELW 527; LBW 253; LSB 902; LW201; NCH 324
Lord God, to Thee We Give All Praise
LSB 522
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Blessed is the name of the Lord!
Worshipers
Blessed is the Most High God!
Pastor / Worship Leader
May the faithful pray to God and be heard by Him, our Protector and Defender, who sings over us.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
God of the Heavens and the Earth, You are great and mighty and incomparable to everyone and everything else. You are wondrous and mysterious and worthy and we sing to You, bow down to You, and worship You with all that we have. You are God; we are not. You love us, and we don’t understand why. Today, we present ourselves to You and ask You to cleanse us, wipe away our sin slates, and free us from guilt. Only through the blood of Jesus Christ can this be done, and we acknowledge that now.
Worshipers
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven.
Worshipers
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Blessed is the one whose spirit knows no deceit.
Worshipers
We acknowledge our sins to You, Lord, and desire to come out from hiding. We confess that the weight of sin is too heavy to bear and leads us astray from Your blessing. We desire Your blessing of forgiveness, so we ask You to forgive us now.
Pastor / Worship Leader
The Lord forgives the guilt of our sins through Jesus Christ! Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Ezekiel 33:7-11
The role of the watchman is to listen to the Lord and warn the people. The watchmen bears much responsibility to keep a clear conscience before God and the people.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved. 10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
