Description
Mark 1:9-15
There is an urgency to the Kingdom of God. Jesus calls us to follow Him, and the call is immediate. With every word and deed, Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God is near and invites us to enter it without delay.
We’ve been through Lents before – perhaps many, many of them. We’re familiar with the story of Jesus’ passion. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before. And yet, every time the Gospel is proclaimed, it’s like hearing it for the first time all over again. “It’s time. The Kingdom is near. Repent and believe.”
We Lift Our Hearts In Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor In the name of God the Father, holy and perfect in all His ways.
ALL In the name of God the Son, Jesus Christ, Whose passion led Him to a cross, and to
death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Pastor In the name of the God the Holy Spirit, Who gathers us as the people of God, and
empowers us on our Lenten journey
ALL Amen.
Opening Prayer
Pastor Almighty Father, during this Lenten season we gather as Your people, the Body of Christ, to hear again the message of His passion. Inspire us, we pray, that we might not only be hearers of Jesus’ passion, but that we might live unto Him in all we do and are. Fill us during this time with such a measure of Your Holy Spirit, that these Lenten days may be for us a time of even deeper devotion and sacrifice. We count it all joy to be followers of Jesus. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor During this season of Lent, we acknowledge our sinfulness, for which Jesus suffered and died.
(silence)
Pastor In humility we bow before You, holy Father.
ALL We are sinful, and make no excuse before You.
You call us to holiness, and we choose sin.
You call us to love, and we choose fear.
You call us to serve, and we choose entitlements.
You call us to give, and we choose to take.
You call us to go, and we choose to stay.
You call us to speak of Your love, and we choose to remain silent.
You call us to surrender, and we choose pride.
You call us to come to You, and we choose to hide.
Forgive us, we pray, and empower us to live in joyful obedience to You.
Pastor Jesus’ first words when returning from His wilderness temptations were these: “The time has come. The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the Good News.” The Good News is this – Jesus died and rose again for us. We are redeemed and empowered to live as the people of God. The Kingdom of God is here! Repent and believe. It’s time!
ALL Amen.
Time of Praise and Worship
I Will Follow
Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, & Reuben Morgan, © 2010 SHOUT! Publishing | sixsteps Music | worshiptogether.com songs | Vamos Publishing | Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
Come To The Cross
Leeland Mooring | Matt Bronleewe | Michael W. Smith, © 2006 Word Music, LLC | Smittyfly Music | Meaux Mercy | Woodland Creatures Need Music Too | Windswept Music (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) | (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) |
The River Is Rising
Michael W. Smith, ©2008 Smittyfly Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
[Traditional Options]
O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days
CHH 180; EH 142; ELW 319; LBW 99; LSB 418; LW 92; NCH 211; PH 81; RS 553; WC 200; UMH 269; WAR 252
Glory Be To Jesus
EH 479; HLC 143; LBW 95; LSB 433; LW 98
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
BH91 551; EH 692; ELW 332,611; HWC 414; HFG 51; HLC 309; LBW 497; LSB 699; LW 348; NCH 489; WC 506; WIS 59
We Hear God’s Word
First Reading: Genesis 22:1-18
Abraham is obedient to God’s command that Isaac be sacrifice.
1 Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
