Description
Mark 10:35-45
Jesus made it very clear then and it remains clear now. If you want to be a follower of Jesus, you will be a servant. There is no getting around it. As the perfect example, Jesus is the servant Messiah, the servant King. He shatters the world’s understanding of what it means to have power and what a king is all about. Serving God and others in humility is what it means to be a disciple. Serving God and others is the definition of greatness. This runs counter to greatness as defined by the world. Power, prestige, wealth, status, or position does not make a person great. Service does! Jesus came into the world to be an example for us and loved people so much that he gave his life as a payment for all the sins of humanity. He served us by making the ultimate sacrifice. As Christ’s followers, our greatest gift and response to this sacrifice is to be servants in his name.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
Pouring It Out For You
Jared Anderson, Jonathan Lee, © 2010 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Tunes (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) JLee Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Don Quixote Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Alive, Forever, Amen
Travis Cottrell, David Moffitt, Sue C. Smith, ©2003 First Hand Revelation Music
Let God Arise
Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash, © 2006 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus
ELW 802; LSB 685; LBW 487; LW 381
Make Me A Servant
CH 699; STTL 535; TFWS 2176; WC 653; WAR 576
God Loved the World So That He Gave
BH75 445; ELW 323; LBW 292; LSB 571; LW 352; NCH 208
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor As God’s people, we gather together in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL Amen!
Opening Prayer
Pastor Everlasting God, In conformity with your will for our lives and in response to all that you have done for us, we come today to worship you. Thank you Lord for making yourself known in the person of your Son, Jesus Christ. As the servant Messiah, Jesus displayed a new picture of true greatness and power. He has provided the perfect example for us through his acts of love, mercy, and humble service. He shattered the world’s understanding of influence and authority through a model of service toward others. Lord, give us a heart like Jesus for servanthood.
ALL In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
Pastor God of love and compassion, you never cease to amaze us when it comes to listening to our prayers of confession in which we bring to you our sins and destructive habits. We know that temptations surround us at every corner and we continuously fail to adhere to your Word and commandments. We are like sheep who have gone astray and thus we lose our way and suffer the consequences. We may deceive others but we cannot deceive you since you know us through and through. We are sorry that we have not conformed our lives to yours. We ask for your help so that we can be more like Jesus.
(A time of personal reflection and confession)
All God of faithfulness, your word is filled with wisdom yet we fail to take it seriously. We know that the flesh can win out if we let it, and the results are harmful. We confess to you that we have not served you or served others as we should. Give us the strength to do what is right and pleasing in your sight. Give us a servant’s heart so that we follow Jesus and His example and then live it out in service to others
Pastor Brothers and sisters, as a servant of Jesus and a minister of the gospel, I declare to you that your sins are forgiven. You have been washed clean because of the blood of Jesus Christ. As you depart from this worship service today, be confident that you have new life in Christ In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
ALL Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 53:4-12
In the Old Testament, animals were offered as sacrifices for their sins. These prophetic words tell us that the sinless servant of the Lord will be offered as a sacrifice for our sins.
4Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked ,and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
