II. What is the math of mercy and forgiveness? Does it add up? III. Application: How merciful has Allen Ave been over the years?

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "II. What is the math of mercy and forgiveness? Does it add up? III. Application: How merciful has Allen Ave been over the years?"

Osborn Daniel
5 years ago
Views:

1 Sermon Outline Matthew 5:7 I. Initial Thoughts: what does it mean to be merciful? II. What is the math of mercy and forgiveness? Does it add up? III. Application: How merciful has Allen Ave been over the years? A. How merciful have you been to others who have wronged you in the church? B. How merciful has God been to you, when you have wronged him? IV. How does the parable known as The Unmerciful Servant help us understand the fifth beatitude? A. How much did the unmerciful servant owe the king? B. How much did the fellow servant owe him? C. What does un-mercy look like? V. Final Thoughts: What does it mean to be merciful? VI. Additional Comments/Thoughts:

ALLEN AVENUE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH February 5, 2017 Matthew 18:21 35 (NIV) 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?

24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.

2 ALLEN AVENUE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH February 5, 2017 Matthew 18:21 35 (NIV) 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? 22 Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 At this the servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. 27 The servant s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me! he demanded. 29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, Be patient with me, and I will pay it back. 30 But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. Matthew 5:7 (NIV) 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

3 February 5, 2017 Prelude Welcome & Announcements Deanna VanderPloeg Invitation to Quiet We Receive God s Mercy *Scriptural call to worship Leader: Hear us O Lord, for we are poor and needy. The People: Guard our lives! Save your servants who trust in. Bring joy to our lives as we worship you. Leader: Have mercy on us today! For you Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on you. Give us undivided hearts. The People: For the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, and faithful. -based on Psalm 86 *God s Greeting We Express God s Mercy *Mutual Greeting We Sing of God s Mercy I Will Sing of The Mercies Of The Lord, Red 457 Our Great Savior, Red 89, vs 1-3 & 5 Wonder, Merciful Savior, CCLI We Learn of God s Mercy Children s Message Kellie Cavanaugh We Ask for God s Mercy Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 54 Congregational Prayer Pastor Ben Song of Confession Lord, Have Mercy, LUYH 639 We Receive God s Mercy Assurance of Pardon

4 We Show God s Mercy Our offerings: General Fund We Learn of God s Mercy Prayer of Illumination *Scripture Matthew 18:21-35; Matthew 5:7 Pastor: God s Word is full of grace, truth and mercy! People: Thank you, loving God! Message: Seventy Times Seven Prayer We Sing of God s Mercy Blest are They, LUYH 117 vs 1-3 We Depart to Show Mercy *Benediction *Closing Song God of Mercy, God of Grace, LUYH 934 all Postlude *Please stand if you are able

5 WELCOME TO ALLEN AVENUE Welcome to all members and visitors who are worshiping with us today! We encourage any visitors and those who may be seeking a new church home to join us regularly for worship. Please join us for a cup of coffee or cold drink in the fellowship hall after the service. Visitors Please fill out one of the Welcome cards you will find in the cardholders on the back of the pews. After filling out the card, please place it in the offering plate as it is passed. Leading us in worship is Pastor Benjamin Oliveira. OUR CHURCH FAMILY Missions of the week Zuni Christian Mission School and Arek Peynetsa, Zuni, New Mexico Our senior member of the week is Donna Bishop. Please remember her with prayers and cards. Room L-17, Christian Care Nursing Home, 2053 Sheridan, Muskegon, MI Roger and Laurie Slorf would like to thank the congregation for the thoughts, cards and prayers at the death of Roger s sister, Pat. Directory Corrections: Bob and Susan Vanderlaan no longer have the landline Bob s cell: , Susan s cell: Rebecca Cloud s cell phone is for emergencies only please use to contact her. WEEKLY CALENDAR February 5, 2017 Today: 11:20 a.m. Sunday School and Catechism K-12 Adult Education Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. Fellowship Breakfast at Mr. B s 5:15 p.m. Prayer Group meets

6 WEEKLY CALENDAR CON T February 5, 2017 Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. Administrative Team Meeting Thursday: Friday: 2:00 p.m. Mary Martha *see announcement 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Freezer Ministry *see announcement OFFERING INFORMATION Today s Offerings General Fund February 12 th General Fund, Muskegon Christian School February 19 th General Fund From the Council: Last week s offering for the Calvinist Cadets was $370. The General Fund Offering was $ Thank you for your faithful financial support. ANNOUNCEMENTS Small groups are a great way to get to know other church members in a deeper way. We encourage and pray for one another. We study and discuss God s word and fellowship together. Do you want to be involved in a small group? Did your group from the Community Bible Experience not continue as a small group? Sign up downstairs near the cookie window and we will get you plugged into a small group. We would like to see all small groups starting to meet regularly again in February. If you have any questions, see Bob Cavanaugh. The deadline for Sunday morning announcements is 10 a.m. on Friday. Fellowship Breakfast will be this Wednesday, February 8 th at 8:30 a.m. at Mr. B s. Reservations need to be in by Monday night. Contact Pearl Kitchen, The March/April Today s are here and ready to be picked up.

7 ANNOUNCEMENTS CON T Valentine s Bags help fill Valentine s bags with cards and goodies for our college students. The bags are located in the fellowship hall. Our college students are: Trent Alphenaar Muskegon Community College, Freshman General Studies Justin Baker Grand Valley State University, Major - Finances, projected to graduate in 2018 Nathaniel Bytwerk Muskegon Community College, Freshman CAD Program Henry DeKam Western Michigan University, Senior Major Environmental Sciences and Geography Tiffani Schelske Northern Michigan University, Junior Major Environmental Studies Ashly Schuitema Muskegon Community College, Sophomore Major undecided Matthew VanderPloeg Michigan State University, Sophomore Major Physiology Thursday, February 8 th, Mary-Martha Bible Study and Fellowship will be held at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Ben will lead our lesson on The Parables from Luke 15:1-31: "The Lost Triplets: One Sheep, One Coin, and One Son and God's reckless love for the sinner." Lessons will again be available on the shelf by the drinking fountain. Laurie DeJonge will serve refreshments. We would love to see more ladies join us. Freezer Ministry will meet on Friday, February 10 th from 9-11 a.m. If you would like to donate a valentine dessert or salad please contact Kellie Cavanaugh The deadline for articles for the March/April Allen Avenue News is Sunday, February 19 th. Articles can be ed to Sandy Volkers at sandravolkers@comcast.net

8 ANNOUNCEMENTS CON T Help Wanted: Qualifications: a love for Allen Avenue, a participant in worship as a leader or from the pew, desire to help Allen Avenue grow and develop in worship, ability to meet one Monday night every two months. Contact Sherrie Wolffis to serve on the Worship and Music Committee. Church Office Hours are 8:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m., Tuesday Friday. If school is cancelled, please contact Pastor Ben and Carmen on their cell phones due to childcare issues. Pastor Ben: , Carmen: Anyone interested in scrapbooking? My athletic sports team (Muskegon Waves) will be having a scrapbooking fundraiser event on Saturday, February 18 th, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Unity Reformed Church, 1521 Porter Rd., Muskegon. (You can come/go whenever you wish.) If you know of others who scrapbook, PLEASE tell/invite them too! Cost is $30.00 per person - which includes lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages. We'll also have a raffle for prizes! See me after the service if you're interested to register or if you have other questions. Thank you! Mike Fongers. Ignite - March Ignite at Lee Street CRC, 1261 Lee Street, SW, Wyoming, MI. Watch God set your church on Fire! This Ignite is open to all churches who are interested in learning and growing in the power of the Holy Spirit. This event provides an introduction to the foundational teaching of the Dunamis Project, providing a Reformed and Biblical understanding of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Lee Street CRC is combining with their Spanish ministry and opening this event up to all interested individuals and churches to participate together in a safe environment including Biblical teaching, worship, prayer and reflection. Friday, 6:15 PM - 9 PM. Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS CON T Growing the Church - March 10 th - Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit Worskshop at Calvin Theological Seminary, DeVos auditorium.

9 ANNOUNCEMENTS CON T Growing the Church - March 10 th - Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit Worskshop at Calvin Theological Seminary, DeVos auditorium. 12:00 (begins with lunch) to 4:30 PM - This 4 1/2 hour event is designed to help gospel-centered, mission-minded people see and appreciate the vital relationship between prayer and ministry impact. Learn how to receive the Lord's vision for your church and pray that vision into reality. Please invite a team from your church to come along for encouraging stories, Biblical teaching, discussion and prayer for church growth. Contact msterenberg@crcna.org or rhiemstra@crcna.org. REQUESTED ANNOUNCEMENTS Western Michigan Christian Girls Tennis Coach - We need a girls tennis coach for this spring. If you are interested or know of someone who might be interested, please send an to WMC athletic director Josh Glerum at: mrglerum@wmchs.net.

10 IN SERVICE AT ALLEN AVENUE Nursery Today: February 12 February 19 February 26 Amber Johnson, Breanna Cloud Laurie DeJonge, Kayla Johnson Jean Botting, Molly Patton Nancy Rop, Shelby Schuitema Children In Worship Today: Sue Sytsema, Marcia Breuker February 12 Renee Vlasma, Naomi Huttenga February 19 Renee Vlasma, Taylor Johnson February 26 Kellie Cavanaugh, Yeabsira Vlasma Greeters Today: February 12 February 19 February 26 Coffee Today: February 12 February 19 February 26 Tim Maat & Mary Patton Family Rebecca Cloud Family Case & Judy Vaandering Dean & Amber Johnson Family Roger & Laurie Slorf Jim & Barb Malda Tim Maat & Mary Patton Scott & Rebecca Sytsema Mike & Marcia Breuker Kelly Dauser Steve & Val Morris Chuck & Marie Ritchard Announcements Next Sunday: Bob Vanderlaan Sound Next Sunday: Dave Bishop Projection Next Sunday: Scott Sytsema Worship Team Next Sunday: Kristen VanderStelt, Molly Patton, Carlie VanderPloeg, Melisa Vlasma Ushers for February: Dave Johnson, Dale Johnson, Dave Rop

11 Prayer Concerns Sunday, February 5, 2017 Psalm 130:1 6 (NIV) 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; 2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Cathy Witt: Cathy will begin chemo treatments soon. The cancer is no longer in remission. Pray for her strength and Ken s strength. Ask the Lord for effectiveness in the treatment. Carmen Huttenga: Carmen asks for your prayer support. She is suffering from depression. Ask the Lord to lift her up. Betti Volkers: Please pray for Betti. Her husband died in September, and she has now been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Pray the Lord will give her enough time and strength to get her affairs in order. Also pray for the rest of the family, her children Chad and Charla, as they are devastated. Jim Malda: Continue to ask the Lord for healing in his eye. Though encouraged, ask the Lord for continued restoration. Norm and Nella Boeve: Continue to pray the Lord will strengthen them. Council and Pastor Ben: Pray for wisdom and discernment for them in this upcoming year.

12 Prayer Concerns Our Senior Members and Shut-ins: *Wilma Doctor *Donna Fongers *Ellen Huizenga *Bernice Ossink *Evelyn Peterman *Marv Pike *Ott Van Andel *Dorothy VanDam *Lorraine Wolffis *Dee Bishop *Donna Bishop Our Missionaries Angell Community Church Eric and Judith Stephan Lutz and Alicia Zents Rev. Jerry An Zuni Christian School Stan and Bessie Kruis Matt and Katie DeKam Muskegon Western Asia Kenya Back to God Ministries New Mexico Philippines Honduras

Jesus > Angels. Allen Avenue Christian Reformed Church. March 12 th, 2017

Jesus > Angels. Allen Avenue Christian Reformed Church. March 12 th, 2017 Allen Avenue Christian Reformed Church March 12 th, 2017 Jesus > Angels Hebrews 1:5-2:4 (NIV) 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, I