The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Transcription

1 3461 Merle Ave Modesto, CA (209) W The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost The Church s Builders Do Not Fear Persecution JULY 9, 2017 elcome! Thank you for joining us for worship this morning. We gather for worship so that we can receive from God the good news of what Jesus has done for us. Jesus is at the center of our faith and our lives. Without him we have nothing. With him we have everything. Welcome Worshiper Cards are located in the book racks. Please fill one out and place it in the offering plate later in the service. Restrooms are located in the entryway. Two Nursery-Rooms are available in the entryway for parents with small children. Footnotes throughout the worship folder help explain the different parts of the service. TODAY S FOCUS No Fear! - We ve seen the slogan on t-shirts, billboards, and TV commercials. When it comes to standing up for our faith and living our faith for our Savior, it can get scary. Pressure can cause us to want to give in or back down. Today s worship focuses our attention on God s promise that the more we fear him (recognize him for who he is), the less we fear. PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP God the Father, you know all about us. You know our weaknesses and you know our fears. Now may we strive to know you more. Help us to see how much you value us. Help us to see how much you care for us. And help us to see how much you love us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Flowers adorning our altar this morning are given to the glory of God by the Mallory family in celebration of Julie s birthday and by Jack Butler in thankfulness for God s blessings. Presiding Minister: Jason Toepel Pianist: Judith Winsor

2 OPENING HYMN If God Himself Be for Me Christian Worship #419 stanzas 1-5 CALL TO WORSHIP Minister: Congregation: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you. CONFESSION OF SINS M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy. C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt. ABSOLUTION M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will. C: Amen. 1

3 PRAYER AND PRAISE M: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord: PRAYER OF THE DAY M: Let us pray. O Lord, our God, govern the nations on earth and direct the affairs of this world so that your Church may worship you in peace and joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. 2

4 THE WORD OF GOD CHILDREN S MESSAGE Children are invited to come forward for a message directed at them FIRST LESSON Jeremiah 19:14 20:6 The persecutors, not the persecuted, ought to be afraid. Then Jeremiah came back from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD s house and said to all the people: 15 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says. Watch, I will bring on this city and on all its towns every disaster that I have declared against it, because they have become stiff-necked, refusing to hear my words. 20:1 Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and the chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten, and he put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate at the house of the LORD. 3 The next day when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib, 4 for this is what the LORD says: Watch, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry them captive to Babylon, and he will kill them with the sword. 5 Also the riches of this city, all its property, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give it all away into the hands of their enemies. They will plunder these things, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon. 6 As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon! You will die there, and you will be buried there, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied falsely. (EHV) 3

5 PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 31 David echoes the confidence that Jeremiah gave us in the First Lesson. Surrounded by forces of evil, we commit ourselves into the hands of the true God our Rock, Refuge, and Fortress. The Psalm will be sung in unison. In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Deliver me in your righteousness. Be my rock of refuge, A strong fortress to save me. Into your hands I commit my spirit; Redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. Refrain My times are in your hands; Save me in your unfailing love. How great is your goodness, Which you have stored up for those who fear you. You heard my cry for mercy When I called to you for help. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Refrain 4

6 SECOND LESSON Acts 23:1-11 Jesus tells Paul to take courage as he testifies while on trial. Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, Gentlemen, brothers, I have lived my life before God with a completely clear conscience to this very day. 2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there judging me according to the law, and then you order them to strike me contrary to the law! 4 Those who were standing nearby said, Do you dare to insult God s high priest? 5 Paul replied, I did not know, brothers, that he is the high priest. Indeed, it is written, You shall not speak evil about a ruler of your people. 6 When Paul realized that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees, he shouted out in the Sanhedrin, Gentlemen, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope for the resurrection of the dead! 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in them all.) 9 Then there was a great uproar, and some of the experts in the law who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly: We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him? 10 The uproar became so great that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He commanded the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night the Lord stood next to Paul and said, Take courage! As you have solemnly testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. (EHV) 5

7 GENERAL VERSE OF THE DAY John 20:31 GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 10:24-33 As the disciples face certain persecution, Jesus tells them not to be afraid A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. 32 Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. (EHV) 6

8 HYMN OF THE DAY Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid Christian Worship #188 stanzas 1-3 SERMON Matthew 10:24-33 Moving Words 1. Imitate the Teacher 2. Spread the Word 3. Acknowledge Christ APOSTLE S CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The Hymn of the Day is assigned to this day because of its rich content and connection to the day s Gospel Lesson. Public confession is faith s response to God s saving Word. Christians composed the Nicene Creed in the fourth century to defend the Bible s teachings that both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are true God, equal to the Father in one eternal, undivided Trinity. 7

9 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER OFFERING The members of St. Peter congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH M: Gracious God and Father, we praise you for the countless blessings, which we receive from your hand: the beauties of creation and the bounties of the earth, the joy of life and the pleasure of friendship, the good of work and the gift of rest, the privilege to share happiness and sorrow with one another. Above all we praise and thank you for your saving Word and for your Son s body and blood, which you give us to eat and to drink in the sacrament. Through these means of grace, you send the Holy Spirit into our hearts and unite us to Jesus and to the whole Christian Church on earth. C: Strengthen us through this heavenly food; increase our trust in Christ and our love for one another. M: Great God and Lord, without your continuing help we easily waver in our faith, lose courage, and grow careless in our watchfulness. The times and days are perilous. Give us strength to face the evils of each day with fresh confidence. Open our lips to speak of your grace, and move us to use the gifts that you give us to share your Word of salvation with all people. Protect and prosper the family, the school, the government, and all good institutions that you have established for the benefit of society. Remember in mercy those who are sick and suffering, and bring your healing to troubled homes and lives. C: Move us to pray for those in need and to help them with deeds of kindness. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. M: Now, eternal God and Father, keep us in the saving faith and so enable us to overcome all things through our Lord Jesus Christ. 8

10 LORD S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. HYMN Jesus, Priceless Treasure Christian Worship #349 stanzas 1-3 PRAYER AND BLESSING M: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all trials, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. 9

11 CLOSING HYMN In You Is Gladness Christian Worship #346 In you is gladness Amid all sadness, Jesus, sunshine of my heart. By you are given The gifts of heaven; You the true Redeemer are. Our souls are waking; Our bonds are breaking. Who trusts you surely Has built securely And stands forever. Alleluia! Our hearts are pining to see your shining, Dying or living To you are clinging Now and forever. Alleluia! If he is ours, We fear no powers, Not of earth or sin or death. He sees and blesses In worst distresses; He can change them with a breath. Wherefore the story Tell of his glory With hearts and voices; All heav n rejoices In him forever. Alleluia! We shout for gladness, Win over sadness, Love him and praise him And still shall raise him Glad hymns forever. Alleluia! The following were reprinted under OneLicense.net #A : Psalm 31. Jack Noble White 1976 Belwin Mills Publishing Corp., c/o CPP/Belwin, Inc., Miami, FL All rights reserved. Used by permission. Artwork by Ian M. Welch. Copyright 2015 Ian M. Welch. All Rights Reserved. paramentics.com The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 2017 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. 10