WORSHIP THRU THE WORLD

BLESSING

May the Word that was there in the beginning,
That became flesh and made its dwelling among us,
Become your life and light in this world of darkness.
So, by being given the right to become children of God,
By receiving him - by believing in his name.
You will receive the blessings of his grace and truth.
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

WORSHIP THRU THE BODY

PREPARATION


To participate in the Lord’s Supper you will need a piece of bread and a small cup of juice or wine.


The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says, “Therefore, whoever eats and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.


THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

The Lord is with us.
And with our spirit.
We lift up our hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
It is meet and right for us so to do so.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should
at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord,
holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the
company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious
Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts:
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.


LORD’S SUPPER

In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread,
and gave thanks; broke it,
and gave it to his disciples
saying: Take and eat;
this is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.

Again, after supper,
He took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink,
saying: This cup is
the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in remembrance of me.

THE 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,
the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen

COMMUNION SCRIPTURES

“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

But among you there must not be even a
hint of sexual immorality, or of any
kind of impurity, or of greed, because
these are improper for God’s holy people. Ephesians 5:3

“So I strive always to keep my conscience clear
before God and man.” Acts 24:16

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his
faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded
that God had power to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:20-21

COMMUNION

The body of Christ, given for you. (take & eat the piece of bread)
The blood of Christ, shed for you. (take & drink the juice or wine)

CLOSING PRAYER

We give you thanks,
almighty God, that you
have refreshed us
through the healing
power of this gift of
life, and we pray that
in your mercy you
would strengthen us,
through this gift,
in faith toward you and in
fervent love toward one
another; for the sake of
Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

WORSHIP THRU THE WORD

"UNBELIEF"

TEXT: MATTHEW 12 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew12&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE

Jesus and his disciples are accused by the Pharisees of doing what is unlawful when on the Sabbath they ate from the heads of grain in the field they are walking through. Reminding the Pharisees what David and his companions did when they were hungry and what the Law says about temple priests on the Sabbath, Jesus tells them that as the Messiah he is greater than the temple and that he is Lord of the Sabbath. Because of this, he tells them that if they knew the meaning of what Hosea prophesied God as saying when he wrote: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” they wouldn’t have passed judgment on his disciples who are innocent in what they have done.

Going into the Pharisees’ synagogue they were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, asking him in the presence of a man with a shriveled hand if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. After contrasting the greater good done on the Sabbath in helping a man rather than a pulling a sheep out of a pit, the man’s hand was completely restored when he stretched it out as Jesus instructed him to do. However, after this the Pharisees went out and plotted how they could kill Jesus.

HOPE OF THE WORLD

Aware of the Pharisees intent, Jesus left that place and many with him as he healed all of their illnesses but warned them not to tell others yet that he was the Messiah. And what Jesus was doing fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said when he spoke:

This is my chosen servant, Whom I love and delight in, My Spirit is on him, He humbly and gently proclaims My righteousness to the world. So that the harassed, helpless, weary and burdened will not be crushed until My righteousness triumphs. In the name of Jesus the world will place their hope.

BLASPHEMY

When Jesus healed a demon possessed man so that he was able to talk and see, the people were amazed and wondered whether he was the Son of David – the Messiah. Instead, the Pharisees reacted by accusing him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons – Satan. Knowing this, Jesus tells the Pharisees that it makes no sense for Satan to drive out his own demons because if he does, his kingdom can’t stand in the same way that any kingdom divided against itself can’t stand. He asks them in whose name their people drive demons out and tells them that as the Messiah he is driving demons out by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has come. In other words, Jesus says that you can’t enter a strong man’s house and take his possessions unless you tie up the strong man first, i.e. Satan. And, after doing this you can then rob his house, i.e. the kingdom of God can forcefully advance.

He tells them whoever remains neutral with respect to whether he is the Messiah is really against him because instead of working with him to build up the kingdom of God they are instead working against him to scatter it. He tells them that all sins and blasphemy will be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, i.e. anyone who speaks blasphemy against Him will be forgiven but anyone who speaks blasphemy against the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan will not be forgiven either now or at the day of judgment.

Jesus tells them that a tree is recognized by its fruit – with good trees producing good fruit and bad trees producing bad trees – indicating that the Pharisees are a brood of vipers who are evil and thus are unable to say anything good. He says that on the day of judgment they will be held accountable for every careless word they have spoken - words that will either acquit or condemn them.

SIGN OF JONAH

When the religious leaders demanded that Jesus show them some dramatic miraculous sign, he calls them a wicked and adulterous generations for trying to test him after failing to believe in the miracles he had done in their midst. He tells them the only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah – indicating that like Jonah who spent three days and nights in the belly of a huge fish before being released, he will spend three days and nights in a grave before being resurrected. He goes on to tell them that the people of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah’s preaching, will condemn their generation on the day of judgment because even though they have one greater than Jonah preaching to them, i.e. the Messiah, they have not repented. He also tells them that the Queen of the Sheba, who traveled a long distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon, will rise on the day of judgment to condemn their generation because even though one with greater wisdom than Solomon is with them, i.e. the Messiah, they fail to listen to him and believe.

He tells them when an evil spirit leaves a man it travels around trying to find places to rest and when it doesn’t find one it returns to the place it left finding it unoccupied, clean and in order – because there has been no change of heart, no acceptance of him as the Messiah, and only continued self-righteousness. Because of this it gets seven more spirits that are more wicked than itself to come and live there as well and in the end the man’s condition is worse than it was at first. He tells them this is the case with their generation that does not believe that he is the Messiah. .

FATHER’S WILL

While he was talking Jesus was notified that his mother and brothers were standing outside and wanted to talk with him. Pointing to his disciples, he said that whoever does the will of his Father is his brother and sister and mother.

PRINCIPLES

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT THE PHARISEES DID NOT BELIEVE JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH.

II. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS JESUS ADDRESSED THE PHARISEES’ UNBELIEF?

III. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED THEIR UNBLIEF BY REVEALING HE WAS:

A. LORD OF THE SABBATH.

B. HOPE OF THE NATIONS.

C. HEALER OF ALL DISEASE.

D. JUDGE ON THE LAST DAY.

E. SERVANT OF THE FATHER’S WILL.

IV. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT THE PHARISEES OF TODAY DO NOT BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAIH.

V. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US JESUS ADDRESSES TODAY’S PHARISEES’ UNBELIEF?

VI. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS ADDRESSES THEIR UNBELIEF BY REVEALING HE IS:

A. LORD OF THE SABBATH.

B. HOPE OF THE NATIONS.

C. HEALER OF ALL DISEASE.

D. JUDGE ON THE LAST DAY.

E. SERVANT OF THE FATHER’S WILL.

PRAYER

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son, the Messiah and that as Lord of the Sabbath he desires mercy not sacrifice.

Our Father, forgive us when like Pharisees we focus on what we do rather than on what Your Son has done to change our heart purifying it from iniquity.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son that he is our Hope, that he brought Justice to the World that he is our Salvation.

Our Father, we give you praise for Your Son who gave us the sign of Jonah, by spending 3 days and nights in the ground before You resurrected him to life.

Our Father, we give you praise that Your Son through the power of Your Holy Spirit drives our out demons leaving Your indwelling Spirit behind.

Our Father, help us to do Your will that we will be disciples of Your Son.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAYER

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so
much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.


ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

You are holy, Lord, the only God,
and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,
Lord God, living and true.
You are love. You are wisdom.
You are humility. You are endurance.
You are rest. You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage. You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty, Merciful Saviour. Amen


THE 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, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CREED

THE DEFINITION OF CHALCEDON (451)

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood;

One and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed* of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.

*a reference to the Nicene Creed


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAISE

Hope of the Nations - Brian Doerksen

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CONFESSION

CONFESSION – (ADAPTED FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH)

Lord, have mercy.

Holy God, You dwell among Your saints. You are praised by the Seraphim with the thrice holy hymn and glorified by the Cherubim and worshiped by all the heavenly powers. You have brought all things out of nothing into being. You have created man and woman in Your image and likeness and adorned them with all the gifts of Your grace. You have enabled us, Your lowly and unworthy servants, to stand at this hour before the glory of Your holy altar and to offer to You due worship and praise. Master, accept the thrice holy hymn also from the lips of us sinners and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive our voluntary and involuntary transgressions, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant that we may worship and serve You in holiness all the days of our lives.

For You are holy, our God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us .

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed are You on the throne of glory of Your kingdom, seated upon the Cherubim, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

With all of our soul and with all our mind, we say:

Lord, have mercy.

O Lord Almighty, the God of our Fathers, we beseech Thee, hear us and have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy great goodness, we beseech Thee, hear us and have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Furthermore we pray for this country, its ruler, President Obama, its people, civil authorities and armed forces.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Furthermore we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the servants of God.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

O Lord our God, accept our fervent supplication from Thy servants, and have mercy upon us according to the multitude of Thy mercies; and send forth Thy compassion upon us and upon all Thy people, who await the rich mercy that cometh from Thee.

For Thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind, and unto Thee we ascribe glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

We give thanks unto Thee, O Lord God of the Powers, Who hast accounted us worthy to stand even now before Thy holy altar, and to prostrate ourselves before Thy compassion for our sins and errors of the people. Accept our supplications, O God; make us worthy to offer unto Thee prayers and supplications, and bloodless sacrifices for all Thy people. And enable us, by the power of Thy Holy Spirit, to call upon Thee at all times and in every place; that hearing us, Thou mayest show mercy upon us according to the multitude of Thy goodness.

Help us, save us have mercy upon us and protect us, O god, by Thy grace.

Lord, have mercy.

For unto Thee are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Amen.

FORGIVENESS

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon you, has given his only Son to die for you, and for his sake forgives you all your sins. To whoever believes in Jesus Christ, he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. Amen

THE 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, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen



freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE WORLD

BLESSING

He who came to serve (so we also may serve),
Was loved by His Father (as he also loves us),
Who put His Spirit on him (as he sent his Spirit to us),
So he could proclaim justice for all (so we can proclaim his Gospel),
So he could lead justice to victory for all (so we can lead others to his Victory),
So all would put their hope in him (so all will put their Hope in Him).
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

from Matthew 12

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE BODY

PREPARATION


To participate in the Lord’s Supper you will need a piece of bread and a small cup of juice or wine.


The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says, “Therefore, whoever eats and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.


THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

Eucharistic Prayer I

The Lord is with us.
And with our spirit.
We lift up our hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
It is meet and right for us so to do so.


It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should
at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord,
holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.


Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the
company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious
Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,


Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts:
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.


Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.


All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for
that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus
Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who
made there, by his one holy sacrifice of himself once offered, a full,
perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, a holy sacrifice , and satisfaction, for
the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy
Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that
his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again.


COMMUNION

For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread;
and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for
you. Do this in remembrance of me.”


Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had
given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of this;
for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for
you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as
ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”


COMMUNION PRAYER

Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the
institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before
thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now
offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to
make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious
death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension;
rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable
benefits procured unto us by the same.


And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to
hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless
and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts
and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them
according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution,
in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers
of his most blessed Body and Blood.


And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to
accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most
humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and
death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood,
we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our
sins, and all other benefits of his passion.


And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves,
our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living
sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all
others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may
worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son
Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction,
and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and
we in him.


And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins,
to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept
this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits,
but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world
without end. AMEN.


LORD’S PRAYER

And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold
to say,


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,
for ever and ever. Amen.


THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.


O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
grant us thy peace.



We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful
Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold
and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather
up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord
whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore,
gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him,
and he in us. Amen.



THE GIFTS OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Take them in remembrance that Christ died for
you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith,
with thanksgiving.


The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Take and eat
this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on
him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving.


The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in
remembrance that Christ’s Blood was shed for thee, and be
thankful.



PRAYER

Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee
for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the
spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy
Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of
thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very
members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the
blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs,
through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly
beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy
grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do
all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the
Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.
Amen.


COMMUNION BLESSING
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep
your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of
God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be
amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE WORD

FORCEFULLY ADVANCING

TEXT: MATTHEW 11 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew11&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

“R U THE 1”

After Jesus had instructed his disciples and was teaching and preaching in Galilee, John the Baptist, having heard what he was doing, sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was “the” Messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus told John’s disciples to go back and tell him what they themselves had witnessed – that he has been doing exactly what Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would do when he came, namely heal all kinds of infirmities, raise the dead and preach good news to the poor. In light of his fulfilling prophecy in this way, he told them that whoever believes in him as the long awaited Messiah and doesn’t reject him receives the blessing of God.

While John’s disciples were leaving Jesus spoke about John to the people asking them a series of rhetorical questions about who they went out into the desert to see, figuratively raising rhetorical questions that describe King Herod to contrast who Herod is with who John is - a prophet. However, Jesus goes on to say that John is no ordinary prophet because when the prophet Malachi spoke for the LORD Almighty, He said the LORD would send a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. However, Jesus says that even though among all those born of women no one has risen to a greater stature than John in his role as messenger for the Messiah; in the kingdom of heaven, whoever is least is still greater than John, because the least in the kingdom of heaven doesn’t just prepare the way of the Lord, but testifies to the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Jesus says from the time of John’s coming until now, his coming as the Messiah, the kingdom of heaven has been moving powerfully forward in the darkness despite the various types of human and spiritual opposition it has been facing. Jesus says that all Prophets and the Law up to John prophesied about his coming as the Messiah and if the people are able to comprehend the Prophet Malachi, John is the Prophet Elijah Malachi prophesied the LORD as saying He would send to prepare the way of the Messiah for the dawning of the kingdom.

Jesus then asks what he can compare this generation to - stating they are like children in the marketplace who call out to the people: We played our flute and you didn’t dance and we sang a funeral song and you didn’t cry. He uses this comparison to say these children are like those in this generation who say John has a demon because of his simple lifestyle with frequent fasting and at the same time say Jesus is a glutton, alcoholic and sinner through his associations with other sinners because he doesn’t lead a simple lifestyle and fast all the time like John. Jesus tells them that wisdom is proved right by its actions, in that both John and he will be vindicated by the way that they live in contrast to the people who talk out of both sides of their mouths at the same time.

“WOE 2 U”

After this, Jesus charged the cities he performed most of his miracles in with their failure to repent. He cried out in pity for the people of Korazin and Bethsaida, telling them that if the miracles he had done in their midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago. He tells Korazin and Bethsaida that judgment day will be better for the people of Tyre and Sidon than for them. And he tells the people of Capernaum they will see Hell on judgment day, unlike the city of Sodom had the people of that city had the chance to see the miracles because had they, their city would have remained to this day because they too would have repented. Because of their lack of repentance, Jesus tells the people of Capernaum that it will also be better for the people of Sodom on judgment day than for them.

"DISCIPLESHIP"

Then Jesus praised his Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for His good will - for hiding the spiritual truth that he is the Messiah from the religious rulers and others who are prideful, thinking they know everything and so don’t need a Savior and for revealing who he is to those with the humility of children, who know they don’t know everything and who know they need a Savior. Then Jesus said His Father has committed all things to him, that no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son chooses to reveal Him to. Having identified himself as the Son of God by saying this, Jesus called all who are weary and burdened to come to him so he could give them rest, telling the people to become his disciple and learn from him, telling them he is gentle and humble in heart and that by being his disciple they will find rest for their souls. He says that becoming his disciple is easy and that his disciplines are refreshing.


PRINCIPLES

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

II. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

III. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTRUY READERS THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSTION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A Judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


IV. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS HAD TO ADDRESS OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH.

V. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE PROMISED MESSIAH?

VI. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS ADDRESSED OPPOSITION TO HIS BEING THE MESSIAH THROUGH:

A. An assertion about his healings.

C. A pronouncement about John.

D. A judgment concerning the unrepentant.

E. An offer concerning the weary and burdened.


PRAYER

Our Father, We praise You for Your Prophet John who prepared the way of the Lord and for Your Son – the Messiah with whose coming Your Kingdom dawned.

Our Father, We thank You for Jesus’ miracles so we would know he was the Messiah, the Christ, Your Son and would know that we are in need of His Liberation, His Salvation because we are unable to save ourselves.

Our Father, Forgive us when like John we question the Messiah in any way at any time when our faith lacks in anyway – LORD help us with our unbelief.

Our Father, we come to Your Son weary and burdened for rest because He is humble and gentle and our souls are in desperate need of rest, now and forever.

Our Father, we come to Your Son to become His disciples, to learn from Him, to train in His disciplines and to be refreshed by them.

Our Father, we pray that as disciples we will go to all nations in Your Son’s Holy Name so that the Kingdom can continue to forcefully advance in the darkness that remains in the world.

Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAYER

PRAYER: MATTHEW 11:4-6

LORD, this is our testimony - what we have seen and heard:

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

LORD, blessed are those who do not fall away on account of the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

In His Name, Amen


PRAYER: MATTHEW 11:28-30

Jesus, we are weary and burdened,
we want to come to you so you will give us rest.

Jesus, we want to take your yoke upon us and learn from you,
for you are gentle and humble in heart and we will find rest for our souls.

Jesus, your yoke is easy and your burden is light.
In Your Name, Amen.


THE 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, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CREED

THE ATHANASIAN CREED

Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith.

Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally.

Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.

For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.

But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty.

What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.

The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite.

Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit: And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited.

Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty.

Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God.

Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord.

As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created, but was alone begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created, but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Thus there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.

And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons.

Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.

It is necessary for eternal salvation that one also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh.

For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and man.

He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother -- existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in humanity.

Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ.

He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity.

He is completely one in the unity of his person, without confusing his natures.

For as the rational soul and body are one person, so the one Christ is God and man.

He suffered death for our salvation. He descended into hell and rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

At his coming all people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds.

Those who have done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith.

One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAISE

MATTHEW 11

http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew11&niv=yes

I. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH.

Jesus, Messiah - Prestonwood Choir

For Unto Us A Child Is Born (from Messiah by G.F. Handel) - Oregon Bach Festival Choir & Orchestra


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CONFESSION

CONFESSION

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Glory be to God on high.
And on earth peace towards men of good will.
I praise thee.
I bless thee.
I worship thee.
I glorify thee.
I give thanks to thee for thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive my prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right of the Father, have mercy upon me.
For thou only art Holy. Thou only art the Lord. Thou only art the Most High.
Thou only, O Jesus Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art Most High in the glory of God the Father. Amen.


Time for Silent Reflection and Confession


O God, I come to celebrate that your Spirit is alive and
present all around me and within me. Forgive me when I
ignore its life and power. You bring me hope for today and
tomorrow. Forgive me for dwelling on mistakes of the past.
You love each one with passion and special fondness. Forgive
me for believing I am not good enough to deserve your favor.
Help me to live more fully in the joy of Jesus Christ my Lord
Savior. Amen.


Lord, have mercy upon me.
Christ, have mercy upon me.
Lord, have mercy upon me.


FORGIVENESS

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon you, has given his only Son to die for you, and for his sake forgives you all your sins. To whoever believes in Jesus Christ, he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.
Amen


THE 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, the power and the glory. For ever and ever. Amen



freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE WORLD

BLESSING

May your illnesses be healed,
May your dead be raised up,
And may your demons be driven out,
For he has the authority to do so.

May you be on guard of men,
May you not worry what you will say,
May you know God is always with you,
So don’t fear those who are unable to kill your soul.

May you acknowledge Him before men,
May you love Him more than these,
May you take up your cross daily,
For in doing so you will find your life.

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

from Matthew 10


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE BODY

PREPARATION

To participate in the Lord’s Supper you will need a piece of bread and a small cup of juice or wine.

The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says, “Therefore, whoever eats and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO

Glory be to God on high.
And in earth peace towards men of good will.
We praise thee.
We bless thee.
We worship thee.
We glorify thee.
We give thanks to thee for thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right of the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art Holy. Thou only art the Lord. Thou only art the Most High.
Thou only, O Jesus Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art Most High in the glory of God
the Father. Amen.


LORD’S SUPPER

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed,
took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and said, “This is my body.
Which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”


In the same way, after supper he took the cup,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood;
do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.


For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Cor 11:23-26


THE 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,
the power and the glory.
For ever and ever.
Amen


COMMUNION SCRIPTURES

Then he said to them all: “if anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will. Romans 12:2

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let
nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to
the work of the Lord because you know that your
labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to The ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

COMMUNION


The body of Christ, given for you. (take & eat the piece of bread)


The blood of Christ, shed for you. (take & drink the juice or wine)


CLOSING PRAYERS


Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen


We give you thanks,
almighty God, that you
have refreshed us
through the healing
power of this gift of
life, and we pray that
in your mercy you
would strengthen us,
through this gift,
in faith toward you and in
fervent love toward one
another; for the sake of
Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE WORD

LISTEN UP

TEXT: MATTHEW 10 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew10&niv=yes

PARAPHRASE

CALLING & INSTRUCTIONS

Jesus called out to twelve to be his disciples, his apostles, including: Simon (Peter) and Andrew (his brother); James (Zebedee’s son) and John (his brother); Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew (the tax collector); James (Alphaeus’ son), and Thaddaeus (Jude); Simon (the Zealot) and Judas Iscariot (the betrayer).
Giving them authority to drive out demons and to heal every disease and sickness He sent them out with the following instructions:

You mission is to the lost of Israel, not to the lost Gentiles or Samaritans and your message is that the kingdom of heaven is near. You are to heal those who are sick, raise those who are dead, purify those with leprosy, and drive out demons from those who are possessed.

And do these things free of charge because you received this message, calling and authority for free. And don’t take any money or extra clothes or anything else which could result in you relying on yourselves for provisions while on this mission because God provides for those who do the work of His kingdom through others.
In each town or village you go to look for someone willing and able to take you in while you’re there and when you enter their home greet them with a blessing of peace, but if it turns out they don’t take care of you, let your blessing of peace return to you. Upon entering a town or village, if no one welcomes you or listens to your message shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that home or town as a sign that because of their refusal to offer hospitality and to hear your message you will not be taking any of their dust from their roads from them as you leave either – a symbolical way of marking them as having rejected the My message. Truly, Sodom and Gomorrah will do better on Judgment Day than for any town that rejects you and the message you bring in this way. You need to keep in mind that since you are being sent out like sheep among wolves you need to be as clever as snakes while at the same time being as innocent as doves so that you can be effective and not undermine the message by being too cautious.

You need to be prepared because some of you will be handed over to the local religious councils and you will be flogged in their synagogues. Because of your preaching who I am, others of you will be brought before the Roman governors and the Jewish kings they appoint and will have the opportunity to witness this to them as well. Don’t worry what or how to say it when you are arrested because the Spirit of the Father will speak through you at that time.

Who I am will not only cause men to hate you, it will cause brother to betray brother, fathers to betray their children, and children to rebel against their parents – all to the point of death. But whoever remains faithful to me to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, there is no logical reason to put up with unnecessary persecution when it is clear you and the message you bring are unwanted. You are on a missionary journey for the purpose of helping to build the kingdom of God so move on to another place where your efforts can be productive – don’t stay where you are being persecuted just so you can be martyred. You will not complete the mission I am giving you to go throughout the cities of Israel before I return in judgment of Israel.

Remember that I’ve been called Beelzebub, the prince of demons, by the religious leaders for casting demons out of demon possessed people. So if I the Son of God have been called Satan, you as my disciples will be called the same thing because students and servants are not above their teachers or masters. You need to be prepared for this and know that strange as it may seem the kingdom message will advance in the world in this way.

But do not fear them because the truth of the good news will be brought out into the open despite what others will call you. What I’m telling you, proclaim for all to hear. Another reason not to fear them is because although they can kill you body, they can’t kill your soul; instead fear God who controls your destiny which can be hell where both body and soul are destroyed. Finally, do not fear them because you are more valuable than sparrows and not one of them perishes without it being the will of God – and He knows you so well that He could tell you how many hairs are on your head.

Those who recognize me before men will be recognized before my Father, but those who deny me before men will be denied to my Father. When it comes to the issue of entering the kingdom, I haven’t come to bring peace but a sword because it is “the” issue that will divide people and result in who does and doesn’t enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, my coming will turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law such that the members of a man’s household will become his enemies when his father, mother, son or daughter learn that he loves Me more than them. If he doesn’t, he isn’t worthy of me - just like anyone who fails to sacrifice his life by dying to himself for the sake of others in following me. And a person who works hard to find their life will actually end up losing it in the age to come, while a person who loses their life in the course of following me will find it in the age to come.

Whenever you are received by others, they are also receiving me and my Father who sent me. In the same way, anyone who receives a prophet receives the prophets reward, anyone who receives a righteous man receives the righteous man’s reward, and anyone who gives a cup of cold water to my disciple, one of these little ones, receives my disciple’s reward – the kingdom of God!


PRINCIPLES

1. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT AFTER JESUS CHOOSE TWELVE DISCIPLES HE INSTRUCTED THEM ABOUT THE MISSION HE WAS SENDING THEM ON.

2. WHAT DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIS DISCIPLES WERE FOR THE MISSION HE WAS SENDING THEM ON?


3. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS INSTRUCTED HIS DISCIPLES:

A. They had authority to drive out demons and to heal every sickness and disease.

B. They were to go only to the lost sheep of Israel.

C. They were to preach the message that kingdom of heaven was near.

D. They were to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers and drive out demons.

E. They have received freely from God so they were to give freely to others.

F. They were not to rely on their own provisions but instead to trust in God’s provision.

G. They were to stay with a worthy person and to give them their peace.

H. They were to leave behind the dust on their feet as a testimony against those who wouldn’t welcome or listen to them.

I. They were to be both clever in the way they operated as well as be innocent in the means they used so they didn’t undermine the message by being too cautious.

J. They were to be aware they would be persecuted in their synagogues & that they would witness to the Gentiles through the power of the Holy Spirit.

K. They were to be aware they would be hated because of preaching who Jesus is and they would need to stand firm in their faith about Him.

L. They were to flee to another place when persecuted by those who obviously wouldn’t accept them or their message rather than make themselves into martyrs and become unable to preach the message about the kingdom.

M. They were to know they wouldn’t finish their mission before Jesus returned in judgment of Israel.

N. They were to know they were not above their teacher so they would not be treated better than he was.

O. They were told to not be afraid because their Father knows them individually and was in control of everything.

P. They were told if they acknowledge Jesus before others He will acknowledge them before His Father.

Q. They were told Jesus has come as a sword in that when people have to decide whether he is first in their lives it creates conflict for them and between them and others in their lives, including in their family.

R. They were told if they don’t sacrifice their lives, die to themselves, for the sake of others they aren’t worthy of him.

S. They were told that if someone doesn’t give their life to Him they will lose it.

T. They were told that anyone who receives them, receives Him and His Father who sent him.


4. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT AFTER JESUS CHOOSES HIS DISCIPLES HE INSTRUCTS THEM ABOUT THE MISSION HE IS SENDING THEM ON.

5. WHAT DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR HIS DISCIPLES FOR THE MISSION HE IS SENDING THEM ON?

6. MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIS DISCIPLES TODAY ARE THAT:

A. We have authority to drive out demons and to heal every sickness and disease.

B. We are to go to the lost sheep of all Nations.

C. We are to preach the message that kingdom of heaven is here.

D. We are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers and drive out demons.

E. We have received freely from God so we are to give freely to others.

F. We are not to rely on our own provisions but instead to trust in God’s provision.

G. We are to stay with a worthy person and to give them our peace.

H. We are to leave behind the dust on our feet as a testimony against those who don’t welcome or listen to us.

I. We are to be both clever in the way we operate as well as be innocent in the means we use so we don’t undermine the message by being too cautious.

J. We are to be aware we will be persecuted in our churches & that we will witness to the secular world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

K. We are to be aware we will be hated because of preaching who Jesus is and we will need to stand firm in our faith about Him.

L. We are to flee to another place when persecuted by those who obviously wouldn’t accept us or our message, rather than make ourselves into martyrs and become unable to preach the message about the kingdom.

M. We are to know we will not finish our mission before Jesus returns in judgment of Israel.

N. We are to know we are not above our teacher so we will not be treated better than he was.

O. We are told to not be afraid because our Father knows us individually and is in control of everything.

P. We are told if we acknowledge Jesus before others He will acknowledge us before His Father.

Q. We are told Jesus has come as a sword in that when people have to decide whether he is first in their lives it creates conflict for them and between them and others in their lives, including in their family.

R. We are told if we don’t sacrifice our lives, die to ourselves, for the sake of others we aren’t worthy of Him.

S. We are told that if we don’t give our life to Him we will lose it.

T. We are told that anyone who receives us, receives Him and His Father who sent him.


PRAYER


Our Father, we praise You for Your Son for His calling disciples and for His giving them authority preach and heal in His Name.

Our Father, we thank You for Your Son for His calling us as disciples and for giving us authority to preach and heal in His Name today.

Our Father, forgive us when we try to do the work of Your kingdom on our own strength, our own words and our own resources, rather than relying on Your provision and the power of Your Spirit.

Our Father, help us to use the minds You have given to us as we do the work of Your kingdom so that we will evaluate who we associate with, we prepare ourselves for the persecution that lies ahead, we cleverly preach with intelligence, we don’t let the ends of Your message justify the means by which we go about presenting it, we testify against those who reject us as Your messengers and Your message, and we leave pointless persecution behind us for another place where eyes, ears and hearts are open.

Our Father, help us to have no fear because You are with use at all times and even though we know that we will be treated no better than Your Son, who was insultingly called the prince of demons, give us peace in knowing that even though You are God, You know us so well that even the number of hairs on our head our known by You.

Our Father, we ask that we remain faithful at all times: never disowning Your Son, placing him first in our lives before all even those in our family, sacrificing our lives for His sake and that of others, losing our lives for Him, and receiving prophets, the righteous and other disciples in Your and Your Son’s Names.

Our Father, our prayer is in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.



freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAYER

PRAYER OF THE ORDER OF ST. LUKE

Almighty God, who inspired Your servant
Luke the Physician to set forth the Gospel,
the love and healing power of Your Son:
Graciously continue in Your Church
the love and power to heal,
to the praise and glory of Your Name,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen


PRAYER FROM THE LITANY OF HEALING

Almighty God, giver of life and health;
Send your blessing on all who are sick,
and upon those who minister to them,
that all weakness may be vanquished
by the triumph of the risen Christ;
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen


THE 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, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen

FREEFOTO.COM HTTP://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-NC-ND/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CREED

APOSTLE’S CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by he Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU PRAISE

kingdom of heaven is near - Dreamz


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU CONFESSION

CONFESSION

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

If we say we have no sin, we deceive myself, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9



TIME FOR SELF EXAMINATION


Create in me a clean heart, O God
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51


Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against
thee in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved thee with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in thy will,
and walk in thy ways,
to the glory of thy Name. Amen.



FORGIVENESS

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon you, has given his only Son to die for you, and for his sake forgives you all your sins. To whoever believes in Jesus Christ, he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. Amen


THE 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, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen


freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

WORSHIP THRU THE WORLD

BLESSING

May your sins be forgiven,
May you get up and walk,
May you follow Him when he calls,
For he has not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
And His new wine is not to be poured into old wineskins.

May you take heart,
May you have faith so you can be healed,
May He come in and take your hand so you can get up,
For in believing He is able to do this,
And according to your faith it will be done.

May the Lord of the harvest send you into his harvest field this week.

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.


Scripture References: Matthew 9

picture: calvininstitute

WORSHIP THROUGH THE BODY

PREPARATION

To participate in the Lord’s Supper you will need a piece of bread and a small cup of juice or wine.

The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 says, “Therefore, whoever eats and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Apostle Paul’s threefold instruction to prepare for the Lord’s supper includes:

1)Warning against coming to the Lord’s Supper in an irreverent and sinful way.

2)Undergoing self-examination before partaking in the Lord’s Supper.

3)Understanding the true nature and purpose of the Lord’s supper.

PRAISE
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God of power and might:
Heaven and Earth are full of you glory. Hosanna,
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

LORD’S SUPPER
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread,
and gave thanks; broke it,
and gave it to his disciples
saying: Take and eat;
this is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.

Again, after supper,
He took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink,
saying: This cup is
the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in remembrance of me.

THE 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,
the power and the glory.
For ever and ever. Amen


COMMUNION SCRIPTURES

We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us
has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid
on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

Just as man is destined to die once, and after
that to face judgment. Hebrews 9:27

For Christ died for sinners once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
He was put to death in the body but made alive by
the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18

He saved us, not because of righteous things
we had done, but because of his mercy. He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is
Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with
your heart that you believe and are justified, and it
is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10

I write these things to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God so that you may know
that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13


COMMUNION
The body of Christ, given for you. (take & eat the piece of bread)
The blood of Christ, shed for you. (take & drink the juice or wine)


CLOSING PRAYER
We give you thanks,
almighty God, that you
have refreshed us
through the healing
power of this gift of
life, and we pray that
in your mercy you
would strengthen us,
through this gift,
in faith toward you and in
fervent love toward one
another; for the sake of
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

WORSHIP THRU THE WORD

"ATTACK"




TEXT: MATTHEW 9 http://www.biblica.com/bible/verse/index.php?q=matthew9&niv=yes

15 - Get Up and Walk - Trevor Nerva - Producer


PARAPHRASE

“BLASPHEMY”

When some men bring a paralytic to Jesus after crossing over to Capernaum, seeing their faith, he tells the paralytic his sins are forgiven. Some of the teachers of the law accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their minds, but Jesus, knowing this calls them on it, asking them whether they think it is easier for him to say to the man his sins are forgiven or get up and walk? But so they will know that when he told the paralytic his sins are forgiven that he has the authority to do so, he then tells the paralytic to get up, take up his mat and go home – at which point he gets up and goes home – demonstrating that if he has the authority to heal he also has the authority to forgive sins as well. Totally amazed by this, the crowd praises God for giving this authority to men.

“DESPICABLE”

Moving on, Jesus sees a man named Matthew, a tax collector, and when he says to him, “Follow me” he gets up and follows him. During a dinner at Matthew’s house with many tax collectors and sinners the Pharisees ask Jesus’ disciples why their teacher eats with such despicable people? Overhearing this, Jesus tells the Pharisees that in the same way people go to the doctor when they’re sick not when they’re healthy that people who are sinful are in need of mercy and forgiveness. He tells them to go and find the true meaning of Hosea’s words that say, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” And, he tells them he hasn’t come to call those who think they are so good they don’t need his help, but instead those who know they really need it.

“RESISTANCE”

Then John the Baptists’ disciples question Jesus why his disciples aren’t observing the traditional fasts like they and the Pharisees are doing. Jesus tells them his disciples will fast at the appropriate time but for now his presence with his disciples is like that of a bridegroom with his guests at a wedding feast where there is celebration not fasting – a sign of the Messiah’s coming. He went on to illustrate that his presence is new and requires change (it cannot be fit into Judaism) in two more ways, telling them that 1) his presence without change would be like sewing a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment with the patch pulling away from the garment when it is washed, making the tear worse and 2) his presence without change would be like pouring new wine into old wineskins such that when the wine ferments and expands, the old wineskins have no stretch left in them and therefore burst open with the new wine running out because the old wineskins are ruined. He tells them that in the same way that new wine requires new wineskins so that both can be preserved, his coming as the Messiah cannot be contained within Judaism - requiring a new form, a fulfillment of the law, a new covenant so that it can be preserved.

“TAUNT”

While he was explaining this, a synagogue ruler came and knelt before Jesus, telling him his daughter had died, expressing his faith that Jesus can restore her to life by merely touching her. As Jesus and his disciples are on their way to the ruler’s house a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding problem for 12 years “secretly” touches his cloak because being both unclean and a woman she was prohibited from touching anyone let alone a Jewish man. However, she did so having faith that if she was able to just touch some part of Jesus she would be healed by his power. Recognizing he had been touched, Jesus turns to her and says her faith has healed her and from that time on she was healed of her bleeding problem. And, on arriving at and entering the ruler’s house, when Jesus tells those gathered to console the ruler on his daughter’s death to leave because she is asleep, they laugh mockingly at him. However, with the crowd outside, when Jesus takes the girl by her hand she gets up - with the news of this spreading throughout the region.

“DEMONIC”

As he heads home, two blind men follow him, call him “Son of David” in their recognition of Jesus as an earthly Messiah and ask him to have mercy on them. Following Jesus indoors, he asks them if they believe he is able to restore their sight and when they reply, “Yes” he touches their eyes saying, “According to your faith it will be done to you,” at which point their sight is restored. Despite being warned by Jesus not to tell others what had happened they tell people throughout the region. After they leave a man who couldn’t talk because he was demon-possessed is brought to Jesus. But, after Jesus drives out the demon the man is able to speak to the people’s amazement leading them to say, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” However, in contrast the Pharisees accuse Jesus of driving out demons by Satan’s power and authority instead of attributing it to God.

“HARASSMENT”

Going throughout the towns and villages, Jesus’ ministry consists of teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. He had compassion on the people because like sheep, they are harassed and helpless and in need of a shepherd. Because of this, he tells his disciples there are many people to bring the good news of the kingdom to but there are few disciples to preach the good news such that they need to ask him as the Messiah in charge of who enters the kingdom to send disciples to the helpless people.


PRINCIPLES

1. MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS ATTACKED WHEN HE DEMONSTRATED HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS.

2. HOW DID MATTHEW TELL HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT JESUS WAS ATTACKED WHEN HE DEMONSTRATED HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS?


MATTHEW TOLD HIS FIRST CENTURY READERS THAT:

A. The teachers of the law accused Jesus of blasphemy when he forgave a paralytic’s sins & healed him.

B. The Pharisees questioned why Jesus would associate and eat with tax collectors and sinners.

C. John’s disciples questioned Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast like they and the Pharisees did.

D. The flute players & noisy crowd mocked Jesus when he told them to go away the girl was asleep.

E. The Pharisees said it was by the prince of demons that Jesus was driving out demons.

F. The religious leaders’ harassment of the people led Jesus to tell his disciples to ask Him for help.


3. MATTHEW TELLS US TODAY THAT JESUS IS ATTACKED BECAUSE HE DEMONSTRATES HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS.

4. HOW DOES MATTHEW TELL US TODAY THAT JESUS IS ATTACKED BECAUSE HE DEMONSTRATES HIS AUTHORITY AS THE SON OF GOD TO FORGIVE SINS?

MATTHEW IS TELLING US THAT:

A. Some believers accuse other believers of blasphemy for forgiving sins and healing in Jesus’ name.

B. Some believers question why other believers associate with prostitutes and drug dealers.

C. Some believers question why other believers drink alcohol, eat meat, dance, play cards, etc.

D. Some believers mock other believers when they tell them Jesus miraculously heals today.

E. Some believers say it is by the power of Satan that other believers are driving out demons.

F. Some believers’ harassment of the people causes other believers to ask Jesus for help.


PRAYER

Our Father, we give You praise for Your Son, the Messiah and his coming into the world with the authority to forgive our sins and heal our sickness and disease.

Our Father, forgive us when we act like the teachers of the law, Pharisees, disciples of John the Baptist, flute players & the noisy crowd, and religious leaders by opposing the Messiah’s work in the world today.

Our Father, change our hearts through the mercy and forgiveness we have received so that we will obediently teach, preach, and heal amongst those the Messiah came for.

Our Father, help us to touch others with Your Son’s touch and use us to help open the eyes of others to who Your Son is and what he has done.

Our Father, we ask Your Son for helpers in carrying out His harvest work for Your Kingdom that began when he came as the Messiah.

Our Father, we especially ask for helpers in the midst of the tragedy that has occurred at Fort Hood - that Your Son’s presence as the Good Shepherd will be known through his helpers in the midst of the shock, grief, and helplessness that exists in the aftermath of the trauma the people are going through.

Our Father, we ask all of this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

freefoto.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/