In our services this Sunday we take on the issue of hypocrisy in the church. The text is Luke 13.1-20 I won't be able to read the whole text, but I encourage you to do so. As you do notice the flow of the text from a call to repentance to the reason why repentance is needed (no fruit) to a picture of those who have no fruit (the hypocritical Synagogue Ruler and those who agree with his stand) and those who do have fruit (the woman and those like her who glorify God) and finally to a picture of an expanding kingdom where a sown seed becomes a tree (think fruit).
The service starts with a wonderful group of pictures that are not what the appear to be or are made up. Enjoy the fun couple of minutes of seeing how creative people have gotten with photography. We move next into greeting each other and then the joy of being greeted by God to this time of honoring him in worship. Our opening song is "Arise" which asks God to change our hearts as we worship this day. After the opening song there is a confession of faith that defines what it means to have a truly changed heart. It is from the Heidelberg Catechism, a 16th century confession of faith which is one of the confessions that defines EverGreen's understanding of the Scriptures. The words of this part of the confession are
Q & A 88
Q. What is involved
in genuine repentance or conversion?
A. Two things:
the dying-away of the old self,
and the coming-to-life of the new.^1
^1 Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5-10
Q & A 89
Q. What is the dying-away of the old self?
A. It is to be genuinely sorry for sin,
to hate it more and more,
and to run away from it.^1
^1 Ps. 51:3-4, 17; Joel 2:12-13; Rom. 8:12-13; 2 Cor. 7:10
Q & A 90
Q. What is the coming-to-life of the new self?
A. It is wholehearted joy in God through Christ^1
and a delight to do every kind of good
as God wants us to.^2
^1 Ps. 51:8, 12; Isa.57:15; Rom. 5:1; 14:17
^2 Rom. 6:10-11; Gal. 2:20
After the confession we will sing, "Blessed be the Name". It is a call and commitment to be people who live our new life in Christ no matter what is going on in our lives. Finally we sing "Indescribable".
Our offering and announcements come next, followed by a prayer for the needs of the world and then the message entitled "Illusions: Who Needs to Clean Up?
Our closing song is "Everyday" followed by God's blessing for our week ahead.
Just a reminder that at 4.45 we have our "just walk across the room" teaching that's getting us ready to invite folks to Easter or to begin a relationship with someone that hopefully will lead them one day to Christ.
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