Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 19 (C) -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God."

Invitation to the Celebration

     In the Name of the Living God, good morning.

How are you doing?

Even more importantly, how are you being?

We often judge our own and other people's Christianity on what we, and they, do or don't do.

God judges us mostly on our being, which, of course, leads to our doing, as we will discover in today's Gospel lesson.

Who we are in our relationship to God leads us directly into our behavior.

We may try to kid ourselves, as did the wicked tenants; but we will never fool God.

God invites us to find out what that means - now!

 

P: I remind you that this day is beautiful and sacred, because God is alive!

M: But we see little beauty and sacredness outside of these cozy walls!

P: I remind you that God is beauty .. God is love.

That which is ugly we have made.

M: Does God love us amidst our ugliness?

Even amidst our lives that betray God and each other?

P: Look again at the cross .. it says that God loves us as we are .. do you understand that?

M: We understand.

We understand that we are important creations of a concerned God!  Now, we express our thanks to God for such awesome confidence in us!  LEAD ON!

 

*Choral Call to Worship*

~* *Hymn of Praise*                   "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."

# 10

~* INVOCATION AND LORD'S PRAYER                  Grant us integrity, O Lord, and the wisdom to order our values in everyday living, that we may lead abundant lives as Jesus wished for us, yet be faithful to him as we accept those hardships and sufferings that refine us as we are faithful to his call.

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever.

AMEN.

*Gloria Patri*

SCRIPTURE READING                     Exodus 20:1-4+7-9+12-20

20:1 Then God spoke all these words: 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 20:3 you shall have no other gods before me.

20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.

20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

20:13 You shall not murder.

20:14 You shall not commit adultery.

20:15 You shall not steal.

20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

20:18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 20:19 and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die."

20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin."

READER

*Response Text...*Psalm 19

19:1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

19:2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

19:3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

19:4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

19:5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

19:6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;

19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;

19:9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

19:11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

19:12 But who can detect their errors?

Clear me from hidden faults.

19:13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

*OFFERING*                We Are Accountable  "The Holy Spirit makes generosity a matter of the heart, not of the pocket, though the Holy Spirit never excludes the pocket."

~* DOXOLOGY

~* PRAYER OF DEDICATION           We have received the greatest gift in the world.

Thank you.

Grant that our response in thanks may exceed our speaking about  thanks, for the sake of your world.

AMEN.

CHILDREN'S STORY TIME  Tell the story of the text using a contemporary setting for children and young people.

CHORAL ANTHEM

PRAYER                     Holy and Loving God, thank You for inviting us to worship, for leading us in worship, and for directing our lives following worship.

Sometimes we hide the joy of our faith under a bundle of excuses; yet we know that all the excuses in the world will not stop Your pursuit of us.

Keep reminding us of the cross and resurrection, that life is beautiful, and that You have given us time in order to celebrate the gift of life.

Keep us from getting so involved in the crude pettiness and ugliness of life that we miss the big picture -- that You are in control .. (conclude with your own praises)     It's so easy for us to criticize the crowd, the wicked tenants, and decide that we are the "good ones."

All of us need forgiveness, over and over, for our thoughts, our words, our feelings, our behavior.

/Introduction to Newness in Christ/     God's love never changes.

Against all who oppose or ignore God, God exposes love in wrath, a word we seldom hear in the church.

In that same love, God took on judgment and death in Jesus the Christ, to bring us liberation and new life.

I declare to you who mean business with God, that in the name of the Christ, you are forgiven.

M: God, we thank you for your promise.

We believe you, and we receive your gift.

And now, we are better equipped to seek forgiveness, and to offer forgiveness, each day, each hour.

~* PREPARATIONAL HYMN            "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart" (stanzas 1, 2, 3).

"What is your usual reason for reading the Bible - comfort for yourself, or simply passages which you can use against those who disagree with you?"

SCRIPTURE TEXT                 Matthew 21:33-46

21:33 "Listen to another parable.

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.

21:34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.

21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.

21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance."

21:39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

21:41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?

21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."