Introduction
The sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 7:18-35), Jesus responds to questions about his identity. He contrasts those who refuse to trust him with those who do. The conclusion of the passage displays this great truth: Jesus is God’s promised Messiah; those who trust him are wise.
The hymn for this service express our trust in God’s promised Messiah who saves and will fulfill all the promises of God.
PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP
Welcome and Call to Worship
Prelude
Invocation
PROCLAMATION
Hymn 1 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Notes: We begin our worship with a hymn that expresses the inadequacy of our ability to praise our great Redeemer. We ask the Father to assist us as we proclaim “the honors of [His] name.” The cross lies at the heart of the praise we offer for “His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.” (We will sing this hymn to the tune Azmon, p. 70).
Hymn 412 No Other Plea
Notes: We declare our one faith—a body of doctrine that has Christ alone at its core. “I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.” (Please note that in the first verse we will substitute the word “deed” for the word “creed”).
Scripture Reading Psalm 2:1-12
Notes: At his first coming, Jesus’ own people rejected him. Jesus chided them for this in the sermon text. The Scripture reading describes humanity’s rejection of God’s Son from God’s own perspective.
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn 588 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Note: Martin Luther’s majestic hymn reminds us that Christ (and thus his church) will face rejection in every generation. Regardless of this raging opposition, we know the outcome of it all: “the body they man kill; God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”
Message: Jesus, Faith, and Wisdom
Luke 7:18-35
Pastor Steven Thomas
RESPONSE
Hymn Credo
Notes: “Credo” means “I believe.” This is a hymn, recently learned. It expresses the essence of the truth that Christians confess. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ lie at the very core of this faith.
Prayer Response: John Miles
Benediction: John Miles