Gathering Liturgy | September 20
Call to Worship
Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. (From Psalm 139)
Song | You Reign
Prayer of Confession
Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (cf Psalm 51)
May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Psalm 28:7)
I prayed, “God, you’re my God! Listen, God! Mercy! God, my Lord, Strong Savior, I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence. (from Psalm 140 The Message)
Song | Come Thou Fount
Prayer of Assurance
I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; On the day I called, You answered me; you made me bold with strength in my soul. For great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, Your right hand will save me. (From Psalm 138 NASB)
Song | Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Scripture Reading | Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Sermon Notes
A snapshot of work:
82% work 40+ hours each week.
The average person will spend 90,000 hours or 13 years and 2 months at work.
80% of employees suffer from work-related stress.
79% of employees say they are burned out.
53% of Americans are unhappy in their jobs.
52% of people admit to being disengaged in their work.
69% of people say that they would work harder if they were appreciated.
Sexism: women with the same positions and same qualifications make 21% less per year than men.
Racism: women of color make 26% less than their male counterparts.
Americans forfeited nearly 50% of their paid vacation in 2017.
Almost 10% of workers took no vacation at all.
(Work) was created by God.
Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:15
God was the (original worker).
Genesis 2:1-3; Psalm 145:14-17
God created (us) to be (workers).
Psalm 127:1
"Work was part of paradise." - Ben Witherington
God's design for work:
(1) Purpose: (Fulfillment)
Ecclesiastes 3:22
"In his vocation, man does works which affect the well-being of others; for so God has made all offices. Through this work in man's offices, God's creative work goes forward, and that creative work is love, a profusion of good gifts. With persons as his "hands" or "coworkers," God gives his gifts through the earthly vocations, toward man's life on earth (food through farmers, fishermen, and hunters; external peace through princes, judges, and orderly powers; knowledge and education through teachers and parents, etc., etc.). Through the preacher's vocation, God gives the forgiveness of sins. Thus love comes from God, flowing down to human beings on earth through all vocations, through both spiritual and earthly governments.” - Martin Luther
(2) Worship: (Sanctification)
Proverbs 16:3; Romans 12:1
“…work is…the medium in which he offers himself to God.” - Dorthy Sayers
(3) Grace: (Rest)
Exodus 20:8-10; Ecclesiastes 5:12
Many of us have (failed) in this area of work...(but there is a Savior!)
For further study:
Scripture: Psalm 104:10-23; Ecclesiastes 5:8-20; Galatians 6:2-10
Resources: “Work: A Kingdom Perspective” by Ben Witherington
To prepare for next week: Genesis 2:15; God’s Plan for Work (edited)
Communion
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
(For the bread) “This is the body of Christ, broken for you.”
(For the juice) “This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”
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.
Song | Revelation Song
Announcements and Giving
Song | God of This City
Benediction
So, my brothers and sisters, you owe the flesh nothing! You do not need to live according to its ways, so abandon its oppressive regime. If you have invited the Spirit to destroy these selfish desires, you will experience life. If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy.
Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children. If we are God’s children, that means we are His heirs along with the Anointed, set to inherit everything that is His. If we share His sufferings, we know that we will ultimately share in His glory.(Romans 8:12, 14, & 16-17)
Peace be with you. And also with you!
