Monday, March 20, 2017

Abide in Jesus Series: Turning from Our Greedy Hoarding to Our Extravagantly Merciful and Generous Savior + Saturday, March 18, 2017







Previous Sermons and Liturgies in Abide in Jesus Series:

Jesus Is Our Gift and our Goal + Winter 2017
Turning from Our Disgraceful Pride to Our Gracious Savior + Winter 2017 
Turning from Our Slothful Indifference to Our Zealously Righteous Savior + Winter 2017
Turning from Our Exiling Envy to Our Welcoming Savior of Sorrows and Joy + Winter 2017 
Turning from Our Blinding and Destructive Lust to Fully Seeing Our Powerfully Pure Savior of Relentless Love + Winter 2017

Céad míle fáilte! Welcome! Bienvenido! Akwaaba! Mirë se vjen! خوش آمدید Bem-vindos! 歡迎光臨!
We have the privilege to love and serve this city as His Church – His family of servants and ambassadors – in multicultural communities who are learning how to humbly follow Jesus in every area of life, to graciously love our neighbors, and to generously serve our city for the glory of God and for the life of the world. Emmaus City welcomes you and invites you to hear and respond to the gospel, the history-altering, world-changing, life-transforming good news that Jesus is King – our Savior, Healer, Redeemer, Reconciler, Champion, Friend – and that He is bringing the joy and justice of God's Kingdom to Worcester.

The chief concern for the rich and for the poor is whether our hearts are content with what God has given us. The Bible helps us understand that contentment – the kind that stays intact during prosperous times as well as during times of scarcity – is reachable only for those who see God Himself as their true wealth. Contentment grows as we live from the truth that God is our ultimate inheritance. He invites us to be satisfied, because our deepest need – to have God be with us and for us – has been richly met. + Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer. + Jim Carrey

Greed is being chained to the ground, with our backs turned to heaven and our eyes fixed on the earth. + Dante

We need informed individuals and families everywhere to tear down our current picture of the good life and build a new one filled with mercy in its place. When Jesus used the phrase, “I will tear down” in his parable about the rich man in Luke 12:16-21, He was using a phrase by the prophet Jeremiah (in 1:9-10) that was used to describe courageous acts in an ironic twist. It’s as if acting like God and storing up treasures is the opposite of a courageous act. And God took back the man’s life as if he were already dead to a world God is meaning to restore. What we tear down and rebuild says everything about our souls, our future, and the things we really value. We can tear down a life of greed and rebuild with mercy. + Jeff Cook, Seven

Everything is needful that He sends; nothing can be needful that He withholds. + John Newton


Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven, 
May Your name be kept holy.
May Your Kingdom come.
May Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
And forgive us our sins
As we have forgiven those
Who sin against us.
And don’t let us
Yield to temptation,
But rescue us
From the evil one.
(For Yours is the Kingdom,
The power and the glory forever. Amen.)

By Page CXVI
Original by Thomas Ken
1674 A.D.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Glory to Thee my God this night
For all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, O keep me King of kings
Under the shadow of Thy wings.

Lord, let my soul forever share
The bliss of Thy paternal care.
‘Tis heav’n on earth, ‘tis heav’n above
To seek Thy face and sing Thy love.

Amen, amen.

By Sojourn Worship
2015 A.D.

Forgive us Lord, for passing by 
When children cry for bread.
Forbid it Lord, that justice lies
In tatters, cold and dead.
Outside these walls run desperate streets 
Where greed is law and life is cheap.
We bar the doors, refuse to see, 
Or hear the words You said:

Let justice roll like a river, 
Like a river, let it roll!
Let justice roll like a river,
Like a river, let it roll!

Convict us Lord, we dance and laugh 
Ignoring those who weep.
Correct us Lord, our golden calf
Has lulled our hearts to sleep.
The gap between the rich and poor
Grows ever wider, shore to shore.
There’s racial hate, religious war
And wolves among the sheep.
(Chorus)

Indwell us Lord, and purify 
Our hands to work for You.
Enlist us Lord, to serve nearby
And 'cross the waters, too.
Your image-bearers on the earth
Will never know how much they
ʼre worth
Unless we love and help them first
And show the way to You!
(Chorus)

By Ike Ndolo
2013 A.D.

My hands shake with guilt and shame,
Still You love me, love me.
Your eyes are bright
And shine so full of mercy, mercy.

Jesus, Bread of Life, Bread for all.
This is my offering, this my everything,
The Son of God who bled and died
And rose again for me.

Your flesh You gave for all
So we could see You, see You.
Your blood poured for all
So we could know You, know You.
(Chorus)

Stuart Townend
1995 A.D.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call our among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life,
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart – 
His wounds have paid my ransom!

By Austin Stone Music
2013 A.D.

There is no other
So sure and steady.
My hope is held
In Your hand.
When castles crumble
And breath is fleeting,
Upon this Rock I will stand.
Upon this Rock I will stand!

Glory, glory,
We have no other king
But Jesus Lord of all!
Raise the anthem,
Our loudest praises ring –
We crown Him Lord of all!

Your kindly rule has
Shattered and broken
The curse of sin's tyranny.
My life is hidden
'Neath Heaven's shadow,
Your crimson flood
Covers me!
Your crimson flood
Covers me!
(Chorus)

In all my sorrows,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
In all my victories,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
More than any comfort,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
More than all riches,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
Our souls declaring,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
Our song eternal,
Jesus is better
– Make my heart believe!
 (Chorus)

By Phil Wickham
2013 A.D.

Who breaks the power 
Of sin and darkness?
Whose love is mighty
And so much stronger?
The King of Glory,
The King above all kings!
Who shakes the whole earth
With holy thunder?
And leaves us breathless
In awe and wonder?
The King of Glory,
The King above all kings!

This is amazing grace,
This is unfailing love,
That You would take my place,
That You would bear my cross!
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free!
Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me!

Who brings our chaos 
Back into order?
Who makes the orphan
A son and daughter?
The King of Glory,
The King of Glory!
Who rules the nations 
With truth and justice,
Shines like the sun in
All of its brilliance!
The King of Glory,
The King above all kings!
(Chorus)

400s A.D.

We bind to ourselves today
God's Power to pilot us,
God's Might to uphold us,
God's Wisdom to guide us,
God's Eye to look before us,
God's Ear to hear us,
God's Word to speak for us,
God's Hand to guard us,
God's Way to go before us,
God's Shield to shelter us,
God's Host to secure us.

Christ with us, Christ before us,
Christ behind us, Christ in us,
Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ at our right, Christ at our left,
Christ when lying down, Christ in sitting,
Christ in rising up. 
Christ in the heart of every man
who thinks of us,
Christ in the mouth of every man
who speaks of us,
Christ in every eye that sees us,
Christ in every ear that hears us. 

We bind to ourselves today
The strong power of
an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity,
The Creator of the Universe.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ;
May Your salvation, O Lord,
be with us forever.

Benediction

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. + Ephesians 3:20-21


Next post: Abide in Jesus Series Special: Your Humble King Has Come (Palm Sunday Weekend)

+ Sully

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