FOUNDATIONS FOR PEACE

July 12-14, 2008
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Pastor Tim Smith
9th Weekend after Pentecost

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 ”‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 ”‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” 36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (NIV)

In the opening weeks of the First World War, there were very few airplanes in service. It was barely ten years since the Wright Brothers had made their first flights, hopping over the hills and dunes of Ohio. But in 1915, airplanes that today we would call ‘fighters’ (they called them ‘scouts’ back then) were hard to tell apart. Both France and Germany originally used single-winged or monoplanes, for the most part painted the same shade of brown, and to the men in the trenches below, it was almost impossible to tell which plane was an ally, and which was an enemy – and a few pilots were shot down, not only by allies, but by the very units they were assigned to protect.

In the parable of the weeds, Jesus addresses this kind of problem on the vast scale of the Kingdom of Heaven—how can we tell a believer from an unbeliever? And how did there come to be unbelievers in the first place?

The parable takes us back to the week of the creation. Jesus says that the “field” is the world, and in the original creation, the whole world was the place where the church existed. There was no “outside” for people who were out of the church. Adam and Eve themselves were driven away from Garden of Eden after they sinned, but they were still believers and they were still the membership of the church. Later, after Cain’s sin, he, too, was sent away, but as we saw a few weeks ago, Cain was looked after by God, who spared his life and protected him with a mark so that no one would seek revenge for what he had done.

But how did Adam and Eve and Cain and, well, all the rest of us, become sinful? Jesus says: An enemy sowed weeds within the wheat. In the parable, the weed Jesus mentions is the zizania, a what some call “darnel,” the old King James version called these weeds “the tares.” In Palestine, this kind of weed is particularly sinister because it looks just like wheat as it comes up, and it’s difficult to them apart until they begin to show their seeds as the heads become fully formed, although I’m told that the zizania plants have slightly narrower leaves. Then the zizania produce black seeds, and it’s evident only then, at the last moment, which are the weeds and which are the good stalks of wheat.

Smith in Mequon pulling weeds – I couldn’t tell the good plants coming up from the weeds, and although the woman I worked for knew and insisted that I would be able to tell them apart, I really didn’t know; and when I asked her to show me the difference, she rattled off so much information that even though I tried to keep up with her, I ended up getting some of it wrong – because I couldn’t tell the good plant from the weed.

The Jewish Mishnah [Tr. Kilayim 1.1] permits zizania and wheat to be grown together on purpose, but only together and never with a third plant. Roman law made sowing weeds as revenge illegal and called for heavy punishments. These zizania weeds actually produce a poison from a fungus that almost always appears with them.

I want to make two or three things very clear about this parable. It is one of the only parables which Jesus takes time to explain to his disciples. The Lord also explained the Parable of the Sower, and that one parable helps us to understand all the other parables in the Bible. Jesus teaches us there to look for a single point of comparison between the earthly story and its heavenly meaning, and he also shows us that not every detail in a parable needs to be part of our interpretation, nor should it be. Some of the details are just there to carry along the story. For example, in the Prodigal Son, we don’t have to spend time wondering what is meant by the “pods” that the pigs ate. That parable is about repentance and forgiveness.

But here in this parable, Jesus shows us a story in which virtually every detail has an application, and that makes this parable an exception to the rule, which is probably why Jesus took the time to explain it and show why it is different.

And he mentions the enemy, the devil, to show us that sin is something alien and foreign to his creation. It is not something God planted in the universe. It is not the opposite, balancing side to goodness. It is completely outside God’s design and outside God’s plan. Sin is not inevitable—and although there may be other applications we could make to this parable, let’s let that one stand today:

Sin is not inevitable.

Sin is something that is sown, and that grows. And our enemy, the devil, wants us to be cut off from God’s harvest, the same way he was.

I have a childish question to ask; I find that grownups don’t always ask these questions anymore. Why does the devil plant weeds? Why does he want to get more and more of us into his prison?

Remember that the prison house of hell is not the devil’s kingdom. He doesn’t have a kingdom. He exercises influence over us in this world through temptation and distraction, but in eternity, he is not the ‘boss’ of hell. He has the deepest cell. God set aside hell outside of heaven with a vast chasm between as the prison for the devil and the angels who followed him, and, tragically, those men and women who reject God.

And perhaps that answers my childhood question: Why does the devil plant his weeds?

Think about what hell actually is. Hell is the place where there is no contact at all with God’s love. And look at the words Jesus uses here as he explains the parable to describe hell: out of the kingdom (outside it), a fiery furnace; weeping and gnashing of teeth. So in hell there is torment and terror—the other place in the Bible where a fiery furnace is mentioned, everybody who came near the thing were consumed by it and died except the three men who were under God’s protection.

And the emotions in “weeping and gnashing of teeth” are opposite of one another, but they run the full spectrum of every negative emotion. People who weep are either grieving or frightened or in pain. People who gnash their teeth are at the very limit of fury and rage, or at the point where fear and fury intersect.

To be in hell is to be unable to escape, for all eternity, from that place where flames and agony and terror and fury and fear are unending; where suffering exists, not because God inflicts it upon those who go there, but because without God’s love, that’s all there is. To be in hell is to desperately want to get away from everybody else who is suffering and at the same time to have the insatiable desire to come into contact with anyone, anyone at all, who can ‘dip his finger in the water and cool the torment of the flames.’

And this is where our sins are sending us. We are born as heirs to this very eternal existence in hell. And the sins we commit do nothing but buy us deeper and deeper places in the torment for what we have done. The jealousy, the lies, the cheating, the lead foot—and whatever other things each of us does, and as Jesus points out, these things make us indistinguishable from every other child of the evil one.

But God loved us. And God sent his son in the world to endure the agony of hell in our place. It isn’t as if the debt is ignored: the debt was paid by someone else. Our sins are forgiven because Jesus suffered instead of us.

All of the pain, the fear, the tears, the fury, the rage, the pain and the torment and the hopelessness and the helplessness and the loneliness and the desperation of hell is taken out of our eternity and it is set aside, because through Jesus we have been given joy, friendship, love, care, healing, compassion, a home—we have been given heaven, and there will be no mistake. Your faith in Jesus is the only thing that is required, and that faith was given to you through the Holy Spirit.

It’s a miracle, and it’s a miracle worked within your heart by the God who loves you, who cares for you, and who has given you eternal life in his name. Amen.

June 28-30, 2008
Various Scripture Readings
Pastor Don Sutton
7th Weekend after Pentecost

Pre-Service Songs

The Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain: So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary. Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, To pardon and sanctify me. Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share. Refrain

Have No Fear Little Flock
Have no fear, little flock; Have no fear, little flock,
For the Father has chosen To give you the kingdom;
Have no fear, little flock!

Have good cheer, little flock; Have good cheer, little flock,
For the Father will keep you In his love forever;
Have good cheer, little flock!

Praise the Lord high above; Praise the Lord high above,
For he stoops down to heal you, Uplift and restore you;
Praise the Lord high above!

Thankful hearts raise to God; Thankful hearts raise to God,
For he stays close beside you, In all things works with you;
Thankful hearts raise to God!

Before the Lord We Bow
Before the Lord we bow, The God who reigns above
And rules the world below In boundless pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring; In joy and praise Our hearts we raise To heav’n’s high King.

The nation you have blessed May well your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest, Protected by your care.
For this fair land, For this bright day Our thanks we pay — Gifts of your hand.

May ev’ry mountain height, Each vale and forest green,
Shine in your Word’s pure light And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue Be tuned to praise And join to raise A grateful song!

Opening
Welcome
Greet & Meet
Directions
Invocation

How Great Thou Art
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”

When through the woods and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee, “How great thou art! How great thou art!”

Verses of Praise
When the LORD delivered King David from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. David said: “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” The Lord Jesus has delivered us from the power of the devil, death, and damnation. He deserves our praise. Please stand and let’s praise him in song.

Crown Him with Many Crowns
Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of heav’n, Enthroned in worlds above;
Crown him the King to whom is giv’n The wondrous name of Love.
Crown him with many crowns As thrones before him fall;
Crown him, ye kings, with many crowns For he is King of all.

Comfort for Burdened Consciences
Romans 7:15-25a
Even though delivered by Jesus, we Christians have a sinful nature that acts up and causes us to sin with the result in life that nothing we say, think, or do is perfect in and of itself. St. Paul reminds us of the dilemma we face but comforts us with the deliverance we have in Jesus in Romans 7:15-25: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16)And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17)As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18)I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19)For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20)Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21)So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22)For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23)but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24)What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25)Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Please rise and join in the confession of sins.

Confession of Sins (All)
Holy and merciful God, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have
disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have failed to love you as you command or to love my neighbor as myself. I deserve your punishment now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins. I trust in Jesus as my Savior. Because of Him, have mercy on me, and by your Holy Spirit, bless me.

Just As I Am
Just as I am, without one plea But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Matthew 11:25-30
As Jesus encountered Jew of his day, he realized how burdened they were with guilt and the load they carried as a result of the false-teaching leaders of his day. Jesus comforted and invited the burdened:
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26) Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27) ”All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28) ”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” With the same words Jesus comforts us and invites us to come to him for rest. He is our Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood From thy riven side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure: Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.

Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy law’s demands.
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and thou alone.

While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee!

Promise of God’s Forgiveness (Pastor)
“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people (Heb.9:28).” “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God (1 Pe3:18).” As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12).” Rejoice. Your sins are forgiven. Through Jesus you have peace with God.

Amazing Grace
Amazing grace — how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.

The Lord has promised good to me; His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

Our Comfort of Baptism
Titus 3:3-7 & Galatians 3:26-28
One of the comforts we enjoy is that God gives through our baptism. In Titus 3:3-7 St. Paul wrote: At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4)But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5) he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6) whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7)so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” To the Galatians the same Paul wrote, “26) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” How blessed we are! What a beautiful Savior we have!

Beautiful Savior
Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, Truly I’d serve thee, Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration, Now and forevermore be thine!

Baptism – (10:30 AM)

(6:00, 8:00 & 7:30) Through baptism our God the Holy Spirit makes us lambs in the flock of our Heavenly Father and brings us into fellowship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd

(10:30) By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, _____ is now a lamb in the flock of our Heavenly Father and has Jesus as his Good Shepherd.

I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb
I am Jesus’ little lamb; Ever glad at heart I am,
For my shepherd gently guides me, Knows my needs and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same, Even calls me by my name.

Day by day, at home, away, Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me, Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, he bids me go Where the quiet waters flow.

Our Comfort in the Challenges of Life
Psalm 46:v.1-5,7
Among the almost 50 songs and hymns that people suggested was “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It.” I didn’t include the song. But it does remind us that there are many sources of joy in life. But there are also many sources of trial and challenge that cause us to struggle. But in the face of trials God is with us to comfort us. This is clear from selected verses of Psalm 46. “1) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2) Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3) though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 4) There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5) God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. … 7) The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.

Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done!
One little word can fell him.

Isaiah 40:25-30
Sometimes when God allows us to be challenged we may complain and doubt. Israel of old did. But God told them as he tells us in Isaiah 40:25-31: “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26) Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27) Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29) He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30) Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31) but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

On Eagles Wings
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in his shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: “My refuge, My rock in whom I trust!”
Refrain: And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of his hand.

Snares of the fowler will never capture you, And famine will bring you no fear;
Under his wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield. Refrain

For to his angels He’s given a command To guard you in all of your ways;
Upon their hands they will bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain

Psalm 23
Another great source of comfort is the word picture and assurance of the 23rd Psalm: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2) He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3) he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6) Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Our Good Shepherd supplies our every need including the resources we need to be generous in thanks offerings to the Lord or needed assistance for others. We remember that as we thank God with our offerings and at the same time sing, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.

Offering / My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
My shepherd will supply my need — Jehovah is his name.
In pastures fresh he makes me feed Beside the living stream.
He brings my wand’ring spirit back When I forsake his ways
And leads me, for his mercy’s sake, In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death, His presence is my stay;
One word of his supporting breath Drives all my fears away.
His hand, in sight of all my foes, Will still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows; His oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God Attend me all my days;
Oh, may his house be my abode And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest While others go and come,
No more a stranger or a guest But like a child at home.

Our Comfort in Prayer
Psalm 50:15; Philippians 4,6,7; Romans 8:34
A great comfort in life is God’s gift of prayer. God tells us in his word: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Or in Philippians 4:6,7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Or, Romans 8:34: “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

What A Friend We Have In Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged — Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness — Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge — Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In his arms he’ll take and shield you; You will find a solace there.

Luke 11:1-11
Listen to a lesson Jesus gave on prayer recorded in Luke 11:1-11: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2) He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3) Give us each day our daily bread. 4) Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ “ 5) Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6) because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7) “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8) I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9) “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10) For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11) “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

My Faith Looks Up to Thee
My faith looks up to thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine.
Now hear me while I pray; Take all my guilt away;
Oh, let me from this day Be wholly thine!

May thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart; My zeal inspire!
As thou hast died for me, Oh, may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire!

Prayers

1 Timothy 2:1-5; Romans 13:1-5
God wants us to pray not only for ourselves but also for others including the government. Those who govern are God’s representatives whom God uses to preserve peace and bring order to life. God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-5: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2) for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4) who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” And in Romans 13:1-5 it is written: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2)Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3)For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4) For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5)Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Please Stand)

God Bless America
God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with the light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam, God bless America, my home, sweet home.
God bless America, my home, sweet, home.

Comfort in Dealing with Death
Ecclesiastes12:1, 5-7; Romans 8:38,39; Psalm 23:4: John 11:25
One of the biggest challenges we face is in dealing with death. Death is a reality in life that we can’t deny as we are remind in Ecclesiastes 12: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”- … when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. 6) Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, 7) and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” But God gives us this comfort for facing death with these words of Paul: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom8).” … Or these words of David, “ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. … Or, these words of Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (Jn 11).” Therefore, as we deal with death we can sing with confidence in the Lord, “Abide with Me.”

Abide with Me
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not, abide with me!

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Lord comforts us with the promise of his return, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14)We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15) According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18)Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
(Chorus) Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan and what did I see Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me Coming for to carry me home. (Chorus)

Sometimes I’m up and sometimes I’m down Coming for to carry me home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound Coming for to carry me home. (Chorus)

Revelation 21:1-7
In Revelation 21 God gives us a glimpse of the glory that awaits us in eternal life. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2) I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5) He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6) He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Jerusalem the Golden
Jerusalem the golden, With milk and honey blest –
The sight of it refreshes The weary and oppressed.
I know not, oh, I know not What joys await us there,
What radiancy of glory, What bliss beyond compare.

They stand, those halls of Zion, All jubilant with song
And bright with many an angel And all the martyr throng.
The Prince is ever in them; The daylight is serene;
The pastures of the blessed Are ever rich and green.

Our Comfort in Communion
Matthew 26:26-29
Another source of comfort is the sacrament of Holy Communion instituted by our Lord himself: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27) Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28) This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29) I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord
Draw near and take the body of the Lord, And drink the holy blood for you outpoured.
Offered was he for greatest and for least, Himself the victim and himself the priest.

Come forward, then, with faithful hearts sincere, And take the pledges of salvation here.
Before your altar, Lord, your servants bow; In this your feast of love be with us now.

Celebration of Holy Communion (7:30 PM Only)

Our Comfort in Closing
Psalm 91:1,2
We now come to the close of our service. But whether it be the close of a service, the close of a day, the close of a chapter of life or the close of life itself, we can confront that close with this comfort from Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Now the Light Has Gone Away
Now the light has gone away; Father, listen while I pray,
Asking you to watch and keep And to send me quiet sleep.

Now my evening praise I give; You once died that I might live.
All your precious gifts are free — Oh, how good you are to me!

Ah, my best and kindest Friend, You will love me to the end.
Let me love you more and more, Always better than before.

Blessing

Hebrew 10:23-25
But as we close let us remember the importance of fellowship and faithfully coming together again as fellow believers. God says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

God Be with You Till We Meet Again
God be with you till we meet again, By his counsels guide, uphold you,
With his sheep securely fold you - God be with you till we meet again.
Till we meet, Till we meet, Till we meet at Jesus’ feet.
Till we meet, Till we meet - God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again, ‘Neath his wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still provide you - God be with you till we meet again.
Till we meet, Till we meet, Till we meet at Jesus’ feet.
Till we meet, Till we meet - God be with you till we meet again.