Sermon Tone Analysis

3~/28~/99

 

ORGAN PRELUDE

ANNOUNCEMENTS                       

CALL TO WORSHIP             Psalm 31:9-16  31:9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, 14...I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.

~*OPENING HYMN                            All Glory, Laud, and Honor                              #234

~*INVOCATION AND LORD'S PRAYER     Merciful Lord, our hearts are overwhelmed with thanksgiving for enduring the barbs of sinful and foolish humans and for going all the way to the cross in order to save us.

May our lives be filled with faith and love and so prove that your suffering sacrifice for us was not in vain.

In the name of Christ

~*GLORIA PATRI

SCRIPTURE READING                     Isaiah 50:4-9a              used Matthew 21:1-11 for Palm Sunday

50:4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.

6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.

7 The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; 8 he who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together.

Who are my adversaries?

Let them confront me.

9 It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty?

READER        Paul Bond

OFFERING                 Romans 8:32Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?

~*DOXOLOGY

~*PRAYER OF DEDICATION            Our Father, as you have freely given us all that we have and lovingly made us all that we are, we now freely and lovingly give back to you the substance of our lives.

Forgive us where we have been selfish.

Remind us that it was from the proverty of the cross that we gained the richness of life.

Accept these gifts as a token of our sincere worship, for we do love you and earnestly seek the advancement of your kingdom.

AMEN.

CHILDREN'S STORY TIME

CHORAL ANTHEM

PRAYER         Holy God,

Judas sold your Son for thirty pieces of silver.

We often sell him for even less:

      a way to save ourselves embarrassment;

      a little incorrect change we decide not to return;

      a grudge we hold far too long;

      a fling with someone to whom we are not married;

      an edge over someone else at work;

      a little lie that keeps us out of trouble;

      and on and on we go,

      selling our Savior day after day.

God have mercy on us.

Forgive us and transform us.

Let Jesus' sacrifice melt our stony hearts,

   and turn us into the faithful disciples

   that Jesus showed us we could become.

We pray in the name of the One whom we betrayed,

   but who has never betrayed us.

(Continue in silent prayer.)

Because of his sin, Judas destroyed himself.

Peter sinned no less than Judas,   but he went on to become the rock   upon which Jesus built the Church.The difference is that Peter stayed the course,   and found forgiveness from a risen Savior.Brothers and sisters, our sins cost Jesus his life,   but Jesus is not defeated by death.

He rises from the grave,      and proclaims the forgiveness of all our sins      and the beginning of new life for each one of us!Thanks be to God, and thanks be to the Son of God,   now and forever more!

Amen!

~*PREPARATIONAL HYMN             Wondrous Love                                               #250

SCRIPTURE TEXT                 Matthew 26:14-27:66 (long form)26:14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What will you give me if I betray him to you?"

They paid him thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'"

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

20 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, "Surely not I, Lord?" 23 He answered, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.

24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

It would have been better for that one not to have been born."

25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"

He replied, "You have said so." 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'32

But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." 33 Peter said to him, "Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you."

34 Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."

35 Peter said to him, "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you."

And so said all the disciples.

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated.

38 Then he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." 39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want."

40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?

41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."

43 Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.

45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Get up, let us be going.

See, my betrayer is at hand." 47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.

48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him."

49 At once he came up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to do."

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

54 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?

Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.

56 But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled."

Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered.

58 But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end.

59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.

At last two came forward 61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"