Proper 11 (2025)

Paris Otterbein Church

*Opening Prayer

*Call to Worship

(Based on Psalm 52)

Leader: I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

People: In the presence of the faithful, I will praise your name, O Lord.

Leader: The righteous shall see and rejoice.

People: We proclaim that God is our refuge and our strength.

Leader: We will wait on your name, for it is good.

People: And we will hope in you forever.

All: Amen.

Hymn #10 O Worship The King

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Scripture Reading: Susan Stafford

Luke 10:38–42 NIV

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Children's Message

Scripture Reading

Colossians 1:15–28 NIV

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Sermon

Just like in Galatians, Paul has more to say to the church in Colossae. A few verses alone can’t capture Paul’s full message. What we heard last week were Paul’s opening words—not the conclusion of his thought. Paul doesn’t waste any time in getting to the topic at hand. The supremacy of Christ. The need for all believers to understand all they need is Jesus. It’s not Jesus, and. It’s Jesus only.

So Paul continues. He begins with Christ and reminds them, and us, of who He is. The greetings are done and now we move into the body or the “meat” of the letter.

Understanding the centrality of Christ in the life of a Christian is based upon the understanding of His unique relationship to the Heavenly Father. In fact, no one else has a relationship with God like Jesus Christ.

Paul writes, “The Son is the image of the invisible God.” Jesus is not simply a likeness of God in part as those in Colosse were saying. But Paul was affirming to them that Christ is Himself God in the flesh.

In fact, Paul continues, in him “all things were created.” And when he says, “all” he means, “all”. The things we can see. The things we can’t see. The things we can hold in our hand. The things we can only picture in our imagination or attempt to understand. If it exists, He created it.

And not only is He the creator. He is also the sustainer. He literally has the whole world in His hands. While scientists may not agree on much, one thing they do agree on is that the earth is not held in place by some cosmic string that holds it just so and from the correct distance from all the other stars and planets also being held in place by their own strings. Not only does He hold the world in His hands, He holds the entire universe. And if He holds the universe, He can hold you and me, even in the midst of our chaos.

Now, not only is Christ the creator and the sustainer, He also initiated a new community called, “the church”. In the same way that God had called the nation of Israel to be His people to witness to the world, so now, Christ has brought the church to be an example to the world.

A theologian has said, “Congregations of God’s people are to be living demonstrations of the divine grace that reconciles all things to God’s will.” This was certainly the mindset of Paul as he wrote to this group of individuals and affirms, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

In other words, do not let these groups cheapen who you are or what Christ has done for you. You don’t need to add anything to what Christ has already done. His grace is sufficient. So hold fast. Live rooted in Christ alone.

Praise Song King Of Kings

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn #234 Crown Him With Many Crowns

*Benediction

Go now in the power of Christ, who is before all things, and in whom all things hold together.

Walk in the fullness of His grace, rooted in His truth, and firm in your faith.

May the peace of Christ go with you, and the hope of the gospel sustain you.

Amen.

Sanctuary