Proper 16 (2025)

Paris Otterbein

*Opening Prayer

*Call to Worship

(Based on Psalm 71:1-6)

Leader: In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

People: In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.

Leader: Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; for you are my rock and my fortress.

People: For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

Leader: From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

People: My mouth is filled with your praise and your glory all day long. Amen.

Hymn #2 Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 58:9-14 - Mary Beth

Isaiah 58:9–14 NIV

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Hymn #441 Take Time To Be Holy

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Children's Message

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 12:18–29 NIV

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Sermon

The book of Hebrews is unique in that it seems to be a letter like Galatians and Colossians or any other letter we have in the New Testament, but without any of the indications we often find. It doesn’t tell us who wrote it or where it was being written from. There are no clues as to who the intended recipients are, although as the book is called “Hebrews”, it is often believed this book was written to Jewish converts.

And not unlike other new believers they struggle when they face difficulty. I don’t know how many times I have told someone that after they accept Christ, the enemy will come at them hard in the first couple of weeks. Now, I admit the difficulties a new believer might face today are in some ways different than those the church to the Hebrews faced.

By becoming followers of Christ, these early believers were in danger of being persecuted and losing their life. But any believer can choose to continue their walk with Christ regardless of what they face or choose to return to their life prior to Christ.

These verses sound like the voice of someone warning a friend to remember what life was like before Christ and to embrace their life with Christ now.

For a Jew who converts to Christianity, one of the most powerful images of their life before Christ takes place in the story of the Exodus. More specifically, that of Moses receiving the law on Mount Sinai.

And in a very abbreviated way, the author reminds them of their encounter at the mount of Sinai, the things that occured there. But he starts by telling them, this is not where you are.

In Christ, you are no longer where you used to be. I have a friend that worked in a salvage yard. He said some cars were junk. And he said, you can wash and wax a car until it shines but underneath all of that, the car is still junk.

Sometimes I think that’s how we feel about ourselves. Maybe it’s what someone has told us, or maybe it’s somehow what we believe, or maybe it’s that we don’t understand exactly what happens but when you and I accept Christ, we are not washed and waxed and still junk. We are made brand new. We are a whole different creation.

God’s presence in our lives doesn’t only make us look better, it changes us from the inside out. And the author affirms to the recipients, “you have come to Mount Zion”. Do you know that scholars don’t know for certain where Mount Sinai is. That’s because even while it was important, it wasn’t the end of the story. It wasn’t all God intended to say.

In fact, God says more first at Mount Calvary and then we meet Him at Mount Zion. We don’t have eternity unless we have Jesus. We don’t have the promise of eternal life unless we have Christ.

Praise Song Everlasting God

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn #66 To God Be The Glory

*Benediction

Sanctuary