Follow Me to Be Free
Chosing to be a slave though we have been freed through Christ. If we want to be followers of Christ we are called to deny ourselves and take up our cross.
Opening Song
Opening Psalm
PSALMS (EVENING)
Psalm 145
Psalm 145
Praise. Of David.
1I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
4One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
7They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9The LORD is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
12to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
14The LORD upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17The LORD is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
18The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
Prayers and Praise
Symbols Throughout the Church
Song #2
New Testament Reading
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.
Gospel Reading
n
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,i will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my wordsj in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 9 1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come withk power.”
