Sermon Tone Analysis

Your Mercy

WELCOME

Good morning family!

If we’re honest, we’re sometimes tempted to feel entitled to the salvation that we just sang about.

“Of course God saved me, that’s His job!”

You will never feel the wonder of your salvation until you know what you truly deserved.

Listen to God’s Word...

Romans 5:6-10—“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

We gather, not as entitled trust-fund children, but as former enemies now adopted into the family of God.

When we truly grasp that, we sing, pray, and hear God’s Word with eager joy.

In just a moment we’ll hear a reading from the text for today’s sermon from Matthew 5:43-48.

Turn there now.

While you’re turning, 3 quick announcements:

1) A word about PBC.

We are Worshipers.

Gospel-shaped liturgy

2) Prayer Meeting tonight at 5:30 PM

"I’m not good at praying”

That’s exactly why attending would be good for you!

3) PBC Work Day—March 19 from 9-12

Need plumbers, carpenters, cleaners, movers, organizers, and more!

Now look in your Bibles at Matthew 5:43 as Chloe Figgers comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Matthew 5:43-48)

Prayer of Praise (God is gracious)

Sovereign Over Us

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Prayer of Confession (Anger), Josh Winchell

Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near

PBC CATECHISM #10

PBC catechism is a series of questions and answers adapted from our church statement of faith and covenant

When we recite this together, we’re reminding ourselves of what we believe as a church

Most members will likely believe more than our statement of faith, but you cannot believe less

What is the significance of being made in God’s image?

Because we are made in God’s image, every human life is sacred from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Thanksgiving—the atonement

“[we] were dead in the trespasses and sins in which [we] once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But [You], being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which [You] loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace [we] have been saved” (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Thank you that you made us alive through the atoning work of Jesus

Jesus, you lived a sinless life so that your righteousness could be credited to our account

And you died a sinner’s death so that our sin could be credited to you

“[Jesus, You were] despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces [You were] despised, and we esteemed [You] not.

Surely [You have] borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed [You] stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But [You were] pierced for our transgressions; [You were] crushed for our iniquities; upon [You] was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with [Your] wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on [You] the iniquity of us all.”

(Isaiah 53:3-6)

Thank you

Prayer for PBC—love our enemies

Perhaps for some of us the problem is we don’t have any enemies

So isolated in our holy huddles that we’re not around anyone that disagrees with us

So assimilated when we are around the world that they don’t see or hear any difference in us

Help us to remember that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12)

If and when we are mistreated by those who hate us, help us to love them in return

Not simply to do good to them, not simply to treat them kindly, help us to want them to truly prosper

“[Help us to] Bless those who persecute [us];. . .

[Help us to] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

If possible, so far as it depends on [us], [help us to] live peaceably with all.

[Help us to] never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” ( Romans 12:14-19)

Help us to treat our enemies this way because we really believe the Gospel, that Jesus loved us and died for us when we were enemies of God.

Prayer for sister church—Joey & Calli, StoryRunners

StoryRunners work translating Bible stories in the thousands of languages that have no Scripture.

Praise you for another baby on the way in August!

Healthy pregnancy for Calli

Team in East Africa training baby Christians to share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors

Prayer for US—Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Wisdom to respond rightly to global challenges...

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

The Chinese oppression of their people in general and the Uyghurs in particular

A madman in North Korea

War in Ukraine

Help us to care about all the image-bearers of God across the world caught in the cross-hairs of power-hungry leaders

Prayer for the world—Russia

We pray that the hostile takeover of Ukraine would fail

We pray for our brothers and sisters across Russia

We pray against the autocratic leadership of Vladimir Putin

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in [Your] hand... [You] turn it wherever [You] will.”

(Proverbs 21:1)

You turned the heart of Pharaoh to promote Joseph

You hardened the heart of another Pharaoh to show your glory in the exodus

You humbled the heart of Nebuchadnezzar

You softened the heart of Cyrus to fund the rebuilding of the temple

You directed the heart of Pilate to crucify Jesus, knowing that you would get glory through the free, sinful choices of powerful kings

Changing the heart of Putin is no harder for you than any of these acts of sovereign power in ages past.

Change his heart, we pray!

Help us to trust that whatever You do, Your purposes are wise and good.

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

The story is told of a mother who was driving to school one day, and her young son, Johnny, was standing in the seat beside her.

These must’ve been the good old days before parents wrapped their kids in 1-inch thick bubble wrap before putting them in the car.

Anyways, the mom noticed little Johnny standing up in the car and she said, "Sit down, dear, I may have to stop suddenly and you'll be thrown against the windshield."

"No!" Johnny refused.

"Please sit down, dear, I don't want you to get hurt," the mother insisted.

"No!" came Johnny’s stubborn reply.

"Please!!!" came the mom’s final appeal.

"No!"

Finally, the frustrated mom reached over and pulled Johnny down.

He sat there sullenly for a moment, then said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside."