Greatness in the Kingdom of God

Paul admonishes the Corinthians for their arrogance. He shows them his experience in following Christ and rebukes them for puffing themselves up in pride. The church of today needs this rebuke.

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Call to Worship

Sunday School

The Holy War
by John Bunyan

Sunday Service

Pastoral Reading

Psalm 99

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
    Holy is he!
The King in his might loves justice.[a]
    You have established equity;
you have executed justice
    and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God;
    worship at his footstool!
    Holy is he!

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
    They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
    they kept his testimonies
    and the statute that he gave them.

O Lord our God, you answered them;
    you were a forgiving God to them,
    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Exalt the Lord our God,
    and worship at his holy mountain;
    for the Lord our God is holy!

Opening Song

I Sing the Mighty Power of God (CRC #74)

I sing the mighty pow’r of God,
that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained
the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command,
and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord,
who filled the earth with food,
He formed the creatures with the Word,
and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed,
where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread,
or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flow’r below,
but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee
is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be,
Thou, God, art present there.

Prayer

Focus this week:  Betsy Mears

Song

Psalm 150 – Praise the Lord (CRC #33)

Verse 1
You made the starry hosts, You traced the mountain peaks
You paint the evening skies with wonders
The earth it is Your throne, From desert to the sea
All nature testifies Your splendor.

Chorus 1
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Sing His greatness all creation
Praise the Lord, Raise your voice,
You heights and all you depths, from furthest east to west
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Verse 2
You reached into the dust in love Your Spirit breathed
You formed us in Your very likeness
To know Your wondrous works to tell Your mighty deeds
To join the everlasting chorus.

Verse 3
Let symphonies resound, let drums and choirs ring out
All heaven hear the sound of worship
Let every nation bring its honors to the King
A roar of harmonies eternal.

Chorus 2
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Sing His greatness all creation
Praise the Lord, raise your voice
You heights and all you depths from furthest east to west
You distant burning stars all creatures near and far
From sky to sea to shore sing out forevermore
Let everything that has breath
Praise the Lord!

CCLI Song # 7161130, Matt Boswell | Matt Papa
© 2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Getty Music Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Love Your Enemies Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Messenger Hymns (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 108183

Song

God the Uncreated One (CRC #12)

Verse 1
God the uncreated One the Author of salvation
Wrote the laws of space and time, and fashioned worlds to His design
The One whom angel hosts revere, hung the stars like chandeliers
Numbered every grain of sand, knows the heart of every man
He is King forever, He is King forever, He is King forevermore

Verse 2
God our fortress and our strength, the Rock on which we can depend
Matchless in His majesty, His power and authority
Unshaken by the schemes of man, never changing Great I am
Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, He is faithful through it all
Crown Him King forever, Crown Him King forever, Crown Him King forevermore

Verse 3
Mighty God in mortal flesh, forsaken by a traitor’s kiss
The curse of sin and centuries, did pierce the lowly Prince of Peace
Lifted high the sinless man, crucified the spotless Lamb
Buried by the sons of man, rescued by the Father’s hand
To reign as King forever, reign as King forever, reign as King forevermore

Verse 4
King eternal God of grace, we crown You with the highest praise
Heaven shouts and saints adore, You’re holy holy holy Lord
What joy in everlasting life, all is love and faith is sight
Justice rolls and praises rise, at the name of Jesus Christ
King of kings forever, King of kings forever, King of kings forevermore

CCLI Song # 7057478  CCLI License # 108183
Aaron Keyes | Pete James, © 2016 10000 Fathers (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Getty Music Hymns and Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

Scripture Reading

Matthew 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[a] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’[b]16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Preaching the Word

Greatness in the Kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 4:7-21

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

Closing Song

All Praise the Christ (CRC #47)

To him who loved us long ago,
before we came to be,
who left his throne for earth below
to save a wretch like me:
All praise to Christ from grateful men
forevermore. Amen.

To him who freed us from our sin
by dying on the cross,
to make us whole without, within,
redeemed from dreadful loss:
All praise to Christ from grateful men
forevermore. Amen.

To him who comes arrayed in light,
when sinners here shall see
the one they pierced and mourn the sight—
God promised; it shall be!
All praise to Christ from grateful men
forevermore. Amen.

With angels, saints, and seraphim
the new creation sings,
“All glory, pow’r, and praise to him
who made us priests and kings.”
All praise to Christ from grateful men
forevermore. Amen.