The Barren Fig Tree (Pt 10)

We now turn to the example of Esau who was cut down as a barren tree, though he still lived in this present world.

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Call to Worship

Sunday School

Pilgrim’s Progress  by John Bunyan

 

Sunday Service

Pastoral Reading

Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Opening Song

Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power (TH #300)

1 Blessing and honor and glory and pow’r,
wisdom and riches and strength evermore
give ye to him who our battle hath won,
whose are the kingdom, the crown, and the throne.

2 Soundeth the heav’n of the heav’ns with his name;
ringeth the earth with his glory and fame;
ocean and mountain, stream, forest, and flow’r
echo his praises and tell of his pow’r.

3 Ever ascendeth the song and the joy;
ever descendeth the love from on high;
blessing and honor and glory and praise-—
this is the theme of the hymns that we raise.

4 Give we the glory and praise to the Lamb;
take we the robe and the harp and the palm;
sing we the song of the Lamb that was slain,
dying in weakness, but rising to reign.

Prayer

Focus this week: Sarah Christensen

Song

Only a Holy God 

Verse 1
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven
Who else could make every king bow down
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles
Only a Holy God

Verse 2
What other beauty demands such praises
What other splendour outshines the sun
What other majesty rules with justice
Only a Holy God

Chorus
Come and behold Him
The One and the Only
Cry out sing holy
Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God

Verse 3
What other glory consumes like fire
What other power can raise the dead
What other name remains undefeated
Only a Holy God

Verse 4
Who else could rescue me from my failing
Who else would offer His only Son
Who else invites me to call Him Father
Only a Holy God
Only my Holy God

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Offering/Communion Song

There is a Fountain (#253)

1) There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains:
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

2) The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in His day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away:
Washed all my sins away,
Washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.

3) E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die:
And shall be till I die,
And shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

4) Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing your pow’r to save,
when this poor lisping stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave:
lies silent in the grace,
lies silent in the grave;
when this poor living, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave

5) Dear dying Lamb, your precious blood
Shall never lose its pow’r,
Till all the ransomed church of God
be safe to sin no more:
be safe to sin no more,
be safe to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God
be safe to sin no more.

The Lord’s Table

Christ Our Righteousness

Scripture Reading

Genesis 25:19-34

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.”32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Preaching the Word

The Barren Fig Tree (Pt 10)

Luke 13:6-9
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Closing Song

Beautiful Savior

Verse 1
All my days
I will sing this song of gladness
Give my praise
To the Fountain of delights
For in my helplessness You heard my cry
And waves of mercy poured down on my life
Verse 2
I will trust
In the cross of my Redeemer
I will sing of the blood that never fails
Of sins forgiven
Of conscience cleansed
Of death defeated and life without end
Chorus
Beautiful Saviour Wonderful Counsellor
Clothed in majesty Lord of history
You’re the Way the Truth the Life
Star of the Morning glorious in holiness
You’re the Risen One heaven’s Champion
And You reign You reign over all
Verse 3
I long to be
Where the praise is never ending
Yearn to dwell
Where the glory never fades
Where countless worshippers
Will share one song
And cries of worthy will honour the Lamb

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