March 23, 2024
Call to Worship
Matthew 21:1-9
LEADER: Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,
ALL: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
By Paul Baloche
Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You
We turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You
We long for You
And when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
CHORUS:
Hosanna, Hosanna
You are the God Who saves us
Worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, Hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Hear the sound of hearts returning to You
We turn to You
In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new
You make us new
And when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
Confession of Sin
Matthew 21:10-13, 23, 28-31
LEADER: And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them,
ALL: "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
LEADER: And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said,
ALL: "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
LEADER: "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them,
ALL: "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Silent Prayers
Is He Worthy?
Andrew Peterson
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this? He is
Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe, and every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the Son
Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Is He worthy of this?
He is! He is! He is! He is! He is worthy! He is worthy!
Of all blessing and honor and glory
He is worthy of this. He is
Assurance of Forgiveness
Revelation 5:9-10, 12
LEADER:“… for you [Jesus] were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
Prayer of Thanksgiving
ALL: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
In Tenderness
By W. Spencer Walton (1894); Arr. by Citizens
In tenderness He sought me; weary and sick with sin
And on His shoulders brought me back to His fold again
While angels in His presence sang; until the courts of heaven rang
CHORUS:
Oh oh oh, the love that sought me!
Oh oh oh, the blood that bought me!
Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold of God
Grace that brought me to the fold of God
He died for me while I was sinning needy and poor and blind
He whispered to assure me, ”I've found thee; thou art Mine"
I never heard a sweeter voice; it made my aching heart rejoice
Upon His grace I'll ponder and sing anew His praise
With all adoring wonder His blessings I retrace
It seems as if eternal days are far too short to sing His praise
Pastoral Prayer
Thanksgiving and Petition
Family Life and Offerings
† Tithes and offerings can be given at fieldspres.org/give or in the offering box.
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
The musicians will call us back with song.
Sermon Passage
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17
Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him. 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?" 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
LEADER: The grass withers, the flower fades...
ALL: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"The Interpretation of a Thing"
Pastor Mike McBride
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
By Walter Smith; Music by John Roberts; Arr: Jaron Kamin
Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love
To all life Thou givest, to both great and small
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish but naught changeth Thee
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight
All laud we would render, O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section hosts near you. Gluten free wafers are available at the front table. We will all eat and drink together.
O How Good to Be Together
Written by Paul Ranheim & Kirk Sauers ©2020 Mellow Toad Music (BMI), Bold Canary Music (BMI).
Oh how good to be together
In this weary world we trod
What a gift, what a treasure
Kindred in the house of God
On this day the Lord has fashioned
Come rejoice with all your might
Raise a banner of salvation
He has led us through the night
CHORUS
Oh the joy, oh the sweetness
To be gathered in the name of the Lord
Evermore, he will keep us
From the valley to the golden shore
When it looked like evil conquered
When we felt the darkest hour
In despair we sought the Father
And he has proved his mighty power (CHORUS)
Tell the theme of his provision
How he met our every need
He has been our firm foundation
And he will ever, always be (CHORUS)
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Matthew 21:1-9
LEADER: Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,
ALL: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
By Paul Baloche
Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You
We turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You
We long for You
And when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
CHORUS:
Hosanna, Hosanna
You are the God Who saves us
Worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, Hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Hear the sound of hearts returning to You
We turn to You
In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new
You make us new
And when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
Confession of Sin
Matthew 21:10-13, 23, 28-31
LEADER: And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them,
ALL: "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
LEADER: And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said,
ALL: "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
LEADER: "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them,
ALL: "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Silent Prayers
Is He Worthy?
Andrew Peterson
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this? He is
Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe, and every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the Son
Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Is He worthy of this?
He is! He is! He is! He is! He is worthy! He is worthy!
Of all blessing and honor and glory
He is worthy of this. He is
Assurance of Forgiveness
Revelation 5:9-10, 12
LEADER:“… for you [Jesus] were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
Prayer of Thanksgiving
ALL: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
In Tenderness
By W. Spencer Walton (1894); Arr. by Citizens
In tenderness He sought me; weary and sick with sin
And on His shoulders brought me back to His fold again
While angels in His presence sang; until the courts of heaven rang
CHORUS:
Oh oh oh, the love that sought me!
Oh oh oh, the blood that bought me!
Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold of God
Grace that brought me to the fold of God
He died for me while I was sinning needy and poor and blind
He whispered to assure me, ”I've found thee; thou art Mine"
I never heard a sweeter voice; it made my aching heart rejoice
Upon His grace I'll ponder and sing anew His praise
With all adoring wonder His blessings I retrace
It seems as if eternal days are far too short to sing His praise
Pastoral Prayer
Thanksgiving and Petition
Family Life and Offerings
† Tithes and offerings can be given at fieldspres.org/give or in the offering box.
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
The musicians will call us back with song.
Sermon Passage
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17
Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him. 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?" 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
LEADER: The grass withers, the flower fades...
ALL: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"The Interpretation of a Thing"
Pastor Mike McBride
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
By Walter Smith; Music by John Roberts; Arr: Jaron Kamin
Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love
To all life Thou givest, to both great and small
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish but naught changeth Thee
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight
All laud we would render, O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section hosts near you. Gluten free wafers are available at the front table. We will all eat and drink together.
O How Good to Be Together
Written by Paul Ranheim & Kirk Sauers ©2020 Mellow Toad Music (BMI), Bold Canary Music (BMI).
Oh how good to be together
In this weary world we trod
What a gift, what a treasure
Kindred in the house of God
On this day the Lord has fashioned
Come rejoice with all your might
Raise a banner of salvation
He has led us through the night
CHORUS
Oh the joy, oh the sweetness
To be gathered in the name of the Lord
Evermore, he will keep us
From the valley to the golden shore
When it looked like evil conquered
When we felt the darkest hour
In despair we sought the Father
And he has proved his mighty power (CHORUS)
Tell the theme of his provision
How he met our every need
He has been our firm foundation
And he will ever, always be (CHORUS)
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Posted in Worship Guide