Bible Verse for Sunday Service January 16, 2022
Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Announcements:
Announcements today remind us that being church also has a business side: Next week, January 23rd, after the service we will have a lunch with the annual business meeting to follow. So please plan to bring something, whatever you signed up for, and stay for a time of fellowship and the meeting immediately after. Related to the meeting is the nominations for church offices. Please review them on the church bulletin board. If you wish to nominate someone, please check with them first then add that person’s name under that office. Also, a Gideons’ representative will report on their work on January 30th.
Sermon:
Pastor continued his survey of Matthew, moving to 5:1-4, to introduce us to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exposition on the Kingdom of God. A description of what is beautiful starts that sermon, and pastor introduced us to the first three beatitudes. Those beatitudes introduce us to those that are really blessed, those that are in His Kingdom.
Historically, the meaning of Jesus’ words have been distorted. Some have argued that beatitudes refer to a state of being in of itself. In other words, that being poor in something, like spirit, is in of itself a blessed or God endorsed state. This incorrect understanding has, in the past, lead to social ideas like we need not do anything for the poor because we don’t need to change their state.
Pastor explained how to poor in spirit are blessed, beautiful to the Lord as they have nothing and therefore the Kingdom is accessible, and open to them. And what more wonderful, blessed, or beautiful thing can someone have than free entrance into God’s Kingdom?
The same idea applies to mourning over loss. Our felt need for comfort over loss can be met best through the Kingdom. So we are blessed in the availability of the Kingdom to meet that need.
Accessing the Service, Bulletin and Sermon Outline:
Here are the pages from the bulletin, click on the images below to see them full size:
If you would like to have the sermon outline, you can download it here, a pdf file.
Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen emergency, I wasn’t able to record the service, so no recording this Sunday. However, you can review the other services, you can find them here.