ORDER OF WORSHIP
Call To Worship
Revelations 4 : 11
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.
啟示錄 4: 11
我們的主，我們的神，你是配得榮耀、尊貴、權柄的，因為你創造了萬物，並且萬物是因你的旨意被創造而有的。
Worship Through Songs
Good day dear family of God—blessed recipients of the Father’s overflowing goodness and never-ending kindness.
On the last week of Jesus’ earthly life before Calvary, his exchanges with people took on a more urgent and compelling tone. Desiring that people—even those that oppose him—understand that the Kingdom of God is imminent and that He, being the King, is central to the whole thing, Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders and teachers of the law for their hardness of heart. Part of that confrontation took the form of 2 parables in Matthew chapter 21. Michael J. Wilkins, in the NIV Application Commentary, writing about one of those parables— ‘The Parable of the Two Sons’—wrote…
“This parable presses Jesus’ point that the religious leaders have not rightly recognized John the Baptist’s divinely endowed prophetic ministry. Grapes were one of the most important crops in ancient Israel and became one of the most important metaphors to describe Israel as the “vine” or “vineyard” of … This parable and the next bring to mind the religious leaders, who have been called to serve God by serving the nation of Israel. In the parable, one son initially refuses to go, but then does go. The other initially agrees to go, but then refuses.
Jesus presses the Pharisees and Sadducees with the question, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” They reply with the obvious answer—the one that obeyed. By pressing them to give that answer, Jesus compels them to accept their responsibility as religious leaders of Israel. The son that originally refused but then obeyed is like those in Israel who were disobedient to the law, such as the tax collectors and prostitutes. But when John arrived with the message of true righteousness through the announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God, they obeyed God’s call through John and were repentant. By contrast, the religious leaders are like the son who agreed but did nothing. They were externally obedient to the law, but when God sent his messenger, John the Baptist, they did not obey God’s message through him.
Sinners who repent will obey God and by it show their repentance. It does not matter if they once turned their backs on God. God wants obedience. The Jewish leaders are hypocritical in that they talk but do not live up to their talk. In the final analysis, it is the fruit of our lives that proves whether or not we are submissive to God’s message through his messengers.”
Thus, for us today, when God speaks through his word, may we not harden our hearts. May the fruit of our lives show that we have not belittled nor neglected so great a message and so great a salvation. Let us remember, treasure, and act upon the words of Jesus—such as these found in John chapter 3…
“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world, that He even gave His One and only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him as Savior shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world—that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him as personal Savior and Lord is not judged—for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation; but the one who does not believe, and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord, is judged already—that one has been convicted and sentenced, because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the One and only begotten Son of God the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him.” [John 3 AMP]
Hallellujah to our only God and Savior, Jesus Christ—our Good and Gracious King. He is worthy of our worship, and worthy of our love.
“Father of glory, fill us with gratitude
that befits the grace You have shown us.
Open our hearts and fill them with praise for You.
Remove every vestige of fleshly pride from our hearts
as we contemplate the surpassing greatness of Christ
and His righteousness.
On the one hand, we come before You
rejoicing that we have been saved by Your grace.
But on the other we come as
broken, penitent, humble sinners,
remembering that we are altogether unworthy of Your favor.
We thank You for granting us the repentance that leads to life
and for reconciling us to Yourself
through faith in Jesus Christ.
By faith alone we have been brought to the place
where all our sins are forgiven
and we rest secure in the hope of heaven.”*
For all these and more, we praise You and thank You. Trusting only in Jesus’ precious and most powerful name, amen. *[John Macarthur]
Anthem
Jesus, Draw Me Close with I Am Thine, O Lord
Scripture Reading
Matthew 21 : 28 – 32
28 “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.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
馬 太 福 音 21 : 28 – 32
28 又 說 ： 一 個 人 有 兩 個 兒 子 。 他 來 對 大 兒 子 說 ： 我 兒 ， 你 今 天 到 葡 萄 園 裡 去 做 工 。
29 他 回 答 說 ： 我 不 去 ， 以 後 自 己 懊 悔 ， 就 去 了 。
30 又 來 對 小 兒 子 也 是 這 樣 說 。 他 回 答 說 ： 父 阿 ， 我 去 ， 他 卻 不 去 。
31 你 們 想 ， 這 兩 個 兒 子 是 那 一 個 遵 行 父 命 呢 ？ 他 們 說 ： 大 兒 子 。 耶 穌 說 ： 我 實 在 告 訴 你 們 ， 稅 吏 和 娼 妓 倒 比 你 們 先 進 神 的 國 。
32 因 為 約 翰 遵 著 義 路 到 你 們 這 裡 來 ， 你 們 卻 不 信 他 ； 稅 吏 和 娼 妓 倒 信 他 。 你 們 看 見 了 ， 後 來 還 是 不 懊 悔 去 信 他 。
Sermon
Rev. Vicente Sia
謝國智牧師
Communion
Song of Reflection
English:
中文:
Tithes And Offering
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ANNOUNCEMENT
Benediction Song
