Worship: September 11th, 2011

On Sunday, September 11th, Pastor Tony preached from the Gospel of Mark, using text from Mark 7: 1-13. He emphasized that traditions have spiritual value only in so far as they promote the authority and application of God’s Word. Worship services were at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

8:30 am Early Worship Service
9:45 am Children’s Sunday School
10:00 am Youth and Adult Sunday School
11:00 am Late Worship Service
6:00 pm Evening Prayer & Study

Preaching: Rev. Tony Felich (Sermon Audio Page | Other Sermons)

Text: Mark 7:1-23

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Worship Hymns:

Hymn of Adoration: #381 Brethren, We Have Met to Worship
Hymn or Spiritual Song: #535 O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus!
Hymn of Response: #358 For All the Saints (1–5)
Dismissal Hymn: #358 For All the Saints  (6)

Additional Readings:  The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the Communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

Full Liturgy for September 11th, 2011 (PDF)

Sermons from the Exposition of Mark
(click on the link for the sermon page with audio)

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