We encourage you to read and reflect on these scriptures, songs, notes, and prayers as we look forward to our time of worship together this coming Sunday.

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CALL TO WORSHIP

Please join in on the bolded lines.

The earth has its kings, but God is ruler of all.
Praise God above all, the giver of life!
The mountains may tremble, the oceans may roar,
but God’s presence is more powerful than the earth itself.
Come into God’s presence, for God is among us now.
O God, show us your glory; we seek your ways.
Come to the Rock, the God of life,
for God is present now.

MUSIC: ONLY YOU

CCLI #7026980 | Eric J. Marshall © 2014
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

CONFESSIONAL PRAYER

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We confess to each other and to You, our Creator, that we fall short of being what we have been created to be, what we have committed ourselves to be disciples of the kingdom.
Hear us, forgive us, renew our resolve to build the kingdom of peace.

We often seek out the easiest paths; paths of least involvement in places where we might be uncomfortable, or paths of self-centeredness.
Hear us, forgive us, renew our resolve to build the kingdom of peace.

Forgive us for getting so caught up in the world’s trappings and its false messages of hope that we lose sight of the hope of the kingdom, which brings healing and peace to a world in turmoil.
Hear us, forgive us, renew our resolve to build the kingdom of peace.

In this time of worship may we resolve to become more kingdom-minded to be your peacemakers here and now.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

You are invited to hold your hands out, palm-up as we receive His grace.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
-Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV)

All: Thanks be to God

MUSIC: BE THOU MY VISION

CCLI #4586883 | Allan Hall, Todd Smith, and Nicol Sponberg © 2005
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

WORD

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Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Scripture: Titus 3:1-8 (NRSV)

INTRO
The faithfulness listed in the fruit of the Spirit is different from believing faith. It is the faith that follows an initial commitment to Christ; the faith we live by.

Faith is best described as allegiance. Faithfulness, then, is being steadfast in our allegiance to Jesus, who is Ruler over all the nations; Creator of life, the Eternal Word of God.

In this time when our nation is so divided politically, how are we to know what allegiance to Jesus look like? How are we to know when there are people on both sides of the political spectrum who invoke the name of Jesus to defend their position?

Let’s turn to the Gospels for some wisdom.

JESUS IN POLITICAL TROUBLE
Matthew 22:15-22 tells the story of how Jesus gets into political trouble. Here is the scene:

Herodians are followers of the late King Herod’s political philosophy. Herod was of Jewish descent, but had come to power in Rome. Herodians were interested in protecting the status quo. They wanted law and order.

The followers of Jesus (Jewish zealots) who were tired of the politically powerful and desired to be freed from the oppression of Rome. There were attracted to Jesus’ message of a new kingdom. The Jewish zealots cried out for liberation.

These two groups are ideological opposites. When they are together a political bomb is thrown in the middle of their gathering – “Does the Torah allow us to pay our taxes?”

If Jesus says “Yes, you should pay your taxes.” Then all of his followers who were convinced that a new kingdom was at hand and a new day had arrived would instead be convinced that Jesus is nothing new and complicit in the same system.

If Jesus says, “No, you shouldn’t pay taxes because the Torah (the law) says you can’t put graven images on things, and money is covered in images of Ceasar” then Herodians have cause to bring Jesus up the chain of empirical discipline and have his movement squashed.

In response, Jesus asked, “Whose image is on the coin?” “Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.”

Jesus’ response is an invitation to give the thing back to whoever’s image is on it – humanity bears God’s image!

This passage is an invitation to offer our whole selves to faithful allegiance to Christ as the image-bearers of God!

Our task is to reflect the goodness of God back into the world through faithful witness.

JESUS REFUSES TO BE PINNED DOWN
Jesus took this moment to show that allegiance to God is different than right/left political ideologies.

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, faithfulness is allegiance to the way of Jesus and His kingdom.

Here is the situation: The Herodians were so committed to their friendship and relationship to the empire, and so formed by the ways of empire that they were in danger of becoming deaf to the cries of those for whom the current system was no longer working.
In an effort to overturn the system and establish something new, the zealots were in danger of turning to the tools, tricks, and tactics they learned from the empire! They were in danger of being the oppressed who become oppressors.

The fruit of faithfulness in our lives is a faithful reckoning with these realities.

QUARTET OF THE VULNERABLE
Jesus refusing to be pinned down politically should not be taken to mean that the way of Jesus doesn’t take any stances on issues.

The quartet of the vulnerable are the widow, orphan, poor, and immigrant. Jesus fulfills the vision of the prophets by continually moving toward these populations and caring for them and showing them justice.

As Christians our stance is clear – we want to protect and bring shalom to vulnerable populations.

Lord, help us be your faithful witnesses.

TABLE

Prepare the elements of “bread” and “wine” for use as we gather around The Lord’s Table. These can be any items convenient around the home that symbolize these for you. 

CONFESSION OF THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

Christ has died.
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

As we pray together, we invite you to share your own requests and testimonies with us this week. If you have a request you can share it live in our video stream chat, or you may email us at emmausroadfc@gmail.com

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
        hallowed be your Name,
        your kingdom come,
        your will be done,
        on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins
        as we forgive those
        who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, 
        and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, 
        and the power,
        and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

BENEDICTION

You are invited to hold your hands out, palm-up as we receive this benediction.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace
Where there is hatred, may we sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, grant that we may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it’s in dying that we are born to Eternal Life

Amen