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.

Download This Guide (PDF)Download
Download Ekidz Bulletin (PDF)Download

Please print this guide or have it handy in digital format for use during the service.

And don’t forget to join us Sunday immediately following the service in our virtual foyer for a group video chat! It’s easy to join! Just click here.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Please join in on the bolded lines.

We’ve come to worship God,
who makes streams flow from rock,
who turns the parched earth into springs of water,
who sends the rain from heaven
and makes the wilderness blossom and flourish.
As the deer thirsts for flowing streams,
so we thirst for You, O God.
Fill us once again!

Come, let’s worship our life-giving God,
who pours out living water on all who thirst,
and the Holy Spirit upon all who cry out.

MUSIC: THIS I BELIEVE (THE CREED)

CCLI #7018338 | Ben Fielding and Matt Crocker © 2014
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

CONFESSIONAL PRAYER

Please join in on the bolded lines.

Almighty God,
who sent the promised power of the Holy Spirit
to fill disciples with willing faith:
We confess that at times we resist Your Spirit among us,
that we are slow to serve You
and reluctant to spread the good news of Your love.

God, have mercy on us.
Forgive our divisions
and by Your Spirit draw us together.
Inspire us with a desire to do Your will
and be Your faithful people
for the sake of Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Adapted from The Worship Sourcebook)

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

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

The result is this: since we have been declared ‘in the right’ on the basis of faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Through him we have been allowed to approach, by faith, into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate the hope of the glory of God.
-Romans 5:1-2 (NTE)

All: Thanks be to God

MUSIC: GIVE US YOUR HEART

CCLI #7080403 | Ashlyn Clift, Charles Groves, Jake Richards, Lauren Wells, Mackenzie Fessler, Jordan Merritt, and Melanie Tierce | © 2016
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

WORD

Download Sermon Notes (PDF)Download

Spirit vs. Flesh

Sermon Scripture: Romans 8:5-9 (NRSV)

RECAP
Two weeks ago, we explored the tension that our bodies have been subject to death because of sin, but the Spirit of God lives in us bringing life – even to our mortal bodies. This reminded us of two things:

One, that a new way of life has been opened up to us; we can choose to live according to the Spirit inside of us.

Two, that God’s redemptive plan for us isn’t just to save our souls into a disembodied heaven, but to redeem our bodies as well.

This week, I want to look at another comparison Paul makes between the flesh and the spirit.

FLESH
When Paul using the word “flesh” in Romans, he IS NOT talking about our physicality. He is talking about our mortality.

He isn’t talking about our physical bodies, but rather the sinful nature that has corrupted our flesh and made us subject to death.

Flesh, then, is a shorthand way of talking about a disposition or mindset set against God. But what kind of mindset are we talking about specifically? Here’s how the Common English Bible translates this verse, “The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death…”

Jesus, who is God made flesh, shows us that God is self-giving love. Selfishness is contrary to the way of God, which is why Paul says a mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.

The flesh, ultimately, is a mindset of independence from God. A way of seeing myself and the world as being totally independent without the need for others or for God.

Only focusing on yourself without concern for the other will lead to death.

SPIRIT
Contrast this to life in the Spirit which leads to life and peace. Using mindsets as a helpful way to think about this; the mindset of the Spirit would be self-giving love.

The way we tend to think about love in our time and culture is in terms of benefit to self. We are happy to love someone or something or an organization as long as we get personal benefit from that relationship. But self-giving love is loving others even when it costs me something.

The scriptures say that when we live with a mindset of the Spirit leads to life and peace.

The life he is talking about the resurrection life.

The peace he is talking about is union with God. The flesh is hostile toward God because it is turned in on itself, but the Spirit leads to peace through union with God. When we live according to the ways of self-sacrificial love we are walking in step with the Spirit of God.

Here’s the good news: You are Spirit-filled people! Those who have placed their trust in Jesus have been given the Spirit of God and can now live in the ways of love empowered by the Spirit. We can rise above narratives of rights of self and instead care for neighbor. We can see right through “us and them” rhetoric and see the precious value of the other. We can expose the false narratives of blame and shame and seek the truth.

We can do these things as long as we humble ourselves before God and let the ways of the flesh die so that we can live according to the Spirit of God. May it be so for each of us.

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.

As we go from this time of worship,
we acknowledge that much of the road ahead is uncertain,
the path forward constantly changing.
Yet this we know with all our hearts;
We know God is love.
We know Christ’s light endures.
We know the Holy Spirit is with us,
found in the space between all things,
closer to us than our next breath,
binding us to each other,
until we may meet again.
Go in peace.

(Written by Rev. Nora Vedress, adapted)