"You Have Heard It Was Said"

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOMEWOOD
MISSION STATEMENT

Through the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we prayerfully seek to discern God’s will for this congregation and to reach beyond ourselves to feed the hungry, body and soul. Adopted by Session 7/31/17

PRAYER FOR PEACE

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I 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, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

PRELUDE

*CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP
We gather here as the body of Christ,
God's servants working together.
God call us to worship, to hear the good news and sing our praise, for we are the hands and feet of Jesus here and now.
 
*HYMN 754 ||| Help Us Accept Each Other ||| Baronita

CALL TO CONFESSION
Our sins and failures can overwhelm us. Yet God waits to forgive and heal. Let us lay down our burdens and open our hearts, that we may receive grace and the gift of new life.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Almighty God, you set before us life and prosperity, but we turn towards death and adversity. We do not listen to your commandments, we bow down to other gods: convenience, self-reliance, greed, bitterness. Break us of our longing for gods we can see and touch. Turn us back to you, mysterious and mighty God, that we may observe your commandments, and walk in your ways.
(silent prayer)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
God is always offering us another chance. God is always offering life and abundance. Turn to God and receive the good news:
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, we are forgiven! Alleluia!

*THE GLORIA 581

MOMENT WITH OUR CHILDREN ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS

WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ||| Deuteronomy 30:15-20
15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

SPECIAL MUSIC

SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Matthew 5:21-37
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 27“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. 31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON ||| "You Have Heard It Was Said" ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 445 ||| God, How Can We Forgive ||| Leoni

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH ||| The Brief Statement of Faith 1983
In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
…Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS

OFFERTORY

*DOXOLOGY 606 ||| Old Hundredth
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
For the blessings of this and all our days, we thank you, gracious God. Accept, we pray, not just this money but also our lives freely offered in gratitude for all you have done for us. Use them both, in this place and wherever you might take us. Amen.

WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

*HYMN 332 ||| The Right Hand of God ||| La Mano De Dios ||| (vss. 1-4)

BLESSING
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!
Alleluia!

CHARGE
To be reconciled to God is to be sent into the world as God’s reconciling community. Christ has called us to this mission and given us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

POSTLUDE

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!

Rev. Matt Lang, Pastor
Mrs. Mary Ann Wenzelman, Interim Organist/Pianist

Worship Liturgist: Rod Dunlap
Ushers: Char Hansen, Bob James, Eleanor Steiner
Web Techs: Shirley Armistead, Nancy Beaudoin, Phil Dillman, Kathie Hazlett

7:00 p.m.
February 22, 2023
Calvary United Protestant Church
425 N. Orchard Drive
Park Forest, IL 
A WARM WELCOME! –The Lord calls all of us to a new way of living under his wonderful grace in our Savior. If you are a guest, it is a pleasure to have you worshiping with us. Please help us to get to know who you are by introducing yourself at the door and signing our guest book.

SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday we will be reading Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9.

PRAYER CHAIN – If you want prayer requests included on the prayer chain, contact Shirley Armistead at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..