Worship ServiceJuly 19th (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost)

“WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD AND BE CHRIST’S PEOPLE”

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

“A single day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a doorman of the Temple of my God than live in palaces of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

Opening Hymns - “Spirit of God” ---------------------- 2117(TFWS) verse 1,2, and 5

Opening Prayer (Taught by Love, Lavon Bayler)Search us, O God, and know our hearts. Test us and know our thoughts. We gather with eager longing to know you, ever-present God, and to be known by you. We want to live as your beloved children. Assure us in these moments that you hear our prayers, even as your will is revealed to us. Fill our dreams and our waking hours with radiant hope. May every time of encounter move us to awe and fervent worship. Lead us in your way everlasting. Amen.

Welcome & AnnouncementsGood morning! How are you today? Welcome to the worship of our Lord. Today is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. Because of God’s love and grace, we are saved and have become his people. And, God sent the Counselor to help us keep our faith in this world. As we confessed, we believe that God loves us and he is always with us. Because we believe God’s steadfast love and grace for us, we want to praise God through our worship service. That is why we want to worship together.

1. Please pray for all of our church family who have lost loved ones recently: the Cook, Lebsack and Reid families.

2. A memorial service for Bob Lebsack will be held Saturday, August 1, 10:00 a.m. on the church lawn. All are invited to attend; please wear a mask and if you wish to sit, your own lawn chair.

3. NEWSLETTER: If you have a ministry, please submit information for the newsletter. The deadline is the 15th of every month, but if it is after that date, Debbie will do her best to get it in. It is important to keep the communication going to help us feel connected. Thank you!

4. Worship Update: It was decided by vote at the July 7 Zoom meeting, that the earliest possible date of in-person service will be the first Sunday in August. The Re-launch team will continue to monitor the situation; please watch for updates via emails.

5. Also, please continue to give as you are able during this time. There are several options for giving: 1) Give online through our website, www.berthoudumc.org. At the top-right corner of the website is a white heart with a button that says “giving”; click on that button and follow the instructions. If you have not set up a profile, you will have to do that first. Call Debbie in the office or Barbara Boyd for help. 2) Mail a check to 820 9th Street, Berthoud, CO 80513.3) Drop off a check or cash to the church office on Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

6. Does your child receive free or reduced-price school meals during the school year, or do you believe you may now qualify based on a recent income change? Pandemic-EBT, or P-EBT, can help you feed your family while schools are closed. You will receive a card with approximately $279 per eligible child that you can use to purchase food at stores that accept EBT. If you already receive SNAP benefits and are eligible for P-EBT, these funds will automatically load into your existing account. If you do not currently receive SNAP benefits, apply here for P-EBT today: https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/p-ebt Please contact your school district to get your student SASID number as that is required on the application.

Passing the Peace of Christ: Please Greet Each Other in Jesus’ Name – “Peace be with you!”

Hymn - “ For the Healing of the Nations” -------------------------- 428(UMH) v. 1,2, and 4

Prayers of Joy and Petition It is time for us to open our hearts, and share our joys and concerns. We want to pray for one another. We can remember each other in our hearts and in our prayers.

Sharing - Please share your joys and concerns together. Please do not forget to give thanks to God.Meditation – Together

Pastoral PrayerOur gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you today in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and

Savior. We thank you today for salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. We have been set free from the power and bondage of sin and given new life. We have the privilege of walking with you day by day. Each day is a new and different experience.

We thank you too, that you have a plan and purpose for every one of us that is special and just suited for us individually. You know all about our abilities as well as our limitations. We believe your plan and leading is exactly right for us because you know everything about us. We believe you do not make mistakes and you do not need to rethink things. Thank you, Lord, for being whom and what you are. You are trustworthy and we can be secure in your everlasting love.

Lord, we pray that you will look inside each of us and see all the needs that are there; see the frustrations and disappointments, the failures and even the sins that might be there. We believe that you can do everything about them. We are looking to you right now to meet those needs and bring healing, restoration, and forgiveness. Please be with those who have sicknesses and physical problems. You designed our bodies and you understand how they are supposed to work. We pray that you would bring healing and wholeness to those who need your physical touch.

Please be with those who lost their loved one. We believe you are the only comfort for our sorrow and pain. Please lead us with your peace.

We pray for all our church members. Give us wisdom and direction as we all seek to do your will and fulfill your purposes for us as your church. We want to be busy doing the things that are close to your heart and things that will count for eternity. Please guide us so we can keep this wonderful faith community and serve you. Holy God, we trust you. We thank you for what will be. We thank you especially for your promises; for hope and a new and transformed life in Christ. Please empower us by your Spirit to respond fully to your love, to glorify and honor your name, and to love as your people. We pray in Jesus’ name.

Lord’s PrayerOur 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Scripture Reading --------------------- “Romans 8:12–25” ----------------------------- Meredeth Neitenbach

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Sermon -------------------------------------- “He Testifies” ----------------------------- Rev. KyeongSu Jung

When God created the world, he created human beings in his own image. After God created humans, he was very happy because it was the best creation. Genesis chapter 1 testified, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” God always showed his love for humans because he created us. However, human beings betrayed God. Although God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die,” they ate the fruit because they wanted to become like God. Humans sinned against God. It was the beginning of sin in the human world. As a result, God banished them from the Garden of Eden.

Although God banished human beings from paradise, he could not stop loving them. To save humans from destruction and punishment, God continuously showed his love and mercy. God sent prophets and messengers to introduce his love. He showed lots of signs that he loved humans. However, humans did not hear God’s love. On the contrary, humans had plunged deeply into sin. Although humans sinned against God again and again, God’s amazing love for us never stopped. As the final way, God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to save humans from the power of the darkness and death. To make humans free from the power of darkness and death, Jesus died on the Cross as the worst sinner.

The Apostle John clearly testified, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (First John 4:10) When Jesus died on the Cross, God showed his proclamation of salvation. The Bible said, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Matthew 27:51) It meant that the Cross was God’s action of love for human beings. Through Jesus’ precious blood, he cleansed all our sins. He

died for us. But, it was not the end. On the third day, he overcame the power of death and resurrected. He has risen from the dead and become our Lord.

As our Lord who came for us, died for us, and resurrected for us, he only asked for one thing. It is “Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1) It means “Just believe Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior.” So, Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) The Apostle John also testified, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) That is, we will be free from our sins if we believe and confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Yes, we believe God loves us. We believe Jesus Christ came for us. We believe Jesus Christ died for us and resurrected for us. Because we believe in Jesus, we confess him as our Lord. That is why we became His people, Christians. Therefore, we are God’s children. Apostle Peter demonstrated, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (1 Peter 2:9) However, there is still a question. The Bible testified we are God’s children and people. If so, how can we recognize that? From today’s text, we can find a clear answer. The Bible witnessed, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” What is the meaning of “The Spirit testifies?”

In conclusion, it is the relationship between “Father” and “Son.” The Bible said God’s children can call God, “Father.” In verse 15, Apostle Paul said, “And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” If so, how can we call God “Father?” There is a big secret. Psalm chapter 2 said, “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’” The Bible evidently testified, “You are my son. I have become your Father.” Actually, the son cannot recognize who my father is. It is normally the father’s side that can prove the relationship between son and father because the baby cannot say, “This is my father.”

When I became a father, I had a wonderful experience. A nurse called me and asked, “Are you the father of this baby?” I checked his wrist and I found the sign, “a baby of Clara.” So, I answered. “Yes, I am the father of this baby.” The nurse put my name on his wrist tag, “KyeongSu Jung’s son.” When I testified, I became his father. Because I knew who he was, I could say, “Yes, I am the father. He is my son.” It is exactly the same for us. In Titus chapter 3, Paul said, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might become heirs.” He also said in Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Through Jesus Christ, God saved us. We have been born again. We have a new life within Jesus Christ. And God calls us as his sons and daughters because we became his children. That is why we can call God “Father.”

In a kingdom, there was a boy. He was the king’s youngest son. People regarded him as just one of the princes. But, one day, the king called all people and proclaimed, “This boy will succeed me. He will become the king of this country after me.” After the king’s proclamation, the young boy was treated differently from the other princes because he officially became the king’s heir. He was not just a young boy anymore. People started serving him as the heir of the king. Why did the boy receive special treatment? Actually, there was no difference, he was still a young boy. However, he was not the same as the past because he was called the heir of the king. When the king called him as the heir, he became the heir. Do you know his name? His name was Solomon.

It is exactly the same for us. We became God’s children because he saved us through Jesus Christ and he named us “my children.” Because God called us as his sons and daughters, we became his heirs of the blessing. It does not matter who we were. Now, we are his heir because he said, “You are my son.” It was not all. Today’s text said, “The Holy Spirit testifies us who we are.” It is the meaning that God continuously testifies us as his children. That is, the Holy Spirit’s testimony is not a one-time thing. The Holy Spirit testifies us as God’s children to proclaim we belong to heaven whenever and wherever we are. How amazing is it?

I want to share one more thing. It is “Abba.” “Abba” originated from a Jewish children’s word, which was used when people expressed the close relationship between father and son. In the Old Testament, people could not use “Abba” when they called God because “Abba” was a very intimate expression. So, Jewish people never used “Abba” because God was One to be feared. However, in the New Testament, Christians can call God “Abba” because we have a special relationship with God as father and son through Jesus Christ. So, Paul testified in Galatians chapter 4 verse 6, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’”

It is grace, amazing grace. The Bible said anyone who believes Jesus as the Lord and Savior does not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but the Spirit of sonship. In John chapter 8, Jesus also proclaimed, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The only thing God wants is “our confession of faith.” When we confess, “I believe you are my Lord,” we are already qualified as God’s children and we can participate in his glory.

Let’s think about us. How about us? Do you believe Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you confess you are a Christian? If so, you are his people, his children. You can call God, “Abba, Father.” You can hear his proclamation, “You are my son; I have become your father.” You can hear his lovely voice. And, the Holy Spirit will testify us with his spiritual power. I pray we can call God, “Abba, Father.” I pray our lives can be filled with his power. When we believe him and confess our faith in our lives, the Holy Spirit will testify that we are God’s children. Please hear and enjoy what the Holy Spirit testifies about us. “You are my Son. I have become your Father.” Please experience your spiritual journey with confidence. We are God’s children.

Let’s pray. Loving God, thank you for giving us this time to worship you. Thank you for giving us your wonderful message of love. We give thanks to you because you came here to show your love and to save our lives. And you promised that we are your children when we believe you as our Lord and Savior. Because we are your people, you want us to believe you as our Lord and Messiah. You promised that you will testify us as your children when we confess “You are Christ. You are the son of the living God.” Please help us to show our faith for you. Please help us to believe and confess you as our Lord and Messiah. Please help us to enjoy your testimony in our lives. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Offertory – “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ------------ 94 (UMH)

Offertory Prayer (Taught by Love, Lavon Bayler)Thank you, God, for the rich heritage of faith we have received from our ancestors. We are grateful that your Spirit is ever with us, assuring us of your acceptance and love. May our offerings share this good news with other children of God who have not yet discovered their identity. May all of us grow in righteousness that we might together experience the reality of your realm in our daily lives, here and now and for all eternity. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Closing Hymn - “ O Spirit of the Living God” ------------------ 539(UMH) verse 1,2, and 4

Commission and BlessingWe go into the world in the name of Jesus Christ.The Lord makes his face shine upon us, and is gracious unto us. The Lord lifts up his countenance upon us, and gives us peace.We go into the world with assurance, hope and promise that the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ rest upon us, the love of God embrace us, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit uphold us. Great is our God, and greatly to be praised.God will be with us today and forever. Amen.