Evening Worship Service

Prelude: Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost, BWV 667 Johann Sebastian Bach

Call to Worship

Invocation

Hymn 32: Great Is Thy Faithfulness Faithfulness

Text: Thomas Chisolm (1923)

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

(Refrain)
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided—
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. (Refrain)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! (Refrain)

Prayer of Confession

Lord Christ, when by the power of your Holy Spirit working in us we see you by faith, we behold you as King and Lord of all. All power and glory belong to you, O God, forever and ever! Thank you for sending the Spirit to live in us, and to work in us that which is pleasing in your sight. Increase in us the conviction that we are free from the slavery of sin! O God, we lament that, like the Prodigal Son, we would rather be a servant who earns his keep than a child who freely receives all you have to give us. We are helpless to help ourselves, but too proud to come and lay every sin on you. Make us like the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, who saw beyond her sin to your glory and grace. High King of heaven, you have won our victory! Give us thankful hearts, that we may truly worship you and give you praise.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: Romans 8:1–2

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Doxology Tallis’ Canon

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 Illumination

Scripture Reading: Matthew 19:23–20:27

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Matthew 20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” 17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.

Hymn 335: Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me Redhead

Text: Thomas Lynch (1855)

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would gracious be;
and with words that help and heal would thy life in mine reveal;
and with actions bold and meek would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would truthful be;
and with wisdom kind and clear let Thy life in mine appear;
and with actions brotherly speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would mighty be;
mighty so as to prevail, where unaided man must fail;
ever by a mighty hope, pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would holy be;
separate from sin, I would choose and cherish all things good,
and whatever I can be give to him who gave me thee!

Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 95

Question: To whom is baptism to be administered?
Answer: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.

Offering Prayer

(In person offerings may be made via the oak boxes. Give online at tenth.org/give or mail checks to: 1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: Holy Ghost, Dispel Our Sadness (Trinity Hymnal 330) arr. Mark Schweizer

Chamber Choir

Sermon: The First Will Be Last Rev. Gavin Lymberopoulos

Hymn 598: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah Cwm Rhondda

Text: William Williams (1745)

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy pow’rful hand;
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;
strong Deliv’rer, strong Deliv’rer, be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side;
songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.

Benediction

Postlude

Serving this evening:
Rev. Greg Hobaugh, platform
Aaron Patterson, organist