Worship Preparation - August 23, 2026
Read the sermon text: Luke 11:37-54
Read the sermon summary: In our passage for this Sunday, Jesus shares a meal with a Pharisee and his friends. When Jesus didn't abide by the host's practices of ritual purity, the host was astonished. He said nothing, but Jesus knows his thoughts and unleashes a series of "woes" on the Pharisees and the lawyers (experts of the scriptures). We might even be surprised at the aggressive language Jesus uses. This passage is both a warning and an exhortation. We should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (12:1). They focused meticulously on minor issues of purity and neglected the big issues of a relationship with God. They loved to be honored by other people but didn't have the love of God. The lawyers bound the consciences of the people with strict observance to the law but failed to keep it themselves. They couldn't enter into the kingdom and, by their teachings, closed the door of the kingdom to those who listened to them. In what ways might we clean the outside of the cup and neglect purity on the inside? What does it mean to "give as alms those things that are within?"
Read the following song lyrics in relation to the sermon:
His Glory And My Good
Verse 1
I have seen my Father’s glory
Revealed in Jesus Christ
And the more that I behold Him
The more He satisfies
When I gaze upon His beauty
When I see Him as I should
Then my eyes are lifted upward
For His glory and my good
Verse 2
There is hope in every trial
For I can trust the Lord
He will turn my heart towards Him
And help me bear the thorn
So in faith I follow Jesus
On the road not understood
For I know that He is working
For His glory and my good
Chorus 1
To our God be the glory
To our God be praise
He alone the name above all names
I will boast ever only in the Lord my God
For I know His glory is my good
Verse 3
See the open arms of Jesus
Upon the cross that day
What they understood as weakness
Deserves my every praise
For the charge that was against me
It was nailed into the wood
Yes I know that He has saved me
For His glory and my good
Verse 4
Would I gladly be made nothing
That Christ would be made more
Would I seek the only kingdom
That far outweighs them all
I will stand before my Father
Where the faithful saints have stood
And with joy my heart shall praise Him
For His glory and my good
Chorus 2
To our God be the glory
To our God be praise
He alone the name above all names
I will boast ever only in the Lord my God
For I know His glory is my good
For I know His glory is my good
CCLI Song #7235691
Ben Fielding | Jonny Robinson | Rich Thompson
© 2024 Ben Fielding Publishing; CityAlight Music
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License #11078052