First Baptist Church Of Saratoga

June 15, 2025

Prelude - The Spirit of Hospitality

Call to Worship

We come, for you, God, gather us here, with that community called faith: where the hungry are served first, where the thirsty drink life's water.  We come, for you, God reunite us here, sisters and brothers in that family called love.  We come that we may worship you, God, for giving us life through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Hymn - It Is Well with My Soul

Invocation and Lord's Prayer

God, in your great love and mercy, move us beyond fear; move us beyond our anxious worry.
Move us deeper into your surprising grace.  We ask this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray saying: 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.

Scripture Reading - 3 John 1-12

1 The elder, to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.  2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.  9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.  11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Joys and Concerns

Your love, O God, is expressed through people like us: as we share our wealth in simplicity and generosity; as we share wholeness in care and healing of the sick and broken; as we share hospitality by being truly present to the lonely, the imprisoned and the marginalized; as we share peace in kindness, listening and acceptance with those who challenge us, confront us and threaten us.  As you have loved us in incarnate action, O God, may we learn to be little incarnations through whom your love is expressed and experienced in action.  Amen.

Hymn -Lift High the Crosss

Sermon - The Joy of Christian Hospitality

For Video version, click below.

Hymn - Make Me a Blessing

Benediction

Let us go in the joy of welcoming those who come in Christ's name.  Amen.

Postlude - I Will Serve Thee