Lessons for September 30,2007 – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost The first lesson Amos 6:1a, 4-7 How terrible it will be for you who lounge in luxury and think you are secure in Jerusalem and Samaria! [4] How terrible it will be for you who sprawl on ivory beds surrounded with luxury, eating the meat of tender lambs and choice calves. [5] You sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and you fancy yourselves to be great musicians, as King David was. [6] You drink wine by the bowlful, and you perfume yourselves with exotic fragrances, caring nothing at all that your nation is going to ruin. [7] Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your revelry will end. (NLT) Psalm 146 L. Praise the Lord, I tell myself. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. C. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath. L. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. C. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, L. and in a moment all their plans come to an end. C. But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, L. whose hope is in the Lord their God. C. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. L. He is the one who keeps every promise forever, C. who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. L. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. C. The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads. L. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. C. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. L. The Lord will reign forever. O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation! C. Praise the Lord! (NLT) The second lesson 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. [7] After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. [8] So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. [9] But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. [11] But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. [12] Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. [13] And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, [14] that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. [15] For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. [16] He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen. [17] Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. [18] Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. [19] By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. (NLT) The Gospel Lesson Luke 16:19-31 Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury. [20] At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. [21] As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. [22] Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham. [24] "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.' [25] "But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. [26] And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.' [27] "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father's home. [28] For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won't have to come here when they die.' [29] "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.' [30] "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.' [31] "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.' " (NLT)