– -Liturgy for Sunday, January 18, 2015- –
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jer. 17:9. Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in his beams. Feel his all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and repose in his almighty arms. . . .
Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.
-from the Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17
Prelude: Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder (Indelible Grace Music)
Gathering Song: This Is My Father’s World (Traditional/Babcock & Sheppard)
Call to Worship – We believe God is who calls and enables us to worship Himself rightly, in Spirit and truth, so we go to His word and prayer in seek of that…
Psalm 63:1-8
Leader: O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
All: So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Leader: My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
All: for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Prayer of Invocation
Adoration: Meet Us Here (Hohnholz)
Call To Confession:
We’ve sung to ask the sovereign king of all the earth’s presence among us. And we know that He is already among is, for there is no where we can go away from his presence. We’ve also sung of His holiness which naturally draws attention to our unworthiness. We know that we have no play with God apart from the work of Christ. Let’s move now into a time of silent confession, confessing our attempts to run from God, or to pretend like we have it all together apart from Christ…
(time of silent confession)
(prayer to close confession from Psalm 54)
O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.
O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. (Pause)
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Awake My Soul (McCracken)
Assurance of Pardon: (Romans 4:20-5:5)
Leader: The Scriptures say that “He [Jesus] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
All: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Leader: Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope
All: and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Song of Response: Man Of Sorrows (Bliss)
(Prayers for our City, Offering, and Doxology/Word of Praise)
Hearing the Word: Galatians 3:10-14 (sermon audio posted separately)
Celebration of Communion
Sending: Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)
Benediction: (Numbers 6:24-26)
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Go in that peace!