– – -Liturgy for Sunday, February 8, 2015- – –
“It’s important to notice that the gospel is not simply an invitation; it’s a declaration, an announcement: The time has come for God to be your king. He’s reclaiming and restoring his world. Repent of all of your petty kingdoms and believe this good news.”
-Mike Cosper, from Faithmapping
Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
Psalm 9:11
Prelude: **New Song** Hear The Call Of The Kingdom (Getty/Townend)
Gathering Song: Come Thou Fount (Wyeth/Robinson)
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 in seek of that…
adapted from Psalm 9:1-2, 7-11, 19-20
Leader: The Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
All: The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Leader: Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
All: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Leader: Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men!
All: And let those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Prayer of Invocation – We pray each week asking God to direct our hearts, “prone to wander” as they are, to Himself as we sing, speak, and listen in our worship gathering…
Adoration:
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Martin Luther/Hedge)
Always (Stanfill/Ingram)
Call to Confession:
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
-Galatians 4:8-9
(time of silent confession)
Assurance: (Romans 8:11-18)
Leader: If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
All: So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
Leader: For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
All: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Leader: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,
All: by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Song of Response: Arise, My Soul, Arise (Indelible Grace Music)
(Prayers for our City, Offering, and Doxology/Word of Praise)
Hearing the Word: Galatians 4:8-31 (sermon audio posted separately)
Celebration of Communion
Sending: O Church Arise (Getty/Townend)
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!