Veil Drawn Back: Corporate Worship August 28, 2011

Worship 8-28-11

We are gathered in the name of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

Our Deliverer – Psalm 34:1-8

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

In this Psalm we have imagery from the wilderness journey in which the LORD is the protector of his people in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of flame by night. His power and might compel us to sing and rejoice for he has called us to be his people and He will be our God.

Glorious and Mighty

Majesty, Your glory is shining

Brighter than the moon and the stars

Marveling, we honor and fear You

Above all gods

Glorious and mighty, You’re awesome in beauty

Joyful songs we raise

Glorious and mighty, You’re awesome in beauty

Greatly to be praised

Majesty, You fashioned the heavens

Your decrees can never be changed

Over all the plans of the nations

Your judgments reign

Majesty, we’ll sing with creation

When You come again in the clouds

Every knee will bow down and worship

The one true God

A Glimpse of God’s Goodness – Exodus 34:4-8

So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

Good to Me

I cry out for your hand of mercy to heal me.

I am weak, I need your love to free me.

Oh Lord, my Rock, my strength in weakness,

come rescue me, oh Lord.

You are my hope, your promise never fails me;

and my desire is to follow you forever.

For you are good, for you are good, for you are good to me.

This passage gives us a glimpse of the way we normally function, within the economy of this world, which is unable to be truly merciful and good because it cannot stand self-sacrifice. But we are called to something more…

The Two Economies – Luke 6:27-36

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Corporate Confession

Father in Heaven, we are ungrateful and evil people. We are in desperate need of your goodness and faithfulness, for we function within the economy of this world and its vicious and unmerciful ways are crushing us in its slavery. Remind us of the goodness of Christ who paid our debt and freed us from the slavery of our sin. Give us freedom to do good without seeking any earthly reward by the power of the Holy Spirit who not only encamps around us, but also is within us. Amen.

Jesus Paid It All

Text: Elvina M. Hall Music: John T. Grape (1865) Add. Chorus: Alex Nifong CCLI# 1888005

I hear the Savior say,

“Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray,

Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find

Thy power and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots

And melt the heart of stone

And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete,

Jesus died my soul to save

My lips shall still repeat

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt

And raised this life up from the dead

The Assurance of God’s Goodness – 2 Timothy 2:8-13

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

This next song is new for us and I’ve decided to introduce it because it reminds me of the intimacy into which Jesus invites us…similar to when he said, “Let the little children come unto me.”

Forever Reign

You are good. You are good when there's nothing good in me

You are love. You are love on display for all to see

You are light. You are light when the darkness closes in

You are hope. You are hope. You have covered all my sin

You are peace. You are peace when my fear is crippling

You are true. You are true even in my wandering

You are joy. You are joy. You're the reason that I sing

You are life. You are life. In You death has lost its sting

(Oh) I'm running to Your arms, I'm running to Your arms

The riches of Your love will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

You are more. You are more than my words will ever say

You are Lord. You are Lord. All creation will proclaim

You are here. You are here. In Your presence I'm made whole

You are God. You are God of all else I'm letting go

My heart will sing no other Name, Jesus, Jesus

Sermon—1 John 1:5-2:8

Let this last song be your song of joy and mission as you go into this broken world to demonstrate God’s goodness and faithfulness in such a way that those to whom love is a stranger may find in you a generous friend.

Lord For Your Glory

Lord for Your glory we sing Your praises

We magnify Your holy name

All for Your glory, Lord we bring blessing

We seek to honor You all of our days

We lift our hands! We lift our praise to You!

We worship all You are in spirit and truth!

We lift our hearts! We live our lives to You!

We offer all we are for the glory of You!

Lord for Your glory we have been chosen

You have been faithful to Your own

Almighty Father we are Your children

We lay down all we have here at Your throne

We lift our hands! We lift our praise to You!

We worship all You are in spirit and truth!

We lift our hearts! We live our lives to You!

We offer all we are! We offer all we have!

We offer all our lives for the glory of You!

Veil Drawn Back

Veil Drawn Back

Friday, August 26, 2011

Corporate Worship August 28, 2011

No comments:

Post a Comment