Service Preview for August 26

Service Preview for August 26

Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.

Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Psalm 124 (CSB17)

If the LORD had not been on our side — let Israel say—

If the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.

Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
the raging water would have swept over us.

Blessed be the LORD,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn,
and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Our Sung Call to Worship
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.

Our Spoken Confession
Heavenly Father,

You have given us 10,000 reasons to bless you
and yet, we have doubted you 10,000 times.

We doubt the love of Christ who died for us
and fear that you are still angry at us.

We doubt the forgiveness declared in the Gospel
and live with guilt and shame.

We doubt that Jesus fulfilled the law’s demands
and paid our debt in full.
So, we seek to save ourselves by our works
and walk in self-righteous pride.

Remove our doubts;
relieve our fears.

Grant us peace that surpasses all understanding
and faith that overflows in love.

TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION

Our Sung Confession
Where is Room

Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Romans 8:28-39 (ESV)

We know that for those who love God
all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called,
and those whom he called he also justified,
and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son by gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?
It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?
Christ Jesus is the one who died
—-more than that, who was raised—
who is at the right hand of God,
who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Complete in Thee

Thanksgiving and Petition

We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.

We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
On the first Sunday of each month we have two offerings—one for the general fund and a second one for the benevolence ministry of our church.

We Give Thanks in Song
All I Have is Christ

Scripture Reading
Luke 1:5-38 (ESV)

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and
statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because
Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11And there appeared to him an angel
of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of
incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And
the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to
his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

This is the word of the Lord,
a lamp for our feet and a light on our path.

Sermon
Luke 1:5-38 – A Tale of Two Birth Announcements – Pastor Michael Felkins

Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in both song and spoken word.

Sending Song
Faith’s Review and Expectation (Amazing Grace)

Blessing
From Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)

Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
forever and ever.

Amen.