Service Preview for September 15

Service Preview for September 15

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

Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Psalm 118:21-24 (CSB17)

I will give thanks to you because you have answered me
and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.

This came from the LORD;
it is wondrous in our sight.

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Our Sung Call to Worship
Praise Him! Praise Him!

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

Our Spoken Lament
From Psalm 3(CSB17)

LORD, how my foes increase!
There are many who attack me.
Many say about me,
“There is no help for him in God.”

But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
I cry aloud to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the LORD sustains me.
I will not be afraid of thousands of people
who have taken their stand against me on every side.

Rise up, LORD!
Save me, my God!
You strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation belongs to the LORD;
may your blessing be on your people.

TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION

Our Sung Confession
Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Based on Ephesians 2:4-7 (CSB17)

What reason do we have for hope this morning?

God, who is rich in mercy,
because of his great love that he had for us,
made us alive with Christ
even though we were dead in trespasses.

He also raised us up with him
and seated us with him
in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages
he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace
through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

What does this mean for us?

We are no longer foreigners and strangers,
but fellow citizens with the saints,
and members of God’s household,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

Our Sung Profession of Assurance
The Church’s One Foundation

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
Brethren We Have Met to Worship

Scripture Reading
Acts 1:1-14
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

This is the Good News of Jesus.
O come, let us adore him!

Sermon
Acts 1:1-14 – Themes From Acts – Pastor Eric Schumacher

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
For the Cause

Blessing
From Romans 15:13 (NRSV)

May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and hope in believing
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.