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Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for April 18
Reflection
The Love of God
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning
To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God
Now I’ve seen no band of angels
But I’ve heard the soldiers’ songs
Love hangs over them like a banner
Love within them leads them on
To the battle on the journey
And it’s never gonna stop
Ever widening their mercies
And the fury of His love
Oh the love of God
And oh, the love of God
The love of God
Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I’m tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God
Rich Mullins
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Psalm 34:1-3, 8 (CSB)
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will boast in the Lord;
the humble will hear and be glad.
Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
Our Sung Call to Worship
Compassion Hymn
Verse 1
There is an everlasting kindness
You lavished on us,
When the radiance of heaven
Came to rescue the lost.
You called the sheep without a shepherd
To leave their distress
For Your streams of forgiveness
And the shade of Your rest.
Verse 2
And with compassion for the hurting
You reached out your hand
As the lame ran to meet You
And the dead breathed again.
You saw behind the eyes of sorrow
And shared in our tears;
Heard the sigh of the weary,
Let the children draw near. (Chorus)
Chorus
What boundless love, what fathomless grace
You have shown us, O God of compassion.
Each day we live an offering of praise,
As we show to the world Your compassion.
Verse 3
We stood beneath the cross of Calv’ry
And gazed on Your face
At the thorns of oppression
And the wounds of disgrace;
For surely You have borne our suff’ring
And carried our grief,
As You pardoned the scoffer
And showed grace to the thief. (Chorus)
Verse 4
How beautiful the feet that carry
This gospel of peace
To the fields of injustice
And the valleys of need.
To be a voice of hope and healing,
To answer the cries
Of the hungry and helpless
With the mercy of Christ. (Chorus)
Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
© 2008 Thankyou Music
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Merciful Heavenly Father,
We confess that we do not think rightly of our sin:
we deny that it is an assault on your glory,
we downplay its effect on our own souls,
we ignore its impact on our neighbor,
we make light of its penalty.
In minimizing our sin, we minimize your glory:
we deny the beauty of your splendor,
we downplay the cross of Christ,
we ignore the work of the Spirit,
we make light of you.
Father, we ask you to rid our lives and this church of all sin:
leave no evil in our congregation unconfronted;
expose every vice we would attempt to hide;
give us the humility to address wickedness;
grant us sorrow leading to repentance.
In addressing, confessing, and repenting of sin, we glorify you:
we run to a merciful Father, who runs to us in love;
we hope in Christ, who atoned for our sins;
we walk in the Spirit, who transforms us;
we find our satisfaction in You.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Nothing But the Blood
Verse 1
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Chorus
Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Verse 2
For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing, this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Verse 3
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Verse 4
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus 2X’s)
Music and Words by Robert Lowry
Public Domain
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel & The Lord’s Supper
There is Good News for us in Christ Jesus!
When we walked in wickedness,
the Son of God took on flesh
and lived in righteousness.
When we were slaves to unrighteousness,
the Son of Man died for our sins
and reconciled us to God.
When we were dead in our trespasses,
God raised Jesus from the dead
giving us the hope of resurrection.
When we were by nature children of wrath,
the enthroned Messiah gave us his Spirit
so that we might born into his kingdom.
When we groan as foreigners and alien residents on the earth,
the Spirit comforts us with our Father’s love
until Jesus appears to make all things new.
Jesus left us this meal of bread and wine
so that we would remember him until he returns.
(The Bread)
Jesus said, “This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
(The Cup)
Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which is poured out for you.”
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
How Deep The Father’s Love for Us
Verse 1
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss.
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
Verse 2
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.
Verse 3
I will not boast in anything:
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ:
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart:
His wounds have paid my ransom.
Tag
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart:
His wounds have paid my ransom.
Words and Music by Stuart Townend
©1995 Thankyou Music
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.
You may give electronically at gabcames.org/giving/ or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
Joshua 20:1-9 (ESV)
1Then the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which
I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.
5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. 6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’”
7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Joshua 20:1-9 – And Justice For All – Pastor Michael Felkins
Sermon Discipleship Questions
1. What encouraged you?
2. What convicted you?
3. Is there anything in your life that needs to change?
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in spoken word.
Blessing
Based on Hebrews 6:18 (CSB)
May the Lord bless and keep all those
who have fled to Christ for refuge,
so that we have strong encouragement
to seize the hope set before us.
Next week’s scripture passage: Joshua 21:1-45