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Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for May 23
Reflection
“Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
Bob Dylan
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Saints of Grand, who have you come to worship today?
The Lord God, Who created the earth, everything in it,
and all its inhabitants.
He alone laid the foundations on the seas and
established its rivers.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?
We, who because of the blood of Christ,
come with clean hands and pure hearts.
We seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Then lift up your heads and rise up!
The King of glory will come in!
The Lord strong and mighty
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord of armies! He is the King of glory!
Our Sung Call to Worship
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Verse 1
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Verse 2
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
Verse 3
To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.
Verse 4
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!
Words by Walter Chalmers Smith, Music Welsh Hymn Tune
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From Psalm 51
Have mercy on us, O God,
according to Your steadfast love.
For the idols of our hearts are many and
we have prostituted ourselves to lesser gods.
According to Your great compassion
blot out our many transgressions.
For we have worshiped the creature rather than
the Creator and set our desires above Yours.
Wash away all our iniquities and cleanse us from sin.
Please, Lord, hear our prayers and forgive us we pray.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Jesus is Mine
Verse 1
Fade, fade, each earthly joy; Jesus is mine.
Stronger than fleeting hopes, Jesus is mine.
Dark is the wilderness, Earth has no resting place,
Jesus alone can bless; Jesus is mine.
Verse 2
In days of fragile peace, Jesus is mine.
Through tearful nights of grief, Jesus is mine.
His voice commands the storm, His presence stills my soul,
He will sustain my hope; Jesus is mine. (Chorus)
Chorus:
Jesus is mine, Jesus is mine,
When all else fails, He still remains;
Jesus is mine!
Verse 3
When on that final day, Jesus is mine;
Before his radiant face, Jesus is mine.
Safe in his arms I’ll cling, Praising my Savior King,
Forevermore I’ll sing: “Jesus is mine.” (Chorus)
Words and Music by Matt Merker, Jordan Kauflin, and Keith Getty
©2018 Getty Music Publishing, Jordan Kauflin Music, Matthew Merker Music
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Psalm 32
How can you stand before a just God today?
Because blessed are we whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed are we because the Lord does not charge
us with iniquity.
Blessed are we for the Lord has forgiven the guilt
of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Then be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous
and sing for joy all you upright in heart!
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
By Faith
Verse 1
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design,
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.
Verse 2
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts,
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
A place where peace and justice reign. (Chorus)
Chorus
We will stand as children of the promise;
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Verse 3
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed for Messiah would appear
With the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.
Verse 4
By faith the church was called to go
In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In ev’ry corner of the earth. (Chorus)
Verse 5
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail,
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Words and Music by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
©2009 Thankyou Music, Getty Music Publishing
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 24:14-28 (ESV)
14 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
This the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Joshua 24:14-28 – You Are Not Able to Serve the Lord – Pastor Eric Schumacher
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in spoken word.
Blessing
When Your heart betrays God this week, and it will,
may you quickly return and seek the Lord.
He has bought you and redeemed you
and His mercy will be waiting for you.
Presentation of New Member
Ben Dunkerton