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Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for May 30
Reflection
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted
to the point of shedding your blood.
Hebrews 12:1-4 (ESV)
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Psalms 27:4-6 (CSB)
I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord
and seeking him in his temple.
For he will conceal me in his shelter
in the day of adversity;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;
I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Our Sung Call to Worship
By Thou My Vision
Verse 1
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art:
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Verse 2
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord:
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Verse 3
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Verse 4
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Ending
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Words by Mary E. Byrne & Eleanor H. Hull
Music: Traditional Irish Melody
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From Psalm 51:1, 4, 9, 16-17 (CSB)
Be gracious to me, God,
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
Against you — you alone — I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.
Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You, God, will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Lord, I Need You
Verse 1
Lord, I come, I confess,
Bowing here I find my rest,
And without You, I fall apart.
You’re the one that guides my heart. (Chorus)
Chorus
Lord, I need You! Oh, I need You!
Ev’ry hour I need You!
My one defense, my righteousness—
Oh, God, how I need You.
Verse 2
Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more.
Where grace is found is where You are.
And where You are, Lord, I am free;
Holiness is Christ in me. (Chorus)
Bridge
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way.
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You.
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay.
Words and Music by Jesse Reeves, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels and Daniel Carson
©2011 sixsteps Music, Sweater Weather Music, Thankyou Music, Valley Of Songs Music, worshiptogether.com songs
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
From Luke 22:14-20, 23:44-47; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21 (CSB)
When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
The Bread
And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
The Cup
In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
At about noon, darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Saying this, he breathed his last.
When the centurion saw what happened,
he began to glorify God, saying,
“This man really was righteous! ”
In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them.
He made the one who did not know sin
to be sin for us,
so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
O Praise the Name
Verse 1
I cast my mind to Calvary,
Where Jesus bled and died for me.
I see His wounds, His hands, His feet.
My Saviour on that cursed tree.
Verse 2
His body bound and drenched in tears.
They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb.
The entrance sealed by heavy stone.
Messiah still and all alone. (Chorus)
Chorus
O praise the Name of the Lord our God.
O praise His Name forevermore.
For endless days we will sing Your praise.
Oh Lord, oh Lord, our God.
Verse 3
And on the third at break of dawn,
The Son of heaven rose again.
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the King. (Chorus)
Verse 4
He shall return in robes of white.
The blazing sun shall pierce the night.
And I will rise among the saints,
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face. (Chorus)
Tag
O Lord, O Lord our God.
O Lord, O Lord our God.
Music and Words by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, and Marty Sampson
©2015 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia
Living Hope
Verse 1
How great the chasm that lay between us.
How high the mountain I could not climb.
In desperation I turned to heaven,
And spoke Your name into the night.
Then through the darkness,
Your lovingkindness tore through the shadows of my soul.
The work is finished, the end is written.
Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Verse 2
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame.
The cross has spoken, “I am forgiven.”
The King of kings calls me His own.
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever.
Jesus Christ, my living hope. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Chorus
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!
You have broken ev’ry chain,
There’s salvation in Your name.
Jesus Christ, my living hope!
Verse 3
Then came the morning that sealed the promise,
Your buried body began to breathe.
Out of the silence, the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me.
Then came the morning that sealed the promise,
Your buried body began to breathe.
Out of the silence, the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me.
Jesus, Yours is the victory! (Chorus 2 X’s)
Song Ending
Jesus Christ, my living hope!
God, You are my living hope!
Words and music by Brian Johnson and Phil Wickham
©2017 Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, Sing My Songs, Bethel 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 24:29-33 (ESV)
29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old.
30 And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.
31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.
32 As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
This the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Joshua 24:29-33 – Three Funerals and A Wedding – 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
Hebrews 13:20-21 (CSB)
Now may the God of peace,
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus —
the great Shepherd of the sheep —
through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
equip you with everything good to do his will,
working in us what is pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Next week’s scripture passage: Acts 1:1-4