Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for July 18
Reflection
If you listen to the Gospel with your own ideas in your mind, half listening and half not, half arguing against it, you will remain paralyzed. You must give yourself utterly and absolutely to this. As long as you think you can do anything, you will remain paralyzed . . . We need to become desperate. We must abandon everything and listen to this blessed knowledge, as the beggar did.
David Martin Lloyd-Jones
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Psalm 47:1-2, 5-6 (ESV)
Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
Our Sung Call to Worship
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
Verse 1
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Verse 2
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Verse 3
Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Verse 4
O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all;
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Words by Edward Perronet & John Rippon Music by Oliver Holden
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Oh God, we have repeatedly chosen to satisfy our self-centered desires instead of fulfilling your call to love you and our neighbor.
We have been unkind and impatient
with those who needed our time and concern.
Oh God, we have sinned. Forgive us and help us.
We have not always stood up for what was right
and allowed others to suffer because of our cowardice.
Oh God, we have sinned. Forgive us and help us.
We have not delivered the gospel to the lost as we ought,
or lived in a manner consistent with its message.
Oh God, we have sinned. Forgive us and help us.
We have not forgiven others as you have forgiven us.
Oh God, we have sinned. Forgive us and help us.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
I Am One of Those
Verse 1
I am one of those, at the table not invited,
And to all here at the feast it’s very plain,
I cannot hide in etiquette or conversation,
But Christ himself sent word to me and so I came.
Verse 2
I am one of those who was dead and fully buried,
And I still bear every stigma of decay,
There is no way I can cover just what I’ve been through,
‘cause when Jesus called I came out of the grave. (Chorus)
Chorus
Though the world may number me among the foolish,
I think Jesus Christ is all I need to know
Jesus suffered and paid blood to buy the lowest of the low
Hallelujah! Amen! That’s me! I am one of those!
Verse 3
I am one of those, who was a leper and contagious,
The deformities and scars I have today,
Yet while I was vile with sickness Jesus loved me,
And He healed, restored and through and through remade.
Verse 4
I am one of those who was doomed to death in prison,
And I’ve done more evil things than I could say,
Jesus broke inside and there unlocked my shackles,
And to set me free, he died and took my place. (Chorus)
Verse 5
I am one of those, who was hard to love and ugly,
Self-righteous critical religion was my stain.
So I ran to Christ to wash and be discovered,
Jesus came to me and covered up my shame. (Chorus)
Music and Words by Nathan Partain
©Nathan Partain, 2009
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Ephesians 2:4-8
Receive the good news of the gospel:
God, who is full of overflowing mercy,
has great love for you.
Though you were dead in your sin,
he resurrected you with Christ.
He has raised you up, seating you with Christ Jesus in
the heavenly places,
so that he could demonstrate his immeasurable
wealth of grace,
through kindness to you who have been united to
Christ Jesus.
For it is by his grace that we are saved, through faith.
This is not our own doing! It is the gift of God!
Not by works, so that no one can boast!
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Man of Sorrows
Verse 1
Man of sorrows, Lamb of God,
By His own betrayed.
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid.
Verse 2
Silent as He stood accused,
Beaten mocked and scorned,
Bowing to the Father’s will,
He took a crown of thorns. (Chorus)
Chorus
Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation,
Where Your love poured out over me.
Now my soul cries out, hallelujah,
Praise and honor unto Thee.
Verse 3
Sent of heaven, God’s own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree. (Chorus)
Bridge
Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full
By the precious blood that my Jesus spilled.
Now the curse of sin has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed. (Chorus)
Verse 4
See the stone is rolled away,
Behold the empty tomb.
Hallelujah, God be praised,
He’s risen from the grave. (Chorus)
Tag
Praise and honor unto Thee.
Words and Music by Matt Crocker and Brooke Ligertwood
©2012 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia
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
Acts 3:1-26
1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know,and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. 17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
This the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Acts 3:1-26 – We are Witnesses – 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
From Matthew 28:19-21 (HCS)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that
Christ has commanded you.
And remember, he will be with you always,
to the end of the age.
Next week’s scripture passage: Acts 4:1-22