Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for July 4
Reflection
“It is possible to have everyone fooled and yet know nothing of what the three thousand heard.
If you know no emptiness, you will not know the fullness of Christ in your life.
If you have never come to the end of yourself and become ‘poor in spirit,’
you have never been truly open to the fullness of Christ and the true knowledge of him.
Do we hear Peter’s sermon?”
R. Kent Hughes
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Reading adapted from The Worship Sourcebook
Let us praise the Lord our God!
It is right to give our thanks and praise!
We praise you, great God,
for you are ruler of the universe
and have sent your Son to be King of kings.
We rejoice that he has triumphed
over all the powers of this world
and governs the nations
in justice and righteousness.
We celebrate his victory in his life, death, resurrection,
and ascension to honor and might at your side.
By your Spirit, claim our complete loyalty,
establish Christ’s rule in every land and in every heart.
Accept our worship as we offer our lives
in the service of Christ’s kingdom.
He is Lord forever and ever.
Amen.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Verse 1
Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own:
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
Verse 2
Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright.
Verse 3
Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
Verse 4
Crown Him the Lord of lords,
The Sovereign Lord of time
Creator of the earth and heav’n,
Yet I can call Him mine!
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Throughout eternity!
Words by Matthew Bridges, Alternate words by Eric Schumacher, Music by George Elvey
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Based on 1 Timothy 6:15; Colossians 1:13;
1 Peter 2:9; Philippians 3:20; Matthew 6:10; 2 Corinthians 5:20; The Worship Sourcebook
Righteous God,
You have crowned Jesus Christ
the King of kings, the Lord of lords,
the blessed and only Sovereign.
We confess that we have not bowed before him
and are slow to acknowledge his rule.
You have transferred us to the Kingdom of your son
and made us a holy nation;
here we have no lasting city
for our citizenship is in heaven.
We confess that we give allegiance to the powers of this world
and fail to be governed by justice and love.
You have made us ambassadors for Christ,
imploring others to be reconciled to God
and become loyal subjects of Christ the King.
We confess that we feel more passion for the politics of earth
than we do for the cause of your eternal kingdom.
In your mercy, Lord, forgive us.
Amen.
Time of silent confession.
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Reading from Hebrews 12:18-24 (CSB); Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV)
You have not come to what could be touched,
to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm,
to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words.
Those who heard it begged that not another word
be spoken to them,
for they could not bear what was commanded:
If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.
The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said,
I am trembling with fear.
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion,
to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem),
to myriads of angels, a festive gathering,
to the assembly of the firstborn whose names
have been written in heaven,
to a Judge, who is God of all,
to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving
a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship,
with reverence and awe,
for our God is a consuming fire.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Who You Say I Am
Verse 1
Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in.
Oh, His love for me.
Chorus 1
Who the Son sets free, oh, is free indeed.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
Verse 2
Free at last He has ransomed me.
His grace runs deep.
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me.
Yes, He died for me.
Chorus 2
Who the Son sets free, oh, is free indeed.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
In my Father’s house there’s a place for me.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
Bridge
I am chosen, not forsaken.
I am who You say I am.
You are for me, not against me.
I am who You say I am. (Repeat)
Chorus 3
Who the Son sets free, oh, is free indeed.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
In my Father’s house there’s a place for me.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
In my Father’s house there’s a place for me.
I’m a child of God, Yes I am.
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding
©2017 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia
How Sweet and Aweful
Verse 1
How sweet and aweful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.
Verse 2
While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
“Lord, why was I a guest?”
Verse 3
“Why was I made to hear Thy voice
And enter while there’s room
When thousands make a wretched choice
And rather starve than come?”
Verse 4
‘Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste
And perished in our sin.
Verse 5
Pity the nations, O our God;
Constrain the earth to come,
Send Thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.
Verse 6
We long to see Thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May, with one voice and heart and soul,
Sing Thy redeeming grace.
Words by Isaac Watts. Music: Ancient Irish melody.
Public Domain
Let the Nations Be Glad
Verse 1
Let the glory of the Lord forever be our joy,
May redemption be the theme of our song.
For by grace we have been saved,
And by grace we shall proclaim
To the corners of the earth that Christ has come. (Chorus)
Chorus
Let the nations be glad! Let the people rejoice,
For salvation belongs to our God.
Let the whole earth be filled with the praises of the Lord,
For salvation belongs to our God, let the nations be glad.
Verse 2
Through the ages gone before, through the trial and the sword,
Many saints and martyrs conquered, though they died.
Still we holding out the cross,
Crossing oceans suffering loss,
Shall endure all things to win the crown of life. (Chorus)
Verse 3
As Your holy church goes forth in the Holy Spirit’s power,
With the glories of the gospel to explain,
Now we pray Your kingdom come,
And we pray Your will be done,
For the honor and the glory of Your name. (Chorus)
Words and Music by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, and Aaron Boswell
©2010 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Love Your Enemies Publishing,Curb Dayspring 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
Acts 2:14-41 (ESV)
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes,
the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of
the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this
Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
This the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Acts 2:14-41 – Together for the Harvest – Pastor Michael Felkins
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 Hebrews 13:25 (ESV)
Grace be with all of you.
Amen.
Recognition of New Members
Next week’s scripture passage: Acts 2:42-47