Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for September 12
Reflection
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment,
and who considered his fate?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
Isaiah 53:7-8 (CSB)
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From The Worship Sourcebook
This is the day that the Lord has made!
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the bright, warm sunshine and the freezing-cold snow.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the little tiny flowers and the great big pine trees.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the peaceful ponds and the crashing waves.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the cornfields and the rocky mountains.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the creeping caterpillars and kicking kangaroos.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made you, and God made me.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Come, let us praise God for making all things good!
Our Sung Call to Worship
Indescribable
Verse 1
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation’s revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of Fall to the fragrance of Spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming: (Chorus)
Chorus
Indescribable, uncontainable;
You placed the stars in the sky,
and You know them by name.
You are amazing God;
All powerful, untamable;
Awestruck, we fall to our knees
as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing, God.
Verse 2
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go,
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light,
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom. (Chorus)
Tag 1
You are amazing God.
(Chorus)
Final Chorus
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky,
and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God;
Incomparable, unchangeable;
You see the depths of my heart
and You love me the same.
You are amazing God.
Tag 2
You are amazing God.
Words and Music by Laura Story and Jesse Reeves
© 2004 Laura Stories, sixsteps Music, worshiptogether.com songs
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Based on Romans 8:39 and The Worship Sourcebook
We know that nothing is able to separate us
from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, let us in freedom confess our sins
before God and one another.
Lord, you are a God who keeps promises.
In our prayers and songs we say
that we want to be Christians,
but then we forget our promises.
Our actions do not match up with our words.
We say mean things to other people,
we hurt their feelings,
we think of ourselves first,
and, worst of all, we ignore you.
Lord, forgive us and hear our prayer for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Go To Dark Gethsemane
Verse 1
Go to dark Gethsemane,
You who feel the tempter’s pow’r;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see;
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away;
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
Verse 2
Follow to the judgment hall;
View the Lord of life arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suff’ring, shame, or loss;
Learn of Him to bear the cross.
Verse 3
Calv’ry’s mournful mountain climb;
There, adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time,
God’s own sacrifice complete:
“It is finished!” Hear the cry;
Learn of Jesus Christ to die.
Verse 4
Early hasten to the tomb
Where they laid His breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom;
Who hath taken Him away?
Christ is ris’n! He meets our eyes:
Savior, teach us so to rise.
Words by James Montgomery
Music by Richard Redhead
Public Domain
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Based on Romans 3:22, The Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 56, and Romans 5:8
The forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of God
come through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
I believe that God,
because of Christ’s satisfaction,
will no longer remember
any of my sins or my sinful nature
which I need to struggle against all my life.
Rather, by grace
God grants me the righteousness of Christ
to free me forever from judgment.
Christ died for us while we were still sinners;
that proves God’s love for us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Glory to God! Amen.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Poor Sinner Dejected With Fear
Verse 1
Poor sinner, dejected with fear,
Unbosom thy mind to the Lamb;
No wrath on His brow He does wear,
Nor will He poor mourners condemn;
His arm of omnipotent grace
Is able and willing to save;
A sweet and a permanent peace
He’ll freely and faithfully give.
Verse 2
Come just as thou art, with thy woe,
Fall down at the feet of the Lamb;
He will not, He cannot say, “Go,”
But surely will take out thy stain;
A fountain is opened for sin,
And thousands its virtues have proved
He’ll take thee, and plunge thee therein,
And wash thee from filth in His blood.
Verse 3
The soul that on Jesus relies,
He’ll never, no never deceive;
He freely and faithfully gives
More blessings than we can conceive;
Yea, down to old age He will keep,
Nor will He forsake us at last;
He knows and is known by His sheep;
They’re His, and He will hold them fast.
Words by William Gadsby
Music by Katy Bowser & Matthew Perryman Jones
A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
Verse 1
A hymn of glory let us sing,
New songs throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road untrod,
Ascends unto the throne of God.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 2
The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And with his followers they see
Jesus’ resplendent majesty.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 3
To whom the angels, drawing nigh:
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“This is the Savior,” thus they say.
“This is his noble triumph day.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 4
“Again shall you behold him so
As you today have seen him go,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In glorious pomp ascending high,
Up to the portals of the sky.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Words by The Venerable Bede
Translation by Benjamin Webb
Public Domain
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 8:26-40 (CSB)
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Acts 8:26-40 – To The Nations – Pastor Eric Schumacher
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
May the God of mercy,
who forgives you all your sins,
strengthen you in all goodness,
and, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
keep you in eternal life. Amen.
Next week’s scripture passage: Acts 9:1-19