Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for September 5
Reflection
“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Jesus, Mark 4:26-29
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Revelation 7:10, 12 (CSB)
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Holy, Holy, Holy
Verse 1
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Verse 2
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Verse 3
Holy, holy, holy! Tho’ the darkness hide Thee,
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Verse 4
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea.
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Music by John B. Dykes
Words by Reginald Heber
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From Isaiah 64:5-6, 8-9 (CSB)
O Lord,
You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right;
they remember you in your ways.
But we have sinned, and you were angry.
How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?
All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment;
all of us wither like a leaf,
and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
Yet Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we all are the work of your hands.
Lord, do not be terribly angry
or remember our iniquity forever.
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
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 2 Corinthians 5:17, 19, 21 (CSB)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
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.
Distribution of elements. Singing of Jesus Paid It All.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Jesus Paid It All
Verse 1
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.” (Chorus)
Chorus
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Verse 2
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone. (Chorus)
Verse 3
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. (Chorus)
Verse 4
And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat. (Chorus)
Words by Elvina M. Hall
Music by John T. Grape
Public Domain
O Christ My Life
Verse 1
My treasure lies in heaven,
Beyond this mortal veil,
Where death can never ruin,
Where foes cannot assail;
Secured through all the ages
By a covenant of love,
A fount of endless riches
Awaiting me above.
Verse 2
My peace and consolation
Will carry through the night;
It rests on the foundation
Of a gracious sacrifice.
My once-forsaken savior
Has tasted every grief;
The One who knows my weakness
Now runs to my relief. (Chorus)
Chorus
O Christ, my life,
My joy, my prize,
My soul will hide
In you, O Christ, my life.
Verse 3
My shield and my defender
From all that haunts my soul
Has faced my condemnation
And paid my debt in full.
Though death and hell assailed him
They could not overcome
So when my strength shall fail me
The vict’ry will be won. (Chorus)
Verse 4
My pardon, my salvation,
My righteousness, my life,
My hope of resurrection,
Is found alone in Christ.
No power can condemn me
For he was crucified;
Since I have died with Jesus
With him, I shall arise! (Chorus)
Music and Words by Jonathan Jackson, Eric Schumacher, & David Ward
©2019 Hymnicity
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 8:4-25 (ESV)
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Acts 8:4-25 – Witnesses Sent to Samaria – 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
Adapted from Revelation 1:17-18 (CSB)
May the Lord send you to the nations,
and free you from all fear!
For the Living One, Jesus Christ,
is the First and the Last
He was dead, but look —
He is alive forever and ever!
Hallelujah! Amen!
Next week’s scripture passage: Acts 8:26-40