Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for November 21
Reflection
The chapter [Acts 12] begins with Herod killing James the apostle of the Lord Jesus (v. 2),
and ends with the angel of the Lord killing Herod (v. 23).
The main point of the chapter is plain: if you oppose Jesus, you lose.
John Piper
Execution, Escape, and Eaten by Worms
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Reading from Psalm 95:6; adapted from J. Frame’s Systematic Theology
O come let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker!
For God is our Lord, the Author and
Executor of His divine covenant
And we are His servants, humbled and bowed down.
God is our King and the Architect of all redemptive history.
We are His subjects, ready and eager to do His will.
God is also our Father, intimately acquainted
with each of His children.
We are His family, His beloved sons and
cherished daughters.
O come let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker!
Our Sung Call to Worship
To God Be the Glory
Verse 1
To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in. (Chorus)
Chorus
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
Verse 2
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. (Chorus)
Verse 3
Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our victory, when Jesus we see. (Chorus)
Words by Fanny Crosby, Music by William H. Doane
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Almighty and most merciful Father;
We have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have sinned against Your holy laws
by what we have done and left undone.
There is no health in us and we confess these great offenses.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
Meet us here, in Your sanctuary, and cleanse us from our sin.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul
Verse 1
Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise.
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies.
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal.
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel.
Verse 2
But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine.
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline.
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust.
And still my soul would cleave to Thee,
Though prostrate in the dust.
Verse 3
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No, still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner’s prayer.
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there.
Verse 4
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat.
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat.
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet.
Words by Anne Steele, Music by Matt Merker
©2014 Matthew Merker Music, Sovereign Grace Praise
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Based on 1 Peter 3:18
Remember this, Church:
Christ has died for sins, once for all,
the Just for the unjust
that He might bring us to God;
having been put to death in the flesh
but made alive by the Spirit.
Father, we thank you for the mercy You give us in Christ.
Because of Your grace we boldly approach Your throne.
Cleanse our consciences so that Your word might take root in our hearts.
Receive us in Jesus’ name
and make us like Him
for Your glory and honor.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Verse 1
Amazing grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Verse 2
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed! (Chorus)
Chorus
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free.
My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
And like a flood His mercy reigns,
unending love, amazing grace.
Verse 3
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Verse 4
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
will be forever mine,
will be forever mine.
You are forever mine.
Words by John Newton, Louie Giglio, John P. Rees and Chris Tomlin
Music by Edwin O. Excell and Chris Tomlin
©2006 sixsteps Music, Vamos Publishing, worshiptogether.com songs
By Faith
Verse 1
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design,
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.
Verse 2
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts,
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
A place where peace and justice reign. (Chorus)
Chorus
We will stand as children of the promise;
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Verse 3
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed for Messiah would appear
With the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.
Verse 4
By faith the church was called to go
In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In ev’ry corner of the earth. (Chorus)
Verse 5
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail,
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Words and Music by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
©2009 Thankyou Music, Getty 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
Acts 12:1-25 (ESV)
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed
James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his
hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Acts 12:1-25 – Jesus Wins – 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
2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.