Service Preview for January 23

Service Preview for January 23

Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for January 23, 2022

Reflection
Salvation originates with God.
Thus, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to have her pay close attention to the words Paul was speaking.
God granted Lydia a receptive heart to understand spiritual things.
He gave her the gift of faith and the illumination of the Holy Spirit . . .
The heart is in itself closed, but it is the prerogative of God to open it . . .
Conclusively, God is the author of [Lydia’s] salvation.

Simon J. Kistemaker

Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.

Our Spoken Call to Worship
From 1 Samuel 2:1-2; Psalms 72:18-19 (CSB)

My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.

There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonders.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
the whole earth is filled with his glory.

Amen and 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! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though 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 Sung Confession
From 1 John 1:5, 8-9; Psalm 51:1-4 (CSB)

Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done)

Verse 1
For what we have done and left undone
We fall on Your countless mercies.
For sins that are known, and those unknown,
We call on Your name so holy.
For envy and pride, For closing our eyes:
For scorning our very neighbor.
In thought, word and deed We’ve failed You, our King;
How deeply we need a Savior.

Chorus
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy on us.

Verse 2
For what You have done, Your life of love
You perfectly lived, we praise You.
Though tempted and tried, You fixed Your eyes;
You finished the work God gave You.
And there on the tree, A King among thieves,
You bled for a world’s betrayal.
You loved to the end, Our merciful friend;
How pure and forever faithful.

Chorus (Repeat)

Verse 3
For hearts that are cold, For seizing control;
For scorning our very Maker.
In thought, word, and deed,
We’ve failed You, our King;
How deeply we need a Savior.

Chorus (Repeat)

Words and Music by Matt Papa, Aaron Keys, James Tealy and Matt Boswell
©2019 10000 Fathers, Common Hymnal Publishing, Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Love Your Enemies Publishing, Messenger Hymns, My Eleiht Songs

Time of silent confession.

Not In Me

Verse 1
No list of sins I have not done,
No list of virtues I pursue,
No list of those I am not like,
Can earn myself a place with You.
O God! Be merciful to me—
I am a sinner through and through!
My only hope of righteousness
Is not in me, but only You.

Verse 2
No humble dress, no fervent prayer,
No lifted hands, no tearful song,
No recitation of the truth
Can justify a single wrong.
My righteousness is Jesus’ life,
My debt was paid by Jesus’ death,
My weary load was borne by Him
And He alone can give me rest.

Verse 3
No separation from the world,
No work I do, no gift I give,
Can cleanse my conscience, cleanse my hands;
I cannot cause my soul to live.
But Jesus died and rose again—
The pow’r of death is overthrown!
My God is merciful to me
And merciful in Christ alone.

Ending
My righteousness is Jesus’ life,
My debt was paid by Jesus’ death,
My weary load was borne by Him
And He alone can give me rest.
And He alone can give me rest.

Words and Music by Eric Schumacher and David L. Ward
©2012 Hymnicity

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy! Justice meets with mercy:
God the Father crushed the Son for our iniquity.
Crucified and buried, risen unto glory,
Now, by the Spirit, holy we shall be.

Music by John B. Dykes, Words by Eric Schumacher

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
Reading from The Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 1 (Based on I Cor. 6:19, 20; Rom. 14:7-9; I Cor. 3:23; Tit. 2:14; I Pet. 1:18, 19; I John 1:7; 2:2; John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14, 15; I John 3:8; John 6:39, 40; 10:27-30; II Thess. 3:3; I Pet. 1:5; Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18; Rom. 8:28; Rom. 8:15, 16; II Cor. 1:21, 22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13, 14; Rom. 8:14)

What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood,
and has set me free from all the power of the devil.

He also preserves me in such a way that
without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head;
indeed, all things must work together for my salvation.

Therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for Him.

Distribution of the Lord’s Supper Elements (singing Jesus Paid it All)

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

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

Verse 1
What is our hope in life and death?
Christ alone, Christ alone.
What is our only confidence?
That our souls to him belong.
Who holds our days within his hand?
What comes, apart from his command?
And what will keep us to the end?
The love of Christ, in which we stand. (Chorus)

Chorus
O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death.

Verse 2
What truth can calm the troubled soul?
God is good, God is good.
Where is his grace and goodness known?
In our great Redeemer’s blood.
Who holds our faith when fears arise?
Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
Unto the shore, the rock of Christ? (Chorus)

Verse 3
Unto the grave, what will we sing?
“Christ, he lives! Christ, he lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring?
Everlasting life with him.
There we will rise to meet the Lord,
Then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy,
When Christ is ours forevermore. (Chorus)

Words and music by Keith Getty, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, & Matthew Merker
©2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Jordan Kauflin Music, Love Your Enemies Publishing, Matthew Merker Music, Messenger Hymns

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 15:36-16:15 (ESV)
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16:1Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord
opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Sermon
Acts 15:36-16:15 (ESV) – Gospel Call – 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 and spoken word.

Blessing
From Romans 15:13 (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.