Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for March 27, 2022
Reflection
The only thing more costly than discipleship is the cost of “nondiscipleship.”
Follow Jesus now, and you will experience joy unspeakable joy later.
Reject him now, and you will experience eternal suffering later.
He bids us to come and follow him. Let’s surrender to his lordship.
Tony Merida
Baptism of Johanna Sulc
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Adapted from Arthur Pink, Isaiah 66:2; Psalm 19:14
Come! Behold the works of the Lord!
We come to behold God’s unutterable greatness,
his unspeakable holiness,
his perfect righteousness,
his irresistible power,
his sovereign grace!
Come! Hear the words of the Lord!
“To this man will I look—even to him
who is poor and of a contrite spirit
and trembles at My Word.”
We come, Lord, into Your presence.
May the words of our mouths
and the meditations of our hearts
be acceptable to You,
our Strength and our Redeemer.
Our Sung Call to Worship
How Great Is Our God & How Great Thou Art
Verse 1
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice. (Chorus)
Chorus
How great is our God, sing with me,
How great is our God, and all will see,
How great, how great is our God.
Verse 2
Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, three in one: Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.
(Chorus)
Bridge
Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God. (Repeat)
(Chorus)
Ending
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
Words and Music by Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash
©2004 sixsteps Music, Vamos Publishing, worshiptogether.com songs, Wondrously Made Songs
How Great Thou Art—Words and Music by Stuart K. Hine
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Father, we have sinned.
We have looked with greed, discontent and lust;
give us eyes to see Your glory.
We have listened to the whispers of this world;
give us ears to hear Your voice.
We have spoken lies and gossip and blasphemous words;
give us lips that sing Your praise.
We have hurt rather than helped;
give us hands to do Your will.
We have run away from Your purposes for us;
give us feet to follow Your path.
We have set our affections on lesser things;
give us a heart to love You more.
We have entertained thoughts not worthy of Your children;
give us a mind to know that You are God
and there is no other.
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
Adapted from Tabletalk Magazine; March 2022 p. 39
Satan lives to condemn us.
He wants to sift God’s people,
to shake up our faith,
to flip our world upside down
so that we will turn away from Christ.
But Christ has prayed for us;
even now He lives to intercede for us.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died.
More than that, Christ was raised
and is at the right hand of God,
interceding for us even now.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Jesus, Strong and Kind
Verse 1
Jesus said that if I thirst,
I should come to Him.
No one else can satisfy,
I should come to Him.
Verse 2
Jesus said if I am weak,
I should come to Him.
No one else can be my strength,
I should come to Him. (Chorus)
Chorus
For the Lord is good and faithful.
He will keep us day and night.
We can always run to Jesus.
Jesus, strong and kind.
Verse 3
Jesus said that if I fear,
I should come to Him.
No one else can be my shield.
I should come to Him. (Chorus)
Verse 4
Jesus said if I am lost,
He will come to me.
And He showed me on that cross.
He will come to me. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Tag
Jesus, strong and kind.
Words and music by Colin Buchanan, Michael Farren, Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson.
©2019 CityAlight Music, Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Wanaaring Road Music
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.
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
Thank You, Jesus, For the Blood
Verse 1
I was a wretch; I remember who I was.
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time.
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide,
But from the far side of the chasm,
You had me in your sight.
Verse 2
So you made a way across the great divide,
Left behind heaven’s throne to build it here inside.
There at the cross, You paid the debt I owed.
Broke my chains, freed my soul,
For the first time, I had hope. (Chorus)
Chorus
Thank You, Jesus, for the blood applied.
Thank You, Jesus, it has washed me white.
Thank You, Jesus, You have saved my life,
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light.
Verse 3
You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin.
You were buried for three days, but then You walked right out again.
And now death has no sting, and life has no end.
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb. (Chorus)
Bridge
There is nothing stronger, than
the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
that calls us sons and daughters.
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood. (Chorus)
Ending
Glory to His name,
Glory to His name!
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name.
Words and Music by Charity Gayle, Ryan Kennedy, David Gentiles, Steve Musso, and Bryan McCleery
©Come Up Kings Publishing, ComissionMusic, Gather House Music, McCleery MSC, Steven Musso Music, Watershed Worship Publishing
Glory to His Name—Words and Music by Elisha Albright Hoffman and John Hart Stockton
©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 21:1-16 (ESV)
1And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Acts 21:1-16 – The Cost of Discipleship, Part 1 – 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 the Middelburg Liturgy
May the Word that you have heard this day
take deep root within you;
that neither the burning heat of persecution
cause it to wither,
nor the thorny cares of this life choke it out.
But that as seed sown in good ground,
may it bring forth thirty, sixty, one hundred-fold
as God’s heavenly wisdom has appointed.