Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for March 6, 2022
Reflection
The gospel invades every sphere: even economic policies cannot escape
from the transformative power of the gospel.
Dr. Al Mohler
Baptism of Anna Philgreen
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Psalms 46:8-11 (CSB)
Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.
He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.
“Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Our Sung Call to Worship
It Is Well
Verse 1
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Verse 2
Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Verse 3
My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t:
My sin not in part, but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Verse 4
And, Lord, haste the day when faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so,” it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Words by Elvina M. Hall, Music by John T. Grape
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From Matthew 22:37-40 (CSB); Book of Common Prayer (1552)
Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden—
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit
so that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Sung Confession
Come, Ye Sinners Poor and Needy
Verse 1
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love, and pow’r. (Chorus)
Chorus
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
Verse 2
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Ev’ry grace that brings you nigh. (Chorus)
Verse 3
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all. (Chorus)
Verse 4
Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him. (Chorus)
Words by Joseph Hart, Music: Walker’s Southern Harmony, 1835
Public Domain
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From 1 Timothy 1:15-17 (CSB)
This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”
— and I am the worst of them.
But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me,
the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate
his extraordinary patience as an example to
those who would believe in him for eternal life.
Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only God,
be honor and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Living Hope
Verse 1
How great the chasm that lay between us.
How high the mountain I could not climb.
In desperation I turned to heaven,
And spoke Your name into the night.
Then through the darkness,
Your lovingkindness tore through the shadows of my soul.
The work is finished, the end is written.
Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Verse 2
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame.
The cross has spoken, “I am forgiven.”
The King of kings calls me His own.
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever.
Jesus Christ, my living hope. (Chorus 2 X’s)
Chorus
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!
You have broken ev’ry chain,
There’s salvation in Your name.
Jesus Christ, my living hope!
Verse 3
Then came the morning that sealed the promise,
Your buried body began to breathe.
Out of the silence, the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me.
Then came the morning that sealed the promise,
Your buried body began to breathe.
Out of the silence, the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me.
Jesus, Yours is the victory! (Chorus 2 X’s)
Song Ending
Jesus Christ, my living hope!
God, You are my living hope!
Words and music by Brian Johnson and Phil Wickham
©2017 Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, Sing My Songs, Bethel Music Publishing
Christ is Mine Forevermore
Verse 1
Mine are the days that God has numbered;
I was made to walk with Him.
Yet I look for worldly treasure
and forsake the King of kings.
But mine is hope in my Redeemer—
though I fall His love is sure!
For Christ has paid for every failing;
I am His forevermore!
Verse 2
Mine are tears in times of sorrow,
darkness not yet understood.
Through the valley, I must travel
where I see no earthly good.
But mine is peace that flows from heaven
and the strength in times of need.
I know my pain will not be wasted—
Christ completes His work in me.
Verse 3
Mine are days here as a stranger,
pilgrim on a narrow way.
One with Christ, I will encounter
harm and hatred for His name.
But mine is armour for this battle,
strong enough to last the war.
And He has said He will deliver
safely to the golden shore.
Refrain
And mine are keys to Zion city,
where beside the King, I walk.
For there, my heart has found its treasure—
Christ is mine forevermore.
Bridge
Come rejoice now, O my soul,
for His love is my reward!
Fear is gone, and hope is sure—
Christ is mine forevermore. (Repeat)
Ending
And mine are keys to Zion city,
where beside the King, I walk.
For there, my heart has found its treasure—
Christ is mine forevermore.
Music and Words by Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson
©2016 CityAlight Music
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 or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
Acts 19:11-41 (ESV)
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists
undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the
Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Acts 19:11-41 – The Expulsive Power of the Gospel – 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
From Hebrews 13:20–21 (ESV)
Now may the God of peace
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great shepherd of the sheep,
by the blood of the eternal covenant,
equip you with everything good that you may do his will,
working in us that which is pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.