Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for April 3, 2022
Reflection
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Psalm 34:3; 124:8; 9:1-2 (NRSV)
O magnify the LORD with me.
Let us exalt God’s name together!
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
We will give thanks to you, O LORD, with our whole heart;
we will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
We will be glad and exult in you;
we will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Be Thou My Vision
Verse 1
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art:
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Verse 2
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord:
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Verse 3
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Verse 4
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Ending
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Words by Mary E. Byrne & Eleanor H. Hull
Music: Traditional Irish Melody
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Sung Confession
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.
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Responsive 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.
Jesus, Strong and Kind (Distribution of the Elements)
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
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, and Matthew Merker
©2020 Getty Music Hymns and Songs, Getty Music Publishing, Jordan Kauflin Music, Love Your Enemies Publishing, Matthew Merker Music, Messenger Hymns
We Will Feast In the House of Zion
Chorus
We will feast in the house of Zion.
We will sing with our hearts restored.
“He has done great things,”
We will say together.
We will feast and weep no more.
Verse 1
We will not be burned by the fire,
He is the Lord our God.
We are not consumed by the flood—
Upheld, protected, gathered up. (Chorus)
Verse 2
In the dark of night before the dawn,
My soul be not afraid.
For the promised morning, o how long!
O God of Jacob be my strength. (Chorus)
Verse 3
Every vow we’ve broken and betrayed—
You are the faithful one.
And from the garden to the grave
Bind us together, bring shalom. (Chorus)
Words and Music by Sandra McCracken and Joshua Moore
©2015 Integrity Worship Music, Paper News Publishing, joshmooreownsthismusic
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 21:17-39 (ESV)
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!” 37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Acts 21:17-39 — The Cost of Discipleship, Part 2 – 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
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.