Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for May 29, 2022
Reflection
The key to life is not simply what we lay hold of but also what we let go of or throw away.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Psalm 136:1–3 (ESV)
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Verse 1
Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise:
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Verse 2
Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home:
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Verse 3
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Words by Robert Robinson, Music: Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Heavenly Father,
We confess that we have sinned against you,
and we have sinned against each other
in our minds,
with our words,
in things we did,
and by our neglect.
Forgive us, Father, through the work of Jesus,
our crucified, risen and ascended Lord.
And do whatever is necessary, Father,
to kill our pride,
to reveal our sin,
to bring repentance,
to strengthen our faith,
to fortify our mutual love,
to cause us to delight in you.
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
From 1 John 1:8-2:2 (CSB)
Let’s remember the Good News about Jesus!
If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father
— Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours,
but also for those of the whole world.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Nothing But the Blood (Distribution of the Elements)
Verse 1
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Chorus
Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Verse 2
For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing, this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Verse 3
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)
Verse 4
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus 2X’s)
Music and Words by Robert Lowry
©Public Domain
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Before the Throne of God Above
Verse 1
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands.
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heav’n He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
Verse 2
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Verse 3
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless righteousness.
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of Glory and of Grace.
One with Himself, I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood.
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
Words and Music by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vicki Cook
©1997 Sovereign Grace Worship
In Christ Alone
Verse 1
In Christ alone, my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Verse 2
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For every sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
Verse 3
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
Verse 4
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
©2001 Thankyou 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 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
Isaiah 4:2-6
2 In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5 Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Isaiah 3 & 4 – In the Throne Room of the King – 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 both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
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
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
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.
Words by Mary E. Byrne & Eleanor H. Hull, Music: Traditional Irish Melody
©Public Domain
Blessing
Go in the peace of Jesus our Redeemer and glorify his name!
Next Week’s Scripture Passage: Isaiah 5 & 6