Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for January 5, 2025
Pre-service Song
I Love to Tell the Story
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love:
I love to tell the story because I know ‘tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
Chorus
I love to tell the story, ‘twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story: more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. (Chorus)
I love to tell the story; ‘tis pleasant to repeat
What seems each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet;
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word. (Chorus)
I love to tell the story; for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest:
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
‘Twill be the old, old story That I have loved so long. (Chorus)
Words by Katherine Hankey, Music by William G. Fischer
©Public Domain
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Revelation 7:10, 12; 15:3-4 (ESV)
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.
Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.
Our Sung Call to Worship
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all;
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,
Who fixed this earthly ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might.
And crown him lord of all!
Words by Edward Perronet & John Rippon, Music by Oliver Holden
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Daniel 9:4-5, 9-10, 18-19a (ESV)
I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession,
saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God,
who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those
who love him and keep his commandments,
we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled,
turning aside from your commandments and rules.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness,
for we have rebelled against him
and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God
by walking in his laws, which he set before us
by his servants the prophets.
O my God, incline your ear and hear.
Open your eyes and see our desolations,
and the city that is called by your name.
For we do not present our pleas before you
because of our righteousness,
but because of your mercy.
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
His Mercy is More
What love could remember no wrongs we have done?
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum.
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore—
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.
What patience would wait as we constantly roam?
What Father so tender is calling us home?
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor,
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.
Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.
What riches of kindness He lavished on us—
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost!
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford.
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.
Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. (Repeat)
By Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
© 2016 Getty Music Hymns and Songs; Getty Music Publishing; Love Your Enemies Publishing; Messenger Hymns
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 56-58 (ESV)
Remember the Gospel!
In fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For as by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Holy, Holy, Holy
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Words by Reginald Heber vs 4 Words by Eric Schumacher, Music by John B. Dykes
©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.
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
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Matthew 25:14-30 – Faithfulness in the New Year – 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
Take My Life and Let It Be
Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love,
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be,
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King,
Always, only, for my King.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own.
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Words by Frances R. Havergal, Music by Henri A.C. Malan
©Public Domain
Blessing
Psalm 67:1-3 (CSB)
May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may he make his face shine upon us —
so that your way may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Matthew 25:31-46