Preparing for Worship
Notes from Rodney Barbour
Sunday February 12, 2017
Series: GIFTED! part 3
Preparation for Worship: The Joyful Noise choir leads us into worship
reminding us of a sign of God’s covenant. Noah, having reached the other
side of judgement, encountered a glimpse of the glory that surrounds
God’s throne. The rainbow of God’s grace contains every shade of light to
counter every shadow of darkness. It is a constant reminder to us that
God’s grace is always sufficient and is present in every storm of life.
When you look at a rainbow, do you see the promise of God? When you look at
a rainbow, do you feel the pow’r of His love? God promised Noah he’d never
have to build an ark again. God promised Abraham his seed would inherit the
land. God promised Moses to free his people from slavery. God promised you
and me He’d love us forever and ever! When you look at a rainbow, do you see
the promise of God? When you look at a rainbow, do you feel the pow’r of His
love? God promised Joshua the walls of the city would fall. God promised David
a house and a Kingdom for all. God promise Mary her Son would save all the
world from sin. God promised you and me He’d love us forever and ever! When
you look at a rainbow, do you see the promise of God? When you look at a
rainbow, do you feel the pow’r of His love? When you look at a rainbow, do you
see the promise of God? When you look at a rainbow, you can feel the pow’r of
His love?
Call to Worship Horeb (place of Moses and the burning bush) was a
desolate, lonely wasteland, but God blessed this place with his presence
and it became the mountain of God, the place of awesome revelation.
Moses (a broken aimless man). But, God blessed him with his presence
and me became a man of God—an instrument of God’s great work! Lord,
today, here we are to worship you! What can your presence make of us?
(You can find allusions to these scriptures in today’s call to worship---Exodus 3, Romans
12, Matthew 16, Ps 105)
Leader: Surprising God, you have a habit of showing up where we
least expect you: in a burning bush, in the face of an enemy, in a
livestock feed trough, on a rough wooden cross.
People: Turn our lives upside down with your radical love.
Help us fully embrace your surprises, even as we revel in the
joy of being fully embraced by your all-encompassing grace
and mercy.
Leader: Thank you God for your most amazing surprise of all…your
Son, Jesus Christ whom we worship today.
People: Let us give thanks to the Lord; call on his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing praises to
him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name!
Hymn of Praise: We are blessed today to have both children’s choirs lead
us in worship. Children often voice their delight when they observe and
discover some ordinary object which adults take for granted. No doubt our
heavenly Father is pleased when his children take time to observe and
appreciate his creation and then to simply express joyous gratitude to him
for his countless blessings. Today’s hymn reminds us of the common
blessings of life that many of us often take for granted—the beauties of
nature, our parents, family, friends, church. The lyrics then direct our
“grateful praise” to God himself, the giver of every good and perfect gift.
Vs1
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
Vs3
For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight,
Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
Vs4
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and
mild.
Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
Vs6
For thyself, best gift divine, to the world so freely given;
For that great, great love of thine, peace on earth and joy in
heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
Children Sing: The Cherub Choir sings this simple yet profound song. It
related to Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are
children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into
fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it
is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of
God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ---if,
in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I love to sing about Jesus, I love to tell of the things he’s done, I love to sing
about Jesus, and his wonderful love for everyone. If you will give your heart to
him, he’ll fill your life with a song. Call upon his name, and then to him you will
belong.
Confessing Sin: The Holy Spirit prompts us to speak words that are
remarkably honest about our own sin, words that do not come naturally in
our relationship with God or with other human beings. This honestly is
more than we could ever generate in our own strength, and becomes
liberating when we sense the immensity of God’s grace.
Leader: God of Mystery, we are constantly amazed by the
depth and breadth of your love. Over and over again, you
turn our expectations inside out and upside down.
People: And still we don’t understand the radical nature
of your grace. We play by our own rules of justice, even
when it means excluding those we are called to love and
defend.
Leader: In our darkest moments, we doubt if we are worthy
of your trust.
People: We confess to you our sins, O God. Help us
remember that you give us all the tools we need; that
through the solid foundation of your love, we find the
strength to follow your call as true disciples of Jesus
Christ.
Assurance of Pardon Take time to read Psalm 105. You will see the
“forever faithfulness” of God in keeping his covenant with Israel. He
protected them as aliens in foreign lands, he guided his people to Egypt
and promoted Joseph to rule over them, he blessed his oppressed people
with productivity, he used Moses and Aaron to deliver them from Egypt and
he was faithful in providing for them while they were in the wilderness. If
you trace your own relationship with God, there would be many parallels,
because God’s character never changes. It is this kind of endless love,
forgiveness and provision he promises us each day!
Leader: The God who brought our ancestors out of slavery
will not desert us. God has promised to be with us
throughout all generations.
People: Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice,
for God is with us and has forgiven our sin.
Scripture/Sermon: Before Sunday read through these verses. How
do they relate to spiritual gifts of teaching, exhortation, administration,
leadership? What other verses could you add to this collection?
Romans 12:9-16. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you
should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8
Proverbs 3:5-61 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on
your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct your paths.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be
weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thought, Nor are your ways
My ways, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your
thoughts.
Matthew 11: 28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My
yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose.
Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us?
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Phil 4:61 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God.
2 Timothy 1:71 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power
and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Tim 2:3-4 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of
Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the
affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
Offering Music This anthem is a refreshed version of Psalm 100. This is
one of the favorite psalms of many, perhaps because it tells us: 1. The
Lord is God –Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer. 2. He made us and we belong
to him. Our identity is in him, we are not faceless nonentities, floating
through an impersonal cosmos, but children of God. 3. The Lord is good.
He wishes us well not evil. 4. He loves us with an endless love because
we are infinitely precious to him. 5. His covenant of love extends to our
children, and grandchildren and so forth. This GOOD NEWS fills us with joy
and a desire to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and courts with praise.”
Oh, shout for joy unto the Lord. Worship him with gladness. Let all the earth
bring songs of praise; telling of his greatness. Know that the Lord we praise is
God. He is God our Maker; and we are his, a people called sheep within his
pasture. Oh, enter in his gates with praise; his courts with great thanksgiving,
for he is good; his love endure morning after morning. Oh, shout for joy unto
the Lord! See, the way is open to live in peace beneath his grace, ev’ry sin
forgiven. For he, who knew no mark of sin, took our sin upon him; that we
might be the righteousness of the God in Heaven. Oh, enter in his gates with
praise; his courts with great thanksgiving, for he is good; his love endures
morning after morning. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him,
all creatures here below. O praise Him, O praise Him, O praise Him! Oh, shout
for joy unto the Lord through the hours of darkness, for day by day His faithful
hand ever stays upon us. With ev’ry morning rise, we kneel, All our lives we
offer to be a living sacrifice, wholly to the Savior. Oh, enter in his gates with
praise; his courts with great thanksgiving, for he is good, his love endures
morning after morning. For he is good, his love endures morning after morning.
Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. O
praise him. Oh shout for joy!
Closing Song The body of Christ functions when the members work
together for the common good using their spiritual gifts (including teaching,
exhortation, administration, leadership—and all the others). We must be
about discovering our gifts, learning about them and how to use them, and
humbly and gently reaching out to persons who need help in the task of
daily living.
Vs1
Lord, whose love in humble service bore the weight of human
need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken, worked your mercy’s perfect deed:
We, your servants, bring the worship not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to your purpose every gift which you impart.
Vs4
Called by worship to your service, forth in your dear name we go,
To the child, the youth, the aged, love in living deeds to show;
Hope and health, good will and comfort, counsel, aid and peace
we give,
That your servants, Lord, in freedom may your mercy know and
live.
See you in Worship this Sunday!