Worship Service for July 23, 2023, at 11 AM

Welcome

Opening Song: How Great Is Our God

The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in light, and darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice

 

Chorus:

How great is our God, sing with me

How great is our God all will see

How great, how great is our God

 

Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands

Beginning and the end, beginning at the end

The Godhead, three in one, Father, Spirit, Son

The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.

 

(Chorus)

Bridge:

Name above all names, Worthy of all praise,

My heart will sing How great is our God

Repeat

 

(Chorus)                                                                     © 2004 Alletrop Music

Invocation

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: Come into the presence of the Lord our God.
C: Have mercy, O Lord. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(A time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)

P: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Let us confess our sin before the Lord. Let us confess together.
C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners.  We have sinned against you and our neighbors. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your punishment.  For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen.

P: The Lord is gracious and merciful. He promises to forgive our sins. Therefore, upon this, your confession, as a called and ordained servant of the Lord, in the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving – Lord, I Need You

Lord I come, I confess. Bowing here I find my rest
Without You, I fall apart. You’re the one that guides my heart

Chorus:
Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more.
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free. Holiness is Christ in me

Chorus:
Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You.
Jesus You’re my hope and stay

Chorus:
Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You
                                © 2011 Sweater Weather Music, Valley Of Songs Music, and Thankyou Music

Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 44:6–8

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
    and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
    besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
    Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
    Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
Fear not, nor be afraid;
    have I not told you from of old and declared it?
    And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
    There is no Rock; I know not any.”

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading – Romans 8:18-27

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading – Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”…

…Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, o Christ.

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – Who You Say I Am

Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?

I was lost but He brought me in. Oh, His love for me.

Oh, His love for me.

 

Chorus 1:

Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed.

I’m a child of God, Yes I am.

 

Free at last He has ransomed me. His grace runs deep.

While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me. Yes, He died for me.

 

Chorus 2:

Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed.

I’m a child of God, Yes I am.

In my Father’s house there’s a place for me.

I’m a child of God, Yes I am.

 

I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am

You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am
I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am

You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am

I am who You say I am

 

Chorus 2:

Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed.

I’m a child of God, Yes I am.

In my Father’s house there’s a place for me.

I’m a child of God, Yes I am.

 

(Chorus 2 second half, “In my Father’s house…”)
                                              © 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

 

Sermon – “What is SO is more than we SEE”

Prayer of the Church

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God
the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen

Offering

Words of Institution

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you all.
C: And also, with you.
P: We greet each other in the peace of Christ.

Distribution

Prayer

Benediction

Closing Song – Everlasting God

Verse:
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.
We will wait upon the Lord.
We will wait upon the Lord.
(repeat)

Pre-Chorus:
Our God You reign forever! Our hope Our strong deliverer!

Chorus:
You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God.
You do not faint You won’t grow weary.
You’re the defender of the weak. You comfort those in need.
You lift us up on wings like eagles.

 

(Verse)
(Pre-Chorus)
(Chorus)                                                                  © 2005 Thankyou Music