Call to Worship
Sunday School
Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2
by John Bunyan
Sunday Service
Pastoral Reading
Psalm 7:9-17
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God!
10 My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.
12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;
he has bent and readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil
and is pregnant with mischief
and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends.
17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
Opening Song
Oh, How Good It is
Verse 1
Oh how good it is
When the family of God
Dwells together in spirit
In faith and unity
Where the bonds of peace
Of acceptance and love
Are the fruit of His presence here among us
Chorus
So with one voice we’ll sing to the Lord
And with one heart we’ll live out His word
Till the whole earth sees the Redeemer has come
For He dwells in the presence of His people
Verse 2
Oh how good it is on this journey we share to rejoice with the happy
And weep with those who mourn
For the weak find strength, the afflicted find grace
When we offer the blessing of belonging
Verse 3
Oh how good it is to embrace His command
To prefer one another forgive as He forgives
When we live as one we all share in the love
Of the Son with the Father and the Spirit
CCLI Song # 6399212, CCLI License # 108183
Keith Getty | Kristyn Getty | Ross Holmes | Stuart Townend
© 2012 Getty Music Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Parakeet Boots Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Townend Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Prayer
Focus this week: Christy Austin, Sarah and children
Song
The Works of His Hands
Chorus:
I give thanks to the Lord, Sing Praise to His Name
Declaring His Love in the Morning
For You O Lord, have made me glad
And I sing for joy at the works of Your Hands
Verse 1:
The works of His hands, my heart will praise
In the company of His people
Splendour and majesty are my delight
And His goodness endures forever
Verse 2:
The works of His hands, His wonders declared
Providing for those who fear Him
Gracious and merciful, is our Lord God
Remembering His cov’nant forever
Verse 3:
The works of His hands, are faithful and just
Shown through His pow’r to His people
All of His precepts are worthy of trust
And they are established forever
Verse 4:
The works of His hands, His promise made firm
Redemption sent to His people
Holy, and Awesome, is His Name!
His praises endure forever
Offering Song
He Will Hold Me Fast
Verse 1
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
Chorus
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Verse 2
Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His Promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
Verse 3
For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When He comes at last
Ada Ruth Habershon/Matthew Merke
2013 Getty Music Pulishing/Matthew Merker Music
CCLI 108183
Scripture Reading
Luke 3:1-18
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
Preaching the Word
The Fruit of Repentance
Luke 3:1-18
Closing Song
Come to the Water (CRC #7)
Come to the waters, whoever is thirsty;
drink from the Fountain that never runs dry.
Jesus, the Living One, offers you mercy,
life more abundant in boundless supply.
Come to the River that flows through the city,
forth from the throne of the Father and Son.
Jesus the Savior says, “Come and drink deeply.”
Drink from the pure, inexhaustible One.
Come to the Fountain without any money;
buy what is given without any cost.
Jesus, the gracious One, welcomes the weary;
Jesus, the selfless One, died for the lost.
Come to the Well of unmerited favor;
stretch out your hand; fill your cup to the brim.
Jesus is such a compassionate Savior.
Draw from the grace that flows freely from Him.
Come to the Savior, the God of salvation.
God has provided an end to sin’s strife.
Why will you suffer the Law’s condemnation?
Take the free gift of the water of life.