Sunday Meditation, August 8

The Good News of the King

Scripture for Meditation: Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Call to Worship: Behold Our God

Who has held the oceans in His hands?
Who has numbered every grain of sand?
Kings and nations tremble at His voice;
All creation rises to rejoice.

Chorus:
Behold our God, seated on His throne.
Come, let us adore Him!
Behold our King; nothing can compare.
Come, let us adore Him!

Who has given counsel to the Lord?
Who can question any of His Words?
Who can teach the One who knows all things?
Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds?

Who has felt the nails upon His hands,
Bearing all the guilt of sinful man?
God eternal, humbled to the grave,
Jesus, Savior risen now to reign!

Tag (4 times):
Men: You will reign forever!
Women: Let Your glory fill the earth

© 2011 Sovereigns Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).
Used by permission. CCLI #2783020

Offertory Psalm of Praise: O Worship the King

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Robert Grant, c. 1779-1838
Based on Psalm 104

Prayer of Blessing

Responsive Reading: Isaiah 9:1, 2, 7

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. . . .

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Hymn of Holiness: 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, blessèd 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,
Which 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 power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! raise our eyes to Calv'ry,
That we might behold Thy Son condemned upon the tree.
Oh, how sin has cost Thee; oh, Thy grace and mercy!
Christ, fully punished; sinners, fully free!

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, blessèd Trinity!

Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
Fourth stanza by M. Justin Wainscott.

Prayer of Corporate Confession

Silence for Personal Confession

Assurance of Pardon: I Corinthians 15:22-26

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

Response: Thanks be to God.

Hymn of Pardon: 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.

Chorus:
Praise the Lord,
His mercy is more.
Stronger than darkness, new every morn.
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.

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.

Matt Papa and Matt Boswell
© 2015 Messenger Hymns (BMI) Getty Music Publishing (BMI) Getty Music ASCAP Designee (ASCAP) (admin. by Music Services, www.musicservices.org)/ Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. CCLI #2783020

*Children may leave during this song.

Ministry of the Word

Hymn of Praise: All Creatures of Our God and King 

All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Refrain:
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

All the redeemed washed by His blood,
Come, and rejoice in His great love!
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Christ has defeated every sin.
Cast all your burdens now on Him!

He shall return in pow’r to reign.
Heav-en and earth will join to say:
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Then who shall fall on bended knee?
All creatures of our God and King!

Stanzas 1 and 2 by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), translated by William H. Draper (1855-1933)
Stanzas 3 and 4 by Jonathan Baird and Ryan Baird. Arranged by Ben Ebner
Used by permission. CCLI #2783020

*All Scripture, English Standard Version. © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission.