Is He Worthy?
Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive

Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop
the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)

Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah
Who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb
Who died to ransom the slave

Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is He worthy of this?

He is

Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus our Messiah hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah
Who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb
Who died to ransom the slave

From every people and tribe
Every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God
To reign with the Son

Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?

He is

He is worthy
He is worthy
Of all blessing an honor and glory
He is worthy of this

He is

 

 

 


Call to Worship
Adapted to Psalm 37

Trust in the Lord and do what is good!  Delight in him, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.  Those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, but the Lord laughs at them, for he knows their day is coming.

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.  In times of disaster they will not wither.  In days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

The Lord makes firm the steps of those who delight in him.  He will not forsake his faithful ones.  Though they may stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord upholds them with his hand.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord.  He is their stronghold in time of trouble.  He helps them and delivers them, because they take refuge in him.

 

 

 


How Firm a Foundation
R. Keene

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word
What more can He say than to you He hath said
To you, who for refuge, to Jesus have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea
As thy days may demand shall my strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand

When through the deep waters I call thee to go
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply
The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to break
I'll never, no never, no never forsake

 

 

 

 

Congregational Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You have sent your Son to us, the incarnation of grace and truth. You have called us to behold the glory of Christ, and to reflect the beauty of Christ, and to bear witness to the light of Christ.

But, we confess with deep sorrow that we have sought our own glory. We have veiled the glory of Christ and obscured the light of Christ by our unfaithfulness, worldliness, and selfishness.

Because we have failed to believe the gospel, we have not displayed truth and grace or shared truth and grace with others.

Grant us the gift of repentance, that we might faithfully worship the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, and honor him with our lives.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

 

 

 

 


New City Catechism
Question 19

Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?

Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.

 

His Mercy is More
Matt Boswell, Matt Papa

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

He Will Hold Me Fast
Ada Haberson, Matthew Merker

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

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

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

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

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

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

 

 

 

 

Sermon
The Inspired, Relevant, and Sufficient Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20
No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy spirit.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5
Condensed Version of ESV
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true…and he says to you, “Let us go after other gods and let us serve them,” you shall not listen to the words of that prophet. But that prophet shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 18:20-22
‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken.

Matthew 4:6-7
And said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, less you strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Acts 17:11-12
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

How Did We Get the Canon?
From Josh McDowell
Was the writing authored by an apostle or prophet of God or by someone very closely connected to the apostles or prophets?
Do the writings clearly evidence the power and presence of God?
Is the message of the writing consistent with other already recognized Scripture?
Was the writing widely accepted by the early churches?

Mark 7:9-13
‘And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘Whoever reviles mother or father must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—‘then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father and mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.’

1 John 2:27
The anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaching you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.

 

 

 

 


How Marvelous
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And Wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean

How marvelous, how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous, how wonderful,
Is my Savior’s love for me

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone

How marvelous, how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous, how wonderful,
Is my Savior’s love for me

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see
’Twill be my joy through the ages,
To sing of His love for me

How marvelous, how wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous, how wonderful,
Is my Savior’s love for me

Resources
Liturgy