Sometimes, too often in fact, our hearts get “out of tune.” But as Christians, our “pitch center” is Jesus Christ, and in worship we align our hearts with his. And overtones become possible, harmony happens, and joy results. All is well.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Words by Robert Robinson (1758); Music: NETTLETON
Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
Mount of God’s redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God:
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for thy courts above.
Opening Prayer
“Prone to wander. Prone to leave the God I love.” Lord, Adam and Eve’s rebellion against your specific command is still having its effect all around us, and even more disturbing, inside us. It is
“the Fall” that has required the birth and death of Jesus and his glorious resurrection. Help us Lord, here this morning, to see you for who you are and to be grateful for the sin remedy that you have provided by the sacrifice of your Son on our behalf. It’s in his name that we pray, Amen.
Only A Holy God
Words and Music by Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, Rich Thompson
© 2016 CityAlight Music, Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity's Alleluia! Music, Integrity's Praise! Music
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven?
Who else could make every king bow down?
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles?
Only a holy God
What other beauty demands such praises?
What other splendor outshines the sun?
What other majesty rules with justice?
Only a holy God
Come and behold him
The One and the only
Cry out sing holy
Forever a holy God
Come and worship the holy God
What other glory consumes like fire?
What other power can raise the dead?
What other name remains undefeated?
Only a holy God
Who else could rescue me from my failing?
Who else would offer his only Son?
Who else invites me to call him Father?
Only a holy God
Only my holy God
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord, God Almighty! (w. Isaiah 6:1–8)
Words by Reginald Heber (1826); Music John B. Dykes (1861)
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, blessed Trinity!
READER:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
And they were calling to one another:
CONGREGATION:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
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 shall be.
READER:
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Holy, holy, holy! Tho’ the darkness hide Thee,
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, in purity.
READER:
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said,
CONGREGATION:
“Here am I. Send me!”
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, blessed Trinity!
In that encounter with God, Isaiah was overcome by God’s holiness. We too, should be overcome
by being in God’s presence as we gather for worship. A.W. Tozer reminds us:
“Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy.”
As we continue to worship this morning, let’s be encouraged to see God as holy and thank him for his grace toward us.
Lord, I Need You
Words and Music by Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, Matt Maher
© 2011 sixsteps Music, SweaterWeather Music, Thankyou Music, Valley of Songs Music, worshiptogether.com songs
Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart
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
Where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay
Offering Prayer
Offertory:
DIX (instrumental)Tune by Conrad Kocher (1838)
Prayer of Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
Sermon
The Lord’s Supper
[instrumental music played or congregational singing]
The Mystery of the Faith
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again!
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
(lyrics different than opening version)
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me;
Mortal tongue cannot proclaim
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I will praise his holy name.
Hallelujah! I have found it,
The full cleansing I had craved,
And to all the world I’ll sound it:
They too may be wholly saved.
I am sealed by Thy sweet Spirit,
Prone no longer now to roam;
And Thy voice, I’ll humbly hear it,
For Thy presence is my home.
O that day when freed from sinning,
We will see your lovely face;
Clothed in heaven’s blood washed linen;
We will praise your sovereign grace;
Maranatha! May we never
Fail to watch and hope and pray;
We will live with you forever
In that never-ending day.
Benediction
As we go from this place, let’s go with the words from this hymn on our minds:
Lord, dismiss us with your blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, your love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace.
O refresh us, O refresh us, trav’ling through this wilderness.
Of your love some gracious token grant us, Lord, before we go;
Bless your word which has been spoken, life and peace on all bestow.
O direct us and protect us in the paths we do not know.
Amen.
Lord, Dismiss Us With Your Blessing
Words by John Fawcett (1786)