[printfriendly]
worship as communal exchange | 1st Sunday of Advent – Hope
called to come in
God comes near and calls his people out of the world, and takes hold of us and brings us into the community of Himself.Song: Come Thou Almighty King
Come, thou Almighty King
Help us thy name to sing
Help us to praise
Father, all glorious
O’er all victorious
Come, and reign over us Ancient of Days
Come, thou Incarnate Word
Gird on thy mighty sword
Our prayer attend
Come and thy people bless
And give thy Word success
Spirit of holiness on us descend
Come, Holy Comforter
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour
Thou who almighty art
Now rule in every heart
And ne’er from us depart Spirit of power
To the great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore
His sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity love and adore
we hear | Psalm 31:23-24, Romans 8:1, Luke 1:68, 72
(leader) Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him.
(all) Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD!
(leader) What is our hope?
(all) That there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Thanks be to God who has promised and sent a Savior unto us! As it is written: Blessed is the Lord God to perform the mercy promised!
we respond | SONG: O Come O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our Spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadow put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high
and order all things far and nigh
to us the path of knowledge show
and cause us in her ways to go
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient time dids’t give the law
in cloud, and majesty, and awe
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Advent reading from Jeremiah 33:14-18 and lighting of the HOPE candle
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
“For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”
confessing our sin
God the Spirit reminds us that God the Father has saved us through the righteous life and sacrificial death of Christ the Son – and in faith we rest on his gracious interest to renew us yet again.we hear | Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
we confess: from Valley of Vision; book of Puritan Prayers
O God of grace, you have imputed my sin to my Substitute, Jesus, and have imputed his righteousness to my soul. But in my Christian walk I am still in rags, my best prayers are stained with sin, my penitential prayers are so much impurity. I need to repent of my repentance. I need my tears to be washed. Wrestling with hopelessness, I wait for the blessed hope of my God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for me.
Grant that I never lose sight of him. Grant that I never lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of my sin; the exceeding righteousness of salvation; the exceeding glory of Christ; the exceeding wonder of grace. Amen.
we rest | SONG: I Will Sing Praise to God
I will sing praise to God
He has lifted me up
He heard my cry for help
And He filled my cup
His favor extends for a lifetime
His grace gives me strength each day
My soul shall sing His praise
forever more
I’ll put my trust in Him
God my refuge and strength
For when my life seems lost
He will show me the way
My soul shall sing His praise
Forever more
declaration | 1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
consecrated by the Word
God declares the finished gospel of his Son, and continues his powerful, internal work of change/consecration by his Spirit.sermon | Jesus the Healer • John 5:1-18 | Brian Parker
we respond | SONG: How Firm a Foundation
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 and 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 you oh 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 grief shall not thee 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 hurt 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 shake
I’ll never, no never no never forsake
SONG: Arise Shine for Your Light has Come
Arise Shine for your light has come
and the glory of God is on you
Arise, see when the earth grows dark
that the Lord will arise upon you
The Lord will arise upon you
Nations will come to your light
lift up your eyes and see
We’ll gather together and come to you
and your love will be all that we know
Your love will be all that we know
Arise, come to the open gates
for the Father is welcoming you
Fear not for the Lord brings peace
and redemption to all who believe
Redemption to all who believe
Nations will come to your light
lift up your eyes and see
We’ll gather together and come to you
and your love will be all that we know
Your love will be all that we know
The sun will not shine
cause you’ll be all the light that we need
And violence will end
all the wars that we wage will cease (x2)
We will glorify Your name
We will glorify Your name
Nations will come to your light
lift up your eyes and see
We’ll gather together and come to you
and your love will be all that we know
Your love will be all that we know
Nations will come to your light
lift up your eyes and see
We’ll gather together and come to you
and your love will be all that we know
Your love will be all that we know
compelled to go out
God blesses us and charges us go out and extend his kingdom into the broken world around us, making disciples of all nations
CCLI License #: 3024647