August 16, 2020
Surely the
presence of the Lord is in this place,
I can feel
His mighty power and his grace.
I can hear
the brush of angel’s wings, I see glory on each face.Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
By
this stage of the world-wide pandemic, we should be growing accustomed to
uncertainty. Will the event that we were planning to attend still take place,
or will it be canceled? Will there be school, or will there not? Will classes
be in class, online, or some sort of blend? Even here at church, every week we
decide whether our service will be inside or outside.
But the truth of the matter is that
things of this world have always been uncertain. Our latest experience with the
coronavirus has only served to emphasize the uncertainty that had already
existed.
It is because we recognize the frailty of
the things of the world that we have come to church this morning to worship the
One in whom there is no uncertainty.
We have come to worship, acknowledge and
confess the Lordship of our Holy God, the creator of all that there is.
Dear Father in heaven, we are thankful that you
are eternal. As it is written in your word, you are the Father of the heavenly
lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow (James 1:7).
With you, there is no uncertainty; there is no
evolving situation depending upon what might sometimes seem like capricious decisions
of others, for you alone are sovereign. Today we bring our worship to you.
Amen.
Song of Worship # 10 – Lord I Lift Your Name on High
For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I
Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. As a shepherd looks for his
scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock.
I will rescue them from all the places to which
they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from
the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own
land.
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in
the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land. I will feed them in good
pasture, and the lofty mountains of Israel will be their grazing land. There
they will lie down in a good grazing land; they will feed in rich pasture on
the mountains of Israel. I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares
the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken,
and strengthen the weak
Our Father
and Good Shepherd, we thank you for your longsuffering patience with us. We are
prone to wander and we are likely to become lost in the morass of the world and
its values. Were it not for your great love and concern for us, we surely would
become hopelessly lost. Thank you for
seeking us out. Thank you for rescuing us. Thank you for bringing us into your
secure presence. Amen
God is patient with those who sincerely are
trying to learn to live by his power and in his grace. God is not a fool
however, and unless you are truly sincere, you will not see his leading in your
life. Make a beginning right now, even at this moment. You will begin to learn
of God’s sufficiency and grace.
The Lord’s Prayer
Scripture Reading: OT – Isaiah 62:10-12
Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way
for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise
a banner for the nations!
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of
the earth,
“Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes!
Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.”
And they will be called the Holy People, the
Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
NT – John 4:23-24
But a time is coming and has now come when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father
is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must
worship Him in spirit and in truth.
May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me
understanding according to Your word.
May my plea
come before You; rescue me according to Your promise.
My lips pour forth praise, for You teach me Your
statutes.
My tongue
sings of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous.
May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have
chosen Your precepts.
I long for
Your salvation, O LORD, and Your law is my delight.
Let me live to praise You; may Your judgments
sustain me.
I have
strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your
commandments.
Message Eating
With Sinners
Offering A basket
has been placed on the table to receive your offerings. Thank you for placing
your gifts in the basket. God bless you!
Our Lord, first of all we want to praise you for
your desire to hear our prayers. We come to seek an audience before the Great
King of kings and the Sovereign Lord of lords, and yet we need not tremble
before such power, because we come to you based not upon our own goodness, but
upon your grace.
Thank you
Lord for the grace that you give to hear our prayers.
As we go through the days and the years of this
life, troubles sometimes seem to come at every hand. Before many of these
troubles, we are powerless. But you are a God of unlimited power, so we ask you
to intervene to help us and deliver us.
We bring the
prayer requests of our fellow Christians, who in some places of the world are
in deep persecution. We also bring those requests that we have already heard,
as well as others that have not been spoken this morning. Some brothers and
sisters here today have problems that are perhaps too personal to share. Others
just do not easily speak out prayer requests. We pray also for these. Give to
them your aid.
We ask that you be with the people and orphans of
the Log Church of Kenya. Please sustain them by your miraculous hand. Lead them
into a closer walk with you, and help them to share the news of your love to
all in the area.
Thank you for
your gracious answer to all of our prayers.
Thank you Father, for listening to the voices of all of your servants. Amen
Closing Song #28
– Highly Exalted
Benediction and prayer
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