Order of Service for Worship at home, May 10th

Moment of Silence - Pray silently.  Remember that you are in the presence of God and humble yourself before him. 

Opening reading:  Psalm 93 

Prayer of praise:  Our Father in heaven, we come now to worship you in spirit and in truth.  Your Word tells us that you rule over all things and your power is infinite.  Your Word tells us that your throne is eternal, and your reign has neither beginning nor end.  There is no place where you do not command all things.  There is no time when you do not do all that pleases you.  You command the waters, the rivers, the floods, and every wave of every sea.  All things were made by you and owe you complete obedience.  We bow before you now and present ourselves as living sacrifices to worship you.  We praise you for your sovereignty; we praise you for your wisdom; we praise you for your mercy that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  We praise you that by faith in him we have life, in him we have hope, in him we have purpose, and in him we lack no good thing.  Help us now to give you the praise you deserve, for we pray by the help of the Holy Spirit in the name of your Son our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 

Song 1:  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

 

Refrain:

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?

Refrain

 

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

Refrain

 

You will reign forever (let Your glory fill the Earth)

You will reign forever (let Your glory fill the Earth)

You will reign forever (let Your glory fill-)

Refrain

 

Reading:  Ephesians 6:1-4 (Read in preparation for confession)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

 

Prayer of Confession:  Holy God, we thank you for the gift of family.  We thank you for your wisdom in creating man and woman and marriage and parenthood.  We thank you that your Word gives us clear commands as wives and mothers, as husbands and fathers, as sons and daughters, and as sisters and brothers.  But we confess that we have not fully obeyed your commands.  We confess that we have done what we should not do and failed to do what was our duty. In our pride we have been slow to ask forgiveness of one another or to extend forgiveness to one another in our families. We confess we have held resentment and bitterness toward others.  We have spoken unkind words to and about each other.   Dear Lord, have mercy upon us.  Forgive us for every sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness for the sake of your Son, in whose name we pray,  Amen

 

Assurance of pardon:  Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

(Remember that the gospel is true and that God loves to save sinners.)

 

Song 2:  Come Thou Fount

 

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 name! I’m fixed upon it

Name of Thy redeeming love

 

Hitherto Thy love has blessed me

Thou hast brought me to this place

And I know Thy hand will bring me

Safely home by Thy good grace

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering 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, oh take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

 

Oh that day when freed from sinning

I shall see Thy lovely face

Full arrayed in blood-washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry

Bring Thy promises to pass

For I know Thy pow’r will keep me

Till I’m home with Thee at last

 

Song 3:  How Sweet and Awesome

 

How sweet and awesome is the place

with Christ within the doors,

while everlasting love displays

the choicest of her stores.

 

While all our hearts and all our songs

join to admire the feast,

each of us cries, with thankful tongue,

"Lord, why was I a guest?

 

"Why was I made to hear your voice,

and enter while there's room,

when thousands make a wretched choice,

and rather starve than come?"

 

'Twas the same love that spread the feast

that sweetly drew us in;

else we had still refused to taste,

and perished in our sin.

 

Pity the nations, O our God,

constrain the earth to come;

send your victorious Word abroad,

and bring the strangers home.

 

We long to see your churches full,

that all the chosen race

may, with one voice and heart and soul,

sing your redeeming grace.

 

Song 4: Before the Throne

 

Before the throne of God above 

I have a strong and perfect plea 

A great High Priest whose name is love 

Who ever lives and pleads for me 

My name is graven on His hands 

My name is written on His heart 

I know that while in heav'n He stands 

No tongue can bid me thence depart 

No tongue can bid me thence depart

 

When Satan tempts me to despair 

And tells me of the guilt within 

Upward I look and see Him there 

Who made an end of all my sin 

Because the sinless Savior died 

My sinful soul is counted free 

For God the Just is satisfied 

To look on Him and pardon me 

To look on Him and pardon me

 

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb 

My perfect, spotless Righteousness 

The great unchangeable I AM 

The King of glory and of grace 

One with Himself, I cannot die 

My soul is purchased by His blood 

My life is hid with Christ on high 

With Christ my Savior and my God

 

Video Devotional (or read 2Corinthians 4:3-7)

 

Song 5:  Christ is Mine Forevermore

 

Mine are days that God has numbered

I was made to walk with Him

Yet I look for worldly treasure

And forsake the King of kings

But mine is hope in my Redeemer

Though I fall, his love is sure

For Christ has paid for every failing

I am His forevermore

 

Mine are tears in times of sorrow

Darkness not yet understood

Through the valley I must travel

Where I see no earthly good

But mine is peace that flows from heaven

And the strength in times of need

I know my pain will not be wasted

Christ completes his work in me

 

Mine are days here as a stranger

Pilgrim on a narrow way

One with Christ I will encounter

Harm and hatred for his name

But mine is armour for this battle

Strong enough to last the war

And he has said he will deliver

Safely to the golden shore

And mine are keys to Zion city

Where beside the King I walk

For there my heart has found its treasure

Christ is mine forevermore

 

Come rejoice now, O my soul

For his love is my reward

Fear is gone and hope is sure

Christ is mine forevermore! (X3)

 

And mine are keys to Zion city

Where beside the King I walk

For there my heart has found its treasure

Christ is mine forevermore

 

Closing prayer

 

Doxology

 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

 

*** Giving: Remember that, even though we aren’t meeting and can’t take up an offering, we’ve still covenanted together to give of our financial resources to the work of the Grace Church here in Roanoke and around the world. You can give online here: https://gcrva.churchcenter.com/giving