September 24, 2023
Call to Worship
Psalm 105:1-6
Leader: Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
All: Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Leader: Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
All: Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
O How Good to Be Together
Written by Paul Ranheim & Kirk Sauers ©2020 Mellow Toad Music (BMI), Bold Canary Music (BMI).
Oh how good to be together
In this weary world we trod
What a gift, what a treasure
Kindred in the house of God
On this day the Lord has fashioned
Come rejoice with all your might
Raise a banner of salvation
He has led us through the night
CHORUS:
Oh the joy, oh the sweetness
To be gathered in the name of the Lord
Evermore, he will keep us
From the valley to the golden shore
When it looked like evil conquered
When we felt the darkest hour
In despair we sought the Father
And he has proved his mighty power (CHORUS)
Tell the theme of his provision
How he met our every need
He has been our firm foundation
And he will ever, always be (CHORUS)
All Praise To Him
Sovereign Grace Music
All praise to Him, the God of light
Who formed the mountains by His might
All praise to Him Who names the stars
That sing His fame in skies afar
All praise to Him Who reigns in love
Who guides the galaxies above
Yet bends to hear our every prayer
With sovereign pow'r and tender care
All praise to Him whose love is seen
In Christ the Son, the Servant King
Who left behind His glorious throne
To pay the ransom for His own
All praise to Him Who humbly came
To bear our sorrow, sin, and shame
Who lived to die, Who died to rise
The all-sufficient sacrifice
All praise to Him whose pow'r imparts
The love of God within our hearts
The Spirit of all truth and peace
The fount of joy and holiness
[To Father, Son, and Spirit now
Our souls we lift, our wills we bow
To You, the triune God, we raise
With loving hearts our song of praise] (Repeat)
God’s Covenant Reminder
Psalm 105:7-45
Leader: He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
All: When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"
Leader: When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.
All: Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes. He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.
Leader: He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words.
All: He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land. He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number, which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground. He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength.
Leader: Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
All: For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!
Nearer My God To Thee
Text: Sarah F. Adams, 1841; Music: Lowell Mason, 1856.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my prayers I'll be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs, my song I'll raise
So by my woes to be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Or if on joyful wing, breaking the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Baptism
Fenton Craig Lotz
Family Life and Offerings
† Tithes and offerings can be given at fieldspres.org/give or in the offering box.
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
Sermon Passage
Acts 1:12-26
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."
18 (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
"' May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it';
and
"'Let another take his office.'
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Leader: The grass withers and the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Praying God’s Promises, Together"
Pastor Mike McBride
Head of Thy Church Triumphant
By Charles Wesley (1745); James Turle (1854)
Head of Thy Church triumphant, We joy-fully adore Thee
Till Thou appear, Thy members here, Shall sing like those in glory
We lift our hearts and voices, With blest anticipation
And cry aloud, and give to God, The praise of our salvation
While in affliction's furnace, And passing through the fire
Thy love we praise, which knows our days, And ever brings us nigher
We lift our hands exulting, In Thine almighty favor
The love divine which made us Thine, Shall keep us Thine forever
Thou dost conduct Thy people, Through torrents of temptation
Nor will we fear, while Thou art near, The fire of tribu la tion
The world with sin and Satan, In vain our march opposes
Through Thee we shall break through them all, And sing the song of Moses
By faith we see the glory, To which Thou shalt restore us
The cross despise for that high prize, Which Thou hast set before us
And if Thou count us worthy, We each, as dying Stephen
Shall see Thee stand at God's right hand, To take us up to Heaven
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section hosts near you. Gluten free wafers are available at the front table. We will all eat and drink together.
The Love Of The Father
CityAlight
Lift up your voices and lift up your praise
Join with the heavens declaring the wonders
Of His faithfulness forever
Sing of the victory, the hope of the world
The Savior has risen, the Spirit has come to
Bring us into love forever
CHORUS:
Oh, we are the people of God
With the freedom of hope in our hearts
How great is the love of the Father
Lifted from darkness and into the light
The sons and the daughters are loved at a price
Our God has made us His forever
BRIDGE:
This is the song of the redeemed, the ransomed and the free
Given life at such a price; this is love, this is love
And when the Father calls us home and we see Him on the throne
Hear the voices sing as one, “This is love, this is love”
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Psalm 105:1-6
Leader: Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
All: Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Leader: Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
All: Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
O How Good to Be Together
Written by Paul Ranheim & Kirk Sauers ©2020 Mellow Toad Music (BMI), Bold Canary Music (BMI).
Oh how good to be together
In this weary world we trod
What a gift, what a treasure
Kindred in the house of God
On this day the Lord has fashioned
Come rejoice with all your might
Raise a banner of salvation
He has led us through the night
CHORUS:
Oh the joy, oh the sweetness
To be gathered in the name of the Lord
Evermore, he will keep us
From the valley to the golden shore
When it looked like evil conquered
When we felt the darkest hour
In despair we sought the Father
And he has proved his mighty power (CHORUS)
Tell the theme of his provision
How he met our every need
He has been our firm foundation
And he will ever, always be (CHORUS)
All Praise To Him
Sovereign Grace Music
All praise to Him, the God of light
Who formed the mountains by His might
All praise to Him Who names the stars
That sing His fame in skies afar
All praise to Him Who reigns in love
Who guides the galaxies above
Yet bends to hear our every prayer
With sovereign pow'r and tender care
All praise to Him whose love is seen
In Christ the Son, the Servant King
Who left behind His glorious throne
To pay the ransom for His own
All praise to Him Who humbly came
To bear our sorrow, sin, and shame
Who lived to die, Who died to rise
The all-sufficient sacrifice
All praise to Him whose pow'r imparts
The love of God within our hearts
The Spirit of all truth and peace
The fount of joy and holiness
[To Father, Son, and Spirit now
Our souls we lift, our wills we bow
To You, the triune God, we raise
With loving hearts our song of praise] (Repeat)
God’s Covenant Reminder
Psalm 105:7-45
Leader: He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
All: When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"
Leader: When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.
All: Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes. He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.
Leader: He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words.
All: He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land. He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number, which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground. He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength.
Leader: Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
All: For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!
Nearer My God To Thee
Text: Sarah F. Adams, 1841; Music: Lowell Mason, 1856.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my prayers I'll be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs, my song I'll raise
So by my woes to be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Or if on joyful wing, breaking the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Baptism
Fenton Craig Lotz
Family Life and Offerings
† Tithes and offerings can be given at fieldspres.org/give or in the offering box.
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
Sermon Passage
Acts 1:12-26
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."
18 (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
"' May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it';
and
"'Let another take his office.'
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Leader: The grass withers and the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Praying God’s Promises, Together"
Pastor Mike McBride
Head of Thy Church Triumphant
By Charles Wesley (1745); James Turle (1854)
Head of Thy Church triumphant, We joy-fully adore Thee
Till Thou appear, Thy members here, Shall sing like those in glory
We lift our hearts and voices, With blest anticipation
And cry aloud, and give to God, The praise of our salvation
While in affliction's furnace, And passing through the fire
Thy love we praise, which knows our days, And ever brings us nigher
We lift our hands exulting, In Thine almighty favor
The love divine which made us Thine, Shall keep us Thine forever
Thou dost conduct Thy people, Through torrents of temptation
Nor will we fear, while Thou art near, The fire of tribu la tion
The world with sin and Satan, In vain our march opposes
Through Thee we shall break through them all, And sing the song of Moses
By faith we see the glory, To which Thou shalt restore us
The cross despise for that high prize, Which Thou hast set before us
And if Thou count us worthy, We each, as dying Stephen
Shall see Thee stand at God's right hand, To take us up to Heaven
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section hosts near you. Gluten free wafers are available at the front table. We will all eat and drink together.
The Love Of The Father
CityAlight
Lift up your voices and lift up your praise
Join with the heavens declaring the wonders
Of His faithfulness forever
Sing of the victory, the hope of the world
The Savior has risen, the Spirit has come to
Bring us into love forever
CHORUS:
Oh, we are the people of God
With the freedom of hope in our hearts
How great is the love of the Father
Lifted from darkness and into the light
The sons and the daughters are loved at a price
Our God has made us His forever
BRIDGE:
This is the song of the redeemed, the ransomed and the free
Given life at such a price; this is love, this is love
And when the Father calls us home and we see Him on the throne
Hear the voices sing as one, “This is love, this is love”
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Posted in Worship Guide