December 1, 2024
Call to Worship
1 Peter 1:3-9
Leader: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
All: Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
All Glory Be To Christ
By: Dustin Kensrue, Chadwick Gardner (2012)
Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house, in vain its builders strive
To you who boast tomorrow's gain, tell me what is your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn; All glory be to Christ
CHORUS:
All glory be to Christ our King, All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign will ever sing, All glory be to Christ
His will be done, His kingdom come on earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread, praise Him the Lord of love
Let living water satisfy, the thirsty without price
We'll take a cup of kindness yet; All glory be to Christ (Chorus)
When on the day the great I Am, the faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain is making all things new
Behold our God shall live with us and be our steadfast light
And we shall ere His people be; all glory be to Christ (Chorus)
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
James Montgomery (1816); Arr: Paul Baloche; Jon Buurma
Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth
Ye who sang creation's story,
now proclaim Messiah's birth
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
Shepherds in the field abiding
watching o'er your flocks by night
God with us is now residing
Yonder shines the infant light
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
CHORUS:
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
You are the God who saves us;
Worthy of all our praises
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Come have Your way among us;
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Come have Your way among us;
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Though an infant now we view Him,
He will share his Father’s throne
Gather all the nations to Him,
every knee shall then bow down
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Confession of Sin
Hebrews 3:15-19
Leader: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled?
All: Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
Leader: And with whom was he provoked for forty years?
All: Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Leader: And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest,
All: but to those who were disobedient?
Leader: So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Silent Prayers
Assurance of Forgiveness
Romans 5:1-2
Leader: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Thy Mercy
By John Stoker and Sandra McCracken
Thy mercy, my God is the theme of my song
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue
Thy free grace alone from the first to the last
Has won my affections and bound my soul fast
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here
Sin would reduce me to utter despair
But through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive
And He that first made me still keeps me alive
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And week for the praise of the mercy I found
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine
First Sunday of Advent – Hope
Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Pastoral Prayer
Thanksgiving and Petition
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
Genesis 17:15-21
15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
Leader: The grass withers, the flower fades,
All: but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Hope Against Hope"
Pastor Chris McLaughlin
O Savior Rend the Heavens Wide
F. von Spee, 17th century, tr. Martin L. Seltz. Music by Nathan Partain, 2019
O Savior rend the heavens wide;
Come down, come down with mighty stride;
Unlock the gates, the doors break down
Unbar the way to heaven’s crown
O Morning Star, O radiant Sun,
When shall our hearts behold your dawn?
O Sun, arise; without your light
We grope in gloom and dark of night.
Sin’s dreadful doom upon us lies;
Grim death looms fierce before our eyes.
Oh, come lead us, with mighty hand
Through exile to the promised land.
There shall we all our praises sing
Ever to you, our Savior King;
There shall we laud you and adore
Forever and forever more.
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.
Who Is Like The Lord (Psalm 113)
Sovereign Grace Music
Saints and servants, hosts of heaven
All creation, Praise the name of the Lord!
Night and morning, sing His glory, now and forevermore
Earthly kingdoms, all dominions
Bow before Him, Praise the name of the Lord!
None as holy, none as worthy, now and forevermore
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
Our Lord Jesus wore our weakness
To redeem us, Praise the name of the Lord!
In His kindness He will keep us now and forevermore
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God?
Raised us from the ashes, He has turned our grief to gladness
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
High and holy, meek and lowly, There is no one like You
Our Messiah, here beside us, There is no one like You
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God?
Raised us from the ashes, He has turned our grief to gladness
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
There is no one like our God! There is no one like our God!
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
1 Peter 1:3-9
Leader: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
All: Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
All Glory Be To Christ
By: Dustin Kensrue, Chadwick Gardner (2012)
Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house, in vain its builders strive
To you who boast tomorrow's gain, tell me what is your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn; All glory be to Christ
CHORUS:
All glory be to Christ our King, All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign will ever sing, All glory be to Christ
His will be done, His kingdom come on earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread, praise Him the Lord of love
Let living water satisfy, the thirsty without price
We'll take a cup of kindness yet; All glory be to Christ (Chorus)
When on the day the great I Am, the faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain is making all things new
Behold our God shall live with us and be our steadfast light
And we shall ere His people be; all glory be to Christ (Chorus)
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
James Montgomery (1816); Arr: Paul Baloche; Jon Buurma
Angels from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o'er all the earth
Ye who sang creation's story,
now proclaim Messiah's birth
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
Shepherds in the field abiding
watching o'er your flocks by night
God with us is now residing
Yonder shines the infant light
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
CHORUS:
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
You are the God who saves us;
Worthy of all our praises
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Come have Your way among us;
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Come have Your way among us;
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Though an infant now we view Him,
He will share his Father’s throne
Gather all the nations to Him,
every knee shall then bow down
Come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Confession of Sin
Hebrews 3:15-19
Leader: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled?
All: Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
Leader: And with whom was he provoked for forty years?
All: Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Leader: And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest,
All: but to those who were disobedient?
Leader: So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Silent Prayers
Assurance of Forgiveness
Romans 5:1-2
Leader: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Thy Mercy
By John Stoker and Sandra McCracken
Thy mercy, my God is the theme of my song
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue
Thy free grace alone from the first to the last
Has won my affections and bound my soul fast
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here
Sin would reduce me to utter despair
But through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive
And He that first made me still keeps me alive
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And week for the praise of the mercy I found
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine
All praise to the Spirit whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine
First Sunday of Advent – Hope
Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Pastoral Prayer
Thanksgiving and Petition
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
Genesis 17:15-21
15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
Leader: The grass withers, the flower fades,
All: but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Hope Against Hope"
Pastor Chris McLaughlin
O Savior Rend the Heavens Wide
F. von Spee, 17th century, tr. Martin L. Seltz. Music by Nathan Partain, 2019
O Savior rend the heavens wide;
Come down, come down with mighty stride;
Unlock the gates, the doors break down
Unbar the way to heaven’s crown
O Morning Star, O radiant Sun,
When shall our hearts behold your dawn?
O Sun, arise; without your light
We grope in gloom and dark of night.
Sin’s dreadful doom upon us lies;
Grim death looms fierce before our eyes.
Oh, come lead us, with mighty hand
Through exile to the promised land.
There shall we all our praises sing
Ever to you, our Savior King;
There shall we laud you and adore
Forever and forever more.
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.
Who Is Like The Lord (Psalm 113)
Sovereign Grace Music
Saints and servants, hosts of heaven
All creation, Praise the name of the Lord!
Night and morning, sing His glory, now and forevermore
Earthly kingdoms, all dominions
Bow before Him, Praise the name of the Lord!
None as holy, none as worthy, now and forevermore
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
Our Lord Jesus wore our weakness
To redeem us, Praise the name of the Lord!
In His kindness He will keep us now and forevermore
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God?
Raised us from the ashes, He has turned our grief to gladness
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
High and holy, meek and lowly, There is no one like You
Our Messiah, here beside us, There is no one like You
CHORUS:
Crowned with adoration, He is high above the nations
Who is like the Lord our God?
Raised us from the ashes, He has turned our grief to gladness
Who is like the Lord our God? Who is like the Lord our God?
There is no one like our God! There is no one like our God!
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Posted in Worship Guide