February 23, 2025
Call to Worship
Luke 1:68-75
Leader: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
All: that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
No Place Better (Psalm 84)
Caroline Cobb
How lovely is Your dwelling place
How wonderful Your presence, Lord
How my soul longs to see Your face
To come with joy into Your courts
How blessed is the little sparrow
Who makes a nest inside Your house
‘Cause I can think of no place better
To make a home and sing out loud
CHORUS:
I want to be in Your presence
I want to be near Your heart
I want to know You’re close
Even when I’m feeling far
I don’t want what this world would offer
I want the living God
‘Cause there’s no place better
Than where You are
We will go from strength to strength
Even in the wilderness
You are turning tears to desert springs
Leaving gardens in our footsteps
How blessed is the longing pilgrim
Whose heart is set on Zion’s hill
The one who knows there’s no place better
To bring our sorrows and be filled (Chorus)
BRIDGE:
One day with You
Is better than a thousand elsewhere
One word from You
Is better than silver or gold
I’d rather be; a servant in Your house, oh God
Than a king with all the riches I could hold (Chorus)
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa
What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone
What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong
Who holds our days within His hand?
What comes, apart from His command?
And what will keep us to the end?
The love of Christ, in which we stand
CHORUS:
O sing hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal
O sing hallelujah! Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death
What truth can calm the troubled soul? God is good, God is good
Where is His grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer’s blood
Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh, unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
Unto the grave, what shall we sing? “Christ, He lives; Christ, He lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life with Him
There we will rise to meet the Lord, then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy, when Christ is ours forevermore
Confession of Our Sin:
Malachi 1:2, 1:6-7, 13, 2:13-14, 2:17, 3:8, 3:13-15
Leader: “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
All: But you say, “How have you loved us?”
Leader: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. By offering polluted food upon my altar.
All: But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts.
Leader: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
All: But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Leader: You have wearied the Lord with your words.
All: But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
Leader: Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.
All: But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
Leader: “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord.
All: But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
Silent Prayers of Confession
Assurance of God’s Forgiveness
Malachi 3:16-17, 4:2-3
Leader: Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
All: “They shall be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act,” says the Lord of hosts.
The Day Of The Lord
By Wendell Kimbrough (2017)
It’s not long ’til the boastful are silenced and shamed
It’s not long ‘til the wealth of the wicked’s reclaimed
And the ones who have waited with eyes on the Lord
Will shine like the sun forevermore
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Just be still and be faithful and dwell in the land
Put your trust in the Savior and cling to His hand
When your heart burns with anger for all that is wrong
Do not let the dark steal your song
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
CHORUS:
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Everything that is broken will soon be restored
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Do not fear for the wicked with weapons of war
For the Lord is the shelter and strength of the poor
And our God comes with laughter, let Him be your joy
The power of the sword He’ll destroy
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Pastoral Prayer
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
Malachi 3:16 - 4:6
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
Leader: The grass withers, the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"The Day of the Lord"
Pastor Chris McLaughlin
Psalm 100 (Old 100th)
By Louis Bourgeois (1551); Arr. Celtic Worship (2021)
All people that on earth do dwell
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell
Come ye before Him and rejoice
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed
Without our aid, He did us make
We are His flock, He doth us feed
And for His sheep, He doth us take
CHORUS:
Yahweh, into Your courts
We enter with thankful hearts
O faithful God, Your love endures
Yahweh, into Your courts
We enter with thankful hearts
O faithful God, Your love endures
O enter, then, His gates with praise
Approach with joy His courts unto
Praise laud and bless His name always
For it is seemly so to do
For why the Lord, our God, is good
His mercy is forever sure
His truth, at all times, firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure (Chorus)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
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.
Arise, Shine, For Your Light Has Come (Isaiah 60:1-19)
By Jered McKenna; Cardiaphonia Music (2013)
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
CHORUS:
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
BRIDGE:
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
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
We will glorify Your Name, We will glorify Your Name
Benediction
Luke 1:68-75
Leader: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
All: that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
No Place Better (Psalm 84)
Caroline Cobb
How lovely is Your dwelling place
How wonderful Your presence, Lord
How my soul longs to see Your face
To come with joy into Your courts
How blessed is the little sparrow
Who makes a nest inside Your house
‘Cause I can think of no place better
To make a home and sing out loud
CHORUS:
I want to be in Your presence
I want to be near Your heart
I want to know You’re close
Even when I’m feeling far
I don’t want what this world would offer
I want the living God
‘Cause there’s no place better
Than where You are
We will go from strength to strength
Even in the wilderness
You are turning tears to desert springs
Leaving gardens in our footsteps
How blessed is the longing pilgrim
Whose heart is set on Zion’s hill
The one who knows there’s no place better
To bring our sorrows and be filled (Chorus)
BRIDGE:
One day with You
Is better than a thousand elsewhere
One word from You
Is better than silver or gold
I’d rather be; a servant in Your house, oh God
Than a king with all the riches I could hold (Chorus)
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa
What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone
What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong
Who holds our days within His hand?
What comes, apart from His command?
And what will keep us to the end?
The love of Christ, in which we stand
CHORUS:
O sing hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal
O sing hallelujah! Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death
What truth can calm the troubled soul? God is good, God is good
Where is His grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer’s blood
Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh, unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
Unto the grave, what shall we sing? “Christ, He lives; Christ, He lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life with Him
There we will rise to meet the Lord, then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy, when Christ is ours forevermore
Confession of Our Sin:
Malachi 1:2, 1:6-7, 13, 2:13-14, 2:17, 3:8, 3:13-15
Leader: “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
All: But you say, “How have you loved us?”
Leader: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. By offering polluted food upon my altar.
All: But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts.
Leader: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
All: But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Leader: You have wearied the Lord with your words.
All: But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
Leader: Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.
All: But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
Leader: “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord.
All: But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
Silent Prayers of Confession
Assurance of God’s Forgiveness
Malachi 3:16-17, 4:2-3
Leader: Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
All: “They shall be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act,” says the Lord of hosts.
The Day Of The Lord
By Wendell Kimbrough (2017)
It’s not long ’til the boastful are silenced and shamed
It’s not long ‘til the wealth of the wicked’s reclaimed
And the ones who have waited with eyes on the Lord
Will shine like the sun forevermore
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Just be still and be faithful and dwell in the land
Put your trust in the Savior and cling to His hand
When your heart burns with anger for all that is wrong
Do not let the dark steal your song
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
CHORUS:
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Everything that is broken will soon be restored
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Do not fear for the wicked with weapons of war
For the Lord is the shelter and strength of the poor
And our God comes with laughter, let Him be your joy
The power of the sword He’ll destroy
It’s not long ’til the Day of the Lord
Pastoral Prayer
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
Malachi 3:16 - 4:6
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
Leader: The grass withers, the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"The Day of the Lord"
Pastor Chris McLaughlin
Psalm 100 (Old 100th)
By Louis Bourgeois (1551); Arr. Celtic Worship (2021)
All people that on earth do dwell
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell
Come ye before Him and rejoice
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed
Without our aid, He did us make
We are His flock, He doth us feed
And for His sheep, He doth us take
CHORUS:
Yahweh, into Your courts
We enter with thankful hearts
O faithful God, Your love endures
Yahweh, into Your courts
We enter with thankful hearts
O faithful God, Your love endures
O enter, then, His gates with praise
Approach with joy His courts unto
Praise laud and bless His name always
For it is seemly so to do
For why the Lord, our God, is good
His mercy is forever sure
His truth, at all times, firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure (Chorus)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
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.
Arise, Shine, For Your Light Has Come (Isaiah 60:1-19)
By Jered McKenna; Cardiaphonia Music (2013)
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
CHORUS:
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
BRIDGE:
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
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
We will glorify Your Name, We will glorify Your Name
Benediction
Posted in Worship Guide