Every so often, we’ll be posting a recap of what we did in our Sunday worship service and the thought behind each element of our liturgy (service order). Our aim is to help us grow and be equipped in our understanding of why we do what we do when we gather as a church. We desire not make much of ourselves in worship, but to make much of Christ.
On this Sunday, our message focused on the close of the Sermon on the mount and the authority of Christ who preached it.
Order of Service:
After a brief welcome and announcements, we opened with a time of elder-led Scripture reading (Matthew 7:24-29) and corporate prayer.
Call to worship in Song:
We read Psalm 9:7-11 as a call to worship reminding us of the supreme authority of God and the call to tell each other His deeds:
Psalm 9:7–8, 11
But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. (ESV)Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! (ESV)
Our time of singing pointed to the authority of Christ and a summary of His call to us from the sermon on the mount.
Song: “Messenger Doxology” / “All Praise to Him”
A statement on the Trinitarian nature of our God. Christ’s authority is established in that he is the second person of the Trinity. These songs gave us a picture of the sovereignty over our salvation that is found in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Final Refrain:
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.
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-20
A reminder to us that Christ, even though the head of all, He humbled himself to redeem His own.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)
Song: “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery”
A summary of Colossians 1. Our Lord proclaimed that he is the fulfillment of the law in His sermon. We affirmed that in verse 2:
Come, behold the wondrous mystery
He the perfect Son of Man
In His living, in His suffering
Never trace nor stain of sin
See the true and better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law; In Him we stand
Scripture Reading:
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (ESV)
This is Christ’s call to us at the closing of His sermon. We reminded each other that even though the way is hard that leads to life, we are protected from the storm of His judgment. His grace and mercy sustains us until we meet Him face-face. This was our prayer together in song:
Song: “Jesus I My Cross Have Taken”
Verse 5-6
Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou *repine.
(*Repine: Feel or express discontent; fret.)
Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
Sermon: “Christ’s Authority” | Matthew 7:28-29
Close of the sermon on the mount, focusing on Christ’s authority.
We closed our service with the Lord’s Supper. We remembered the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior in our time of Communion together.
Communion Song: “The Gospel Song”
Holy God, in love, became
perfect Man to bear my blame.
On the cross He took my sin.
By His death I live again.
Our closing song affirmed the sovereign authority of our God and the work of our Savior. We returned back to theme of how we began our service – the Triune nature of our God.
Song: “Behold Our God”
Verse 2 and Chorus:
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?
Behold our God, seated on His throne.
Come, let us adore Him.
Behold our King, nothing can compare,
come, let us adore Him!
Benediction:
Jude 24–25
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (ESV)