Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review & service recap. You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led following the Call To Worship, but also the readings and prayers from our liturgy. You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. Photos this week taken by Chuck Heeke, Megan Lang, Tom Branch and David Kidd at Sojourn Midtown, J-Town and East, celebrating Baptism Sunday and the 1-year Anniversary of Sojourn J-Town’s public launch.
Call to Worship:
For the last several weeks in our gatherings we have been examining the proof of God’s grace. As we learn more about who God is and just how much he loves us, the only appropriate response is to worship Him with overflowing joy and thanksgiving. Today- be reminded of who God is and the depths of the grace He shows us:
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
-Psalm 100
He is the source of every good thing including our salvation – let’s sing out!
Song: Come Thou Fount written by Robert Robinson and John Wyeth.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love,
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy court’s above
Confession:
To understand the depth of God’s grace, we must first understand the depths our sin. A famous pastor put it simply when he said: “Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet”. Pray with me:
Lord, you are the fountain from which every blessing flows.
But we stubbornly choose to drink from other sources that do not satisfy.
We truly are prone to wander away rather than cling to you and your promises.
Awaken us to ugliness of our sin. Help us to see how desperately we need your mercy.
As we repent, lift our bowed heads and fix our vision upon your glory.
May your love speak louder than our offenses, and your Spirit capture our hearts and pull us toward you.
Fix our eyes on the cross of Jesus Christ, where we find forgiveness, acceptance, peace and rest. Amen.
Song: Oh Help My Unbelief hymn text by Isaac Watts, music by Justin Smith of Indelible Grace.
To the dear fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly,
Here let me wash my spotted soul
From crimes of deepest dye
Song: In Christ Alone written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty.
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His, and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
Assurance/Passing of Peace:
The apostle Paul was astonished by the grace of God. Let us hear and echo his words:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength.
He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
even though I used to blasphemer, a violent persecutor and the very worst of sinners.
But the grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
So here are words you may trust,
words that merit full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
To all who confess their sins and believe in Him
he says, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Amen! Praise God for his mercy!
-Based on 1 Timothy 1:12-17
With full and thankful hearts let’s welcome each other hear today.
Giving:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver – 2 Corinthians 9:7
Let us continue to respond to God’s grace as we give back so that we can continue to take the news of this grace to the world. Let’s pray:
Merciful Father, we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us—
our selves, our time, and our possessions—signs of your gracious love.
Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us—
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Song: Instrumental
Then our pastors preached the third sermon in our PROOF — Evidences Of God’s Grace sermon series. This time we learned about God’s “Overcoming Grace.” You can hear Sojourn sermons in theSojourn Church iTunes podcast or in the Sermon Resource library at sojournchurch.com.
Song: Nothing But the Blood hymn text by Robert Lowry, music by Page CXVI. This was our communion hymn of the week.
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Then we witnessed several baptisms at our various campuses and service times. We hold a Baptism Sunday every two months at Sojourn, and we love to celebrate this miracle of new life in Christ with those being baptized. Prior to the baptism, we read the salvation testimony of each person about to be baptized. We also publish these testimonies on TravelBlog, the blog of Sojourn Church. You can read them here.
Song: We Are Changed written by Dave Moisan, Neil Robins and me, Bobby Gilles. We recorded this one on Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One. You can hear “We Are Changed” in its entirety at the Over The Grave Bandcamp page.
Transition:
We hold to the promise that our Savior Jesus will soon return. When he does all of creation will be made new and we will be in His presence forever. Let’s sing of that glorious hope!
Song: Let the Seventh Angel Sound written by Jamie Barnes. We recorded this one on The Water And The Blood: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume Two. You can hear “Let The Seventh Angel Sound” in its entirety at the The Water And The Blood Bandcamp page.
Benediction:
Go in the overwhelming truth that you are accepted, loved and given new life by the grace of God. Go in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.
