Spreading A Love for God and His Glory July 2, 2017 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
Our worship is a response to God s initiative. The pattern of our worship reflects the gospel. WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS *CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 34:1-4 Leader: I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. All: My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Leader: Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! All: I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. *OUR GREAT GOD Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown Your boundless love unfailing, in grace and mercy shown Bright seraphim in endless flight around your glorious throne They raise their voices day and night in praise to you alone. Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm Surround us with your angels, hold us in your arms Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm Rise up, oh Lord, and he will flee before our Sovereign God. Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe Sing praises to the living God, who rules them by his word (Chorus x2) - 2 -
*HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION - Hymn #94 vs. 1-3 and 6 How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he has said to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled. Fear not I am with you O be not dismayed for I am your God and will still give you aid. I ll strengthen you help you and cause you to stand upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call you to go The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow For I will be with you your troubles to bless And sanctify to you your deepest distress The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose I will not I will not desert to his foes. That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake I ll never, no never, no never forsake. *PRAYER OF PRAISE AND THE LORD S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. God Calls Us The Lord summons his people to worship and we respond in obedience. The Lord s call is a call to action. We gather, praise, adore, give thanks, etc. The Call to Worship is a joyful summons and a clear reminder that worship is our coming into God s presence by his command, and not our command that he come into our presence. - 3 - *Indicates when to stand. All Music Copied Under CCLI License #34680
*OH THE DEEP, DEEP LOVE OF JESUS Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free! Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me! Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love - leading onward, leading homeward, to that glorious rest above! God Cleanses Us The biblical response to God s call to be in his presence is confessing our sins. We humble ourselves when we approach our God. This is a corporate prayer of all God s people. It is a great privilege of the gospel that we can stand forgiven before the Lord of glory. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus - spread his praise from shore to shore! How he loves us, ever loves us, changes never, nevermore! How he watches o'er his loved ones, died to call them all his own; how for them he's interceding, watching o'er them from the throne! Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best! 'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'tis a haven sweet of rest! Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus - 'tis heaven of heavens to me; and it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to thee! COMMON CONFESSION OF SIN SCRIPTURE OF EXHORTATION: Psalm 34:9-12 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? All: Most merciful God whose Son, Jesus Christ, was tempted in every way, yet was without sin, we confess before you our own sinfulness; we have hungered after that which does not satisfy; we have compromised with evil; we have doubted your power to protect us. Forgive our lack of faith; have mercy on our weakness. Restore in us such trust and love that we may walk in your ways and delight in doing your will. This we ask for Jesus sake. Amen. - 4 -
SILENT CONFESSION OF SIN DECLARATION OF GRACE: Psalm 34:18-22 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. *TO THEE I COME To Thee I come a sinner poor, and wait for mercy at Thy door Indeed I ve nowhere else to flee, O God be merciful to me To Thee I come a sinner weak, and scarce know how to pray or speak From fear and weakness set me free, O God be merciful to me To Thee I come a sinner vile, upon me Lord vouchsafe to smile Mercy through blood I make my plea, O God be merciful to me To Thee I come a sinner great, and well Thou knowest all my state Yet full forgiveness is with Thee, O God be merciful to me To Thee I come a sinner lost, nor have I aught wherein to trust But where Thou art Lord I would be, O God be merciful to me To glory bring me Lord at last, and there when all my sins are past With all the saints I ll then agree, God was merciful to me - 5 -
Offering We give back to God a portion of what he has given us to use to declare that he is Lord of all. (This is part of our service as a church family, and visitors should not feel obligated to participate.) OFFERTORY & RESPONSE Diaconal Offering today: Please use the Special Offering envelopes located in the pew racks. Reminder: please sign and pass the Attendance Register down the pew. 11 a.m. Service: Children ages 4-6 excused for Children s Church (downstairs in the Corner Classroom) OH WHY SO HEAVY, OH MY SOUL? Oh why so heavy, oh my soul? Thus to myself I ve willed Oh why so heavy, oh my heart? And so sorrow filled? Hope thou in God, He still shall be thy glory and thy endless praise His saving grace shall comfort thee through everlasting days. His goodness made thee what thou art and yet will he redeem Oh be thou of a contrite heart and put your trust in him (Chorus 2x) Oh why so heavy, oh my soul? - 6 -
Sermon Series: Summer Psalms & Proverbs Pastor Taylor Clark Practical Wisdom for An Impractical World Ecclesiastes 2:12-17, 24-26 (ESV) 12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. 24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. - 7 -
I. What s The Difference? A. Wisdom/Madness Sermon Series: Summer Psalms & Proverbs Pastor Taylor Clark Practical Wisdom for An Impractical World Ecclesiastes 2:12-17, 24-26 (ESV) Sermon Outline B. Functional, Not Final II. What's The Point? A. Vanity In Living B. Vanity In Worship - 8 -
Sermon Questions for Further Reflection 1. There are many comparisons of polar opposites in Ecclesiastes. What do Solomon s comparisons of Wisdom & Madness reveal to us about the nature of humanity? 2. How does the tension Solomon points out in Ecclesiastes speak to us about the sovereignty of God? 3. Why is wise living important? What are the implications of Solomon s comparison of opposites for our current cultural context? 4. How should we respond to Solomon s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 2? Why is it important that we live amidst the tension of vanity & lasting fulfillment? God Consecrates Us Consecrate means to make holy, to set apart. The Word of God does that for the lives of believers. Through the sermon, confessions of faith, and the offering we are sanctified for service to our Lord to joyfully offer up our lives to him. - 9 -
*MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS - Hymn #521 My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name God Communes with Us The Lord strengthens and nourishes our faith through a sacramental meal. Through Jesus, communion with God has been reestablished. The covenant has been renewed. The Lord s Supper is the gospel made visible for us and we share in it as the full community of God s people. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne CELEBRATION OF THE LORD S SUPPER Wine is located in the two outer rings; juice is located in the center ring. (See FCC observance on below) PRAYER FOR THE CONGREGATION At Faith Covenant, the Lord s Supper is observed each Lord s Day as the climax of our worship service. We invite to the Lord s Table all those who are baptized disciples of Jesus Christ, under the authority of Christ and His body, the Church. By eating the bread and drinking the cup with us as a visitor, you are acknowledging to our church that you are in covenant with God. You also acknowledge that you are a sinner, without hope except in the sovereign mercy of God, and that you are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. If you have any doubts about your participation, please speak to the pastor or one of the elders after the service. Wine and bread are the elements of the supper as instituted by Jesus Christ. We recommend the use of wine; however we offer both juice and wine in the tray to allow true liberty of conscience. - 10 -
*NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS - Hymn #307 What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know; nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing, this I see: nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon this my plea: nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone: nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done: nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now by this I ll overcome, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now by this I ll reach my home, nothing but the blood of Jesus. *BENEDICTION If you are in need of personal prayer, an elder is available up front after the service. God Commissions Us Having been richly blessed by the Lord in our worship, we are sent forth as his ambassadors of reconciliation into the world. Our worship of God as his people now extends into our lives throughout the week. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to him in all areas of our lives. Leaders & Staff Senior Pastor Lloyd Pierson, Ph.D. & Associate Pastor Taylor Clark Staff: Kristin Bay, Hanni Hanson, Carlynn Stahlberg, Kelly Brown, Sara Motley (Nursery) Elders: Tim Anderson Grady Bennett, Tom Jentz, Trent Neumann, Don Olmsted, Matt Riley, Micah Tinkham, Steve Thompson Deacons: Terry Falk, Kyle Hanson, Micah Hill, Ryan Petersen, Mike Stahlberg, Bruce Tulloch, Phil Van Duyne To be added to church enews, and prayer lists, please contact us at office@faithcov.com. For more about Faith Covenant and the Presbyterian - 11 - Church in America, go to faithcov.com.
ANNOUNCEMENTS LOCAL OR REGIONAL MINISTRY TO PRAY FOR: Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalispell, Pastor Mark Cutler MISSION PROJECT OR MISSIONARIES TO PRAY FOR: David & Ulrike Byle with Operation Mobilization in Istanbul, Turkey. DIACONAL OFFERING: This morning we share in worshipping through our diaconal offering for those needing assistance in our church and community. Please use the Special Offering envelopes located in the pew racks. THANK YOU VBS VOLUNTEERS: Thank you to the many volunteers and coordinator Kate Anderson for all your hard work this week that made this year's VBS program a great success! LADIES SUMMER BOOK CLUB: Ladies are invited to our summer book club Wednesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. in the church library to discuss Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. On August 9, we will discuss the novel Cutting for Stone. For details, contact Kristin in the office (752-2400). PASTOR SABBATICAL: Just a reminder the elders approved a six-week research sabbatical for Pastor Lloyd so he will be out of the office July 1-August 12. If you need any assistance during that time, contact the office. Other area PCA pastors will be providing the sermon on those Sundays. SAVE THE DATE! CHURCH FAMILY CAMPOUT: Join your church family August 25-26 at Tally Lake! Come for both nights or just the day on Saturday. Contact the office for details. COMMUNITY KITCHEN FEEDING THE FLATHEAD: Those volunteering with Feed the Flathead will serve next on Thursday, July 13, at Central Christian Church. To assist, contact Dawn Tinkham (208-640-6060). SERVING: July Deacons are Bruce Tulloch & Ryan Petersen WEEKLY/MONTHLY Today (1st service/2nd service) Worship Services Ushers: Tom & Niam Moody/Jim & Ellen Rowe Sundays 8:15 & 10 am Children s Church: Sharon Salyer Sunday School Nursery 8:15 a.m.: Russells Sept.-May 10 am Music Practice Nursery 11 a.m.: Buckners Tuesdays 5:30 pm Fellowship Hosts: Carolyn Duncan & Alyssa Hobus Trustees Communion Prep/Cleanup: Amy Bennett/Benni Tulloch 1st Tuesdays 5:30 pm Next Sunday - July 9th Elder/Deacon Meeting Ushers: Tom & Niam Moody/Jim & Ellen Rowe 3rd Tuesdays 7 pm Children s Church: Sharon Salyer Elizabeth Women Nursery 8:15 a.m.: C. Hanson s 2nd & 4th Tuesdays noon Nursery 11 a.m.: Wright/Gray Sr. & Jr. Youth Groups Fellowship Hosts: Gloria Hanson & Julie Thompson Sept.-May Wednesdays 7 pm Communion Prep/Cleanup: Gloria Hanson/Jeanie Brenneman College/Career Small Group Wednesdays 6:30 pm Faith Covenant Church - 611 Third Ave. East, Kalispell, MT 59901-406-752-2400 - www.faithcov.com