April 6, 2025

Order of Worship

April 6, 2025

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering the Family Together

The Lord Be with You

Leader:    The Lord be with you__ __.

All:           And also with you __.

The Lord of heaven and earth __ be worshiped in this place.

The covenant of grace be renewed __ __ __.

The Lord __ be with you.

Leader:    Lord, open our lips __ __,

All:           And we’ll sing your praise __.

O Lord, your unfailing love __ and mercy will endure __

as fresh and bright and sure as morning sun __ __ __.

We bless you, Three in One!

Text © 2005 Reformed Church Press · Hymn Text © 1999 Ron Rienstra CCLI 172212

Come Praise and Glorify

(Based on Ephesians 1)

Come praise and glorify our God, the Father of our Lord

In Christ He has in heav’nly realms His blessings on us poured

For pure and blameless in His sight He destined us to be

And now we’ve been adopted through His Son eternally

Refrain:       To the praise of Your glory,

To the praise of Your mercy and grace

To the praise of Your glory

You are the God who saves

Come praise and glorify our God Who gives His grace in Christ

In Him our sins are washed away redeemed through sacrifice

In Him God has made known to us the myst’ry of His will

That Christ should be the head of all His purpose to fulfill     (Refrain)

Come praise and glorify our God for we’ve believed the Word

And through our faith we have a seal the Spirit of the Lord

The Spirit guarantees our hope until redemption’s done

Until we join in endless praise to God, the Three in One        (Refrain)

By Bob Kauflin and Tim Chester. © 2011 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Call To Worship

Scripture Reading:                                                      Ephesians 1:3-10

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Prayer of Invocation

Declaring What We Believe

Receive the Glory

(Based on Psalm 115:1; Isaiah 43:1; 2 Corinthians 4:7; and Philippians 3:3)

Chorus:     Not to us, but to Your name alone,

Be all the glory, the glory, forever.

For Your faithfulness and steadfast love,

Receive the glory, the glory belongs to You.

1. All that we’ve accomplished You have done for us.

And any fruit we harvest is a gift from Your hand.

We are only jars of clay that hold a priceless treasure.

And we exist to bring You pleasure, O God.         (Chorus)

2. Only by Your mercy can we come to You.

Though we deserved Your judgment You have called us by name.

So we glory in the cross of Christ that made us Yours forever,

That joined our lives together to sing.                    (Chorus)

Words and music by Bob Kauflin. © 2004 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).

We Respond to God’s Presence

Red Hymnal #258

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down:

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all. Amen.

Words: Isaac Watts; Music: Hamburg, based on Gregorian Chant.

Children’s Song:

Psalm 78C                                                                  Blue Psalter, pg 482

Open Your Ears, O Faithful People

Open your ears, O faithful people, open your ears and hear God’s word.

Open your hearts, O royal priesthood, God has come to you.

Chorus:    God has spoken to the people, hallelujah!

God has spoken words of wisdom, hallelujah!

God has spoken to the people, hallelujah!

God has spoken words of wisdom, hallelujah!

They who have ears to hear the message,

they who have ears, now let them hear.

They who would learn the way of wisdom, let them hear God’s Word.

Repeat Chorus

What we have heard we’ll teach our children;

May they have ears to hear God’s Word.

Let us through every generation make God’s wonders known.

Repeat Chorus

Words: Hasidic traditional; tr. Willard F Jabusch © 1966, 1982 Willard F. Jabusch, admin OCP Publications; st. 3 Martin Tel © 2011 Martin Tel, admin. Faith Alive Christian Resources. Music (Yisrael V’oraita 9.8.9.5 with refrain): Hasidic traditional; arr. Robert Buckley Farlee © 2006 Augsburg Fortress Publishers.

Children’s Lesson

Pastoral Prayer

The basket to receive His tithes and our offerings

is located on the left as you leave the Sanctuary.

We Worship Through Hearing

Today’s Message

Sermon Series: Route 66 – Redemption Road

“Christ is Our Victory”

Ephesians

Notes

I. Victory Over Sin as Our __________________.

(Ephesians 1:3-14)

II. Victory in Unity as Our __________________.

(Ephesians 1:22; 2:11-22)

III. Victory in Spiritual Battle as Our __________________.

(Ephesians 6:10-20)

Communion

Prayer of Contrition

Sharing of the Elements

We invite to the Lord’s Table all those who are baptized disciples of Jesus Christ and are under the authority of Christ and His body, the Church. By eating the bread and drinking the wine with us as a visitor, you are acknowledging to the elders of this local church that you are in covenant with God and an active member of a congregation in which the gospel is faithfully confessed, taught, and believed. 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 salvation. If you have any doubt about your participation, please speak to the elders before or after the service.

Declaration of Forgiveness

We Are Sent Forth in Worship

to Share the Gospel

There is a Higher Throne

1. There is a higher throne than all this world has known,

Where faithful ones from ev’ry tongue will one day come.

Before the Son we’ll stand, made faultless through the Lamb;

Believing hearts find promised grace; Salvation comes.

Chorus:  Hear Heaven’s voices sing; Their thund’rous anthem rings

Through emerald courts and sapphire skies; Their praises rise.

All glory, wisdom, pow’r, strength,

thanks and honour are to God, our King,

Who reigns on high forevermore.

2. And there we’ll find our home; Our life before the throne.

We’ll honour Him in perfect song where we belong.

He’ll wipe each tear stained eye as thirst and hunger die.

The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King; We’ll reign with Him.

Repeat Chorus

Copyright © 2002 Thankyou Music/Adm. by worshiptogether.com songs. excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Kingsway Music. tym@kingsway.co.uk. Used by permission. CCLI #172212

Benediction