I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Invocation
Father in Heaven, we praise you for you are good. We thank you for your faithfulness, even though we are unfaithful; for your grace, though we are ungracious; for your love, though we fail to love; for hearing us when we call, though we don’t listen well. Be with us this hour: fill us with your Spirit, open our hearts to receive Your word, and help us to trust you more fully. We pray this in the name of the One who died to make us whole, Amen.
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee!
Always giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living, Ocean-depth of happy rest!
God our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life.
Words: Henry J. VanDyke
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
CCLI #2487144
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
LORD OF HEAVEN,
Thy goodness is inexpressible and inconceivable.
In the works of creation you are almighty,
In the dispensations of providence all-wise,
In the gospel of grace all love,
And in your Son you have provided for
our deliverance from the effects of sin,
the justification of our persons,
the sanctification of our natures,
the perseverance of our souls in the path of life.
Though exposed to the terrors of your law,
we have a refuge from the storm;
Though compelled to cry, ‘Unclean’,
we have a fountain for sin;
Though creature-cells of emptiness,
we have a fullness accessible to all,
and incapable of reduction.
Grant us always to know that to walk with Jesus
makes other interests a shadow and a dream.
Keep us from intermittent attention
to eternal things;
Save us from the delusion of those
who fail to go far in religion,
who are concerned but not converted,
who have another heart but not a new one,
who have light, zeal, confidence, but not Christ.
Let us judge our Christianity,
not only by our dependence upon Jesus,
but by our love to him,
our conformity to him,
our knowledge of him.
Give us a religion that is both real
and progressive,
that holds on its way and grows stronger,
that lives and works in the Spirit,
that profits by every correction,
and is injured by no carnal indulgence.
Fourth Day Morning: True Christianity fromThe Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
Chelsea Mends-Cole
Brady Adams
The Paradee Family
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 21:1-21
The Birth of Isaac 21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.
Sermon: Two Mothers, One Father, Two Boys, and One God
-Pastor Vawn Edele
Mighty to Save
Everyone needs compassion, A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness, The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave.
So take me as You find me, All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow Everything I believe in
Now I surrender.
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine Your light and Let the whole world see
We’re singing For the glory of the risen King, Jesus,
Shine Your light and Let the whole world see
We’re singing For the glory of the risen King.
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave.
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Invocation
O God, who gives to those who ask, provide for each of us in Your way, a special gift to be used for Your glory, and for the good of our neighbors. O God, who reveals to those who seek, show us this day what these gifts are, and how they may be used. O God, who opens to those who knock, help us to step forward, now, into Your gracious presence, knowing that we are each and all blessed with something special to share. Help us not to become too self-satisfied, and forget to keep asking, and seeking, and knocking. We pray all this in the name of the One who asks for the voiceless, who seeks out the lost, who stands at the door and knocks. Come in, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Here I Am to Worship
Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness,
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore you, Hope of a life spent with you.
So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me.
King of all days, Oh so highly exalted,
Glorious in heaven above.
Humbly you came to the earth you created,
All for love’s sake became poor.
So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me.
And I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.
I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.
So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me.
Words and Music by Tim Hughes
CCLI #2487144
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
O LORD MY LORD,
This is thy day,
the heavenly ordinance of rest,
the open door of worship,
the record of Jesus’ resurrection,
the seal of the sabbath to come,
the day when saints militant and triumphant
unite in endless song.
I bless you for the throne of grace,
that here free favour reigns;
that open access to it is through the blood
of Jesus;
that the veil is torn aside and I can enter
the holiest
and find you ready to hear,
waiting to be gracious,
inviting me to pour out my needs,
encouraging my desires,
promising to give more than I ask or think.
But while I bless you, shame and confusion
are mine:
I remember my past misuse of sacred things,
my irreverent worship,
my base ingratitude,
my cold, dull praise.
Sprinkle all my past sabbaths with the cleansing
blood of Jesus,
and may this day witness deep improvement
in me.
Give me in rich abundance
the blessings the Lord’s Day was designed
to impart;
May my heart be fast bound against worldly
thoughts or cares;
Flood my mind with peace
beyond understanding;
may my meditations be sweet,
my acts of worship life, liberty, joy,
my drink the streams that flow
from thy throne,
my food the precious Word,
my defence the shield of faith,
and may my heart be more knit to Jesus.
The Lord’s Day fromThe Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
Chelsea Mends-Cole
Brady Adams
The Paradee Family
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 20
Abraham and Abimelek 20 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
4 Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
8 Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”
11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”
16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels[a] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
Sermon: Half-Truths and the Whole Life – Bryce Bachelder
Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art–
thou my best thought by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father, I thy true son;
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Attr. St. Dallan Forgaill
Tune: SLANE
Public Domain
Lot and His Daughters by Antonio Bellucci (c. 1680)
Antonio Bellucci (1654–1726) was an Italian soldier who became a painter of the Rococo period and was best known for his work in England, Germany, and Austria. He was one of the many Venetian-trained artists of his time, including Ricci, Tiepolo, Amigoni, and others, who sought commissions north of Italy, providing patrons with the then-popular Italianate grand-manner frescoes for private palaces.
This is an autograph painting by Bellucci dated circa 1680; the subject, Lot and his daughters, is the famous one taken from Genesis 19:30-38. Lot escaped with his two daughters from destruction of Sodom took shelter in a cave. The daughters were convinced that they were the only survivors in the world to perpetuate the human race, so they planned to get their father drunk and seduce him on two consecutive nights.
As a result, a child was born to each of them. The oldest daughter conceived Moab, father of the Moabites. The youngest one conceived Ben-Ammi, father of the Ammonites. This subject was widely interpreted by the painting of the seventeenth century because it provided the pretext for the representation of the woman’s femininity and, sometimes, the female nude. The vibrant colors together with the dramatic contrast between the heightened senses of the daughters and the inebriated state of their old father are elements both dear to the Baroque culture.
Call to Worship – Galatians 5:16-26
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Invocation
Creator and Ruler of the Earth, we lift up our voices, our hearts, and our lives to You in praise. Help us to worship You in spirit and in truth. Uphold the weary, for whom praise may be very difficult. Humble the strong, for whom “alleluia” may be too easy. Creator and Ruler of the Earth, continue to form us into Your new creation, that we might welcome You to more fully become the ruler of our hearts and minds. Through Him who came as a servant, and who now reigns over all creation: Jesus, our Christ. Amen.
The Solid Rock
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.
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.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
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.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
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.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Words & Music: Edward Mote
CCLI # 2487144
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
O THOU MOST HIGH,
Creator of the ends of the earth,
Governor of the universe,
Judge of all men,
Head of the church,
Saviour of sinners;
your greatness is unsearchable,
your goodness infinite,
your compassions unfailing,
your providence boundless,
your mercies ever new.
We bless you for the words of salvation.
How important, suitable, encouraging
are the doctrines, promises, and invitations
of the gospel of peace!
We are lost: but in it you hast presented to us
a full, free and eternal salvation;
weak: but here we learn that help is found in
One that is mighty,
poor: but in him we discover unsearchable riches,
blind: but we find he has treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.
We thank you for your unspeakable gift.
Your Son is our only refuge, foundation, hope,
confidence;
We depend upon his death,
rest in his righteousness,
desire to bear his image;
May his glory fill our minds,
his love reign in our affections,
his cross inflame us with ardour.
Let us as Christians fill our various situations in life,
escape the snares to which they expose us,
discharge the duties that arise from our
circumstances,
enjoy with moderation their advantages,
improve with diligence their usefulness,
And may every place and company we are in
be benefited by us.
The Gospel – Sixth Day Morning fromThe Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
Chelsea Mends-Cole
Brady Adams
The Paradee Family
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 19:30-38
Lot and His Daughters 30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.”
33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.
34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.
36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.
Sermon
Lewd and Lascivious Conduct: Lessons from a Regrettable Life – Rev. Jason R. McConnell
There is a Redeemer
There is a Redeemer, Jesus, God’s own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.
Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son
And leaving your Spirit ‘til the work on earth is done.
Jesus, my Redeemer, name above all names,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Hope for sinners slain.
Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son
And leaving your Spirit ‘til the work on earth is done.
When I stand in glory, I will see his face
And there I’ll serve my King forever In that holy place.
Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son
And leaving your Spirit ‘til the work on earth is done.
Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son
And leaving your Spirit ‘til the work on earth is done.
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (1852) by John Martin
John Martin (1789 – 1854) was an English Romantic painter, engraver and illustrator. He was celebrated for his typically vast and melodramatic paintings of religious subjects and fantastic compositions, populated with minute figures placed in imposing landscapes.
Martin’s painting shows the biblical story of the destruction of the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was God’s punishment for the two cities for people’s immoral behavior. Only Lot and his daughters were saved. Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s instruction not to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The fiery red color is characteristic of John Martin’s dramatic scenes of destruction. The swirling storm in heaven was also a frequent feature of his paintings.
Call to Worship – Luke 17:20-33
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Invocation
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Amazing grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I’m found, Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me,
And like a flood His mercy reigns, Unending love, Amazing grace.
The Lord has promised good to me; His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me,
And like a flood His mercy reigns, Unending love, Amazing grace.
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me,
And like a flood His mercy reigns, Unending love, Amazing grace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine,
But God, Who called me here below Will be forever mine,
Will be forever mine. You are forever mine.
Almighty God, we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance. We each have our hopes and expectations for what lies ahead, but only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we need. In life’s uncertainties, assure us of Your unchanging love. In disappointing moments, help us turn to You for stability. In temptation, give us courage to humbly place our hands into Yours. In daily preoccupations, open our eyes to the sorrows of our hurting world that we might respond with compassion.
Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer hear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgement. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed, and grant us grace to grow more and more in Your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
Please take a few moments to pray for:
2020 Graduates
Chelsea Mends-Cole
Brady Adams
The Paradee Family
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Out of the Deep I Call
Out of the deep I call To Thee, O Lord, to Thee.
Before Thy throne of grace I fall; Be merciful to me, Be merciful to me.
Out of the deep I cry, The woeful deep of sin,
Of evil done in days gone by, Of evil now within, Of evil now within.
Out of the deep of fear And dread of coming shame;
All night ’til morning watch is near I plead the precious name, I plead the precious name.
Lord, there is mercy now, As ever was, with Thee.
Before Thy throne of grace I bow; Be merciful to me, Be merciful to me,
Be merciful to me.
19 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”
“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.
12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)
23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Sermon
Sin City, O What a Pity! – Rev. Jason R. McConnell
O Come to the Altar
Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling.
Have you come to the end of yourself?
Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes;
Come today there’s no reason to wait, Jesus is calling.
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy;
From the ashes a new life is born, Jesus is calling.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Oh what a Savior, Isn’t He wonderful, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen;
Bow down before Him for He is Lord of all, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen.
Oh what a Savior, Isn’t He wonderful, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen;
Bow down before Him for He is Lord of all, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Bear your cross as you wait for the crown;
Tell the world of the treasure you’ve found.
Isaiah 35
35 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Invocation
As we come before You in Jesus’ name, we praise You with our inmost being; we praise Your Holy name. We will not forget Your benefits and we give You praise and thanksgiving because You have forgiven our sins and healed our diseases. We praise You because You have redeemed our lives from the pit and crowned us with compassion. Father, we praise You because You satisfy our desires with good things and You renew our Youth like the eagle’s. Father, we praise You and honor You for You work righteousness for the oppressed. You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. Amen.
(Psalm 103:1-8)
Here I Am, Lord
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin, My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart. I will hold your people in my heart.
Give me to love you, to embrace you,
though I once took lust and sin in my arms.
You loved me before I loved you,
an enemy, a sinner, a loathsome worm.
You owned me when I disclaimed myself;
You love me as a son,
and weep over me as over Jerusalem.
Love brought you from heaven to earth,
from earth to the cross,
from the cross to the grave.
Love caused you to be
weary, hungry, tempted,
scorned, scourged,
buffeted, spat upon,
crucified, and pierced.
Love led you to bow your head in death.
My salvation is the point where
perfect created love
and the most perfect uncreated love
meet together;
for you welcome me,
not like Joseph and his brothers,
loving and sorrowing, but loving and rejoicing.
This love is not intermittent, cold, changeable;
it does not cease or abate for all my enmity.
Holiness is a spark from your love
kindled to a flame in my heart by your Spirit,
and so it ever turns to the place
from which it comes.
Let me see your love everywhere,
not only in the cross,
but in the fellowship of believers
and in the world around me.
When I feel the warmth of the sun
may I praise you, the Sun of righteousness
with healing power.
When I feel the tender rain
may I think of the gospel showers
that water my soul.
When I walk by the river side
may I praise you for that stream that makes
the eternal city glad, and washes white my robes
that I may have the right to the tree of life.
Your infinite love is a mystery of mysteries,
and my eternal rest lies
in the eternal enjoyment of it.
Love from The Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
The Paradee Family
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading
Genesis 18:16-33
16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Sermon
Lessons from Abraham’s Conversation with the Lord – Pastor Vawn Edele
Micah 6:8
He has shown thee (He has shown thee)
O man (O man)
What is good and what the Lord requires of thee.
He has shown thee (He has shown thee)
O man (O man)
What is good and what the Lord requires of thee.
But to do justly (But to do justly)
And to love mercy (And to love mercy)
And to walk humbly with thy God.
But to do justly (But to do justly)
And to love mercy (And to love mercy)
And to walk humbly with thy God.
He has shown thee (He has shown thee)
O man (O man)
What is good and what the Lord requires of thee.
But to do justly (But to do justly)
And to love mercy (And to love mercy)
And to walk humbly with thy God.
Sermon Manuscript: Lessons from Abraham’s Conversation with the Lord Pastor Vawn Edele
Last week we heard that Abraham and Sarah had three unexpected visitors come to their home. They were welcomed and treated royally. They came not just to eat a delicious meal but to deliver a wonderful and amazing message. The promise made 25 years ago was going to come true by the end of next year. Abraham and Sarah were going to have a baby boy after waiting, wondering and trying for so long. Sarah responded by laughing at this shocking and what seemed silly and impossible news. And she lied when asked if she laughed. Yes, the news was hard to believe but one of the visitors was the Lord himself, right there in their presence speaking to them. Abraham had heard the Lord several times before this. He had grown accustomed to hearing from the Lord; certainly he recognized His voice but now He was right there in front of him. We continue this week with the visitors, the Lord and Abraham
A few weeks ago during a children’s sermon I mentioned that Abraham was called a friend of God. Separate authors of the scriptures remind us of this special relationship between Abraham and God.
2 Chronicles 20:7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Isaiah 41:8 “But you, Israel, mt servant, Jacob , whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend.”
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
Abraham was God’s friend because of his faith in God. His faith expressed itself at different times and in different ways. Sure he had his moments where his faith stuttered but he always came back. I’d like us to keep in mind this relationship between Abraham and God as we go through the passage. We will see that Abraham talked to God as you would talk to a friend.
As the 3 visitors left, we are told Abraham went with them. It wasn’t because he was invited or just curious as to where they were going. Neither was it because they needed directions as to where they were going (even if they were men).He simply didn’t just step outside his tent, shake hands and say good-bye. Whenever someone visits with us we usually walk them to their car. It’s the polite thing to do with friends and strangers who come by the house. And who better to be polite to than the Lord Himself. Yes, it was a custom that was a sign of respect, kindness and appreciation to those stopping by to visit. In this case perhaps there was an element of wanting to stay with the Lord as long as possible.
As we go on, the remainder of the passage is largely a conversation between God and Abraham. It is not just a one direction interaction, where God speaks and Abraham listens. No ,in this case Abraham speaks and God listens. They are actually talking to each other. What they are talking about and what they say shows us the depth of their friendship.
They are not just communicating on the most basic level of small talk. “Hello. How are you? Did you find everything you were looking for?” You know the type of conversation you have at the grocery check out line. Neither are they just talking about facts, “ Sure is nice weather we are having. And did you see the beautiful sunset the other night. You did a great job with that one, God.” Sure they are talking about ideas and opinions. But something bigger than, “I think it would be a good idea to paint the living room. What color would you like?” It went beyond that. It was even deeper than just expressing feelings and emotions. It was a mutual open and honest conversation with each of them sharing personal thoughts. In simplest terms it is God revealing His plans and Abraham responding to those plans. It is the type of conversation you would hear close friends having. A true heart to heart conversation.
Notice who and how this conversation begins. The Lord initiates. As we look back and even as we will hear in the weeks ahead God initiates talking to Abraham. God not only began this friendship with Abraham but he sustains it. God first spoke to him by blessing him. God spoke, giving Abraham instructions to obey. God spoke to him in a vision and in a dream promising a land the nation of Israel would inherit. God told Abraham about the future 400 years of slavery Israel would face. God spoke to him, changing his name and Sarais’ names. God spoke to him to announce the birth of his son. In each case God wasn’t waiting for Abraham to speak first. Instead God spoke to Abraham first.
The Lord starts this conversation with a question, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” Seems kind of odd for God to ask this. Not that it was a secret to be kept or would be hard for Abraham to understand. Was the Lord looking for advice from the men with him. As we see, The answer was no. He didn’t hide it from him.
The Lord then repeats the promises made to Abraham. The promise to be a great nation and a blessing to all nations.
But why did God want to tell Abraham this information? It didn’t affect him personally. I read in a commentary that, “ God’s purpose in revealing this to Abraham was not just to present interesting and shocking news. And not simply to satisfy Abraham’s curiosity. But he wanted to do something in Abraham’s life through what he would reveal.” If that is the case what then did God want to do in Abraham’s life? A clue is found in what God continues to say about Abraham’s responsibility, which was to present the truths of God’s words and impress the importance of obedience to his children and to all his descendants He had the responsibility to pass on a heritage of righteousness and to encourage those who would come after him to not turn to wickedness.
The Lord continues to speak. He reveals what he did not want to hide. The spiritual condition of Sodom and Gomorrah and the consequences. And the Lord was going to go and see for himself. Sounds kind of odd. He didn’t need to really go. It tells us He doesn’t rely on second – hand information, but personally makes His own observations.
Then the men continue on while Abraham and the Lord are left alone.
Notice the posture of Abraham in verse 22: “Abraham stood still before the Lord.” It is always easy to want to get on with it. Hurry. Hurry. Our lives are so active we don’t know what it is to stand still, motionless in one place. We get impatient And want to move on. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “ Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Abraham put aside his agenda and enjoyed the moment. No words needed to be said at this moment. It wasn’t time to do or even talk but time to be with the Lord.
After standing still we read he draws near. In a term brought to our attention recently, Abraham did not want to be socially distancing from the Lord. He was not satisfied to be at a distance. He wanted to be closer than 6 ft away. Perhaps Abraham wanted to draw near to God so that God would draw near to him.
It was only after being still and drawing close that he then spoke. That in itself could be an important lesson to apply. Then his plea begins.
I have a question before we get in too deep into Abraham’s plea: Is this a prayer? Some would say no. It doesn’t fit the traditionally accepted prayer format. First a greeting to God. Like the introduction of a letter. Dear God. Yes you could say there was a request as a prayer often contains. But this is more like a series of questions. He is presenting and pleading his case. But we will see it is not for himself. And there is no Amen at the end. Is all that somehow necessary for a prayer to be legitimate.
Let us first consider the traits surrounding Abrahams plea before looking at the plea itself..
First we see that Abraham was speaking to the Lord. This was not a discussion with another person about the Lord’s actions. “Is God doing the right thing in this situation.” He went right to the source with his issue. He wasn’t going to talk behind His back. As if you really ever could.
He spoke to the Lord with respect. He acknowledged and accepted the position and the power behind that position that the Lord was the Judge of all the earth.
He was persistent. He kept asking and asking and asking. In doing so he was not demanding or whining. He just didn’t give up .
Abraham not just heard the Lord’s voice but listened.He wanted to hear what He had to say.Although he disagreed he continued to listen. A conversation involves 2 both talking and listening. And Abraham’s ears were open.
Abraham was very specific with his request.He did not just speak in general, broad, sweeping terms. “Oh Lord bless all the righteous in the world.”
His request was not self centered. There was no real benefit for himself. It was for the benefit of others. Remember Lot was living in Sodom and Abraham had rescued the people of Sodom from being captured in battle. So he had a genuine concern for their welfare.
Abraham was bold. It took some courage to ask what he did. And even to keep asking. That sounds alot like he asked in faith.
Abraham was humble. “Who am I but dust and ashes.” These are not words of someone who is prideful. For he saw his position in relation to who God was.
Lastly Abraham felt free to be open and honest to express his thoughts and opinions to the Lord.
And so I ask again, Is this a prayer? It certainly had the traits even if not the typical accepted format.
One more thing before looking at the plea. He doesn’t ask what the judgement will be. Will it be a natural disaster? A pandemic? A famine or drought? I believe he knew God was in the right to bring any fashion of judgement he wanted. He was God. Neither does he ask when will this take place? Give me a time frame. He trusted in God’s timing. He didn’t even say that the wicked somehow did not need to be judged. He accepted that they deserved to be judged.
The question he asks is, “Will you then sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” What is at the core of his question? A question of fairness. He felt that both the righteous and wicked should get what they deserved. Punishment or reward. They should not be treated equally. Don’t we all want that? Fairness. Almost 200 years ago Aristotle said “Equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.” This is a timeless question and still repeated today, but said a different way.
Abraham then begins his bargaining with God.
Karey and I have gone to a few of the auctions that are held in Sheldon. I don’t always go because I need or want something. It is a fun date together. I like listening to the auctioneer and seeing what something sells for and to see what is a hot item. And it is fast. It usually goes something like this: An item is held up in front of the crowd and described. Let’s begin the bidding this evening at $30. Who will give me 30. Anyone! Yes I see 30 there. What about 35? We have a bid for 40. Anyone for 50? 45 Yes. 50 .We have 45 once. 45 twice. I see 50 . Any one for 60. We are at 50. Again 60 anyone. We have 50 once. 50 twice . Sold to number 135 for $50. Typically the price goes up. However sometimes it goes this way instead. Let’s start the bidding for our next item at $50. Anyone for 50? 50. Then 40. No takers. What about 30? Still no one. I hear ten from the back. Anyone for 12. We are at 10. 10 once. 10 twice. $10 sold to the women with number 234. Everyone is looking for a bargain. Certainly the best bargain is when the numbers go down and someone gets the best bang for their buck. Perhaps not so rapid. But isn’t this what Abraham was doing? Bargaining for the lowest number with the best return.
Abraham starts at 50 and gets all the way down to 10. Is he trying to change Gods mind or just trying to find out what is on God’s mind? Prayer can do both. But can we really change the mind of God.While Moses was still on mount Sinai after receiving the 10 commandments God notified him that the people had become corrupt and built a golden calf idol. God then tells Moses, (Exodus 32: 9 & 10) “I have seen these people and they are stiff-necked people.Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” God was set on what He was going to do.Moses then prays and asks God to to not bring this disaster on the people. We read that the Lord changed his mind and did not wipe them out. Moses had prayed and God changed his plans.
Why stop at 10? Lot and his family numbered 4. If Lot himself was righteous he would be spared and part of the 10. I wonder if Abraham felt at peace and thought why push it anymore. Or maybe he thought there ought to be at least 10 righteous people in Sodom no matter how wicked a town it was.
Now what about God’s answers to Abraham’s questions? Remember Abraham asked if the righteous will be judged along with the wicked. Fairness for the righteous. God responds that he would spare the city because of the righteous. Beginning with 50 and even as little as 10. God the judge was willing to extend grace and not destroy the wicked because of the righteous. The impact of few would be life changing for the city.
This scene between Abraham and God closes. And Abraham returns to his place. He could return home knowing that God had listened and God had answered. He had discovered God’s final answer and He was at peace. He could go home and wait to see what the Lord would do.
As we close, what lessons can we take away from this conversation between Abraham and God? We should adopt and regularly practice a correct posture before God. Stand still and draw near to God Although not a prerequisite, it certainly will be beneficial to our time of conversation with God. We ought to build the traits Abraham did in our prayer life. Talk to God with respect. Be persistent, bold yet humble. Feel free to talk to God about anything on your mind. He is willing to listen. And be willing to listen to what He has to say. Pray for others, both the righteous and the wicked. When we receive God’s final answer, be satisfied and go home.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) was a Dutch draughtsman, painter, and printmaker. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art and the most important in Dutch art history. Unlike most Dutch masters of the 17th century, Rembrandt’s works depict a wide range of style and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, and biblical and mythological themes as well as animal studies.
Abraham Serving the Three Angels is a 1646 panel painting in etching by Rembrandt. The painting depicts the scene from Genesis 18:1-15 when three visitors (who turn out to be messengers from the Lord) appear at Abraham’s tent by the great oak trees of Mamre. After Abraham serves them with water, shelter, and food, the messengers tell Abraham that his wife will bear him a son a year later when he will be 100 years old and Sarah will be 90 years old.
Call to Worship – Hebrews 13:1-8
Concluding Exhortations 13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Invocation
With all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we praise You, Lord. But this is only possible through Your presence in us, by Your grace. Otherwise, we are easily distracted, diverted away from where You wish us to be, distanced from Your calling, lost in our current situations. Forgive us our lack of attention to Your Word, our failure to seek and find what we need from the source of all our joy. Help us to repent, to turn in the right direction this very moment, that we may fulfill Your commandment to love You with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. May we indeed worship You today with all our heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Before the Throne of God Above
Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands, my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav’n he stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart, no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free,
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me, to look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there, the risen Lamb! My perfect spotless Righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace.
One with himself, I cannot die, my soul is purchased by his blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God, with Christ, my Savior and my God.
One with himself, I cannot die, my soul is purchased by his blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God, with Christ, my Savior and my God.
Words & Music: Charitie Lees Bancroft
The Ten Commandments – Kaeden Ho
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
Great God,
In public and private, in sanctuary and home,
may my life be steeped in prayer,
filled with the spirit of grace and supplication,
each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.
Help me, defend me, until from praying ground
I pass to the realm of unceasing praise,
Urged by my need,
Invited by your promises,
Called by your Spirit,
I enter your presence, worshipping you with godly fear,
awed by your majesty, greatness, glory,
but encouraged by your love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
Having nothing of my own with which to repay you,
But I bring Jesus to you in the arms of faith,
pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities,
rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales for me,
and satisfy your justice.
I bless you that great sin draws out great grace,
that, although the least sin deserves infinite punishment
because done against an infinite God,
yet there is mercy for me,
for where guilt is most terrible,
there your mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Bless me by revealing to me more of his saving merits,
by causing your goodness to pass before,
by speaking peace to my contrite heart;
Strengthen me to give you no rest
until Christ shall reign supreme within me,
in every thought, word, and deed,
in a faith that purifies the heart,
overcomes the world, works by love,
fastens me to you, and ever clings to the cross.
Meeting God from The Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
The Paradee Family
Reilly Keith Bachelder, Lissy & Bryce
Howard Deuso
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Sermon
That Time My Wife Lied to the Lord by Rev. Jason R. McConnell
Scripture Reading – Genesis 18:1-15
18 And theLordappeared to him by theoaksof Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him.When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth3 and said, “O Lord,if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.4 Let alittle water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,5 while I bring a morsel of bread, thatyou may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.”7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She isin the tent.”10 TheLordsaid, “I will surely return to youabout this time next year, andSarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.11 NowAbraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying,“After I am worn out, andmy lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”13 TheLordsaid to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’14 Is anything too hardfor theLord?At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”15 But Sarah denied it,saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Pass Me Not
Pass me not, O gentle Savior; hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Let me at thy throne of mercy find a sweet relief;
kneeling there in deep contrition, help my unbelief.
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Trusting only in thy merit, would I seek thy face;
heal my wounded, broken spirit, save me by thy grace.
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me,
whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee?
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
For modern artist Deborah Nell, every painting begins with a prayer. Her art is an expression of her connection and communication with God. Her father, Herman Sillas, instructed her while the two of them painted side by side at their easels when she was a child growing up in her native Southern California. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art from UCLA, Nell later settled in East Berlin, Pennsylvania, where she experimented with various painting techniques on Yupo paper (a waterproof synthetic paper). Nell’s faith is always integrated into her paintings. She says, “I begin each painting by praying that God will give me an image that will bless and encourage the viewer. I see my painting process as a way to worship and communicate with the Lord.”
Her painting Abraham and Sarah depicts the scene from the aftermath of Genesis 17 when God tells the 100-year-old Abraham that his 90-year-old wife is going to bear a son. In this scene, Sarah is telling Abraham that she is indeed pregnant. Thus, God has miraculously fulfilled his promise of giving them a child. Notice their joyful faces and warm embrace amid the bright red and yellow background, which captures the emotion of the encounter.
Call to Worship – Psalm 84
For the director of music. According togittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LordAlmighty! 2 My soul yearns,even faints, for the courts of theLord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LordAlmighty,my Kingand my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strengthis in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumnrains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appearsbefore God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer,LordGod Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. 9 Look on our shield,O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeperin the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For theLordGod is a sunand shield; theLordbestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 LordAlmighty, blessedis the one who trusts in you.
Invocation
O God, powerful and loving, we look to You for both strength and compassion. We confess that we don’t really understand power, nor — when it comes down to it — are we very good at love. Very easily we go to extremes: too hard or too soft. Teach us Your tough love. Sharpen us this hour on the whetstone of Your Word. With the tender arms of Your Spirit, embrace us. O powerful and loving God, fashion us to become tough and tender disciples. We worship You now because we know of no other like You. In the name of Jesus, Your beloved Son, our leader and friend, we pray. Amen.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear; now to his temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth;
Shelters thee under his wings, yes, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how all thy longings have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with his love he befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
Gladly forever adore him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
Gladly forever adore him.
Words: Joachim Neander; Translator: Catherine Winkworth
Music: LOBE DEN HERREN
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, you promised through your son Jesus Christ, to hear us when we pray in faith. Open our minds and win our hearts that our thoughts, affections and will may be pure, robust, and joyful and forever forgiving.
Strengthen for service, Lord, all members of your Church, not only the leaders, but also the led. Help us all to exercise our gifts by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit, without hindrance, that the richness of your uniting truth may bring us to the life that reveals your glory in the world.
We pray for those who are denied freedom in their religious beliefs, for those who are suffering in prison, and for those who are martyrs. May their courage set faith alight in other lives.
We pray for those who struggle against injustice, the men and women who have to establish themselves in violent and oppressive societies; may they be filled with your wisdom in their war against inhumanity.
We pray for our fellow Christians in the developing world, those for whom hunger is a daily reality, those who feel powerless to change the ways of nature or the ways of nations.
We pray for our country. Give wisdom and guidance to our statesmen and leaders, and to all who have positions of responsibility in education, industry and commerce.
Grant that all who come into our church may be enabled to renew their relationship with you and that they may find your peace, your strength, your grace and above all your presence. Help us as a congregation to be outward-looking, so that what we find within our fellowship we may share with those outside, for the benefit of all and for your greater glory. Amen.
Please take a few moments to pray for:
Chelsea Mends-Cole
Brady Adams
The Paradee Family
Reilly Keith Bachelder, Lissy & Bryce
Howard Deuso
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 17
The Covenant of Circumcision
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
Sermon
What’s in a Name by Rev. Jason R. McConnell
Eternal Power, Almighty God
Eternal Power, Almighty God, Who can approach thy throne?
Accessless light is thine abode, To angel eyes unknown.
Before the radiance of thine eye, The heavens no longer shine;
And all the glories of the sky Are but the shade of thine.
Great God, and wilt thou condescend To cast a look below?
To this dark world thy notice bend– These seats of sin and woe?
How strange, how wondrous is thy love! With trembling we adore:
Not all th’ exalted minds above Its wonders can explore.
While golden harps and angel tongues Resound immortal lays,
Great God, permit our humble songs To rise and speak thy praise.
Eternal Power, Almighty God, Who can approach thy throne?
Accessless light is thine abode, To angel eyes unknown.
Hagar Leaves the House of Abraham, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1577-1640
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens’ highly charged compositions reference scholarly aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. Rubens specialized in making altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. Rubens was a prolific artist. The catalogue of his works lists 1,403 pieces.
Reubens’ painting Hagar Leaves the House of Abraham depicts the emotional intensity in Genesis 16. Abram and Sarai could not have children of their own. Sarai suggested that he should sleep with Hagar, their Egyptian maid. Thus, Hagar became pregnant. Now Sarah saw contempt in Hagar’s eyes. So, she made Hagar leave the house.
Rubens shows an aggrieved but also proud Hagar. To the left is angry Sarai, with one hand on her hip and her other hands raised to strike Hagar Abram hides in the doorway and passively watches. In a letter Rubens called this panel “una galatanteria”, a gallant work on a subject worldly nor spiritual.
Call to Worship – Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long,Lord? Will you forget meforever? How long will you hide your facefrom me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on meand answer,Lordmy God. Give light to my eyes,or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will singtheLord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Invocation
Holy God, make Your presence known to us today. We come to You as we are, called to be saints, holy ones, but so often less than our calling. Help us this hour to let go of those sins to which we cling. Help us to know that our self-worth does not depend so much on our ability to hold on to our lives, as on Your power to release ourselves into Your hands.
Holy God, make Your presence known to us today. We come to You with our vision so often clouded by our sin. Clear away the mist, through Jesus, that we can catch a glimpse of Your presence. Help us to behold You as You are, not as we would like You to be. In Christ, through whom we become holy, on the wings of the Spirit, we pray to You, our Father. Amen.
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound) that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!
The Lord has promised good to me, his word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come:
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.
Words: John Newton
Music: Virginia Harmony (NEW BRITAIN)
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
I bless you, O most holy God, for the unfathomable love whereby You have ordained that spirit with spirit can meet and that I, a weak and erring mortal, should have this ready access to the heart of Him who moves the stars.
With bitterness and true compunction of heart I acknowledge before You the gross and selfish thoughts that I so often allow to enter my mind and to influence my deeds.
I confess, O God—
that often I let my mind wander down unclean and forbidden ways:
that often I deceive myself as to where my plain duty lies:
that often, by concealing my real motives, I pretend to be better than I am:
that often my honesty is only a matter of policy:
that often my affection for my friends is only a refined form of caring for myself:
that often my sparing of my enemy is due to nothing more than cowardice:
that often I do good deeds only that they may be seen of men, and shun evil only because I fear they may be found out.
O holy One, let the fire of Your love enter my heart, and burn up all this coil of meanness and hypocrisy, and make my heart as the heart of a little child.
Give me grace, O God, to pray now with pure and sincere desire for all those with whom I have had to do this day. Let me remember now my friends with love and my enemies with forgiveness, entrusting them all, as I now, entrust my own soul and body, to Your protecting care; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Evening Prayer, May 17th, A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie
Please take a few moments to pray for:
The Paradee Family
Reilly Keith Bachelder, Lissy & Bryce
Howard Deuso
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 16
Hagar and Ishmael 16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.”
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Sermon
Baby Mamas, Sugar Daddies, and Sister-Wives by Rev. Jason R. McConnell
Our Father, We Have Wandered
Our Father, we have wandered and hidden from your face;
In foolishness have squandered your legacy of grace.
But now, in exile dwelling, we rise with fear and shame,
As, distant but compelling, we hear you call our name.
And now at length discerning the evil that we do,
Behold us, Lord, returning with hope and trust to you.
In haste you come to meet us and home rejoicing bring,
In gladness there to greet us with calf and robe and ring.
O Lord of all the living, both banished and restored,
Compassionate, forgiving and ever-caring Lord,
Grant now that our transgressing, our faithlessness may cease.
Stretch out your hand in blessing, in pardon, and in peace.
Words: Kevin Nichols
Music: Hans Leo Hassler; arr. J.S. Bach
Modern artist Lisa Turtz’s favorite part of painting is the beauty of combining colors and the creativity of ideas and humor in the worlds she creates. She sees whimsical connections between things and they make her smile. Inspired by her work with Torah and Hebrew study groups, she created a series of 15 paintings exploring the Genesis stories. During her painting of these stories, she noticed the nuances and differences in mood and atmosphere, between Genesis & Exodus stories. These subtleties are reflected in her choice of subjects and colors.
Her painting The Covenant of the Pieces tells the story of God’s covenant with Abram in Genesis 15. As God reaffirmed his promise to give Abram’s descendants the land of Canaan, he told Abram to take a heifer, a goat, and a ram, and cut them in half and arrange them on the ground along with a dove and pigeon. According to the ancient ritual, the two people forming an agreement would walk through the animal carcasses to seal the deal in blood (to signify what would happen to either person who broke the agreement). But darkness fell on the land and caused Abram to fall into a deep sleep. The pyramid and sphinx represent Abram’s dream where God told him that his descendants would not inherit the Promised Land until after they were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. While Abram is sleeping, God’s presence appears in the form of a smoking pot and a blazing torch and pass through the animals alone, signifying that God will keep his promise to Abram. God’s face in the sky watches over this whole episode.
Call to Worship – Psalm 23
Sit at My Right Hand – A psalm of David.
1 TheLordis my shepherd,I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides mealong the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a tablebefore me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cupoverflows. 6 Surely your goodness and lovewill follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of theLord forever.
Invocation
O God who is greater than the most powerful forces in this world, enable us to be still and know that You are God.
O Lord who answers out of the whirlwind of everyday life, breathe in us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, and guide us in the midst of the storm.
O still, small voice, speak to us this hour, that we might become makers of Your peace in our homes, in our communities, in our world. We pray all this in the name of the One who calmed the raging sea. Amen.
Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Words: Kathrina von Schlegel
Music: Jean Sibelius (FINLANDIA)
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
Lord of the cloud and fire,
I am a stranger, with a stranger’s indifference;
My hands hold a pilgrim’s staff,
My march is Zionward,
My eyes are toward the coming of the Lord,
My heart is in your hands without reserve.
You have created it,
redeemed it,
renewed it,
captured it,
conquered it.
Keep from it every opposing foe,
crush in it every rebel lust,
mortify every treacherous passion,
annihilate every earthborn desire.
All faculties of my being vibrate to your touch;
I love you with soul, mind, body, strength,
might, spirit, affection, will,
desire, intellect, Understanding.
You are the very perfection of all perfections;
All intellect is derived from you;
My scanty rivulets flow from your unfathomable fountain.
Compared with you the sun is darkness,
all beauty deformity,
all wisdom folly,
the best goodness faulty.
You are worthy of an adoration greater than my dull heart can yield;
Invigorate my love that it may rise worthily to you,
tightly entwine itself round you,
be allured by you.
Then shall my walk be endless praise.
Journeying On, from The Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
The Paradee Family
Reilly Keith Bachelder, Lissy & Bryce
Howard Deuso
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 15
The Lord’s Covenant With Abram
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”
Sermon
Cutting Calves and Chasing Crows by Rev. Jason R. McConnell
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed;
I trust the ever-living One, his wounds for me shall plead.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul, I come to him, he’ll never cast me out.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.
My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God,
salvation by my Savior’s name, salvation thro’ his blood.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.
My great Physician heals the sick, the lost he came to save;
for me his precious blood he shed, for me his life he gave.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.
The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek, by Frans II Francken, 1581-1642
Frans Francken the Younger (1581 – 1642) was a Flemish painter and the best-known member of the large Francken family of artists. Francken created altarpieces and painted furniture panels, but his reputation chiefly relies on his small and delicate cabinet pictures with historical, mythological, or allegorical themes. He played an important role in the development of Flemish art in the first half of the 17th century through his innovations in many genres including genre painting and his introduction of new subject matter.
His painting The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek depicts Abram’s (Abraham) meeting with the mysterious Melchizedek, king of Salem (presumably Jerusalem) and high-priest of the local sanctuary, after Abram won a miraculous battle against a powerful alliance of Mesopotamian monarchs. Melchizedek offered Abram and his men bread and wine and a word of blessing. Abram reciprocated the gesture by offering Melchizedek a tithe (tenth) of everything he had received. This mutual blessing showed Abram the God was keeping his promise to bless him and make him a blessing to others.
Call to Worship – Psalm 110
Sit at My Right Hand A Psalm of David.
110 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Invocation
O God, the joy of this day, the hope for every day to come,
Move in our midst, fill us with Your Spirit, and make us one, even as we are apart.
May our words, as well as our actions, and even the secret thoughts of our hearts, be a part of Your worship this hour, O Lord of great power, displayed in sacrificial love.
For we pray focused upon the One who died for all, Your only begotten son.
Amen.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided—
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided—
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided—
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
O Eternal God,
Yours is surpassing greatness, unspeakable goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’ as number your favours towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank you for personal mercies,
measure of health, preservation of body,
comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food and clothing,
continuance of mental powers,
my family, their mutual help and support,
the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
the seats now filled that might have been vacant,
my country, church, Bible, faith.
But, O, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness,
the days that add to my guilt,
the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without, condemn me–
the sun which sees my misdeeds,
the darkness which is light to thee,
the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
the good angels who have been provoked to leave me,
your countenance which scans my secret sins,
your righteous law, your holy Word,
my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life,
my neighbors, myself-
all write dark things against me.
I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess, ‘Father, I have sinned’.
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to your outstretched arms;
you will not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
you will not condemn me, for he died in my stead,
you will not mark my mountains of sin, for he levelled all,
and his beauty covers my deformities.
O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross,
hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.
Divine Mercies, from The Valley of Vision
Please take a few moments to pray for:
The Paradee Family
Reilly Keith Bachelder, Lissy & Bryce
Howard Deuso
Kevin Fleming
Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
Healthcare workers
Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 14
Abram Rescues Lot 14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
Sermon – Of Monarchs and Rescue Missions by Rev. Jason R. McConnell
Father, Take My Life
Lord of Earth and Heaven, my Sovereign King,
I bow myself before you and give you everything.
I come with nothing in my hands for you,
I’ve just got my life, and I am ready to be used.
Father, take my life, here I am Show me where you want me, let me hold your hand, I will go, Lord, and follow in your way, O Lord, what is your call? I will follow you today.
Lord, I read your promise: you will never leave.
Grant me strength to go and be the child you want me to be.
Help me to be humble in your service, Lord,
Always seeking you and my heavenly reward.
Father, take my life, here I am Show me where you want me, let me hold your hand, I will go, Lord, and follow in your way, O Lord, what is your call? I will follow you today.
