PROVIDENCE CHURCH

      July 17, 2022

 

Welcome

Passing of the Peace: Though we are separated by distance our hearts are one in Christ. The peace of Christ be with you!  And also with you!

 

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise him all creatures here below,

Praise him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

 

Call to Worship:   Malachi 3: 7-12

Leader:  Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

Congregation:  But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God?

Leader:  Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’

Congregation:  In your tithes and offerings.  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Leader:  I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.

ALL:  Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

 

 

Songs of Praise:

Come, Christians, Join to Sing (Christian Bateman, 1843; tune traditional Spanish melody)

 

Come, Christians, join to sing Alleluia! Amen!

Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!

Let all, with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;

Praise is his gracious choice. Alleluia! Amen!

 

Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!

Let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!

He is our Guide and Friend; to us he’ll condescend;

His love shall never end. Alleluia! Amen!

 

Praise yet our Christ again, Alleluia! Amen!

Life shall not end the strain; Alleluia! Amen!

On heaven’s blissful shore, his goodness we’ll adore,

Singing forevermore, “Alleluia! Amen!”

 

How Great is Your Love (Mark Altrogge CCLI #1360011)

No eye has seen, and no ear has heard,

And no mind has ever conceived

The glorious things that you have prepared

For everyone who has believed;

You brought us near and you called us your own,

And made us joint heirs with your Son!

 

Chorus:

How high and how wide,

How deep and how long,

How sweet and how strong is your love.

How lavish your grace, how faithful your ways,

How great is your love, O Lord.

 

Objects of mercy who should have known wrath,

We’re filled with unspeakable joy.

Riches of wisdom, unsearchable wealth,

And the wonder of knowing your voice:

You are our treasure, and our great reward,

Our hope and our glorious King! (Chorus)

 

No Longer Slaves (Joel Case, Jonathan David Helser, Brian Mark Johnson CCLI #7030123)

You unravel me with a melody, You surround me with a song

of deliverance from my enemies ‘til all my fears are gone

 

And I’m no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God

I’m no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God

 

From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me

Love has called my name

I’ve been born again into your family

your blood flows through my veins (Chorus)

 

Oh—

 

You split the sea so I could walk right through it

My fears were drowned in perfect love

You rescued me so I could stand and sing, “I am a child of God!” (2X)

 

I am a child of God,

Yes I am a child of God!

 

Confession/Assurance    Romans 11:33-36 and Romans 12 9-13

​Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good.   Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other.   Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.   When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night. Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches!  How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods and how unsearchable are his ways.   For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?   And who could ever offer to the Lord enough to induce him to act?   For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory.  To him be glory evermore.

Respond in Praise: 

Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Charles Wesly, 1740; tune Joseph Parry, 1879)

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high:

Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;

Safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!

 

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee;

Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me!

All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.

 

Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find:

Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.

Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness;

False and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace.

 

 

Plenteous grace with thee if found, grace to cover all my sin;

Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within:

Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee;

Spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity.

 

Scripture Reading:   Nehemiah 11 (select verses)

 

The Israeli officials were living in Jerusalem, the Holy City, at this time; but now a tenth of the people from the other cities and towns of Judah and Benjamin were selected by lot to live there too.   Some who moved to Jerusalem at this time were volunteers, and they were highly honored.

 

Following is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to Jerusalem (though most of the leaders, the priests, the Levites, the Temple assistants, and the descendants of Solomon’s servants continued to live in their own homes in the various cities of Judah).

 

Leaders from the tribe of Judah:

 

468 stalwart descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem.

 

Leaders from the tribe of Benjamin:

 

Leaders from among the priests: In all, there were 822 priests doing the work at the Temple under the leadership of these men. And there were 242 priests under the leadership of Adaiah

 

There were also 128 stalwart men under the leadership of Amashsai

 

Levite leaders:

 

Shemaiah (son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni); 

Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple;

Mattaniah (son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph) was the one who began the thanksgiving services with prayer;

Bakbukiah and Abda (son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun) were his assistants.

 

In all, there were 284 Levites in Jerusalem.

 

There were also 172 gatekeepers, led by Akkub, Talmon, and others of their clan. The other priests, Levites, and people lived wherever their family inheritance was located.   However, the Temple workers (whose leaders were Ziha and Gishpa) all lived in Ophel.

 

The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem and of those serving at the Temple was Uzzi (son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica), a descendant of Asaph, whose clan became the Tabernacle singers. He was appointed by King David, who also set the pay scale of the singers.

So the people spread from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.

Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were sent to live with the tribe of Benjamin.

 

This is the Word of the Lord.   Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “ Tithing”                                                                                                      

 

Hymn of Dedication

 

Amen

Behold, Jehovah, seated on the throne,

Abba, Father, the wealth that overflows,

The God who was and is and shall be forevermore: Holy is the Lord

 

Chorus:

Amen, Amen! Blessing and honor and glory and power, Amen!

Amen, Amen! Blessing and honor and glory and power, Amen.

 

Behold, the Way, the Truth and the Life,

Perfect Savior, the blood that washed us white,

The God who was and is and shall be forevermore: Holy is the Lord (Chorus)

 

Bridge:

Holiness has a name, and it’s Jesus.

Victory has a name, and it’s Jesus.

The Word has a name, and it’s Jesus.

Redemption has a name, and it’s Jesus (Repeat)

 

Chorus:

Amen, Amen! Blessing and honor and glory and power, Amen!

Amen, Amen! Blessing and honor and glory and power, Amen!

Amen, Amen! Amen, Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil:

for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.  Amen

 

Hymn of Thanksgiving

Be Still, My Soul (Katharina von Schlegel, 1752; tune, Jean Sibelius, 1899)

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 every change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly 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 sill know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

 

Be still my soul: the hour is hastening 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.

 

Benediction 

 

KNOW

Welcome to Providence Church! We are glad that you are here, joining us in person or via Zoom!.

Sunday School:   Adult and Youth Sunday School is at 11:15. Paula Rhodarmer will be teaching.   Will/Christina are leading a study in Genesis.  Bill/Jerry are leading the Youth SS in a classic book by CS Lewis.

Fellowship Time: Between the end of our worship service and before SS

Children of all ages are invited to participate in the entire service of worship.  Childcare for children up to 6 years of age, in our downstairs Christian Ed wing (on the left) at the end of the hallway.

Nursery Worker Needed –     Providence is looking to hire a part time nursery worker for each Sunday from 9:45 to 12noon.  Please contact Edward Brouwer 828-550-4615, or Linda Wilson, 901-230-7178, providencechurchassistant@gmail.com, if you are interested or know of anyone that might be.  Also, please be in prayer that God will guide this process. Thank you!

Mark your Calendars!  Baseball, hot dogs, fellowship and fun for the whole family!  Providence Church is going to an Asheville Tourists baseball game August 12th, 6:30pm.  Tickets are $9 if we get at least 20 fans to join us.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the Narnex for RSVP so we can get a head count.  Please be sure to let us know who can go and how many.

 

GROW

Pastor Bible Study –NO BIBLE STUDY FOR THE SUMMER.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY  – NO BIBLE STUDY FOR THE SUMMER

Women’s Prayer Group – NO PRAYER GROUP MTG THIS WEEK

Men’s Prayer Group – 6:45am Thursday mornings, contact Sam Mitchell for more info.

 

GO

Prayer Requests:    For Mercy and Grace:  Bill Silverthorne, Glenda White, Judd and       Susanne Heriot, Robbie Hargrove, Mike and Rhonda Lear, Chuck & Carole Torpy; Lisa Rhodarmer’s mother Ruth