PROVIDENCE CHURCH

MARCH 19, 2023

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:   Psalm 2

Leader:    Why do the nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

 

Congregation:  The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

 

Leader:  He that sits enthroned above the heavens shall laugh: the Lord laughs at them in derision.

 

Congregation:  Then he will speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.

 

Leader:   “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”

 

Congregation:  I will declare the decree: the Lord has said unto me, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

 

Leader:  Be wise now, therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth.

 

ALL:  Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 

Songs of Praise:

Great Are You, Lord (Steve & Vikki Cook, CCLI #26863)

Holy Lord, most holy Lord, you alone are worthy of my praise,

O holy Lord, most holy Lord, with all of my heart I sing:

 

Chorus:

Great are you, Lord, worthy of praise!

Holy and true, great are you, Lord, most holy Lord.

 

Holy Lord, most holy Lord, you alone are worthy of my praise,

O holy Lord, most holy Lord, with all of my heart I sing:

 

Chorus:

Great are you, Lord, worthy of praise!

Holy and true, great are you, Lord, most holy Lord. (2X)

 

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (Martin Smith, 1994  CCLI Song #1043199)
Over the mountains and the sea, your river runs with love for me,

And I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free.

I’m happy to be in the truth, and I will daily lift my hands,

For I will always sing of when your love came down.

 

Chorus:

I could sing of your love forever, I could sing of your love forever.

I could sing of your love forever, I could sing of your love forever. (Repeat all, then repeat Chorus)

 

 

 

Seek Ye First (Karen Lafferty, 1972   CCLI #1352)

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

And all these thangs shall be added unto you—Allelu, Alleluia

 

Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find,

Knock and the door shall be opened unto you—Allelu, Alleluia

 

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word

That proceeds from the mouth of the Lord—Allelu, Alleluia

 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

And all these thangs shall be added unto you—Allelu, Alleluia

 

 

 

 

 

Confession/Assurance    Psalm 51:1-12

 

Have mercy on me, O God,  according to your steadfast love;  according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.   Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.   Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

 

Respond in Praise: 

 

Jesus, Cast a Look on Me (John Berridge, ca. 1760)

Jesus, cast a look on me; give me sweet simplicity.

Make me poor and keep me low, seeking only Thee to know.

 

All that feeds my busy pride, cast it evermore aside.

Bid my will to thine submit, lay me humbly at thy feet.

 

Make me like a little child; of my strength and wisdom spoil,

seeing only in thy light, walking only in thy might.

 

Leaning on thy loving breast, where a weary soul can rest,

feeling well the peace of God flowing from his precious blood.

 

In this posture let me live, and hosannas daily give;

in this temper let me die, and hosannas ever cry…

in this temper, let me die, and hosannas every cry.

 

Scripture   Revelation 12 

  

The Woman and the Dragon

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.   And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.   His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.   She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

 

Satan Thrown Down to Earth

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.   And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.    And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.   Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

 

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.   But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.    The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.   Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

 

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

 

Sermon “The Woman and the Dragon”                                       

 

Hymn of Dedication

What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven, 1855; tune Charles Converse, 1868)

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

 

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness—take it to the Lord in prayer!

 

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

 

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 Thou My Vision (Irish poem and trad. Irish melody, 8th century, tr. Mary Byrne, Eleanor Hull)

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.

 

Be thou my battle shield, sword for my fight;

Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower:

Raise thou me heaven-ward, O Power of my power.

 

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.

 

 

 

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 Exodus.  Children’s Sunday School – boys meet downstairs and girls upstairs at the end of the hall.

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.

Holy Week Schedule –

4/7 – 6:30pm – Good Friday Service

4/9 – 8:30am – Church wide Pancake Breakfast

4/9 – 9:45am –  Easter service (NO Sunday School)

Financial Support Summary:   (current thru end of February)  Total Income:  $15, 426;              Total Expense:  $30,376:  Surplus/Deficit:  -$14,950  Through the end of the month (February), the total expenses of the church exceeded total income resulting in a net budgetary deficit/shortfall in the amount of $14,950.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! – Spring is just around the corner. With its arrival comes beautiful spring grass around the church. Unfortunately, that green grass needs cutting but this gives you an opportunity to serve in a unique, “cutting edge” way. If you are interested in helping us this summer we would love to have you come on board. We have the necessary equipment (riding mower, weed eaters and petro to feed them). We work in groups of two or more with a rotation of about once every 6 weeks. If you are interested, which I KNOW you are, please call Sam M.  at (828)734-1392.

 

 

GROW

Women’s Prayer Group – NO PRAYER GROUP THIS WEEK

Men’s Prayer Group – 6:45am Thursday mornings, contact Sam Mitchell,        (828) 734-1392

 

GO

Prayer Requests

For Mercy and Grace:  Bill and Glenda White, Bill Silverthorne, Robbie Hargrove