PROVIDENCE CHURCH

      May 22, 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:   Isaiah 40:1-5

Leader:  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Congregation:  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Leader:  A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Congregation:  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

ALL:  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 

Songs of Praise:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Joachim Neander, 1680; transl. Catherine Winkworth, 1863)

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, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er 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 will 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.

 

He is Exalted (Twila Paris, 1985)

 

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high; I will praise Him.

He is exalted, forever exalted, and I will praise His name!

 

He is the Lord, forever His truth shall reign;

Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name.

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.

(Repeat all 2X, 3X total)

 

Tag: He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.

 

 

Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me (J. Robinson, R. Thompson, M. Farren, CityAlight 2018)

1.What gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer

There is no more for heaven now to give

He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom

My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace

 

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus

For my life is wholly bound to his

Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine!

Yet not I, but through Christ in me

 

2.The night is dark but I am not forsaken

For by my side, the Savior He will stay

I labor on in weakness and rejoicing

For in my need, His power is displayed

 

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me

Through the deepest valley He will lead

Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome!

Yet not I, but through Christ in me

 

3.No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven

The future sure, the price it has been paid

For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon

And He was raised to overthrow the grave

 

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated

Jesus now and ever is my plea

Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!

Yet not I, but through Christ in me

 

4.With every breath I long to follow Jesus

For He has said that He will bring me home

And day by day I know He will renew me

Until I stand with joy before the throne

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus

All the glory evermore to Him

When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:

Yet not I, but through Christ in me!

Tag: When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:

Yet not I, but through Christ in me,

Yet not I, but through Christ in me!

 

Confession/Assurance    Isaiah 40:27-31

Why do you say, O Jacob,

    and speak, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord,

    and my right is disregarded by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

    his understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint,

    and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,

    and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint.

 

Respond in Praise: 

Nothing But the Blood (Robert Lowry, 1876)

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

 

Chorus: O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

 

Nothing can for sin atone—nothing but the blood of Jesus;

naught of good that I have done—nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)

 

This is all my hope and peace—nothing but the blood of Jesus;

this is all my righteousness—nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chorus)

 

Now by this I’ll overcome—nothing but the blood of Jesus;

Now by this I’ll reach my home—nothing but the blood of Jesus (Chorus)

 

Scripture Reading:   Nehemiah 4

 

Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage, and insulted and mocked us and laughed at us, and so did his friends and the Samaritan army officers. “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing?” he scoffed. “Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? And look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!”

 

3 Tobiah, who was standing beside him, remarked, “If even a fox walked along the top of their wall, it would collapse!”

 

4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, O Lord God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back upon their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5 Do not ignore their sin. Do not blot it out, for they have despised you in despising us who are building your wall.”

 

6 At last the wall was completed to half its original height around the entire city—for the workers worked hard.

 

7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going right ahead and that the breaks in the wall were being repaired, they became furious. 8 They plotted to lead an army against Jerusalem to bring about riots and confusion. 9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

 

10 Then some of the leaders began complaining that the workmen were becoming tired; and there was so much rubble to be removed that we could never get it done by ourselves. 11 Meanwhile, our enemies were planning to swoop down upon us and kill us, thus ending our work. 12 And whenever the workers who lived in the nearby cities went home for a visit, our enemies tried to talk them out of returning to Jerusalem. 13 So I placed armed guards from each family in the cleared spaces behind the walls.

 

14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious; fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!”

 

15 Our enemies learned that we knew of their plot, and that God had exposed and frustrated their plan. Now we all returned to our work on the wall; 16 but from then on, only half worked while the other half stood guard behind them. 17 And the masons and laborers worked with weapons within easy reach beside them 18 or with swords belted to their sides. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.

 

19 “The work is so spread out,” I explained to them, “and we are separated so widely from each other, that when you hear the trumpet blow, you must rush to where I am; and God will fight for us.”

 

20-21 We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset; and half the men were always on guard. 22 I told everyone living outside the walls to move into Jerusalem so that their servants could go on guard duty as well as work during the day. 23 During this period none of us—I, nor my brothers, nor the servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes except for washing. And we carried our weapons with us at all times.

 

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

Sermon:  “Expect Opposition”                                                                                                         

 

Hymn of Dedication

 

Here I Am, Lord (Daniel Schutte, 1981)

1.I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.

All who dwell in deepest 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?

 

Chorus: 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.

 

2.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? (Chorus)

 

3.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? (Chorus)

 

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

Our God, Our Help in Ages Past (Isaac Watts, 1719; tune William Croft, 1720)

Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

 

Under the shadow of your throne your saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.

 

Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,

From everlasting you are God, to endless years the same.

 

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away;

They fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.

 

Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come:

O be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home.

 

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 of The Risen Lord for couples/singles. 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!

Congratulations – Congratulations to all our graduates–children and grandchildren of our sweet fellowship. The Kingshill’s granddaughter Addison Wyatt is graduating from Tuscola High School. Congrats Bruce and Susan! We wish her godspeed! The Morgan’s granddaughter Ariel is graduating from Tuscola as well. Congrats to Thom and Jacque! Roberta’s son Noah graduated from Western Carolina University. Well done young man! The Dale’s daughter Julie-Joy graduated from Bible College in Colorado. We wish her the best! Shirley Morrow’s grandson Hank graduated from Furman University. Go Hank and Go Paladins! The Blumer’s son Collin graduated from Clemson (Go Tigers) and their daughter Annaliese graduated High School and will attend the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks) in the Fall.  Boyd and Samantha Allsbrook graduated from Wheaton College earlier this month, and plan to move to this area in August as Boyd begins grad school at WCU.

 

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GROW

Pastor Bible Study – meets each Tuesday at noon in the fellowship hall to discuss the previous week’s sermon as well as the upcoming sermon.   Bring your Bible and a bagged lunch if you would like.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY – From 6:30pm until 8:00pm, we are excited to hold our Wednesday night bible study. The study will be on selections from the book of John. We will also have a short praise and prayer time. Childcare provided if needed. Contact the Allsbrooks or the Mitchells with any questions.

Women’s Prayer Group – 10:15am Tuesday mornings, contact Linda Roberts for more info

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

 

GO

Open Door Soup Kitchen: This is an ongoing commitment of Providence Church to the least, the last, the lost and the lonely of our community.  While Open Door is no longer able to serve meals, we are still volunteering to cook the meals on the first Friday of each month.  If you can serve in this way, please let Linda Wilson know at 901-230-7178.  Thanks for your faithfulness.

 

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