PROVIDENCE CHURCH

      September 25, 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:   Romans 5:1-5

Leader:  Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

 

Congregation:  And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

 

Leader:   Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,

 

Congregation:  because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

 

Leader:  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

 

Congregation:  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

 

Leader:  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

 

ALL:  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Songs of Praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber, 1800; tune John Dykes, 1861)

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

 

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,

Who wert , and art, and evermore shalt be.

 

Holy, holy, holy! Through the darkness hide thee,

Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,

Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,

Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

 

Jesus, Only Jesus (CCLI Song #6517269)(Nathan & Christy Nockels/Matt Redman/Kristian Stanfill/Chris Tomlin/Tony Wood, 2013)

Who has the power to raise the dead? Who can save us from our sin?

He is our hope, our righteousness—Jesus, only Jesus

 

Who can make the blind to see? Who hold the keys that set us free?

He paid it all to bring us peace—Jesus, only Jesus

 

Chorus: Holy King, Almighty Lord

saints and angels all adore

I join with them and bow before

Jesus, only Jesus

 

Who can command the highest praise? Who has the name above all names?

You stand alone, I stand amazed—Jesus, only Jesus. (Chorus 2X)

 

Bridge: You will command the highest praise

Yours is the name above all names

You stand alone, I stand amazed—

Jesus, only Jesus…Jesus, only Jesus.

 

You will command the highest praise

Yours is the name above all names

You stand alone, I stand amazed—

Jesus, only Jesus

Jesus, only Jesus…I worship Jesus, only Jesus

 

Goodness of God (Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson, CCLI #7117726)

I love you Lord, for your mercy never fails me

All my days I’ve been held in your hand

From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head

Oh I will sing of the goodness of God

Chorus:

Cause all my life you have been faithful

And all my life you have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

 

I love your voice; You have lead me through the fire

In darkest night you are close like no other

I’ve known you as a Father, I’ve known you as a friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God (Chorus)

 

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

With my life laid down, I surrender now, I give you everything

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

(Repeat)

 

And all my life you have been faithful

And all my life you have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh I will of sing of the goodness of God

 

All my life you have been faithful

All my life you have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

I will sing of the goodness of God

I will sing of the goodness of God

 

 

Confession/Assurance    Romans 8

 

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to carnal desires.   For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

 

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the beloved sons and daughters of God.   The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by the Holy Spirit we are able to cry, “Abba, Father.”   The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.   Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, since indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

 

 

Respond in Praise: 

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart (George Croly, 1823; tune Frederick Atkinson, 1870)

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart

Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move

Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art

And make me love thee as I ought to love

 

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies

No sudden rending of the veil of clay

No angel visitant, no opening skies

But take the dimness of my soul away

 

Hast thou not bid us love thee, God and King?

All, all thine own, soul, heart, and strength and mind

I see thy cross—there teach my heart to cling

O let me seek thee, and O let me find

 

Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer

 

Teach me to love thee as thine angels love

On holy passion filling all my frame

The baptism of the heav’n-descended Dove

My heart the altar and thy love the flame

 

 

 

Scripture Reading:   1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

 

To sum up, my brothers, we beg and pray you by the Lord Jesus, that you continue to learn more and more of the life that pleases God, the sort of life we told you about when we were with you. You will remember the instructions we gave you then in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

God’s plan is to make you holy, and that entails first of all a clean cut with sexual immorality.  Every one of you should learn to control his body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect, and never regarding it as an instrument for self-gratification, as do pagans with no knowledge of God. You cannot break this rule without in some way cheating your fellow image bearer. And you must remember that God will punish all who do offend in this matter, and we have warned you how we have seen this work out in our experience of life.  The calling of God is not to impurity but to a higher calling through holiness and purity, and anyone who makes light of the matter is not just making light of our ruling but of God’s command. It is not for nothing that the Spirit God gives us is called the Holy Spirit.

 

Next, as regards brotherly love, you don’t need any written instructions.  God himself is teaching you to love each other, and you are already extending this love to your fellow Macedonians. Yet we urge you to have more and more of this love, and to make it your ambition to live selflessly.

 

Be busy with your own affairs and engage actively in your work. The result will be a reputation for honesty in the world outside and an honorable independence.

 

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

Sermon:  “ Christian Ethics: Purity, Love, Work”                                                                                                             

 

Hymn of Dedication

 

Be Unto Your Name (Lynn De Shazo & Gary Sadler, 1998)

We are a moment, you are forever

Lord of the ages, God before time

We are a vapor, you are eternal

Love everlasting, reigning on high

Chorus:

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Highest praises, honor and glory be unto your name

Be unto your name

 

We are the broken, you are the healer:

Jesus, Redeemer, mighty to save

You are the love song we’ll sing forever

Bowing before you, blessing your name

(Chorus X2)

 

 

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

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Dorothy Ann Thrupp, 1836; tune William Bradbury, 1859)

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care

in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us, thine we are

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us, thine we are

 

We are thine; do thou befriend us, be the guardian of our way

keep thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, hear, O hear us when we pray

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, hear, O hear us when we pray

 

Early let us seek thy favor; early let us do thy will

blessed Lord and only Savior, with thy love our bosoms fill

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast loved us, love us still

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast loved us, love us still

 

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be

Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse, and power to free

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, let us early turn to thee

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, let us early turn to thee

 

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.

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!

Potluck Sunday, October 2 –

It’s time for a churchwide meal together! Sunday, October 2 after the worship service we’ll gather in Fellowship Hall for an Oktoberfest-themed potluck. The church will provide all the meat (sausages/wurst) and we’ll have a signup sheet for sides and desserts. There will be no Sunday School that day. See you all there!

 

 

GROW

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY – From 6:30pm until 8:00pm, we are excited to hold our Wednesday night bible study. The study will continue every other week until Advent season.  We will also have a short praise and prayer time. Childcare provided if needed. Contact the Luke Allsbrook 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

 

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