Preliminaries: Welcome and Announcements
Connect with Autumn Ridge Community Church!
- Stay connected with Autumn Ridge Community Church by liking our Facebook page. We will have devotional content, scripture, music, and more posted in order to keep us in community during this time.
- You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel.
- We’d love to hear from you via email at [email protected].
We Give Glory to God
Call to Worship: “Psalm 95:1-3”
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Hymn of Acclamation: “His Mercy is More”
Papa and Boswell, 2016
CHORUS
Praise the Lord! His mercy is more!
Stronger than darkness, new every morn…
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more!
What love could remember, no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
REPEAT CHORUS
What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father so tender is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
REPEAT CHORUS
What riches of kindness He lavished on us
His blood was the payment His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
REPEAT CHORUS
We Mourn the Reality of Sin
Hymn of Confession: “Give Me Christ, Or Else I Die”
Hammond, 1745 – Arr. Red Mountain Music, 2005
Gracious Lord, incline thy ear;
My requests vouchsafe to hear;
Hear my never-ceasing cry;
Give me Christ, or else I die.
Wealth and honor I disdain,
Earthly comforts, Lord are vain;
These can never satisfy:
Give me Christ, or else I die.
CHORUS
All unholy and unclean,
I am nothing but sin;
On thy mercy I rely;
Give me Christ, or else I die.
Thou dost freely save the lost;
In thy grace alone I trust.
With my earnest suit comply;
Give me Christ, or else I die.
Thou dost promise to forgive
All who in thy Son believe;
Lord, I know thou canst not lie;
Give me Christ, or else I die.
REPEAT CHORUS
Prayer of Confession
(The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd Ed. – Calvin Institute of Worship)
Eternal God, you do not change. You have revealed yourself to us in your Word. You call us to worship you in Spirit and in truth.
But we confess that we often worship a god made in our image and who we wish you to be.
We frequently ask you to bless what we do, rather than seeking to do what you bless.
Forgive us for seeking concessions when we should be seeking guidance.
You command us to be generous with our love and resources, for the sake of the church and the lost.
But we have been selfish and insensitive to the needs and opportunities around us.
Display your glory before us.
That we might bow before your unspeakable majesty and so live for you now and forever in Christ.
Amen.
[Moment of Silent Confession to Follow]
We Celebrate Christ as Our Redeemer
Assurance of Pardon: “Philippians 2:4-8
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Hymn of Redemption: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
Martin Luther, 1527?
A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing
For still our ancient foe
Does seek to work us woe
His craft and power are great
And armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal
If we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing
Were not the right Man on our side
The Man of God’s own choosing
You ask who that may be
Christ Jesus it is He!
The Lord of Hosts His name
From age to age the same
And He must win the battle
And though this world with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us
We will not fear for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us
And though this world with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us
We will not fear for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us
Call: A Mighty Fortress is our God
Response: His Kingdom is forever (REPEAT)
His Kingdom is forever! (REPEAT)
Reading: “2 Corinthians 3:12-18”
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Prayer for the Proclamation of God’s Word
Sermon: “Why Transformation Groups?”
Davis Lacey – 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
We Respond to the Gospel
Hymn of Response: “He Will Hold Me Fast” Habershon & Merker, 1907;2013
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
Chorus:
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
Chorus
For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last
Chorus
Commissioning of the Church
Hymn of New creation: “Turn your eyes”
Lemmel, Sovereign grace music – 1922, 2019
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Turn your eyes to the hillside
Where justice and mercy embraced
There the Son of God gave His life for us
And our measureless debt was erased
[Chorus]
Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You
Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the Lion awake
What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins
[Chorus]
Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’
[Chorus]