The Order of Worship – August 25, 2024

Sunday, August 25, 2024
This is the 238th Day of 2024.
There are 128 days remaining in 2024.

Filled with the Holy Spirit,
we are a people of prayer
committed to love one another
and equipped to share Christ’s love throughout the world.

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:
This month’s mission focus is The Cross of the Flatlands & The Food Pantry
Bible Study Tuesdays & Thursdays at afaithtalk.com

Call to Worship: Standing on the Promises (Bb)

Responsive Reading:  Psalm 84

¹How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
²My soul longs, indeed it faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

³Even the sparrow finds a home
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.

⁴Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

⁵Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

⁶As they go through the valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.

⁷They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

⁸O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

⁹Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
¹⁰For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.

¹¹For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does the LORD withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

¹²O LORD of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.
Praise the Lord

Opening Hymn: Come Thou Almighty King…No. 61 (1-4) (G)

Verse 1

Come, thou almighty King,
help us thy name to sing,
help us to praise!
Father all glorious, o’er all victorious,
come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!

Verse 2

Come, thou incarnate Word,
gird on thy mighty sword,
our prayer attend!
Come, and thy people bless,
and give thy word success;
Spirit of holiness, on us descend!

Verse 3

Come, holy Comforter,
thy sacred witness bear,
in this glad hour.
Thou who almighty art,
now rule in every heart,
and ne’er from us depart,
Spirit of power!

Verse 4

To thee, great One in Three,
eternal praises be,
hence, evermore.
Thy sovereign majesty
may we in glory see,
and to eternity
love and adore!

Affirmation of Faith:
The Apostle’s Creed..No. 881

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
dead,
and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Gloria Patri…Page 70

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.

Praise Song: Word of God Speak (C)

I’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I’m finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay

Pastoral Prayer
Contact us here to add your concern to our prayer list.

The 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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Anthem: Where Can I Go? (G)

Offertory

Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

Children’s Moment & Song (Peace Like a River)

Verse 1

I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river;
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river;
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.

Verse 2

I’ve got love like and ocean,
I’ve got love like and ocean,
I’ve got love like and ocean in my soul.
I’ve got love like and ocean,
I’ve got love like and ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean, in my soul.

Verse 3

I’ve got joy like fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
I’ve got joy like fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain
I’ve got joy like fountain in my soul. 

Prayer for Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Old Testament:  Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
¹ Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. ^2a And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors–Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor–lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods.”

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, revere the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the LORD.

¹⁵ “Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, ¹⁷ for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. “He protected us along all the way that we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed, ¹⁸ and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Epistle Reading Ephesians 6:10-20
¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; ¹¹put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, ¹²for our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

¹⁶ With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Gospel /Sermon Text: John 6:56-69

⁵⁶ “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹He said these things while he was teaching in a synagogue at Capernaum.

⁶⁰When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you?” ⁶²Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. ⁶⁵And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

⁶⁶Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Sermon:“Offensive Teaching: The Bread of Eternal Life” 

Closing Hymn: Blessed Assurance…369 (1 & 3) (D)

Verse 1

Blessed assurance,  Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Verse 3

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Filled Up and Poured Out

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