I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”
Chorus: Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Lord, now indeed I find, Thy pow’r and Thine alone
Can change the leper’s spots, And melt the heart of stone. Chorus:
For nothing good have I, Whereby Thy grace to claim
I’ll wash my garments white, In the blood of Calvary’s lamb. Chorus:
And when before the throne, I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save.” My lips shall still repeat. Chorus:
Jesus, Your blood and righteousness,
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in that great day
Who can a word against me say?
Fully through You absolved I am,
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
Lord, I believe your precious blood,
Which at the very throne of God
Forever will for sinners plead,
For me – e’en for my soul – was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more,
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
You have for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
When I stand accused by my regrets
And the devil roars his empty threats
I will preach the gospel to myself
That I am not a man condemned,
For Jesus Christ is my defense.
Chorus My sin is nailed to the cross.
My soul is healed by the scars.
The weight of sin I bear no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
When my doubt and shame hang over me
Like the arrows of the enemy
I will run again to Calvary
That rugged hill of hell’s defeat
My fortress and victory. Chorus
Bridge It is finished, sin is vanquished.
Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
All the glory, all the honor
To my Savior, Christ the Lord. Repeat
When I stand before the throne at last,
His blood will plead my innocence.
I will worship Him with holy hands
And raise the song that never ends.
Of Jesus Christ my righteousness
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!
The Lord has promised good to me; His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Chorus: My chains are gone; I’ve been set free.
My God, My Savior, has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns.
Unending Love, Amazing Grace.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’d first begun.
Chorus: My chains are gone; I’ve been set free.
My God, My Savior, has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns.
Unending Love, Amazing Grace.
Paul is in the middle of a detailed outline of the way of salvation. He has just finished explaining that everyone is unrighteous before God. In spite of that, Paul talks about how all of us have justified before God through faith in Jesus. Justice is accomplished through the redemption of Christ.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Paul continues his discussion of our salvation. Our Justification, that is, God declaring us to be ‘not guilty,’ is guaranteed to us by Jesus’ resurrection.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
INVOCATION
Pastor: We begin our worship in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: We gather here today before our Lord and Creator. He created us to serve Him and to love one another. But we have separated ourselves from Him with our sins. So let us now confess our sins to Him and ask for His forgiveness.
C: Merciful Father, I confess that I am a sinner. I make no excuses for my sins. I have sinned against You by the things I have done and the things I have not done. I come before You this morning in need of Your forgiveness.
I need Thee ev’ry hour, Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
Chorus I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee!
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.
I need Thee ev’ry hour; Stay Thou nearby.
Temptations lose their pow’r, When Thou art nigh. Chorus:
P: Jesus died to take away all of your sins. You are forgiven. You have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and come before Him this morning forgiven of all your sins. You are His child, and an heir of eternal life. May God’s grace strengthen you to live each day as His forgiven and dearly loved child.
C: Amen.
Your grace and mercy brought me through.
I'm living this moment because of You.
I want to thank You and praise You too.
Your grace and mercy brought me through.
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
Pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You. (repeat last song only)
P: God is good…
C: All the time.
P: All the time…
C: God is good.
P: How great the love the Father has lavished on us…
C: That we should be called children of God.
P: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine
C: To the only wise God be glory in the church throughout all generations.
P: Let God’s people say:
C: Amen.
PSALM 34:15-22
P: The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
C: And His ears are attentive to their cry;
P: The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
C: To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
P: The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
C: He delivers them from all their troubles.
P: The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
C: And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
P: A righteous man may have many troubles,
C: But the LORD delivers him from them all;
P: He protects all his bones,
C: Not one of them will be broken.
P: Evil will slay the wicked;
C: The foes of the righteous will be condemned.
P: The LORD redeems His servants;
C: No one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.
ALL: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forever and ever. Amen.
APOSTLES’ CREED
C: I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe 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, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
THANK OFFERING
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free. (Repeat)
PRAYERS
THE LORD’S PRAYER: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours now and forever. Amen.
(Our prayer team is always ready to go to the throne of the Father for you.
For prayer chain requests, email prayer@livinghopereunion.church.)
BENEDICTION
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
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