Emmaus City Liturgy – Celebrating Jesus and Being Part of His Story
For previous liturgies, click on the links below:
- Sunday, March 9, 2014 – Covenant & Kingdom Intro
- Sunday, March 16, 2014 – Covenant & Kingdom I: Creation and Fall
- Sunday, March 23, 2014 – Person of Peace (Special)
These posts will feature the themes, verses, hymns and songs (audio and lyrics), and prayers we enjoy together each Sabbath gathering. Key notes from the sermons will also be included.
Curious to know more? Want to spend some time with us? Don't hesitate. Contact us and come join us. In the meantime, enjoy the readings and listening to the songs below.
WORSHIP THROUGH QUIET, PRAYER, AND SONG
Redemption Story
Prayer of Welcome and The Lord’s Prayer
From Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
From Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
May Your name be kept holy.
May Your Kingdom come.
May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
And forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those
who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from evil
(For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.)
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from evil
(For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.)
Show Us Christ
By Sovereign Grace Music
2011 A.D.
Prepare our hearts, O God.
Help us to receive.
Break the hard and stony ground.
Help our unbelief.
Plant Your Word down deep in us.
Cause it to bear fruit.
Open up our ears to hear.
Lead us in Your truth.
Show us Christ. (2x)
O God, reveal Your glory
Through the preaching of Your Word
Until every heart confesses Christ is Lord.
Your Word is living light
Upon our darkened eyes,
Guards us through temptations,
Makes the simple wise.
Your Word is food for famished ones,
Freedom for the slave,
Riches for the needy soul,
Come speak to us today.
(Repeat Chorus)
Where else can we go, Lord?
Where else can we go?
You have the words of eternal life. (4x)
(Repeat Chorus)
WORSHIP THROUGH HEARING, LISTENING, AND DISCUSSING
God with Us // Covenant and Kingdom II
Sin's Destruction and God's Justice
Sin's Destruction and God's Justice
We are now entering into the story of God's mercy and justice for Adam and Eve's family
with Cain and Abel, and God's mercy for Noah's family as He enacts His justice on the havoc humanity has caused throughout the earth. We're beginning to see more and more how sin's destructive forces have infiltrated all that God called good in the beginning – family, culture, and creation. And we also see how sin impairs humanity's ability to listen to God's words that provide glimmers of hope even as the darkness of wickedness multiplies.
1) Sin's destruction and God's justice for the family
So as we explore the continuing theme of Covenant & Kingdom in Genesis, the question we can ask ourselves is "Am I listening to God's words of hope and redemption or am I only focused on sin's destruction?"
1) Sin's destruction and God's justice for the family
Covenant | Relationship // Finding our identity from who God is and who He has promised we will be with Him so that we live from our identity rather than for our identity
- After hearing God's judgment on him after he ate, we never hear Adam speak again. Why? Did he only listen to God's judgment? Did he forget that an offspring was promised (Genesis 3:15)? Did he choose to only look down on his own failure instead of listening to the God who promised mercy in the face of judgment? And did this affect his inability to step into the situation and advise his sons?
- We never hear Abel speak, but we see God pursuing Cain before and after his murder. Why did Cain remain downcast if the God who could help him was with him? Did he hear God's words of warning? Why did he never ask God for help in providing an offering that would be acceptable? Was he ready to listen or was he only ready to react based on his own thoughts?
- What gave hope to Eve in the midst of her oldest son killing her youngest? We hear more from Eve in Genesis than Adam. Her words give credit to the Lord for helping having her deliver her first son and for helping her deliver Seth. Eve reveals that she has listened to God's promises and that her hope, in the face of death again and again, is that the Lord will provide for their deliverance.
2) Sin's destruction and God's justice for culture
Kingdom | Responsibility // Continuing in the authority God has given humanity to care for each other and the world around us in light of how He continues to care for and discipline us
- Cain's line, even in being cast away from God's presence, goes out into the world and begins to multiply as God commanded. We never see any of Cain's descendants speak with God, but we see them sustained in that God did protect Cain by putting a mark on him so that no one would kill him. How is this merciful? How is this just? What does this show us about God in His faithfulness to His words to spread His image bearers throughout the world even in the midst of our rebellion in not listening to how He wants us to do this?
- Cain's descendants create a city and then go on to create music and industry. Yet, none of their accomplishments are connected to benefiting others or creation. Soon, we hear about the violence that all of humanity is involved in and how God is grieved that He ever created mankind. What does this show us about how we use the talents and materials He's given us to benefit others and the world around us? Do we ask Him for His wisdom? Are we ready to listen for what He might say?
- Lamech gives us the first "poem" in Scripture, and yet his words are filled with pride and blessing himself. One wife is not enough. He needs two wives. He not only kills someone, he takes God's words for Cain and manipulates them to provide "greater" protection for himself. He attempts to give himself more authority and less vulnerability through listening to himself. What do we speak of the most? Who do we bless the most with our words? Do we consider our words in responsibility to others? Do our words move us to action to care for others or to care for ourselves? And in the end, are we listening to the voices in our own head more than the words of any other, including God Himself?
3) Sin's destruction and God's justice for creation
Covenant | Relationship
- God shows His favor and His grace to Noah, stepping into our wicked story so that a family is not only saved, but the animals and livelihood of creation as well so that our world can be washed of the overwhelming wickedness; Noah shows how we are supposed to be in relationship with God in that he doesn't question God's words, but listens and follows His lead
Kingdom | Responsibility
- God reveals again that He is the King of this world and that He deserves honor from those who gladly take advantage of His good creation; even as wickedness and violence multiplied throughout the world, God's justice covered every inch as the earth listened and released waters from the deep to cover sinful humanity so that we know evil cannot reach so far that God can't reach further to restore
And ultimately in Jesus, we have a true and better Abel whose blood we shed, but whose blood does not call out for our condemnation, but for our salvation if we listen to and place our identity and responsibility, through faith, in His words.
And in Jesus, we have a true and better Ark (ex. the Church – the family of God, the body of Christ – has been likened to the Ark in literature and art) that carries us through the judgment of sin and leads us into life beyond death where His family inherits the earth.
And in Jesus, we have a true and better Ark (ex. the Church – the family of God, the body of Christ – has been likened to the Ark in literature and art) that carries us through the judgment of sin and leads us into life beyond death where His family inherits the earth.
WORSHIP THROUGH CONFESSION AND COMMUNION
Prayer of Confession
Communion
(Read Emmaus City's Purpose and Prayers for Communion)
Prayer of Confession
Communion
(Read Emmaus City's Purpose and Prayers for Communion)
WORSHIP THROUGH REJOICING
From the Depths of Woe
By Indelible Grace (originally by Martin Luther)
1524 A.D.
From the depths of woe I raise to Thee
A voice of lamentation.
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me,
And hear my supplication.
If Thou iniquities dost mark,
Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O who shall stand before Thee? (2x)
To wash away the crimson stain,
Grace, grace alone availeth.
Our works, alas! are all in vain;
In much the best life faileth.
No man can glory in Thy sight,
All must alike confess Thy might,
And live alone by mercy. (2x)
Therefore my trust is in the Lord,
And not in mine own merit.
On Him my soul shall rest, His Word
Upholds my fainting spirit.
His promised mercy is my fort,
My comfort, and my sweet support.
I wait for it with patience. (2x)
What though I wait the live-long night,
And ’til the dawn appeareth.
My heart still trusteth in His might,
It doubteth not nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
And wait ’til God appeareth. (2x)
Thou great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth.
His helping love no limit knows,
Our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free,
From all their sin and sorrow. (2x)
On Him my soul shall rest, His Word
Upholds my fainting spirit.
His promised mercy is my fort,
My comfort, and my sweet support.
I wait for it with patience. (2x)
What though I wait the live-long night,
And ’til the dawn appeareth.
My heart still trusteth in His might,
It doubteth not nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
And wait ’til God appeareth. (2x)
Thou great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth.
His helping love no limit knows,
Our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free,
From all their sin and sorrow. (2x)
O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
By Enfield (originally by Samuel Trevor Francis)
1875 A.D.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Died to call them all His own!
How for them He interceedeth
watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast a blessing
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me!
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to Thee!
1875 A.D.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Died to call them all His own!
How for them He interceedeth
watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast a blessing
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me!
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to Thee!
God I look to You
And I won't be overwhelmed.
Give me vision
To see things like You do.
God I look to You
And You're where my help comes from.
Give me wisdom – You know just what to do. (2x)
And I will love You, Lord, my Strength.
And I will love You, Lord, my Shield.
And I will love You, Lord, my Rock.
Forever all my days, I will love You, God.
Hallelujah, our God reigns. (3x)
Forever all my days, Hallelujah.
And I won't be overwhelmed.
Give me vision
To see things like You do.
God I look to You
And You're where my help comes from.
Give me wisdom – You know just what to do. (2x)
And I will love You, Lord, my Strength.
And I will love You, Lord, my Shield.
And I will love You, Lord, my Rock.
Forever all my days, I will love You, God.
Hallelujah, our God reigns. (3x)
Forever all my days, Hallelujah.
WORSHIP THROUGH SENDING
H Catechism Q&A 1
1563 A.D.
Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.
Prayer of Mission
H Catechism Q&A 1
1563 A.D.
Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.
Prayer of Mission
Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Next liturgy post: Sunday, April 6, 2014 – Covenant & Kingdom III: Sin's Construction vs. God's Cultivation
– Sully
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