Sunday March 16, 2023

Amazing Grace (House of the Rising Sun)

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

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many danger, toils, and snares
I have already come
It’s grace that brought me save 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
Then when we first begun

Call to Worship

Psalm 137:1-6

“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.2 There on the poplars we hung our harps,3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

Songs

Come Thou Fount

Verse 1

Come Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of God's unchanging love

Verse 2

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Hither by Thy help I'm come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

Verse 3

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let Thy grace now like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

I can Only Imagine

Verse 1

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk by Your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine

Chorus 1

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel

Will I dance for You Jesus

Or in awe of You be still

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah

Will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine (yeah)

I can only imagine

Verse 2

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever forever worship You

I can only imagine

Misc 1

(Tag)

I can only imagine yeah

I can only imagine

Misc 2

(Ending)

I can only imagine when all I will do

Is forever forever worship You

I can only imagine

Gratitude

All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude?

I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do

So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it's not much
But I've nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

I've got one response
I've got just one move
With my arm stretched wide
I will worship You

So come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord

Oh come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord

Come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord, hey

Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord

So I throw up my hands
Praise You again and again
'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it's not much
But I've nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

Teaching: Faith in Exile: Daniel 8

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.2 There on the poplars we hung our harps,3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. 7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!” 8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us.9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Psalm 130:1- “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, hear my voice.”

Psalm 6:4, “My soul, too, is utterly terrified; but you, O Lord, How long…”

Psalm 13:2, “How Long O Lord? Will you utterly forget me?”

Psalm 10:1, “Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof? Why hide in times of distress?”

Psalm 79:5, “How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?”

Psalm 89:46, “How Long, O Lord? Will you hide your face forever?”

Daniel 8

“In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at first. 2 In the vision I saw myself in Susa the capital, in the province of Elam, and I was by the Ulai Gate. 3 I looked up and saw a ram standing beside the gate. It had two horns. Both horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up second. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. All beasts were powerless to withstand it, and no one could rescue from its power; it did as it pleased and became strong.

5 As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a horn between its eyes. 6 It came toward the ram with the two horns that I had seen standing beside the gate, and it ran at it with savage force. 7 I saw it approaching the ram. It was enraged against it and struck the ram, breaking its two horns. The ram did not have power to withstand it; it threw the ram down to the ground and trampled upon it, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from its power. 8 Then the male goat grew exceedingly great, but at the height of its power the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of them came another horn, a little one, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew as high as the host of heaven. It threw down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them. 11 Even against the prince of the host it acted arrogantly; it took the regular burnt offering away from him and overthrew the place of his sanctuary. 12 Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together with the regular burnt offering; it cast truth to the ground and kept prospering in what it did. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?” 14 And he answered him, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then someone appeared standing before me, having the appearance of a man, 16 and I heard a human voice by the Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I became frightened and fell prostrate. But he said to me, “Understand, O mortal, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

18 As he was speaking to me, I fell into a trance, face to the ground; then he touched me and set me on my feet. 19 He said, “Listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation but not with his power.

23 At the end of their rule, when the transgressions have reached their full measure, a king of bold countenance shall arise, skilled in intrigue.24 He shall grow strong in power, shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does. He shall destroy the powerful and the people of the holy ones.25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall be great. Without warning he shall destroy many and shall even rise up against the Prince of princes. But he shall be broken, and not by human hands.26 “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” 27 So I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I arose and went about the king’s business. But I was dismayed by the vision and did not understand it.

I Will Not Forget You

Many men will drink the rain- and turn and thank the clouds
Many men will hear you speak- but they will never turn around

But I will not forget you- You’re my God, my King
With a thankful heart- I bring my offering
And my sacrifice is- Not what you can give
But what I along can give to you

A grateful heart I give
a Thankful prayer I prayer
a Wild dance I dance before you
a loud song I sing
a huge bell I ring
a life of praise I live before you

Many men will pour their gold-and serve a thing that shines
Many men will read your words-but they will never change their minds

But I will not forget you- You’re my God, my King
With a thankful heart- I bring my offering
And my sacrifice is- Not what you can give
But what I along can give to you

A grateful heart I give
a Thankful prayer I prayer
a Wild dance I dance before you
a loud song I sing
a huge bell I ring
a life of praise I live before you

But I will not forget you- You’re my God, my King
With a thankful heart- I bring my offering
And my sacrifice is- Not what you can give
But what I along can give to you

A grateful heart I give
a Thankful prayer I prayer
a Wild dance I dance before you
a loud song I sing
a huge bell I ring
a life of praise I live before you

Communion:

Head up to the front to take communion.
Head back to your seat and reflect on the following questions:
- What does Lament look like for you right now?
- What does it mean to you that the heavens are lamenting with you?

Benediction:

As we live as exiles in the world,

may we work for the welfare of our city,

lifting all things to God in prayer.

While we may encounter trials and tribulations,

let us remember who we belong to and where our faith lies.

Living lives allegiant to Jesus,

obedient to his ways,

and hopeful for his renewal of all things.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from falling

and to make you stand without blemish

in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,

to the only God our Savior,

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

be glory, majesty, power, and authority,

before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)

Jared KingMarch 15, 2025