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Ethos Communion Church

May 5, 2024 – Lord’s Day Worship

Preparation (9:45AM)

This is a time to look upward and to commune with the Lord.

  1. Sit in silence for five minutes to “just be.” Just be “still” to know that God is “good.” Try to still your busy mind and put it into a mode of listening. If you find “thought monkeys” that disturb your silence, jot them down, and then continue in silence.
  2. Scripture Meditation. A) In your Bible, read Isaiah 53 slowly, pausing between clauses. B) After a minute of silence, read it again and look for words or phrases that catch your attention. C) Read it a third time and begin to wonder: “What might God want to say to me specifically?” D) Turn the previous question into a prayer, and then write down anything God might be saying to you. E) Be still and silent, and then ask yourself and God, “What am I being called to do as a result of the word I have been given?”

Invocation – Calling Upon God

Welcome to Ethos Communion Church. Ethos exists to foster communion with the Triune God in a way that leads to spiritual peace, holistic transformation of character, communion with the visible body of Christ, and the making of disciples from all cultures and generations all to the glory of God.

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 124:8

As we begin our worship service, let us quiet our hearts and minds, and turn our attention to the One who is worthy of all our praise

Psalm of Praise – Psalm 99

Let us stand together as we praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 98

(Congregation recites bolded lines)

1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!
4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Hymn of Praise – Be Thou My Vision (B)

VERSE 1
Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light

VERSE 2
Be Thou my wisdom
And Thou my true word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
And I Thou true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I one with Thee

VERSE 3
Riches I heed not
Nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance
Now and always
Thou and Thou only
First in my heart
High King of heaven
My treasure Thou art

VERSE 4
High King of heaven
My victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys
O bright heaven’s sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all

Confession and Complaint

You may be seated.

Having considered and praised the goodness of God, we now turn to confessing and complaining to God because things are not yet as they ought to be.

Spend some time now in personal confession and complaint to your God.

Assurance of Pardon

Believe this Gospel and go forth to live in peace. Amen.

Hymn of Thanksgiving – It is Well With My Soul (A)

VERSE 1
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

CHORUS
It is well
With my soul
It is well it is well
With my soul

VERSE 2
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blessed assurance control
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

CHORUS
It is well
With my soul
It is well it is well
With my soul

VERSE 3
My sin O the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross
And I bear it no more praise the Lord
Praise the Lord O my soul

CHORUS
It is well
With my soul
It is well it is well
With my soul

The Law of God

Having received the grace of the Lord, he then calls us to live in the newness of this life in Christ by obeying his commandments by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us stand together.

(Congregation recites bolded lines)

Let us now hear the commandments of God as given to us in Scripture.

We will listen and obey.

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

We will worship the Lord our God and serve Him only.

  1. You shall not make for yourself an idol.

We will worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, without idols or images.

  1. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

We will honor the name of the Lord and speak of Him with reverence.

  1. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

We will set aside time for rest and worship, honoring the Sabbath day.

  1. Honor your father and mother.

We will respect and care for our parents and those in authority.

  1. You shall not murder.

We will value and protect human life as sacred.

  1. You shall not commit adultery.

We will honor marriage and maintain faithfulness in relationships.

  1. You shall not steal.

We will respect others’ property and rights.

  1. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

We will speak truthfully and with integrity.

  1. You shall not covet.

We will be content and grateful for what we have, avoiding envy and greed.

These are the commandments of God. Let us strive to follow them in love and obedience, seeking to live lives that honor Him.

We will follow God’s commandments with all our heart, soul, and mind.

Prayer for Illumination

You may be seated.

As we prepare to hear the word of God, let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination.

Scripture Reading (Matthew 9:35-38)

Please stand for the reading of God’s word.

Sermon – Work of the Harvester (Matthew 9:35-38)

Response to the Word

Almighty God,
grant that the words we have heard this day
may, through your grace, be so grafted within our hearts
that they may bring forth in us the fruits of the Spirit,
to the honor and praise of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Response Song – The Goodness of Jesus (C)

VERSE 1
Come you weary heart now to Jesus
Come you anxious soul now and see
There is perfect love
And comfort in your tears
Rest here in His wondrous peace

CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus

VERSE 2
Come find what this world cannot offer
Come and find your joy here complete
Taste the living water
Never thirst again
Rest here in His wondrous peace

CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus

VERSE 3
Come and find your hope now in Jesus
He is all He said He would be
Grace is overflowing
From the Saviour’s heart
Rest here in His wondrous peace

CHORUS
The goodness the goodness of Jesus
Satisfied He is all that I need
May it be come what may
That I rest all my days
In the goodness of Jesus

Confession of Faith – Heidelberg Catechism Q1

The Heidelberg Catechism, crafted in 1563, is a foundational text in Reformed Christian worship, presenting the essentials of faith through a resonant question-and-answer format. It deepens our understanding of faith, sin, and grace, guiding and comforting congregants in their spiritual journey. This catechism remains a vital tool for personal reflection and communal devotion, enriching our worship experience.

Let’s stand together as we recite our common hope

What is you only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour 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.

Doxology (E)

Let us now sing the doxology in praise to our triune God.

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

Meaning of Communion with Christ

You may be seated.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:31-40)

Communion Prayer

Let us give thanks to the Lord for this spiritual meal he has given to us.

Communion

  • Because of the significance of the Lord’s Table, only baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should partake.
  • Also, if you are willingly living in sin, you should refrain.
  • If you are unable to partake of the Lord’s Table today, you may still partake of Christ!
    • The Lord’s Table is just an aid in your relationship with Christ. Without it, you can still go to Christ.
    • There are some prayers below that you may use to guide you.
  • And so all who are able, now I invite you to come to the Lord’s Table to receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Prayer for those searching

Oh God, I am discovering that the more I have, the more I need to have, the more I am loved, the more I need to be loved, the more I achieve, the more I need to achieve. Nothing seems to satisfy me. “Nothing tastes.” Could it be, as someone once said, that “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” Dear God, if this is true, and if as the Bible teaches there is life and life eternal in Christ alone, please guide me to him. Open me to the reality of the one who alone can satisfy my restless heart. Give me the courage to believe that which I cannot see but can understand through your Word, sacraments and church family. Lord I want to believe, please help me in my unbelief! Amen.

Prayer of belief

Lord God, I now see that I am weaker and more flawed than I ever before believed, but in Christ, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. Even as I have not loved you or my neighbor with all of my heart, you have shown your love for me in that while I am still sinning, Christ died for me and took upon himself the condemnation that I deserve. I now know that You owe me nothing for my efforts, but you offer acceptance, love and blessing into all eternity because of Christ’s efforts on my behalf. I therefore ask that you would enable me to turn away from trusting in my own efforts to gain your acceptance and forgiveness, and trust in the perfectly righteous efforts of Christ on my behalf in order to be accepted by you and entered into your holy family. And just as you raised Christ from the dead, so too I ask that you would give me a new life in Christ, one that will lead eventually to heaven itself. Thank you for Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in him alone for my salvation. And as You have called us to follow You in baptism and in a life of committed discipleship in Your church, grant that I may take the necessary steps to be one with Your people, and live in the fullness of Your Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Prayers of Intercession

Having partaken of the body of Christ we now want to intercede on behalf of his body, the church and also for the world. Let’s pray together.

Topics:

  1. Pray for one another, that the Lord give you peace in suffering, and strength to obey
  2. Ask the Lord to send more laborers into the global harvest
    1. Local churches
    2. Missionaries and evangelists
  3. Pray for government officials to lead with justice
  4. Pray for the poor, suffering, and sick

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory,
Forever. Amen.

Hymn of Thanksgiving – All Glory be to Christ (D)

VERSE 1
Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive

VERSE 2
To you who boast tomorrow’s gain
Tell me what is Your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ

CHORUS
All glory be to Christ our king
All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing
All glory be to Christ

VERSE 3
His will be done His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread
Praise Him the Lord of love

VERSE 4
Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ

CHORUS
All glory be to Christ our king
All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing
All glory be to Christ

VERSE 5
When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new

VERSE 6
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall ere his people be
All glory be to Christ

CHORUS
All glory be to Christ our king
All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing
All glory be to Christ

Benediction – What is the hope with which you go out?

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16–17)

Announcements

  1. Tithes and offerings may be given online at EthosChurch.Co. FYI the fees are 2.15% + $0.30/donation for credit and debit card donations, and 0% + $0.30 per ACH bank transfer donation. So using your bank is preferred.
  2. Having looked upward during the worship service, we now want to look outward, in sharing the love of Christ we have in our hearts for one another. To do that, food always helps, so following the service we will have a refreshment hour followed by a meal. Today’s menu: Grass-fed Hamburgers
  3. Before we eat, let’s setup, then have some time to discuss how God might be speaking to you today.