August 11, 2024 – Lord’s Day Worship

Pre-service Reflection

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

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.
Scripture Meditation. A) In your Bible, read Malachi 6:1-14 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.

Confession of Faith – Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed, written in the fourth century by the Council of Nicaea and later expanded by the Council of Constantinople, holds immense importance for Christians as a foundational statement of faith affirming beliefs in the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and essential Christian doctrines, serving as a unifying declaration of core beliefs across Christian denominations and emphasizing unity in essential theological truths.

Let’s stand together as we recite our common faith

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Psalm of Praise – Psalm 105:1-6

Let us stand together as we praise the Lord with a responsive reading of Psalm 103

(Congregation recites bolded lines)

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”

Hymn of Praise – Good and Gracious King

VERSE 1
I approach the throne of glory
Nothing in my hands I bring
But the promise of acceptance
From a good and gracious King

VERSE 2
I will give to You my burden
As You give to me Your strength
Come and fill me with Your Spirit
As I sing to You this praise

CHORUS
You deserve the greater glory
Overcome I lift my voice
To the King in need of nothing
Empty handed I rejoice
You deserve the greater glory
Overcome with joy I sing
By Your love I am accepted
You’re a good and gracious King

VERSE 3
O what grace that You would see me
As Your child and as Your friend
Safe secure in You forever
I pour out my praise again

BRIDGE
Holy Holy Lord Almighty
Good and gracious
Good and gracious
Holy Holy Lord Almighty
Good and gracious King

Thanksgiving

You may be seated.

Take this time to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the goodness of God in blessing us with every blessing both spiritual and material.

Thanks be to you, O God, Gracious Father.

From you we have received every gift,
the gift of life itself,
the gift of light and reason,
the illumination of your Spirit.

From you has come the gift of redemption,
forgiveness of sin,
and the healing of our spirits
by your Holy Spirit.

From you has come the hope of eternal life,
and all the gifts of grace for this life.
It is therefore to you that we give ourselves,
so that you are our God
and we your people.

Thanks be to you, O God, Gracious Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lament and Confession

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.

We lament the brokenness in this world.

Most holy and merciful Father; we acknowledge and confess before you our sinful nature—prone to evil and lazy in good—and all our shortcomings and offenses. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your way, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. But you, O Lord, have mercy on us, who are ashamed and sorry for all the ways we have displeased you.

We confess our personal sins.

We cry out to you, O Lord, for the brokenness we experience in this world. Our hearts are heavy with the pain and suffering that surround us, the injustices that prevail, and the sorrow that fills our lives. We lament the effects of sin that have marred your creation and brought about so much grief. Our own sins and the sins of others contribute to this brokenness, and we grieve over the pain it causes.

Assurance of Pardon

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

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

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 – Because of Your Love

VERSE 1
Jesus You endured my pain
Savior You bore all my shame
All because of Your love

VERSE 2
Maker of the universe
Broken for the sins of the earth
All because of Your love
All because of Your love

CHORUS
Because of Your cross my debt is paid
Because of Your blood
My sins are washed away
Now all of my life I freely give
Because of Your love
Because of Your love I live

VERSE 3
Innocent and Holy King
Died to set the captive free
All because of Your love

VERSE 4
Lord You gave Your life for me
So I will live my life to You
All because of Your love

TAG
All because of Your love

CHORUS
Because of Your cross my debt is paid
Because of Your blood
My sins are washed away
Now all of my life I freely give
Because of Your love
Because of Your love I live

BRIDGE
You did it for me
You did it for love
It’s Your victory
Jesus You are enough

CHORUS
Because of Your cross my debt is paid
Because of Your blood
My sins are washed away
Now all of my life I freely give
Because of Your love
Because of Your love I live

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.

You shall have no other gods before Me.

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

You shall not make for yourself an idol.

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

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.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

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

Honor your father and mother.

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

You shall not murder.

We will value and protect human life as sacred.

You shall not commit adultery.

We will honor marriage and maintain faithfulness in relationships.

You shall not steal.

We will respect others’ property and rights.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

We will speak truthfully and with integrity.

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.

Sermon – What is the Gospel? (John 3:16-21)

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.

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:

Pray for one another to see the glory of God in the face of Christ
Pray that Ethos church would honor the Lord in all that we do

All these mercies we ask in the name of Jesus,
who ever sits at your right hand, O Father.
He it is who is our intercessor,
and it is through him
that we are taught to pray, saying,

Hymn of Thanksgiving – All Glory Be to Christ

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 will 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 will 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 will ever sing
All glory be to Christ

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

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thess. 5:23–24)

Announcements

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.
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 share a meal together.