Worship Notes for 4/20/2008
Apr 18th, 2008
Greetings, Redeemer Family!
NOTE: We are back to our “old” worship format; two services at JRDS and Sunday School at 10 AM!
This week Mike is preaching on a portion of the Gospel of John which contains the account of Jesus cleansing the temple. We see in Jesus’ actions no small amount of ‘zeal for his father’s house’ in this passage- and we see in this passage The Holiness of Grace.
Our service of worship this week begins with a Call to Worship which is regarded as one of the fundamental passages in Scripture. In Isaiah 6 we see a picture of what happens to our hearts when we see the holiness of the Lord.
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Call to Worship Isaiah 6: 1-8a
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
”Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said,
”See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
In this fundamental worship passage, we see a profound picture of the Gospel:
1. Isaiah sees the holy and awesome nature of the Lord almighty.
2. His response is one of contrition. In the light of the Lord’s holiness, Isaiah see himself as a man of unclean lips. How can he possibly come before the high and holy God?
3. The Lord graciously provides for Isaiah’s uncleanness. The live coal, taken from the altar (where sacrifice was offered for sin) applied to Isaiah’s lips is a picture of the Gospel- Jesus’ blood shed on our behalf.
4. Isaiah’s response is to “go” for the Lord!
Perhaps no text in the English-speaking church is a more familiar picture of the holiness of God than Reginald Heber’s “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
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Holy, Holy, Holy !
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Reginald Heber (1783-1826) wrote this hymn which alludes to Revelation 4 and Isaiah 6:1-3. It has become one of the most popular hymns in the English language. The theme of the hymn is clearly the majesty of the Triune God. Note the progression of praise and adoration through the verses: human beings (verse 1), saints and angels in heaven (verse 2), and all of creation (verse 4) praise the Triune God. Unregenerate man (verse 3) is unable to see or acknowledge the holiness of God.
Scripture references and text notes:
Verse 1: Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8
Verse 2: Isa. 6:2-3; Rev. 4:6-10. The final line refers to eternity past, present and future. (Who was and is and will be forever)
Verse 3: Isa. 6:3-4; Rev. 4:11; Rev. 15:4
The tune NICAEA was composed by John Dykes (1823-1876) for this text. Dykes named the tune after the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) where church leaders formulated a creed (The Nicene Creed) concerning the doctrine of the Trinity and person of Christ. The tune and text were first published together in 1861 and have been included in virtually every hymnal published since that time.
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We will meditate together on the type of worship that the Lord desires by reading another Old Testament passage which will lead us into confession of sin.
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Old Testament Reading Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
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Martin Luther’s setting of Psalm 130 affords us a vehicle to give voice to our confession and restoration:
FROM THE DEPTHS OF WOE (Psalm 130)
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 iniquity dost mark, our secret sins and misdeeds dark
O who shall stand before thee? (Who shall stand before thee?)
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 (Live alone by mercy).
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 (Wait for it with patience).
What though I wait the live-long night and till 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 till God appeareth (Wait till God appeareth).
Though great our sins and sore our woes
His grace much more aboundeth
His helping love no limit knows, our utmost need it soundeth
Our shepherd good and true is He, who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow (All their sin and sorrow)
Text: Martin Luther, 1523
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…and a text from an old hymn gives us a song to respond in thanks for the restoration that is ours in Christ.
Dearly We’re Bought
Come raise your thankful voice,
Ye souls redeemed with blood:
Leave earth and all its toys,
And mix no more with mud.
(refrain) Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed;
Redeemed, with Jesus’ blood redeemed,
Dearly we’re bought, highly esteemed;
Redeemed with Jesus’ blood, redeemed.
With heart, and soul, and mind
Exalt redeeming love;
Leave worldly cares behind,
And set your minds above.
Lift up your ravished eyes,
And view the glory given;
All lower things despised,
Ye citizens of heaven.
Be to this world as dead,
Alive to that to come;
Our life in Christ is hid,
Who soon shall call us home.
Text: Joseph Hart, 1712-1768
Music by Matthew Welch, 2004
©2005 Red Mountain Music
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I urge you to read the passage that Mike will be preaching on (John 2:13-25) and to meditate on one of the texts that we’ll be singing…and to make the final hymn your prayer for responding to the holiness of the grace of God shown to us in Christ.
O Great God
O great God of highest heav’n,
occupy my lowly heart.
Own it all and reign supreme,
conquer every rebel pow’r.
Let no vice or sin remain
that resists Your holy war.
You have loved and purchased me,
make me Yours forevermore.
I was blinded by my sin,
had no ears to hear Your voice,
did not know Your love within,
had no taste for heaven’s joys.
Then Your Spirit gave me life,
opened up Your Word to me
through the Gospel of Your Son,
gave me endless hope and peace.
Help me now to live a life
that’s dependent on Your grace.
Keep my heart and guard my soul
from the evils that I face.
You are worthy to be praised
with my every thought and deed.
O great God of highest heav’n,
glorify Your Name through me.
©2006 Sovereign Grace Praise. Words and Music by Bob Kauflin.
Text based on The Valley of Vision prayer “Regeneration”
May no vice remain in us that resists the call of our King and his Kingdom, and may joy be ours as we delight in Him together.
Blessings in Christ,
John Bennetch