Greetings Redeemer family!

Through this Summer, we have been organizing our time of worship around the book of Proverbs, a collection of the wisdom sayings of the ancient people of God. This week, Mike will be teaching on what the words of the Proverbs have to say about our words today. The Scriptures have much to say about the tongue. How we communicate is a fundamental concern of the Bible.

As I began work on my part of the service this week, I found myself wondering why: why is there so much emphasis placed on what we say and how we use our words. After all, the world is full of words. Each of us will speak thousands of words today. Add to that the number of words we hear from others, from the television, the radio in our cars. Then there’s the thousands of words we read in newspapers, books, road signs, web pages, e-mails (!). With so many words floating around all the time, how much impact can our words really have? Talk, it seems, is cheap.

But then I’m reminded again of some of my experiences in counseling, sitting with people as they recount their lives and struggles. What begins to be revealed are the words that have shaped their perspectives and actions. These words scream with rejection, anger, manipulation, mocking, contempt, indifference. Perhaps most painful is the deadly silence of absence. And then I had the privilege of talking with these people as they discovered other words. Beautiful words like acceptance, forgiveness, blessing, thankfulness, laughter, and love.

My acute sense of irony is aware that you may, even now, be tuning out. The words I type may already be simply adding to the din. Yet the importance of words is clear from the very first chapter of the Bible: God speaks and the world is created. God’s words are powerful and effective. What He says, happens. What He promises, He will accomplish.

Our call to worship this week from Psalm 68 expresses the power of God in the words that He speaks, and our duty to respond in honor, thanksgiving, and praise.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.
Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Our prayer of invocation this week is a responsive prayer that is used throughout the church. It is a humble reminder that the default response of the redeemed heart ought to be words of worship to the Triune God.

Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Lord has shown forth His glory:
Come let us adore Him.

We follow this by practicing what we have prayed: singing the praise of our Redeemer and King. “Come Christians Join to Sing” is a song we sing to one another. The words remind us of the acts of God on our behalf, His promises to us, and our community response of joyful song. “Indescribable” reminds us that the awesome glory of God goes beyond our ability to express in human language. “King of Saints” specifically focuses on our redemption in Christ as proof of His majestic goodness and worth.

As we think and sing about the importance and power of words, it seemed very appropriate that we would use some ancient words of the Church in confessing our faith together this week. It has been a while since we’ve used the Nicene Creed in our services, so I recommend you take some time this weekend to read over and consider these words before we read them together on Sunday. Let them focus you in sober meditation on the greatness of our God.

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe in one holy united and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I’ve always loved the Nicene Creed, and in particular I love the way the ancients talk about the nature of Christ as “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.” John 1 refers to Christ as the Word made flesh. Upon this Word and His work, the Church is established. Apart from Him, we’re just another social club. In Him, we have hope, purpose, identity, and true community.

The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

During the offertory, we are introducing a new setting of an old hymn. “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” is a wonderful text of hearing and embracing the promises of Christ. I pray that, as we sing these words, you would hear again the invitation of Jesus to come and find rest, forgiveness, and life.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream.
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of Life I’ll walk
Till traveling days are done.

As we close the service this week, we go out singing the song of His redeemed people. May this melody and the truth of the Word ring in your ears and lives until we meet again.

Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue.
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy, I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair,
But through Thy free goodness, my spirit’s revived
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Thy mercy in Jesus exempts me from hell;
Its glories I’ll sing, and its wonders I’ll tell;
‘Twas Jesus my all, as he hung on the tree,
Who opened the channel of mercy for me.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

Leaning on the Living Word,

Tim Sharpe
Worship Director
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Lynchburg VA