REDEEMER AT HOME
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
“All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits,
committed to our trust on this condition:
that they should be dispensed
for the benefit of our neighbors.”
— John Calvin
Welcome
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If you are new to Redeemer or would simply like to connect more to this community, let us know below. We'd love to share more about this church and get to know you better.
Preparation
As a household, give yourselves a few moments to settle in. Take a few deep breaths. Check-in with yourself/household: name the thoughts that are filling your mind in this moment.
Take a few more deep breaths.
Now be reminded of our generous God in this call to worship.
Call to Worship
Psalm 136:1, 23-26
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
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In the Bible, God invites us to worship because it is not our natural impulse to come to Him. Still He calls, reminding us of His pursuing love. May we respond out of gratitude.
Opening Prayer
God, our souls find rest in you because you are our Savior, our Healer, and our Life. Please capture our affections this morning with your generous love. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Prayer is simply conversation with God. Our worship is filled with prayer as we seek to know and delight in our Father.
Song of Praise
Verse:
You’re the Word of God the Father
From before the world began.
Ev’ry star and ev’ry planet
Has been fashioned by Your hand.
All creation holds together
By the power of Your voice.
Let the skies declare Your glory
Let the land and seas rejoice!
Chorus:
You’re the Author of creation
You’re the Lord of ev’ry man
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands
Verse:
Yet You left the gaze of angels
Came to seek and save the lost
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross
With a prayer You fed the hungry
With a word You calmed the sea
Yet how silently You suffered
That the guilty may go free!
Chorus:
You’re the Author of creation
You’re the Lord of ev’ry man
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands
Verse:
With a shout You rose victorious
Wresting vict’ry from the grave
And ascended into heaven
Leading captives in Your way
Now You stand before the Father
Interceding for Your own
From each tribe and tongue and nation
You are leading sinners home!
Chorus:
You’re the Author of creation
You’re the Lord of ev’ry man
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands
Words & Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
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Music at Redeemer seeks to remind us of the beauties of the Lord and express our deepest emotions: joy and praise, sadness and anger, love and gratitude, fear and hope. We sing because we believe God is the greatest hero and joy the world has ever known. He is mighty enough to receive cosmic praise, and tender enough to handle our most fragile whimpers and hurts.
Song of Praise
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
By Stuart Townend
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Music at Redeemer seeks to remind us of the beauties of the Lord and express our deepest emotions: joy and praise, sadness and anger, love and gratitude, fear and hope. We sing because we believe God is the greatest hero and joy the world has ever known. He is mighty enough to receive cosmic praise, and tender enough to handle our most fragile whimpers and hurts.
Prayer of Confession
Before you begin, remember that the Father already extends his forgiveness and smiling love through Jesus. There is nothing left to earn. All that remains is to receive.
Most Merciful Father,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
[Take a moment to reflect and confess silently]
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This prayer helps us bring the most shame-filled parts of our hearts and lives to Jesus. Although God already knows everything about us, when we confess to him our wrong, we experience afresh his unending forgiveness and welcome.
Assurance of Grace
from Psalm 103:8-13
Lift your heads and your hearts and receive this good news:
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Know that our heavenly Father forgives us and loves us fully and forever.
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The assurance is a powerful reminder that God always has grace for the wayward. He never leaves us in our sin. For all who trust in Jesus, this grace is assuredly and undoubtedly yours. Sin is not powerful enough to sway God's love and grace for you.
Song of Assurance
Chorus
Praise the Lord!
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness; new every morn
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Verse 1
What love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Verse 2
What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes, the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Chorus
Praise the Lord!
His mercy is more.
Stronger than darkness; new every morn;
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
Verse 3
What riches of kindness He lavished on us
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Chorus
Praise the Lord!
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness; new every morn
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
By Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
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Music at Redeemer seeks to remind us of the beauties of the Lord and express our deepest emotions: joy and praise, sadness and anger, love and gratitude, fear and hope. We sing because we believe God is the greatest hero and joy the world has ever known. He is mighty enough to receive cosmic praise, and tender enough to handle our most fragile whimpers and hurts.
Prompted Prayer
Take a few minutes to pray aloud for our needs and those of our world, prompted by the following.
- For the generosity of Christ to shape how I listen and love.
- For Redeemer Longmont to be a place where we grow in courageous love.
- For those disappointed by the church and God.
Conclude by praying the prayer Jesus taught:
Our Father in heaven:
may your name be kept holy,
may your kingdom come,
may your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.
From Matthew 6 & Luke 11
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We pray for ourselves, our community, and our world because God asks us to.
Prayer is simply conversation with God. Our worship is filled with prayer as we seek to know and delight in our Father.
Scripture Set-up
Justin briefly previews what it means to be anchored in generosity (apologies for the wind!)
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For centuries, Christians have gathered to hear God's word preached, explained, and applied. We believe the word of God contained in the Bible are words of life, joy, and true freedom.
Scripture
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely,
he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
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Since the earliest days of Christianity, followers of Jesus have read Scripture as part of their worship. We believe God meets us in His word and that we are people who need to be shaped by this encounter.
Reflection
Take an extended time to prayerfully ponder and apply this passage. If you're with others, share your responses together. Feel free to journal or draw your thoughts and emotions.
- It’s easy to confuse the order of things with God. Too often we fall into thinking that our behaviors or beliefs earn a response from God. But Paul is painting a different picture in 2 Corinthians 9:8. Take a moment to reflect on the order of grace in this verse, specifically note that God gives grace first! Write out or discuss with your household how this reality challenges or affirms your understanding of grace and God’s generosity.
- With God’s generosity as your motivator, take a couple minutes to dream about ways to embody generosity towards your ‘neighbors.’ How does your generosity give your ‘neighbor’ a glimpse into God’s generosity? Where can you specifically embody generosity with one person in one place this week?
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For centuries, Christians have found a variety of ways to slow down and consider God and His word. Especially if this is an unfamiliar practice, we encourage you try being present in this way, asking the Holy Spirit to fill the sacred moment.
Song of Response
This song is an encouragement to one another and a resolution that we might be people marked by courageous love.
Verse:
Que la alegría sea nuestro motor
May joy be our engine
En cada lugar y corazón canta a el Senor
May every place and heart sing to the Lord
Que de nuestras vidas, abundar en esperanza
May our lives abound in hope
Que la alegría sea nuestro motor
May joy be our engine
Por la gloria del Padre
For the glory of the Father
Por la gloria del Jesús
For the glory of Jesus
Por la gloria del Espíritu
For the glory of the Spirit
Qua la alegria ser a nuestro motor
May joy be our engine
Verse:
Let us be known by our love
Let every word and every deed, honor the son
Let our light shine in every eye
Let us be known by our love
Chorus:
For the glory of the Father
For the glory of the Son
For the glory of the Spirit
Let us be known by our love
Matt Armstrong, Micah Massey, Nate Moore, Ryan Flanigan
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Music at Redeemer seeks to remind us of the beauties of the Lord and express our deepest emotions: joy and praise, sadness and anger, love and gratitude, fear and hope. We sing because we believe God is the greatest hero and joy the world has ever known. He is mighty enough to receive cosmic praise, and tender enough to handle our most fragile whimpers and hurts.
Benediction
Psalm 121:5-8
Open your ears to hear and your heart to receive these words of God's blessing:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
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God gets the final word of our service—and it is one of grace. Receive this blessing from the mouth and heart of our Father.
Sources: ESV Bible, NLT Bible, The Message
© 2021 Redeemer Longmont