REDEEMER AT HOME
March 21, 2021
“There is some good in this world,
and it's worth fighting for.”
— J. R. R. Tolkien
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 all-satisfying God in this call to worship.
Call to Worship
Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
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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, silence all voices within our minds but your own.
Help us see the beauty and goodness of your will,
so that by your Spirit we might learn to follow you as Jesus did.
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 1:
Are you thirsty, are you empty
Come and drink these living waters
Tired and broken, peace unspoken
Rest beside these living waters
Chorus:
There’s a river that flows with mercy and love
Bringing joy to the city of our God
There our hope is secure, do not fear anymore
Praise to the Lord of living waters
Verse 2:
Christ is calling, find refreshing at the cross of living waters
Lay your life down, all the old gone
Rise up in these living waters
Chorus:
There’s a river that flows with mercy and love
Bringing joy to the city of our God
There our hope is secure, do not fear anymore
Praise to the Lord of living waters
Bridge:
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
Verse 3:
Spirit moving, mercy washing
Healing in these living waters
Lead your children to the shoreline
Life is in these living waters
Chorus:
There’s a river that flows with mercy and love
Bringing joy to the city of our God
There our hope is secure, do not fear anymore
Praise to the Lord of living waters
Living Waters by Ed Cash and Kristyn Getty | As The Deer by Martin Nystrom
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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.
Heavenly Father,
as your beloved sons and daughters,
we come to you grateful for your grace
and in need of your ongoing mercy.
Forgive us for judging quickly and forgiving slowly.
Forgive our grace-less words and selfish deeds.
Forgive us for denying our hurts and neglecting your joys.
Teach us to find unsurpassing delight in you and your ways,
and by your Spirit, enable us to live in them.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, the living and reigning king.
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
based on 1 Timothy 1:15 & I Peter 2:24
Lift your heads and your hearts and receive this good news:
This saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good.
Know that through Christ, you are forgiven. And through His Spirit, you are being made more and more alive to all that is good.
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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 Trust
Verse 1:
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Verse 2:
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I'm Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Verse 3:
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Jesus, Yours is the victory!
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Oh God, You are my living hope
By Brian Johnson & Phil Wickham
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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 Asians and the Asian-American, Pacific Islander community that's hurting from the physical and emotional violence of this week; and for us to be people who grieve with those who grieve.
- For a heart eager to cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
- For Redeemer Longmont to be a place where people flourish.
- For those disinterested in God.
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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.
Song of Reflection
Listen to this song that yearns for the Lord's return to comfort the hurting and rid all wrong forever.
Verse 1:
Tender and mighty
How can it be?
Robed in the heavens
Yet lowly with me
Strong as the thunder
Soft as the rain
Father of the wonders
Child of our pain
Chorus:
Tender and mighty
A lion and a lamb
Gentle in mercy, loving us fiercely
Oh what a friend
Tender and mighty
Rise like the dawn
Banish the darkness, fend for the hopeless
Lord bring shalom
Verse 2:
Lord we lay weary
From blood in our lands
Rock us as infants
Our rock of defense
Sing to us sweetly
Like mother and child
Strengthen our weak knees
Whisper your pow’r
Chorus:
Tender and mighty
A lion and a lamb
Gentle in mercy, loving us fiercely
Oh what a friend
Tender and mighty
Rise like the dawn
Banish the darkness, fend for the hopeless
Lord bring shalom
Bridge:
May your pow’r and love
Blazing as the sun
Fill the earth as in heaven
May your kingdom come
May your will be done
Here on earth as in heaven
May your pow’r and love
Blazing as the sun
Fill the earth as in heaven
Chorus 2:
Tender and mighty
A lion and a lamb
Gentle in mercy, loving us fiercely
Oh what a friend
Tender and mighty
Rise like the dawn
Banish the darkness, Hope of the hopeless
Lord bring shalom
Bridge:
May your pow’r and love
Blazing as the sun
Fill the earth as in heaven
May your kingdom come
May your will be done
Here on earth as in heaven
Ending:
Tender and mighty
How can it be?
By Paul Ranheim & Kirk Sauers
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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.
Scripture Set-up
Justin previews Luke 22:24-27
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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
Luke 22:24-27
A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
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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.
- Take a few moments and consider what you know about greatness. How would you define it? Where have you experienced it? Who’s been a major influence in your understanding of it?
- Compare that to the greatness that Jesus is describing and later embodied. Where is there overlap? What are the differences?
- Using your imagination, think of one practical way to embody the sacrificial greatness that Jesus is describing. What would it look, feel, sound, or taste like?
Prayer Prompts:
- Ask God for the humility to embody humility and sacrifice (greatness!) in one relationship
- Ask God to show you how to use your power, influence, and authority in flourishing ways in one particular sphere of life (work, family, neighbors, friends)
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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 final song is based on a prayer attributed to St Patrick. It is a humbling prayer recognizing our need for God to lead us in our that is good.
As I arise today,
may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God speak for me.
May the hand of God protect me,
the way of God lie before me,
the shield of God defend me,
the host of God save me.
May Christ shield me today.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen.
Verse 1:
As I rise, strength of God
Go before, lift me up
As I wake, eyes of God
Look upon, be my sight
As I wait, heart of God
Satisfy and sustain
As I hear, voice of God
Lead me on, be my guide
Be my guide
Chorus:
Above and below me
Before and behind me
In every eye that sees me
Christ be all around me
Verse 2:
And as I go, Hand of God
My defense, by my side
And as I rest, breath of God
Fall upon, bring me peace
Bring me peace
Bridge:
Your life, Your death
Your blood was shed
For every moment
Every moment
Chorus:
Above and below me
Before and behind me
In every eye that sees me
Christ be all around me
By Leeland Mooring, Jack Mooring, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard
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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
Numbers 6: 24-26
Open your ears to hear and your heart to receive these words of God's blessing:
The Lord bless you and keep you: the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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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