"Church" Online

Our church could not meet on Sunday, since the building we rent was closed because of snow. So since we have this amazing medium of the web, I thought I would do my “pastorly duty” by leading our church family in an “online worship service” of sorts, which I sent to them by email. I enjoyed doing it myself, so maybe you will as well…

LORD’S DAY (Online) WORSHIP

For Praise and Thanksgiving, read or sing the words to one of our most loved songs at Faith Church, which we would have been singing this morning:

Greatly Rejoice
(1 Peter 1:2-8)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Who has caused us to be born again to a living hope
Who has caused us to be born again to a living hope
A hope that won't fade away
Reserved in heaven for us
Protected by the power of God through faith
We are saved, we are saved

CHORUS:
We greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible
Greatly rejoice with glorious praise
Greatly rejoice in a life incorruptible
Love beyond measure and infinite grace
Love beyond measure and infinite grace

Through the trials of life You're working
To prove our faith as gold
In Your love we're persevering
For one day, Lord, we know
You'll explode through the clouds
As Your shout cracks the sky
Dead in Christ will arise
As You call home Your bride
And though we've not seen Your face
This greatest glory awaits
'Til then by the power of God through faith
We are saved, we are saved

CHORUS

© 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship (Integrity's Hosanna! Music)
Steve Earl, CCLI #2799265

Also, to continue the theme of God’s sovereignty and love even through the pain and suffering in life, listen to the Caedmon’s Call song “Lead of Love” at this link:
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Caedmon's+Call:Lead+Of+Love:615361:s13865597.8123684.946373.0.1.88%2Cstd_9329e292af5c5e9a4d86fabb0a00cd46
Or if that doesn’t work, google “Lead of Love Caedmon’s Call” and that should be the first link that comes up. Or if that doesn’t play the full song (it did the first time for me), try YouTube.

“I had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view… and looking back, I see the lead of Love” AMEN!!

For Prayer and Confession, read and pray along with these words to the Lord:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.” Those are the words of the angels around your throne, and those are the words of praise we bring this morning. Heavenly Father, You are holy; Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil. Jesus Christ the Son, You too are holy; no man has ever come close to matching Your perfection and glory. And Holy Spirit, you set apart and forever change the lives of all those whom You touch.

We thank You so much that the God who is so holy does not utterly destroy us, Your creatures who have become so unholy. Instead You freely give us the grace we do not deserve, and grace upon grace. We thank You for Your eternal plan of redemption, in which the Holy Father sacrificed His Holy Son, so that the Holy Spirit could bring us all the benefits of Your saving love. And we pray that as the One who called us is holy, so may we be holy ourselves in all our behavior, so that You might receive glory and honor and praise through our lives, as well as our words. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

For Prayers of Intercession, pull up a world map site on the internet, and pray for five or ten other countries, that God would guide and protect His children in those places, and bring many more sheep into His fold by the Spirit and the gospel.

For a Message from the Word, how about something different (since “online church” is pretty different already!)… go to http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/february/3.20.html and read the article(s) about sports, since tonight is the biggest sporting event of the year (the Super Bowl, for anyone who’s either been living under a rock, or commendably living out some implications of the article!). I believe you will find it very insightful and challenging—a message that desperately needs to be heard by believers today, regardless of how you end up applying the Scriptures in your own life in this area. We must be careful not to judge one another, but we do need to be stimulated to think critically and biblically about this important area of life!

Finally, here’s a Benediction for you, from a Puritan prayer:

Thou Great Three-in-One,
Author of all blessings I enjoy, of all I hope for,
Thou has shown me,
That the experience of Divine love in the soul
Is superior to and distinct from bodily health,
And that often spiritual comforts are at their highest
When physical well-being is at its lowest.

I bless Thee for tempering every distress with joy;
Too much of the former might weigh me down,
Too much of the latter might puff me up.
Thou art wise to give me a taste of both.
I love Thee for giving me clusters of grapes in the wilderness,
And drops of heavenly wine
That set me longing to have my fill.

Apart from Thee I quickly die,
Bereft of Thee I starve,
Far from Thee I thirst and droop,
But Thou art all I need.

Let me continually grasp the promise,
“I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.