CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED
Call to Worship: Psalm 69:30-34
We gather as a small expression of the diverse, global body of Christ. The Universal Church, made up of believers from every tribe, tongue, nation, language, and culture throughout time and history. And today is the day that has been marked out as the National Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Those brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who lose their lives and their livelihoods, lose their families, and the community, who are imprisoned and tortured for their faith. It is right and good for us as Americans to thank God for the freedoms that we have to worship and practice our faith. It is right and good for us as Americans to admit that we are quick to call many things persecution that is more like an inconvenience, more like opposition, more like a loss of power, influence, or cultural sway we may have previously enjoyed. And it is right and good for us to spend time praying for and on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are suffering for the sake of Christ. We’re going to spend some time praying to that end now, I will lead us through this prayer, and we’ll give you some time to pray silently with a list of 50 countries facing extreme persecution at this time as well. Let’s pray:
Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Father, there is nothing that can separate us from Your love.
Not tribulation or distress.
Not persecution or famine.
Not nakedness, danger or sword.
And still, these realities are all too present for many of our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus, you know the suffering of Your Bride - because You are the man of sorrows, the one acquainted with grief, You were despised and rejected, beaten, tortured, deserted, and killed. As our brother and sisters around the world share in Your sufferings, would You draw them near to Your glory? Would they count the loss of all things as nothing in comparison to knowing You? Would they live in the promise of Your words in Matthew:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account.”
Holy Spirit, let us not use our freedom to be free of the burden to pray, to think, to act on behalf of our brothers and sisters around the world who are in chains for the sake of the gospel. We take a moment now to silently pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters suffering for their faith….
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayers. Thank you, that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus. Amen and amen.
IS HE WORTHY
HOLY (JESUS YOU ARE)
Sermon:
The Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Supper
I STAND AMAZED (HOW MARVELOUS)
Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21