::: Download the 7.21.2013 Heart Prep Guide & Sermon Notes
::: Download the 7.21.2013 Bulletin
::: Download the 7.21.2013 WepcKids Parent Bulletin
::: Listen to the 7.21.2013 Sermon
image :: Autumn Song, Victor Borisov-Musatov (Russian, 1905)
Preparation for Worship ::: Zephaniah, In Your Midst
Simultaneously He is “in the midst of the assembly” and in the heavenly Jerusalem ever interceding for us… From one perspective, He sings with us in the church; from another He intercedes for us in heaven. When the church gathers in worship, earth and heaven converge. When we sing we are not singing by ourselves. (Reggie Kidd)
::: Rejoice the Lord is King (Charles Wesley, 1744)
::: How Deep the Father’s Love For Us (Stuart Townend, 1995) [bandcamp track=3490451272 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]
::: Arise! My Soul Arise! (Charles Wesley, 1742) [bandcamp track=1534263805 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]
Call to Worship ::: Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
Sermon ::: Zephaniah 1:1-3; 3:8-20
1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
2 “I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
3 “I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble with the wicked.
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
3:8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
all the earth shall be consumed.
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13 those who are left in Israel;
they shall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
For they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19 Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
We Confess Our Sin Together
Heavenly Father, we have not been content to wait for You, and have taken matters into our own hands. We have practiced deceit against You, and injustice toward one another. Unbelief, fear and shame have overcome us, and we have sought a refuge elsewhere.
Deliver us, Good Lord.
We look now to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Through Him alone we now come to You, asking You to give us grace to hear Your voice, trust in Your love, delight in Your Word, and lean on Your strength.
We long to see Your face. Amen.
Words of Encouragement ::: Zephaniah 3:14-15
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.
New Testament Reading ::: Revelation 15:2-4
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”