Gathering Liturgy | August 16
CALL TO WORSHIP
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (From Psalm 46)
SONG | Approach My Soul The Mercy Seat
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, Creator of all that is, Donor of Grace, and Giver of Life: Hear our prayer. There are chasms in our lives, deep valleys that separate us From one another and from You. We confess that we have allowed those rifts to grow, For fear of admitting our part in the separation, for fear of being rejected when we reach out. You call us to a reconciled life, to healed relationships, to a wholeness with each other and with You. Mend us, we pray and make us new creations. Through the power and love of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
SONG | God With Us
PRAYER OF ASSURANCE
Father, we come before you, these but a portion of the catalog of transgressions we have committed against you. If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities—if you would tally up the number of things we’ve preferred above you; if you would count the number of prideful thoughts, or lustful thoughts, or bitter thoughts, or envious thoughts that have accumulated in our hearts; if you would open the record and judge us for every empty or idle word we’ve spoken—O LORD, who could stand?! But with you there is forgiveness, through Christ Jesus, who was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and by whose wounds we are healed. It is in his name we pray. Amen.
SONG | Holy Spirit
SCRIPTURE READING | John 14:14-31
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
SERMON NOTES
God is the one who ultimately gives peace.
“I am sure of God’s guiding hand, and I hope I shall never lose that certainty. You must never doubt I am traveling my appointed road with gratitude and cheerfulness. My past life is replete with God’s goodness, and my sins are covered by the forgiving love of Christ crucified.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
“We long for the Truth—for the real, the authentic, the true, and the honest. (1 John 2:1)
“It is the Spirit’s special mission, constantly, to testify to this Truth who is Jesus.”
(Dale Bruner)
John 1:10
The Spirit leads us into truth and enables us to be fruitful in this ministry.
Exodus 29:45-46; Exodus 33:14-17; Psalm 132:14
The Spirit anointed Jesus to heal our human brokenness from the inside and transforms our hearts.
John 20:22; John 14:18-20; John 14:26; John 16:13-14
“What Jesus is asserting is nothing less than that our poor and needy hearts will become the residence of the triune God, as all three persons of the Godhead make a home within us. It is difficult to do any justice in words to so immense a vision, or rich a gifting.” (Bruce Milne)
Salvation is to live in loving union with God and to participate in this nature through the Spirit.
Revelation 21:3; Colossian 3:12
Questions for reflection:
Where are you desiring peace the most in this season?
How can God be leading you to surrender and to go deeper with him?
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27)
COMMUNION
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
(For the bread) “This is the body of Christ, broken for you.”
(For the juice) “This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
SONG | When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING
Last week at our Builders Meeting we made some big announcements. Two we want to share with you all this morning is that:
We have hired Demetrius Warren as our new Worship Director. Demetrius and his family will begin worshipping with us on August 23. Demetrius also desires to be a pastor at New Circle. So we will begin the 9-month pastoral process with him soon and Lord-willing he will become the fourth pastor of New Circle.
Matthew Yiesla officially begins his ministry residency with New Circle today! )(Introduce Matt and Kelsey). Matt will be learning from our pastoral team and will be possibly looking to focus in on the area of Youth Ministry in the coming months.
Community Groups will be starting back at the end of August and meet at least once per month. Check-in with your group leader to see what you group plans to do and speak into the decision on how often you meet throughout the fall.
We are launching a new aspect of ministry at New Circle that should be able to endure even in times of extreme social distancing called Triads. Triads are groups of three people who partner together to help one another grow. They will meet for twelve months. Our desire is for people to experience relational investment, spiritual maturation, and holistic transformation. Please be in prayer concerning if you should be involved. Find more information on our website.
With all of this in the face of the pandemic and social unrest, we want to spend 24 Hours in Prayer on August 29. Sign-up through Sign-Up Genius.
NCC Kids Zoom Classes will begin the first week of September.
Encourage folks to give online or in the plate.
SONG | Great Are You Lord
BENEDICTION
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Peace be with you! And also with you!
