affirmation of faith congregational prayer time prayer


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Let worldly minds the world pursue, It has no charms for me; Once I admired its trifles too, But grace has set me free Its pleasures now no longer please, No more content afford; Far from my heart be joys like these, Now I have seen the Lord. As by the light of opening day The stars are all concealed; So earthly pleasures fade away, When Jesus is revealed. Creatures no more divide my choice, I bid them all depart; His name, and love, and gracious voice, Have fixed my roving heart. Now, Lord, I would be Thine alone, And wholly live to Thee; But may I hope that Thou wilt own A worthless worm like me? Yes! though of sinners I’m the worst, I cannot doubt Thy will; For if Thou hadst not loved me first, I had refused Thee still. John Newton, 1779

Complete atonement You have made And by Your death have fully paid The debt Your people owed No wrath remains for us to face We’re sheltered by Your saving grace And sprinkled with Your blood How sweet the sound of saving grace How sweet the sound of saving grace Christ died for me Be still my soul and know this peace The merits of your great high priest Have bought your liberty Rely then on His precious blood Don’t fear your banishment from God Since Jesus sets you free

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

THE BELGIC CONFESSION, ARTICLE 23 LEADER: What do you believe about your forgiveness? PEOPLE: We believe that God forgives our sins because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. Through Jesus, God grants us righteousness apart from works. LEADER: How do you come by such forgiveness? PEOPLE: We are justified freely or by grace through redemption in Jesus Christ. Therefore we cling to this firm foundation, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming righteousness by our own merits but leaning and resting on the obedience of Christ. LEADER: Does this forgiveness give you peace with God? PEOPLE: This is enough to cover all our sins and to make us confident, freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God’s judgment, without doing what our first father, Adam, did, who trembled as he tried to cover himself with fig leaves.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER TIME PRAYER RESPONSE ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

I once was lost in darkest night Yet thought I knew the way The sin that promised joy and life Had led me to the grave I had no hope that You would own A rebel to Your will And if You had not loved me first I would refuse You still But as I ran my hell-bound race Indifferent to the cost You looked upon my helpless state And led me to the cross And I beheld God’s love displayed You suffered in my place You bore the wrath reserved for me Now all I know is grace

GRACE AND PEACE

ARTICLE EXCERPT BY JOHN PIPER The apostle Paul starts all of his letters with the prayer that “grace and peace” will come to the reader. But he never uses a verb. He never says, “Grace and peace be to you,” or, “Grace and peace come to you.” He assumes the verb. Peter makes it explicit. He begins both his letters, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” Paul would be very happy with this verb. It’s what he means when he says thirteen times, “Grace to you and peace.” The verb behind “be multiplied” is used twelve times in the New Testament and always means “increase” — move from lesser to greater. There are [many] important implications in these words for our lives. Grace and peace are experienced. Grace and peace are not only the objective status we enjoy before God. They are also the experiential enjoyment of that status. It is gloriously true that God made an objective peace between him and us by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:14– 15). And he did it by a historical act of divine grace that was firm and unchangeable (Ephesians 2:8). But Peter says that grace and peace are “multiplied” to us. They are not static. They are not only a status. Peter is offering to us, and praying for us, that we experience an increase of grace and peace. He does not mean that God is variable, as if he were a gracious God some days and not others. Nor does he mean that the objective status of peace between us and God comes and goes. If we stand in the unshakeable grace of God (Romans 5:2), and if we are reconciled to God in unchangeable peace (Romans 5:1), then what is multiplied to us is an increased and deepened experience of grace and peace. This reality is not simply status. It is the overflow of status in serenity, strength, and sweetness. Grace and peace vary in measure in our lives. That is what the word “multiply” means. “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” May there be an increase of grace and peace in your experience. Grace and peace are not static. They go up and down in our lives. Hour by hour, and day by day, our enjoyment of grace and peace changes. It ebbs and flows. One moment we are carried by a wave of grace into a harbor of peace. An hour later, after a painful phone call, we are storm-tossed out of sight of land again. That is reality. We need to own it and seek continually to receive the gift of these words: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” New measures for new moments.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ Hallelujah! Jesus is my life Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone And live so all might see The strength to follow Your commands Could never come from me Oh Father, use my ransomed life In any way You choose And let my song forever be My only boast is You

OFFERTORY PRAYER

JASON CREECH • DEACON OF THE DAY The Spirit makes the reading and preaching of God’s Word a powerful means of nourishing and comforting God’s people, and awakening people to new faith.

OFFERTORY

FAIREST LORD JESUS • ECBC CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA

CONGREGATIONAL GREETINGS MORNING SERMON

MATT REAGAN CAMPUS OUTREACH DIRECTOR

361 Egypt Road Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 843.856.3222 Equipping people to pursue Jesus Christ passionately as they impact the culture. eastcooperbaptist.com

WORSHIPGUIDE

OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY

THE MORNING WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS VIDEO

THE MORNING SONG OF PRAISE The Church in Corporate Worship Please use the following prayer to prepare your hearts for worship: O Great Redeemer; we give You thanks for calling us out of the darkness and into Your glorious light.

APRIL 24, 2016

The fullness of the resurrection requires more than a day to unpack. The Easter season is a fifty-day celebration that ends on Pentecost Sunday (Pentekost = Fiftieth). The Easter season is a time to let the implications of the resurrection sink in deeper, inviting us to realign our worldview and conform our living to the reality that we have been raised with Christ to new life. Easter is full of joy and the laughter of love - the grave is empty, love has won, Christ is risen!

When we remember the On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, price You paid, we continue to rejoice in the joy of resurrection life. the death of Your Only Son, we can only wonder and marvel at the greatness THOUGHTS FOR WORSHIP PREPARATION of Your mercy, the depth of Your amazing love Jesus I’ve forgotten and grace.

REFLECTION

The words that You have spoken Promises that burned Within my heart have now grown dim With a doubting heart I follow The paths of earthly wisdom Forgive me for my unbelief Renew the fire again Grant that, starting Lord have mercy

We give our lives to You Lord, and pray that through Your Spirit You would teach us how to humbly live according to Your will. this hour, we may be unsettled by the reality of Your redeeming love, and hungry for Your revival fire from now through eternity.

I have built an altar Where I’ve worshiped things of man I have taken journeys That have drawn me far from You Now I am returning To Your mercies ever flowing Pardon my transgressions Amen. Help me love You again Lord have mercy I have longed to know You And all Your tender mercies Like a river of forgiveness Ever flowing without end So I bow my heart before You In the goodness of Your Presence Your grace forever shining Like a beacon in the night Lord have mercy

COVER PHOTO: Part of the “OUR CITY” collection, depicting scenes from the greater Charleston area. A reminder to us of God’s heart for our city, and our responsibility to proclaim the Good News to all.

-- Steve Merkel

GLORIOUS CHRIST

GLORIOUS CHRIST

One day as I was reading the first chapter of Hebrews I was struck by how many ways the author highlights the preeminence and superiority of Christ.

The radiance of the Father Before the dawn of time You spoke and all creation came to be The molecules and planets Reveal Your great design And every one was made so we could see So we could see

In just the first four verses we’re told that Jesus is:

You are the glorious Christ The greatest of all delights Your power is unequaled Your love beyond all heights No greater sacrifice Than when You laid down Your life We join the song of angels Who praise You day and night Glorious Christ

God’s Word to us (vs. 1) the heir of all things (vs. 2) the creator of the world (vs. 2) the radiance of the Father’s glory (vs. 3) the exact imprint of God’s nature (vs. 3) the one who upholds the universe (vs. 3) the one who made purification for our sins (vs. 3) now seated at God’s right hand (vs. 3) superior to angels (vs. 4) Wow. While it’s biblical and right to worship God as the Trinity, the Father takes special delight when we honor His Son (Phil. 2:9-10). The Spirit has come for the purpose of glorifying Jesus (John 16:14). So it’s appropriate for us to seek to increase our understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to proclaiming and cherishing how glorious Christ really is. And that’s what I was attempting to do when I wrote Glorious Christ. -- Bob Kauflin

You left the air of heaven To breathe the dust of earth And dwell among the outcast and the poor You came to be forsaken And died to take our curse So You could be our joy forevermore Forevermore You’re seated now in heaven Enthroned at God’s right hand You’ve shattered death and freed us From our fears And though we cannot see You You’re coming back again And all will be made right when You appear And all will be made right when You appear

WAM CHILDREN’S CHOIR NOT MY BATTLE

There’s trouble as far as I can see And a giant is in front of me I am small and unremarkable and they say I’ll never win But I know Who made the starry sky And I know Who taught the birds to fly Who makes the sun to rise and fall, Who taught the earth to spin There’s no need to fear I know my God is here It’s not my battle It’s not my fight My God is on it He’ll do what’s right It’s not my battle I will proclaim That all the glory is due His Name That the earth my know that our God reigns That the earth my know His pow’r remains I come in the Name of the Lord That the earth my know that our God reigns That the earth my know His pow’r remains I rest in the Name of the Lord It’s not my battle It’s not my fight My God is on it He’ll do what’s right It’s not my battle I will proclaim That all the glory is due His Name That all the glory is due His Name

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD ”God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

HYMN OF ASSURANCE

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD [‘EIN FESTE BERG]

With a beautiful reminder of that truth, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” gives us hope amidst the struggles of life. The words, written nearly five hundred years ago, still ring true today: When life storms blow in around us, we can find refuge in the mighty fortress of our God. In this hymn we also find words of battle. We’re reminded of our “ancient foe”--the devil who constantly strives to pull us down. And haven’t we all felt the harshness of Satan’s attacks? He often strikes at our weakest point, telling us lies and tempting us to give in to despair and sin. He’s a formidable enemy. But he’s also a doomed enemy. And in the strains of “A Mighty Fortress,” we find hope that Satan won’t triumph. We’re fighting on the right side. And we will win the battle. But not because of our own strength-as the hymn so elequently says, “our striving would be losing.” No, the victory is ours only when we turn to the mighty fortress, to the command of Jesus Christ. So the next time you’re surrounded by stormy weather, when Satan’s attacks spark fear, pain, or indecision, or when you are struggling in your fight for victory over sin, remember the words of our hymn. And instead of trying to win the battle with your own feeble efforts, turn instead to the mighty fortress. When you put your struggles in the hands of God, you can be confident that you’ll survive the battle. His kingdom is forever.

SONG OF PRAISE NOW WHY THIS FEAR

Now why this fear and unbelief? Has not the Father put to grief His spotless Son for us? And will the righteous Judge of men Condemn me for that debt of sin Now canceled at the cross? Jesus, all my trust is in Your blood Jesus, You’ve rescued us Through Your great love (continued)