Afternoon Worship Service

Welcome and Preparation for Worship

Prelude: Air Antonio Lotti Tom Jackson, violin; Rudy Heuer, piano

Call to Worship: Psalm 34:1–3

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Doxology Lasst Uns Erfreuen

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; alleluia, alleluia!
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Invocation

Hymn 457: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Nettleton

Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it – prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Scripture Reading: John 3:16–21

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Announcements

Multilingual Prayer

Hymn: A Christian's Daily Prayer Matt Merker/Jordan Kauflin/Dave Fournier

As morning dawns and day awakes, to You I bring my need.
O gracious God, my source of strength, in you I live and breathe.
Each hour is yours, by Wisdom planned. Each deed empower'd by sov'reign hands.
Renew my spirit, help me stand; be glorified today.

As day unfolds, I seek your will in all of life's demands.
And though the tempter tries me still, I cling to your commands.
Let every effort of my life display the matchless worth of Christ.
Make me a living sacrifice; be glorified today.

As sun gives way to darkest night, your Spirit still is here.
And though my strength fades like the light, new mercies will appear.
I rest in you; abide with me. Until our trials and suffering
give way to final victory, be glorified today.

Offering Prayer

(In person offerings may be made via the oak boxes. Give online at tenth.org/give or mail checks to:
1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: Prelude in E Major Johann Sebastian Bach

Rudy Heuer, piano

Sermon Passage: Ephesians 1:7–14

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Sermon: Spiritual Blessings Dr. Enrique Leal

Hymn: O Church, Arise Getty/Townend

O church, arise, and put your armor on, hear the call of Christ our Captain;
for now the weak can say that they are strong in the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth we’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
an army bold, whose battle cry is Love, reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war: to love the captive soul, but to rage against the captor;
and with the sword that makes the wounded whole, we will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on every side we know the outcome is secure,
and Christ will have the prize for which he died: an inheritance of nations.

Come see the cross, where love and mercy meet, as the Son of God is stricken,
then see his foes lie crushed beneath his feet, for the Conqueror has risen;
and as the stone is rolled away and Christ emerges from the grave,
this victory march continues till the day every eye and heart shall see him.

So Spirit come, put strength in every stride, give grace for every hurdle,
that we may run with faith to win the prize of a servant good and faithful;
as saints of old still line the way, retelling triumphs of his grace,
we hear their calls, and hunger for the day when with Christ we stand in glory.

Benediction

Postlude: Menuett Fritz Kreisler Tom Jackson, violin; Rudy Heuer, piano