At EP Church, we believe worship is important so though we have canceled service for corporate worship on the Lord’s Day, we have put together a worship guide in order to help equip individuals and families to worship in their homes during this time.
If you missed them, you can watch the updates from the staff this week here. Also, if you have young children, don’t miss this week’s worship guide activities that Mrs. Freer put together.
A few tips from Pastor Gorsuch about using this guide in your home:
It may seem awkward at first. If we’re not used to gathering together to go through an order of service, this may seem odd or feel too rote. I’d encourage you to “push through the awkward” as it gets more comfortable with time.
Families with small children may have trouble going through the entire service and that’s ok! They may need to have a break to get some wiggles out, add a short song, or shorten some of the elements so the service is not as long for them. Mrs. Freer has provided worship guide activities for children that you can use.
Select someone to act as the leader for the service or take turns leading different sections before beginning. Sometimes older children are often more engaged if they have leading/reading roles.
Take time to reflect and thank God for the opportunity to gather together and worship together in this way.
You can download the guide in PDF format here if you’d prefer to print or view it on a tablet or mobile device.
If you choose to use the PDF version of the guide, the sermon audio and the hymn music can be streamed or downloaded below.
Worship Guide
March 22, 2020
Sermon Scripture Text
Psalm 136 (ESV)
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Call to Worship
Psalm 93:1–2, 5
Reader: The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
Response: The LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Reader: Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Response: Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
Reader: Your decrees are very trustworthy;
Response: Holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore.
Prayer of Invocation
Heavenly Father, by your awesome and mighty Spirit, we ask that you lift up our hearts, our eyes, and hands to you as you are our comfort and peace. Holy Spirit, move like a fire that burns away all anxious thoughts and warm our confidence in you, our mighty God.
Holy Spirit, move this day in our living rooms, bedrooms, or offices and stir in our souls reverent worship. Today is the day you conquered sin and death. Today is the day we will worship you, the true and living God. Work in us Lord for we need you! Amen.
Heidelberg Catechism
Q1. What is your only comfort in life and death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from all the power of the devil.
He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
New Testament Reading
Romans 8:18-30
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[g] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Prayer of Confession
Eternal God and merciful Father, we humbly come into the presence of your majesty to confess our innumerable wrongs and spiritual bankruptcy. We know that your merciful arms are welcoming, reaching out to hold whoever comes. We are encouraged to call for your help and forgiveness because we trust in Jesus Christ, our mediator and sacrificial Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. Please, Lord, forgive us all our sins for Christ’s sake; look with compassion upon our frailty and wash us in the pure fountain of Jesus’ blood. Then cover us with the robe of Christ’s innocence and righteousness. As we follow you, give us new minds and eager, submissive hearts. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Micah 7:18–19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
Pastoral Prayer
Gracious Father, merciful God of light, there is no darkness in you only holiness and justice. You are awesome in your deeds. You call things to be and they are good. You call your people righteous and we become righteous through Christ. Powerful and wondrous are you, the God of love and compassion. We live in a world that never stops and never sleeps. We are always plugged in and get the endless barrage of troubling news. We are daily aware of more grief, suffering, hatred, horror, and injustice than we can engage with. Our anxious hearts are pummeled by the eternal moment of our daily concerns. But, O Jesus, you are not disrupted by such news! You are not disrupted by the coronavirus. You are not disrupted by the panic and distress. Calm our thoughts, compassionate Savior. Calm our hearts as you calm the storm in Mark 4. You are neither anxious nor overwhelmed. You carried the full weight of our sins and bore the full wrath of God!
You are the rock in our dark moments. You are the fortress when we are fearful. Guard us from shutting down our empathy towards others or walling off our hearts toward those in need. Help us this day Lord. Keep us safe and protect our industries during these difficult times. Give our governments around the world wisdom in making decisions and use us, your church, to be a beacon to those who have no hope. May they taste you and taste the sweet hope and peace that Christ brings. May we see the souls who were once damned now dependent on you, Christ our righteous redeemer. Help us Lord. Guide us Lord and give us sustaining grace. Amen.
We Give to the One Who Gave Us Everything
Part of our worship is giving. It is a response to all that God has given us. He has given us his righteousness, he has given us his grace, he has given us himself. We ask that you give not out of duty, nor compulsion, but we ask you give with a joyful heart in response of God’s Grace.
You can give during this time of social distancing online on our website, through the app GivePlus, or mail a check to the office.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father we ask that you receive our gifts and that you would use it for the work of your kingdom. We rest in you, our creator and king. Amen.
God Exhorts Us Through His Word
Sermon: Christ in Our Current Circumstances
Pastor Anthony Gorsuch
We Respond with Praise
Hymn (Trinity #585)—Take My Life, and Let It Be
Verse 1
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Verse 2
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for thee, swift and beautiful for thee.
Verse 3
Take my voice, and let me sing, always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from thee, filled with messages from thee.
Verse 4
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose, ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose.
Verse 5
Take my will, and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne, it shall be thy royal throne.
Verse 6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store.
Take my self, and I will be ever, only, all for thee, ever, only, all for thee.
Benediction
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.