Preparing To Rejoice In Him // September 30, 2018

PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR WORSHIP ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

REFLECTION

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.” ~C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“God loves you the way you are, but God loves you enough not to let you stay the way you are.” ~Clyde Godwin

“Our struggle with sexual sin reveals the dark and needy condition of our hearts. We are our biggest problem. When it comes to sexual sin, the greatest sexual danger to any human being anywhere lives inside him, not outside.”

~Paul David Tripp

CALL TO WORSHIP :: Matthew 51:1-2; 15-17

[1] Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

[15] O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. [16] For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (ESV)

WORSHIP IN SONG :: Living Hope

You take what is and You make it beautiful
When love floods in we’re restored forevermore

With breath that brings the dead to life
With words that pierce the dark with light
Only by the blood are we set free
With mercy strong to carry shame and nail it to a tree
You alone hold the power to redeem

No guilt competes with innocence crucified
No grave can hold what Your grace has justified

Rejoice, oh, child of God, lift your eyes to see
With every morning light, again we are redeemed
Rejoice, oh, child of God, lift your eyes to see
With every morning light, again we are redeemed

CONFESSION OF FAITH :: New City Catechism, Question 5

What else did God create?

God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.

SERMON :: John 3:1-6

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.