Description

Acts 8:26-40

In today’s world, it is easy to become isolated from one another.  True relationships are harder and harder to come by.  It has become too convenient to not have to deal with other people.  In Acts 8:29, the Spirit of the Lord encouraged Philip to go stand next to a chariot where someone was reading scripture.  Just being close to this other person sparked a discussion that led to a man’s salvation.  In what ways is God calling us to draw near to others so they might experience and receive the gift of God’s mercy and grace?

 

… We Lift Our Hearts in Worship …

[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]

 Time of Praise and Worship

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Matt Redman & Jonas Myrin, ©2011 Thankyou Music, Said And Done Music, sixsteps Music, SHOUT! Publishing (Admin EMI CMG Publishing)

Build Your Kingdom Here

Rend Collective Experiment, ©2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing

Celebrate Jesus / Jesus Is Alive (Medley)

Gary Oliver, ©1988 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music / Ron Kenoly, ©1987 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

[Traditional Options]

O Christ, Our True and Only Light aka O Christ, Our Light, O Radiance True

ELW 675; LBW 380; LSB 839; LW 314

Lord, Open Now My Heart To Hear

LSB 908; LW 197

Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty

ELW 533; LBW 250; LSB 901; LW 198, NCH 67; PH 489

 

Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme 

Pastor              Lord Jesus, we turn our eyes upon You in love and holy devotion.

ALL                  Hear us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Pastor              We have isolated ourselves from You, yet You always stay with us. 

ALL                  Hear us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Pastor              Your just and loving hand guides our lives in ways that we don’t always see.

ALL                  Hear us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Pastor              You have called us to not only draw near to You, but to also draw near to others so that Your name can be glorified.

ALL                  Hear us Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Opening Proclamation 

Pastor              Let us give thanks to the LORD for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.  I will give praise to the LORD in His sanctuary.  I will praise Him for His mighty acts,                                and for His surpassing greatness.  Great is the presence of the LORD; He is there for His people, guiding them through the wilderness and remaining true to the                                          promises that He creates.  He never forgets His covenant, and He never turns His back on those who remain faithful to His holy word.  He has proven His                                                      His people by making Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant and humbling Himself by becoming obedient to death, so that those that believe in His                                        grace may delight in His salvation.  His works are filled with glory, and the righteousness of His deeds is everlasting.  Great and holy is the LORD.  May the majesty of                                His name be praised for all eternity.  

ALL                  AMEN!

 

Time of Greeting

 

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

Pastor:             Almighty God, we have turned our back on You because of sin and our devotion to ourselves. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We have become too self-absorbed with our own lives to remember what You have done for us.

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We have also let our own selfishness get in the way of sharing the good news of Your love and salvation with others. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We know that our own actions and inactions have caused us to fall short.  Yet You know all that we have done and all that we have left undone. We lay all of these                                        iniquities at Your feet as we cry out for Your forgiveness. 

ALL:                 Have mercy on us, Lord. 

Pastor:             We sit at Your feet humbly repenting of all our sins, so we may be at one with You and take delight in Your presence. 

                                                                             (pause for silent reflection) 

Pastor:             Upon hearing your confession, I as a called and ordained servant of the word announce the grace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ to all of you, and that by His                                       death and triumphant resurrection your sins have been forgiven. May the grace and salvation that comes from the sacred blood of Christ provide us with sweet                                           deliverance.

 

… We Hear God’s Word …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

First Reading                      Acts 8:26-40

We read the story of Phillip and an unnamed Ethiopian who have an encounter on the side of the road.  Being prompted by the Holy Spirit, Phillip draws near to a perfect stranger and is then used by God to bring salvation to this important Ethiopian official.  Phillip learned the lesson of proximity when it comes to sharing one’s faith. 

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” ³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.  Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” ³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”^[37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.