Description
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, after Jesus asked the disciples about His own identity as the Son of Man. Jesus, the Cornerstone, would build a community of believers called the Church that would follow Him and would give His blessing and authority to followers like Peter to admit entrance into the Kingdom as ambassadors of the Gospel.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
Cornerstone
Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan, William Batchelder Bradbury, ©2011 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
We Believe
Matthew Hooper, Richie Fike, & Travis Ryan, © Abundant Life Ministries UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI)) Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI)) Integrity’s Praise! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI)) Travis Ryan Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI))
Rise Up O Men of God
Bill Batstone, Buddy Owens, William Henry Walter, William Pierson Merrill, © 1994 Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
[Traditional Options]
Built on the Rock the Church Doth Stand
BH 75 235; BH 91 351; CHH 273; ELW 652; HFG 555; HLC 201; LBW 365; LSB 645; LW 291; WC 705; WAR 546; WHM 340
Glorious Things of Thee/You Are Spoken
BH 91 398; CH 400; CHH 709; EH 522, 523; ELW 647; HWC 278; HFG 376; HLC 209; HGP 165; LBW 358; LSB 648; LW 294; NCH 307; PH 446; RH 339; STTL 670; WC 694; UMH 731; WAR 598; WHM 35; WIS 308
To Your Temple, Lord, I Come
LSB 981, LW 207
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
We call everyone from the north, south, east, and west to come worship the Lord together.
Worshipers
We are the Bride, the body of Christ, not confined to these walls, but defined as the Church, the people of God.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Let us join together in one accord and lift up the name of Jesus so that all can hear and know the Truth.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Father, just like You have blessed us with salvation and adopted us as Your sons and daughters through Jesus. We have been grafted into Your vine and are temples of Your Spirit. We are scattered on this earth, assigned to go to its ends and share the Gospel message. Each of us vary in strengths and weaknesses, but all of us must rely on Your strength where no weakness lives. We ask that we’d unify with one another as we unify with You, Holy Spirit. We ask you to bind us up and set us forth to accomplish the work to which we’ve been called. We cannot do this alone. Move in us and have Your way. In Jesus’ name we ask all these things.
Worshipers
Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
As ambassadors of Christ Jesus, we bear His name and are to uphold His reputation. Yet, all the time we sin and fall short, just as Paul described in Romans.
Worshipers
We deny the Lord just like Peter did. We reject God’s ways just like the Israelites did. We pride ourselves and boast of our own accomplishments and forsake the Lord God as the One true God over all. Forgive us, Lord Jesus. We desperately need You.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We need You to forgive us, to cleanse us of our sin stains, to pick us up and show us the right path, to remind us to repent quickly and seek You first. We ask that You’d mold us into Your likeness and help us to love You and others as we have been loved by Christ.
Worshipers
We raise up our heads now keeping our gazes fixed on You and say that we are Your people. We will follow You. By the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 51:1-6
Just as God blessed Abraham and made him a nation, so God has blessed us with righteousness through the salvation of Jesus Christ. The earth will fade away, but the kingdom of the Lord will never fail.
“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; 2 look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many. 3 The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. 4 “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
