Call to Worship
We worship a God who is holy. Scripture declares his holiness time and time again. Let’s read Psalm 99 responsively:
LEADER:
The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name!
CONGREGATION:
Holy is he!
LEADER:
The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
CONGREGATION:
Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
LEADER:
Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name
CONGREGATION:
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
LEADER:
In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
CONGREGATION:
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!
Holy, Holy, Holy (Jesus Reigns)
Words and Music by Reginald Heber, Nicole McLean, Kyle Cantrell, and Chris Griffin
© 2016 Highlands Creative Publishing
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man, Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, Jesus reigns
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
So let all the earth proclaim, all the people sing
You are holy, You are holy
And let all the heavens ring, worthy is the King
You are holy, You are holy
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Blessed Trinity, You are the blessed Trinity
Holy Forever
Words and Music by Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Phil Wickham, Brian Johnson, and Jenn Johnson
© 2022 Be Essential Songs, Simply Global, Phil Wickham Music, My Magnolia Music, Brian & Jenn Johnson Music, Bethel Music Publishing, S.D.G. Publishing, Capitol CMG Paragon
A thousand generations falling down in worship
To sing the song of ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us and all who will believe
Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb
Your name is the highest, Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions, all pow'rs and positions
Your name stands above them all
And the angels cry, holy, all creation cries, Holy
You are lifted high, holy, holy forever
If you’ve been forgiven and if you’ve been redeemed
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
If you walk in freedom and if you bear His name
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
We'll sing the song forever and amen
And the angels cry, holy, all creation cries, Holy
You are lifted high, holy, holy forever
Hear your people sing, holy to the King of Kings, holy
You will always be, holy, holy forever
Your name is the highest, Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions, all pow'rs and positions
Your name stands above them all, Jesus
Pastor and author A.W. Tozer, in his book “The Attributes of God,” noted
that when Leonardo DaVinci painted his famous Last Supper he had little difficulty with any of it except the faces. Then he painted the faces in without too much trouble except one. He did not feel himself worthy to paint the face of Jesus. He held off and kept holding off, unwilling to approach it but knowing he must. Then in the impulsive carelessness of despair, he just painted it quickly and let it go. “There is no use,” he said. “I can’t paint Him.” I feel very much the same way about explaining the holiness of God. I think that same sense of despair is on my heart. There isn’t any use for anybody to try to explain holiness. The greatest speakers on this subject can play their oratorical harps, but it sounds tinny and unreal, and when they are through you’ve listened to music but you haven’t seen God."
Tozer gives an illustration of God's unspeakable holiness:
James Ussher, the 17th-century Irish archbishop, used to go out to the riverbank, kneel down by a log and repent of his sins all Saturday afternoon — though there probably wasn’t a holier man in all the region. He felt how unutterably vile he was; he couldn’t stand the dingy gray which was the whitest thing he had set over against the unapproachable shining whiteness that was God.
In light of the awesomeness of God's holiness Tozer ends his discussion with this prayer:
Oh God, time is running, flying like a frightened bird. The bird of time is on the wing and has a little way to flutter. The wine of life is oozing drop by drop, and the leaves of life are falling one by one. Soon, before the Ineffable every man must appear to give an account for the deeds done in the body. Oh, Father, keep upon us a sense of holiness that we can’t sin and excuse it, but that repentance will be as deep as our lives. This we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.
The holiness of God should stir our hearts to continual praise and adoration. Let’s contuinue to worship our holy God.
Only A Holy God
Words and Music by Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, Rich Thompson
© 2016 CityAlight Music, Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity's Alleluia! Music, Integrity's Praise! Music
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven?
Who else could make every king bow down?
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles?
Only a holy God
What other beauty demands such praises?
What other splendor outshines the sun?
What other majesty rules with justice?
Only a holy God
Come and behold him
The One and the only
Cry out sing holy
Forever a holy God
Come and worship the holy God
What other glory consumes like fire?
What other power can raise the dead?
What other name remains undefeated?
Only a holy God
Who else could rescue me from my failing?
Who else would offer his only Son?
Who else invites me to call him Father?
Only a holy God
Only my holy God
Endless Praise
Words and Music by Crystal Yates, Charity Gayle, David Gentiles, Steven Musso, and Ryan Kennedy
© 2021 Come Up Kings Publishing, Gather House Music, Steven Musso Music, Awaken Love Music, ComissionMusic
I can’t wait for eternity
Join the song they're already singing
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord
Just to bow down before Your throne
See Your face I’ll cry out because You’re
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord
Jesus, King of Kings
Jesus Majesty
I can’t wait for eternity
Join the song they're already singing
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord
Just to bow down before Your throne
See Your face I’ll cry out because You’re
Holy, holy, holy are You, Lord
Standing with those who have heard, well done
Proclaiming forever that You’re the One who’s
Faithful, faithful, faithful are You, Lord
What can we give You but endless praise
The heavens roar as we shout Your name is
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, You are Lord
Worthy, worthy, worthy Lord
Another glimpse of glory, we sing once more
Worthy, worthy, worthy Lord
Forever, forever
Offering Prayer
Offertory:
Amen
Words and Music by Charity Gayle, Joshua Sherman, Steven Musso, and The Emerging Sound
© 2016 Tent Peg Music, The Emerging Sound Publishing
Behold Jehovah seated on the throne
Abba, Father, the Well that overflows
The God who was and is and shall be forevermore
Holy is the Lord
Amen, amen, blessing and honour
And glory and power, amen
Amen, amen, blessing and honour
And glory and power, amen
Behold the Way, the Truth and the Life
Perfect Savior, the blood that washed us white
The God who was and is and shall be forevermore
Holy is the Lord
Holiness has a name and it's Jesus
Victory has a name and it's Jesus
The Word has a name and it's Jesus
Redemption has a name and it's Jesus
Prayer of Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
Sermon
The Lord’s Supper
[instrumental music played or congregational singing]
The Mystery of Faith
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again!
God With Us
Words and Music by Jason Ingram and Leslie Jordan
© 2012 Integrity's Praise! Music, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/Open Hands Music
Oh You've come to bring peace, to be Love, to be nearer to us
You've come to bring life, to be Light, to shine brighter in us
Oh Emmanueel, God with us
Our Deliverer, You are Savior,
in Your presence, we find our strength
Over ev'rything, our Redemption
God with us, You are God with us
Oh, You've come to be Hope, to this world, for Your honor and name
And You've come to take sin, to bear shame, and to conquer the grave
You are here, You are holy, we are standing in Your glory
You are here, You are holy, we are standing in Your glory
You are here, You are holy, we are standing in Your glory Lord
Benediction
Let us depart with these words from the Apostle Paul to church in Thessalonica encouraging us as we go: “and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
1 Thessalonians 3:12–13