Well, good morning and welcome to Grace Church. If you're visiting with us this morning, I want to extend the warmest of greetings to you. Isn't it a delight to come to church with the sun shining and warm weather for a change? We don't need an extra coat. What a beautiful day to be here today. I want to take just a minute to express to you my gratitude for your energetic involvement in worship in these past several weeks.
We have gone from doing traditional hymns that are so meaningful to doing contemporary praise singing. And I've come to understand real quickly there's a lot of diversity here in the congregation. I think that's great. And within that diversity, I see great unity as well. A lot of graciousness between each of you, understanding that there are many styles of which to praise God. We have sung hymns in a grand fashion, and we've sung contemporary choruses really the way they should be done as well.
We'll continue to use praise choruses in our services here, but I want you to know that we'll never forsake the use of hymns. Hymns are so meaningful. They're so important to our understanding of God. They teach us, they lead us to the Savior, and we'll always do hymns here at Grace Church. For the past four years, I have had the privilege of using a tool in worship that I feel has been probably the number one tool for affecting dynamic worship within our services. That tool has been a hymnal.
It's a hymnal called the hymnal for worship and celebration. It is the number one hymnal in America today. It's the number one selling hymnal for many reasons. One reason is that it uses the good, old-fashioned hymns, and it arranges them dynamically. It ties a few of them together in a service using two or three hymns tied in a medley, and there are interludes between the hymns. It uses contemporary praise choruses as well. It has wonderful readings.
It has tremendous instrumental accompaniment. This is the hymnal here. I've used it for four years, and I feel it's the very best hymnal that is out for worship today. If you agree with me that you want your worship to be dynamic, to have variety, and to have all of the excitement that it should, I want to recommend this hymnal to us as a church today, the hymnal for worship and celebration. I want to let you in on just a little secret.
If you go back three or four weeks when we sang Holy, Holy, Holy, or 04, A Thousand Tongues, or some of the other hymns when the instruments were just raising the roof, I want to let you in on a secret that we were using this hymnal up here with the instruments and with the choir. I found it to be just an exceptional tool to help us to worship the way we ought to worship. Now, we have an opportunity this morning to look at this hymnal as a hymnal for our church here.
I'm recommending it to you, and I hope that you get behind me on this. I feel that we should have this hymnal because it's the best. We pursue excellence in all that we do here at Grace Church, and the hymnal should be a part of that as well. If you look in your worship folders, you'll find a little envelope. It looks just like this. If you have one, would you raise it for me? It says, hymnal fund.
Now, we have an opportunity this morning for each of us, every adult in the church ages 13 and up, if you would purchase one hymnal yourself for $8, then we'll fill our church with the hymns necessary for our services. $8 each adult, if you would take your $8 check and put it in its envelope this morning and drop it in the offering plate. I would love it if we could get this hymnal just in a matter of a few weeks here. I recommend it to you. If you have any questions about it, let me know.
I'll be up front afterwards and I'll show you some of the nice things that you'll find in this hymnal. Some of you may be able to buy more than one. Some may have the opportunity to buy several as a memorial gift. Whatever it may be, I encourage you to help me to get this hymnal in place here at the church. Now this morning's service will be in contrast to many of the others that we've had in the past few weeks. This morning will be remembering the Lord's death. It'll be a memorial service.
And I hope that within its context that your heart is prepared as ours is on the platform. Would you pray with me please as we begin? Lord you are the lamb who was slain before the foundations of the world. You surrendered yourself and you gave of yourself freely so that we would be delivered from death. We bow before you this morning in adoration of your grandeur and your splendor. And we pray that we would have your mind to lay ourselves aside as you did for you are worthy of our praise.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Will you turn to number 72 please in your hymnal? Thou art worthy. Number 72. And we'll move from there to number 73. Would you stand with me as we sing please? Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy to receive glory, glory and honor. Glory and honor and power. For Thou hast created, hast all things created.
Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are created. Thou art worthy, O Lord. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength, a heritable, we at last see. Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is Thine. You may be seated. I invite you to kneel with me if you wish, and you're able to, right at the chair where you are.
Just slip out on your knees and let's bow before the Lamb. We have sung that he is worthy, and indeed he is. Would you say with me out loud those words, Thou art worthy, O Lord. Let's say them together. Thou art worthy, O Lord. Once again, Thou art worthy, O Lord. Jesus Christ, you are worthy of our praise, for by your blood you have purchased us for God. And we bow and kneel before you, recognizing your worthiness as our Redeemer. And we give you our hearts. We give you our love.
We give you all that we are. Amen. Pilate said to them, Here is the man. And the chief priests and the officers saw him. They cried out, Crucify him! Crucify him! Pilate said to them, Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him. Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. You died for me on the cross that fell on me. You died for me on the cross that I might see. In bitter pain you take away my strife. O Lord of all, I give to you my life. You come to me in the final dawn of day. You come to me that your spirit shall remain. That I might see in bitter pain your precious blood is no more. O Lord of all, my faith is now restored. O Savior Jesus, you died for me.
My cross you bear for me at Calvary. You give to me every day your saving grace. You give to me your redeeming holy face. In bitter pain you die that I might live. O Lord of all, my love to you I give. You died for me on the cross at Calvary. You died for me on the cross that I might see. In bitter pain you take away my strife. O Lord of all, I give to you my life. My life. Number 218, number 218 in your hymnals. Blessed Redeemer, up Calvary's mountain he walked.
Would you stand as we sing all three verses please, number 218. Up Calvary's mountain, one dreadful road, Walk Christ my Savior, weary and poor, Rising for sinners, death on the cross, That he might save them from endless loss. Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer, Seems now I see, on Calvary's tree, Wounded and weeping, for sinners pleading, Died and unheeding, dying for him.
Father forgive them, thus did he pray, In while his lifeblood flowed fast away, Praying for sinners while in such woe, No one but Jesus ever loved so. Blessed Redeemer, blessed Redeemer, Seems now I see, on Calvary's tree, Wounded and weeping, for sinners pleading, Died and unheeding, dying for him. O how I love him, Savior and friend, How can my praises ever find rest, Through years unknown, on heaven's shore, My tongue shall praise him forevermore.
Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer, Seems now I see, on Calvary's tree, Wounded and weeping, for sinners pleading, Died and unheeding, dying for him. When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of Glory died, My riches gain I count but loss, And poor contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God. O bovine things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingle down. Did ere such love and sorrow meet, The heart's composure so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small? Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my love. And then he partook of the bread, And said to them, This is my body, which is for you. Then he partook of the cup, Saying to them, This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
After doing so, he began to share with them that he was going away, And that where he was going, they could not come. Later speaking for himself, but for all of them, In his own way said, Lord, wherever you're going, I'm going to come, Even if it means my death. And Jesus said, Tonight you will deny me three times, But I'm going away. But I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Soon you will see me no more, But I will come to you.
And then he went on to express to them how important they were to him. And he said, Now let's get up and go. And they left the upper room and walked across the brook Kidron to the east of Jerusalem. And as they walked those pathways, undoubtedly they passed by some vineyards. And Jesus said, I am the vine, and you are the branches. Abide in me and you will bear much fruit. And as he continued talking with them, he reminded them, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
They needed that assurance. They needed that word of encouragement. I have chosen you. But he kept talking. And somber words came to his mouth when he said, If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. Jesus said that in such a way that it meant, The world has hated me and it will continue to hate me. He says, If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, Therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. These men were his chosen disciples, in a similar way that we are his chosen disciples today. And he warned them and he warns us through their words, That because we are his and no longer a part of the world system, Therefore the world can be expected to hate us. You see, the world hates everyone that does not conform to its paradigm.
The world hates anyone who will not accommodate themselves to its lifestyle. Just as the world has a permanent and abiding attitude of hatred toward Jesus, The world carries out that attitude toward his followers. We are his chosen disciples. We have been chosen by the Lord to suffer in this world for his name's sake. And let us reaffirm in our hearts today that he is worthy of all that he calls us to, including suffering. He has called us to death.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a German pastor and theologian in Germany before World War II, Was put to death eventually by the Nazis. He said, when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. We like to think of discipleship in some other terms than that, and there are other ways to describe it. But let's never forget that the bottom line of discipleship is death. Jesus said, I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you.
It is not a compliment when we are broadly and consistently loved by the world. In Luke chapter 14, Jesus makes some rather strong statements regarding discipleship that tie in with this. Because of his miracles and his teaching, many were following him, Many more than he was comfortable with because he knew they were not genuine disciples.
So in verse 25 of Luke 14, it says, great multitudes were going along with him, And he turned and said to them, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother And wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Strong words. Jesus is not saying that we must literally hate our loved ones and ourselves.
This is an Eastern expression from that time, one of comparison. Another way of saying this that would come across better in the English is, We must love him above all of our loved ones and yes, even ourselves. That's the point. And he says that we must be willing to carry our cross. To carry the cross is a way of intensifying what he has just said. He is saying you cannot be my disciple unless you are committed to me.
Above everyone and everything else, it means, dear people, carrying your own cross. Carrying a Roman cross was not unfamiliar in that day. It signified in the one hand that this person, by carrying his own cross, Was acknowledging that Rome's sentence of death was a just one. Rome enforced that. The sentence was handed down and the person was told, Take up your cross now, Symbolizing that your sentence is just and carry it to the place of crucifixion.
So when Jesus says, Take up your cross, he is saying to us that when we do so, We acknowledge that his call of total commitment is just. It is right. And therefore we carry our cross, symbolizing that. Carrying the cross meant that one surrendered his life to another. Carrying the cross means that we surrender to Jesus Christ our life's plans, Our ambitions, our desires. We give them all to him willingly. And that we say to him, Lord, I will serve you as you direct me, whatever that means.
I surrender my life to you. Carrying the cross meant certain death. One did not come back from the place of his own execution. It was a one-way trip. Jesus says to us, Take up your cross and follow me. It means that when we have taken up the cross, there is no turning back. It is a commitment that is one way. And we say to him, I carry my cross to the place of death for you, Lord Jesus. Sometimes we like to think, don't we, that we can have it both ways.
That on the one hand we can be identified as Christians and as disciples of Jesus Christ. And on the other hand we can have our own way with our lives. Live our lives as we please. Fulfill our own desires and our own ambitions and ask the Lord's blessing upon that. But that is contrary to what our Lord says. He says if we are going to follow him and be genuine disciples, it means total commitment. It means picking up the cross and dying to ourselves to follow him and him alone.
He has said that when Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions, he took a bold step to ensure that all of his soldiers would fight well. He ordered his men to go to the edge of the cliffs of Dover and to look over those cliffs. And when they did, looking down at the sea, they saw the boats on which they had arrived in flames. Caesar wanted them to know that all possibility of retreat had been cut off. And now they must fight or die. There was no turning back.
The commitment that Jesus Christ calls us to is just that definite and that clear. He says I have chosen you out of the world. Take up your cross and follow me. Jesus can only promise to us what he himself has received. He has received the cross. And that is your promise in mind, that in this world we will bear his cross. Chosen disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are guaranteed a life of permanent value. But we are not guaranteed a life immune from hatred and suffering in a world of unbelievers.
As we gather at the Lord's table this morning and we remember his cross and his death for our sake, we rejoice. But we must also be sobered realizing that as we partake of this bread and this cup, we are drinking and eating to our own death as well. Because in partaking we are saying I am a follower of Jesus Christ. And I pick up my cross, my own cross, that I might follow him alone. Let's bow together.
As the Holy Spirit searches our hearts before we come to the table, I wonder what you need to say to the Lord who says, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Think of that quietly as we prepare our hearts to partake of this table. Our Lord, we come to the table that you opened for us with deep gratitude for the price that you paid for our sins. We can add nothing to your suffering in that regard.
Your suffering was complete, it was finished for our sake. How we thank you. Worthy are you of our praise. But as we come to this table this morning, we are also mindful that we come as called and chosen disciples. Those who have been counted worthy to suffer shame for your name. Forgive us when we have shirked our calling. When we have lived beneath it and not risen to the grace to which you've called us.
Cleanse us now and renew within our hearts the commitment of the cross and our call to discipleship. In Jesus' name, Amen. As we come to the Lord's table today, I'd like to remind you of some words of John White in his book entitled The Fight. He says, The Father does not welcome you because you have been trying hard, because you have made a thorough going confession, or because you have been making spiritual strides recently.
He does not welcome you because you have something you can be proud about. He welcomes you because his son died for you. Therefore, when you find the gray cloud descending, whether it be as you pray or as you work, as you testify or whatever, when you find the ring of assurance going from your words because of a vague sense of guilt, look up to God and say, Thank you, my Father, for the blood of your Son. Thank you even now that you accept me gladly, lovingly, in spite of all I am and have done.
Because of his death, Father and God, I come. Let's rejoice in his sharing, his sacrifice of his body. Let's sing together at the cross. Alas, and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred hand for such a, such as I? Where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my Son, and now I am happy all the day. But drops of grief, can there repay the depth of love I owe? Dear Lord, I give myself away.
It is all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my Son, and now I am happy all the day. Just the chorus, at the cross. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my Son, and now I am happy all the day. Jesus said, This is my body which is for you. Eat this in remembrance of me. Lord, we remember.
Two centuries ago, there was an English pastor and preacher by the name of Robert Robinson, who was also a poet and a hymn writer. Later in his spiritual life, he began to drift from the Lord. So much so that Mr. Robinson began to wonder if he even was a Christian at all. One evening he was riding in the carriage in the city of Paris with a lady, a friend of his. And she began to read to him from a book of poetry. And she said, Robert, what do you think of this poem?
Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise. Streams of mercy never failing call for hymns of loudest praise. She looked over at him, and tears were streaming down his face. And he said, What do I think of it? I wrote it. And she said, Robert, she was a new believer. She said, Robert, in Paris tonight, the streams of mercy are still flowing. And from a broken and repentant heart, that evening, he called on the Lord again and renewed his walk with Jesus Christ.
I am so glad as we come to the cup representing the blood of Jesus Christ, that it continually cleanses us from all sin. And that the streams of mercy are still flowing today for all of us because of Jesus. Thank you. On a hill far away, Spurred in old rugged huts, On a hill far away, Spurred in old rugged huts, On the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross, The dearest and best, For the world of lost sinners was sinned.
Lest the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay bare, I will claim to the old rugged cross, And exchange it someday for a cup. O that old rugged cross, Of time, Attraction for me, For the dear Lamb of God, North is glory alone, To bear it to dark Alvary. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross. O that old rugged cross, I will claim to the old rugged cross, And exchange it someday for a cup.
O that old rugged cross, Of time, Attraction for me, For the dear Lamb of God, North is glory alone, For the dear Lamb of God, Worthy art thou to take the Book, To break its seals. For thou wast slain and didst purchase for God, With thy blood, men from every tribe, And tongue, and people, and nation. I'm glad you've come today to share with us in this service. We invite you to use those containers to put your cups in there if you wish.
We have a wonderful Savior and we welcome you in His name, and particularly those of you who may be our guests in the service who are visiting with us for the first time. The ushers have a rose we'd like to give to you. Would you be kind enough, wherever you're seated, if you are a first-time visitor, to indicate to the ushers your presence, and take one of the roses from them and wear that on your lapel or on your blouse to indicate to the rest of us your presence today as a guest.
Just lift your hand where you're seated so the ushers can see you. Thank you for doing that. And may I remind all of you to complete the registration form, at least one to a family, so that we can know that you have been here and worshipping with us in this service. We invite you to be back this evening as we conclude the day in a time of Bible study going to the book of Romans.
They're looking at chapters 3, 4, and 5, as we seek to understand the book and the relationship of God to the believer. I hope you'll join us tonight at 6. And now let's bow together in prayers. We ask God's blessing upon our offering and our giving on this Lord's Day, this Communion Sunday. Father, we give thanks to you for that which you have done for us in purchasing us out of the world to belong to yourself at, oh, what a price. How free it is to us, but how costly to you.
We thank you for this price that we have remembered this morning. Because of the great gift you have given to us, we bring our gifts. Bless the tithes and the offerings that we bring this morning, and use them, we pray, for your work, your ministry. We pray that the Gospel may be preached locally and abroad without any limitation because of our faithfulness together as a congregation in our giving. We remember this morning Harriet and Charlotte Payne.
We give thanks to you for the many years of faithful service to you in Africa by this dear team of sisters. And we pray for them in their retirement years, especially in their ministry, visiting, encouraging, and sharing the Gospel with people near their home. Use them, we pray, and encourage them in their work. We also pray today for the Vest family and the loss of Jeff's father. We pray for the Weens, the impending death of Claudia's father.
And for everyone in our church who has suffered loss and grief. Lord, we thank you that you understand and feel with us the depths of our sorrows, and that truly you care. And may each one suffering today and grieving over loss of any kind find your hand of comfort to be sufficient. We also pray for the ill in our church, especially Al Schutt, as he continues in the hospital. Strengthen and encourage each one of these. We pray for their health physically and their strength spiritually too.
As we meditate and remember what you've done for us, we give you ourselves as well as our gifts. Amen. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. I'd like for us to close the service by singing hymn 447. And all four verses of it, a hymn of commitment. But I don't want us to drag the tempo. It says, Jesus, I, my cross have taken all to leave and follow thee. And with joy and yet commitment in our hearts, let's sing together. 447, you servers can go down if you wish while we sing.
Thanks for your ministry this morning and help. Let's stand together, please. Jesus, I, my cross have taken all to leave and follow thee. Destitute, despised, forsaken, thou from hence my world shalt be. Perish every fond ambition, all I sought and hoped and owned. Yet how rich is my conviction, God and heaven are still my own. Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior true. Human hearts and looks deceive me, thou art not like man untrue.
And while thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might, Foes may hate and friends may shun me, show thy face and all is bright. Man may trouble, man distress me, thou yoke but drive me to thy breast. Life with trials hard, God may press me, heaven will bring me sweet arrest. Woe, tis not in grief to harm me, love thy losses left to me, woe, were not in joy to harm me,
Worth that joy unhixed with me. Hasing one from grace to glory, Armed by faith and winged by prayer, Heaven's eternal days before me, God's own land shall guide me there. Soon shall close my earthly mission, swift shall pass my pilgrim days, hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight and prayer to grace. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of his own. Amen. Amen.