Call To Worship
(Scripture to set a tone for worshipping the Lord):
Psalm 147:1-3
Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing to our God,
for praise is pleasant and lovely.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;
he gathers Israel’s exiled people.
He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
Worship In Song
Build your Kingdom Here
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we’re made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
And we need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven’s cause
We are Your church
And we pray revive
This earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
Oh, and we are the hope
On earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee
Who were, and are, and evermore shall be
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
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
We Will Feast In The House Of Zion
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
We will not be burned by the fire
He is the Lord our God
We are not consumed by the flood
Upheld, protected, gathered up
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
In the dark of night, before the dawn
My soul, be not afraid
For the promised morning, oh, how long?
Oh, God of Jacob, be my strength
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
Every vow we’ve broken and betrayed
You are the faithful one
And from the garden to the grave
Bind us together, bring shalom
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things, we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
The Reading Of God’s Word
Ephesians 5:22-33 (Jen Cassel)
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
The Proclamation Of God’s Word
Response: The Lord’s Supper
(All baptized Christians who are trusting in Jesus for salvation are welcome to join us for communion. Please hold onto your bread and juice until instructed to partake of this ordinance together. Afterwards, please dispose of the waste in the bucket at that back table.)
Songs Of Response
Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward,
To thy glorious rest above.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread his praise from shore to shore
How he loves us, ever love us
Changes never, nevermore
How he watches over his loved ones
Died to call them all his own
How for them he intercedes
Watches over them from the throne
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Love of every love the best
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing
‘Tis a haven sweet of rest
O the deep, deep love of Jesus
‘Tis a heaven of heavens to me
And it lifts me up to glory
For it lifts me up to thee.
I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessings fall on me
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
Oh the joy of full salvation
Glory glory to His name
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Benediction
(A word of closing blessing from Holy Scripture)
Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever! Amen.
Worship Through Giving:
Those who call Engage home are encouraged to worship through giving. In order to ensure minimal contact, those giving by cash or check are encouraged to drop in the bucket on the back table (not the garbage bucket) discreetly as they depart. To read more about what we believe about giving or to submit an offering online click HERE.
(also available on Venmo: @EngageAlbany)
Additional Resources
We recognize this is a sensitive topic and one that prompts additional questions and concerns, in an attempt to help those interested grow deeper on this topic, we recommend some of the following resources:
Kathy & Tim Keller discuss these themes (audio)
John & Noel Piper’s book is a great poetic look at the “drama” of marriage (free download)
This is the Keller’s book which is excellent, if a little lengthy
Ray Ortlund’s book is very short and very theological
Many of the themes in today’s message are further explored in this article (10 minute read)
Should you need a primer on challenges of dating outside the faith (10 minute read)
One last article on our ultimate hope in feasting with Jesus in the flesh (10 minute read)
*NOTE: Hannah and myself are also available to discuss individually or privately if needs or concerns arise. We’re also willing to share some of the resources and agenda items we utilize in our pre-martial counseling.