Call to Worship
(Scripture to set a tone for worshipping the Lord):
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Worship In Song
Gloria
I sought for the king, and he heard me
And delivered me, from my lonely fears
They looked unto him, and they would attend
And all their faces, were made unashamed
Gloria (x4)
(CHORUS)
O taste and see, that the Lord is good
All you people, all you saints, all you children of the King (Repeat)
I sought for the king, and he heard me
And delivered me, from my lonely fears
They looked unto him, and they would attend
And all their faces, were made unashamed
Gloria (x4)
(CHORUS)
Gloria (x4)
(CHORUS)
Grace Alone
I was an orphan lost at the fall
Running away when I’d hear your call
But Father, you worked your will
I had no righteousness of my own
I had no right to draw near your throne
But Father, you loved me still
And in love before you laid the world’s foundation
You predestined to adopt me as your own
You have raised me so high above my station
I’m a child of God by grace and grace alone
You left your home to seek out the lost
You knew the great and terrible cost
But Jesus, your face was set
I worked my fingers down to the bone
Nothing I did could ever atone
But Jesus, you paid my debt
By your blood I have redemption and salvation
Lord, you died that I might reap what you have sown
And you rose that I might be a new creation
I am born again by grace and grace alone
I was in darkness all of my life
I never knew the day from the night
But Spirit, you made me see
I swore I knew the way on my own
Head full of rocks, a heart made of stone
But Spirit, you moved in me
At your touch my sleeping spirit was awakened
On my darkened heart the light of Christ has shone
Called into a kingdom that cannot be shaken
Heaven’s citizen by grace and grace alone
So I’ll stand in faith by grace and grace alone
I will run the race by grace and grace alone
Oh God
In the valley, Oh God, you’re near
In the quiet, Oh God, you’re near
In the shadow, Oh God, you’re near
At my breaking, Oh God, you’re near
(CHORUS)
Oh God, you never leave my side
Your love will stand firm for all my life
In my searching, Oh God, you’re near
In my wandering, Oh God, you’re near
When I feel alone, Oh God, you’re near
At my lowest, Oh God, you’re near
(BRIDGE)
Height nor depth nor anything else
Could pull us apart
We are joined as one by your blood
Hope will rise as we become more
Than conquerors through
The one who loved the world
The Reading Of God’s Word
Matthew 12:1-14 (Jessica Stott)
At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
3He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? 6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue. 10There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? 12A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.”13Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.
The Proclamation Of God’s Word
Working In The Flesh; Resting In The Spirit (Sean Nolan)
Songs Of Response
All The Poor & Powerless
All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
And all the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy
And know that You are holy
And all will sing out Hallelujah
And we will cry out Hallelujah
All the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holy
And all will sing out Hallelujah
And we will cry out Hallelujah (x2)
Shout it
Go on and scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God (x3)
And we will sing out Hallelujah
And we will cry out Hallelujah
And we will sing out Hallelujah
All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
And all the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy
And know that You are holy
Rejoice
Come and stand before your Maker
Full of wonder, full of fear
Come behold His power and glory
Yet with confidence draw near
For the one who holds the heavens
And commands the stars above
Is the God who bends to bless us
With an unrelenting love
(CHORUS)
Rejoice, come and lift your hands and
Raise your voice, He is worthy of our praise
Rejoice, sing of mercies of your King
And with trembling, rejoice
We are children of the promise
The beloved of the Lord
Won with everlasting kindness
Bought with sacrificial blood
Bringing reconciliation
To a world that longs to know
The affections of a Father
Who will never let them go
(BRIDGE)
All our sickness, all our sorrows
Jesus carried up the hill
He has walked this path before us
He is walking with us still
Turning tragedy to triumph
Turning agony to praise
There is blessing in the battle
So take heart and stand amazed
Rejoice, when you cry to Him He hears
Your voice, He will wipe away your tears
Rejoice, in the midst of suffering
He will help you sing…
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)
Benediction
(A word of closing blessing from Holy Scripture)
We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.
-1 John 4:19-21
Additional Resources
Receiving Rest As A Gift (Article – 10 Minute Read)
Working Up To A Sabbath Rest by John Starke (Article – 2 Minute Read)
Much of what I’ve learned about Sabbath I’ve generously received from John and another one of his elders, Jamie (who’ll be preaching for us next Sunday). This article is worth your time.