September 30, 2018
This Sunday will be week four of Ephesians at Park Church. As our society continues its trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews, many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads us away from the glory we were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming.
Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday:
1. Read through our text, Ephesians 2:1–10.
What have we done to deserve these overwhelming and glorious blessings from God—love, redemption, forgiveness, grace, adoption, hope, honor, and power? Paul’s answer is emphatic: nothing. Nothing at all. In fact, he says, we were all dead in trespasses and sin, walking away from God in disobedience, following God’s enemy toward destruction. That was our hopeless situation when God burst into our lives with His breathtaking love, mercy, and grace.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Ephesians 1:3, 7–8 Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):
To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners.
Welcome!
Yes And Amen (Anthony Brown, Chris McClarney, Nate Moore)
His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From Prone To Wander:
Heavenly Father, We admit to you today that we often live as though we were still dead in our trespasses and sins. You have made us alive in Christ and given us your Holy Spirit, yet our slowly-maturing souls dwell in sinful bodies, and we continue to gratify the desires of our flesh in countless ways. We eat too much, drink too much, and indulge in sinful fantasy and practice, medicating ourselves to escape reality and entertaining ourselves to distract from pain. We follow the course of the world around us, giving in to pressure from our friends and our circumstances, instead of living with our eyes fixed on our heavenly home. We frantically fill ourselves up with pleasures, using your good gifts to us as a way to avoid our great need for you. Father, forgive us.
Rock Of Ages (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, arr. Charlie Hall)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Ephesians 2:4–9
Break Every Chain (Will Reagan, arr. Tasha Cobbs)
GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer
Living Hope (Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham)
All I Have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin)