October 27, 2019

This is our eighth week in the book of Exodus this fall. The book of Exodus is about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in the world. As a reminder, we’re in Part Two of this series. You can always go back and listen to sermons from Exodus Part One starting here!

Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday, titled Instructions for Sacrifice:

1. Read through our text, Exodus 29:1–46.

The priests were not allowed to approach the holy presence of God casually. As humans who had themselves rebelled against God, they were marked by impurity and would require cleansing and atonement. Exodus 29 gives instructions for a consecration ceremony through which the priests could be made ritually pure. The rituals of the consecration ceremony may seem bizarre or even barbaric to modern readers, but they carried profound meaning in their historical context.

The rituals prescribed here for the priests would also preview the rituals that the priests would eventually be instructed to perform for all the people. The ceremony would include rituals of preparation where the priests would be washed with water to represent their need for cleansing and anointed with oil to represent their need for God’s power and presence. Then a bull and two rams would be sacrificed, each having its own purpose. The bull was a “sin offering,” and its blood would be poured on the altar to purify it for its use in the temple. The first ram was a “burnt offering” that would atone for the sins of the priests. The second ram was “a ram of ordination,” and its blood was used to purify the priests and to set them apart for their service in the temple. In all their details, the rituals demonstrate the fact that for sinful people to be in a covenant relationship with a Holy God, the people will need a means of atonement and that atonement would come through the sacrifice of an Innocent Other.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 99:1–3, 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!

Great Is The Lord (Joseph Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)
The Stand (Joel Houston)

CONFESSION OF SIN:

Heavenly Father,
Jesus taught us that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.
We confess that we would often prefer
A world without the Law,
Yet You have given us the Law and its perfect keeper, Jesus.
We confess that it’s easy to see You
Either as cold, demanding, and hard to please,
Or as merely annoyed by our sin against You,
When truly You are both utterly holy and utterly merciful.
Turn our eyes not away from Your demands,
Your holiness, or the weight of our sin,
But to Jesus and to His righteousness
in light of these things.
Give us eyes to see Your love, Father,
And the love of Jesus who is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 5:8–10

Jesus What A Savior (Kirby Kaple) / Psalm 32:6–7 (Mark Wilkins)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE &COMMUNION

It Is Finished—Part II (Hark, The Voice Of Love And Mercy) (Jonathan Evans, William Owen)
Nothing But The Blood (Robert Lowry)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

October 20, 2019

We’re in our seventh week of Exodus this fall at Park Church. The book of Exodus is about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in the world. As a reminder, we’re in Part Two of this series. You can always go back and listen to sermons from Exodus Part One starting here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday, titled Instructions for the Priesthood:

1. Read through our text, Exodus 28:1–30:38.

Right in the midst of the instructions about the design of the tabernacle and its furnishings, the Lord gives specific instructions about the priesthood. The book of Leviticus will elaborate on the priestly responsibilities and rituals, but here in Exodus, the instructions focus on the creation of the priestly garments and the ceremony where the priests would be consecrated to serve the Lord and represent the people in the tabernacle.

The Lord chose Aaron, the brother of Moses, and his sons to serve as Israel’s first priests. The elaborate design and the holy appearance of the priestly garments serve to highlight the holiness, the glory, and the beauty of Aaron’s responsibility to enter into the presence of the Lord on behalf of the 12 tribes of Israel.

The consecration ceremony was designed to ordain Aaron and his sons for their priestly office. They were washed with water to represent their need for cleansing and anointed with oil to represent their need for God’s power for the priestly duties in the tabernacle.


2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 16:8–11, 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!

Walk Among Us (Joel Limpic)
King of Kings (Jason Ingram, Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Holy and merciful God,
in Your presence we confess
our sinfulness, our shortcomings,
and our offenses against You.
You alone know how often we have sinned
in wandering from Your ways,
in wasting Your gifts,
in forgetting Your love.
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
for we are ashamed and sorry
for all we have done to displease You.
Forgive our sins,
and help us to live in Your light
and walk in Your ways,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Hebrews 9:11–14

Before The Throne Of God (Charitie Lees Bancroft, arr. Shane & Shane) / Break Every Chain (Will Reagan)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE

O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, Joye)

COMMUNION

To Him Who Loves Us (Sean Brage)

VOCATIONAL COMMISSIONING: NON-PROFITS

All Glory Be To Christ (Dustin Kensrue arr. Kings (MHM))

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

October 13, 2019

It’s week six of Exodus at Park Church. The book of Exodus is about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in the world. We’re in Part Two of this series, and you can listen to sermons from Exodus Part One starting here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday, Instructions for the Tabernacle:

1. Read through our text, Exodus 25:1–27:21; Exodus 30:1–31:11.

After the covenant ceremony in chapter 24, The Lord gives Israel seven chapters of detailed instructions for building the tabernacle. The tabernacle is essentially a portable temple, and a temple represents the sacred space where God’s presence dwells among His people—it is a place where heaven and earth meet. For Israel’s journey through the wilderness, the mobility of this sacred space is significant because it shows that God will be with them throughout their complicated journey.

Detailed instructions are given for the measurements and materials of the tabernacle. The instructions designate three different areas. First there was an outer courtyard around the tabernacle. Then the tabernacle itself would be divided into two rooms by a pair of large curtains. The first room was called the Holy Place which housed the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense. Through the curtains was the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant sat as the footstool of God’s heavenly throne.

The dimensions, materials, furnishings, and decor of the temple symbolically point to the Garden of Eden, the prototypical paradise where God dwelt among His people (see Genesis 2:9; 3:8). This tabernacle represents a new—though incomplete—place of God’s presence with His people. Even in its incompleteness, the tabernacle points forward to the time when the God Himself would come and make His home among us in order to redeem humanity, and lead His people to the joy of the new creation. In the new creation, heaven and earth will be one, God will dwell with His people in paradise, and the glory of the Lord will fill the earth like the waters cover the sea.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 27:1, 4, 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!

Come Thou Fount (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth arr. Charlie Hall)
Build My Life (Barrett, Kable, Martin, Redman, Younker)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Book Of Common Prayer:

Almighty God,
to You all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from You no secrets are hid.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love You
and worthily magnify Your holy name,
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Based on Revelation 5:5; 9–10:

Do not weep!
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.
With His blood He has purchased people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
He has made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.

Is He Worthy? (Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive arr. Shane & Shane) / O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Sampson, Hastings, Ussher, Equipo de Traducción de Hillsong)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE

Walk Among Us (Joel Limpic)

COMMUNION

Holy Spirit (Bryan Torwalt, Katie Torwalt arr. Jesus Culture) / Not In A Hurry (Michael Ketterer, Will Reagan)
Establish The Work Of Our Hands (Cunningham, Keyes, McCracken, Palmer, Vice, Wardell, Zach)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

October 6, 2019

It’s week five of Exodus at Park Church. The book of Exodus is about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in the world. We’re in Part Two of this series, and you can listen to sermons from Exodus Part One starting here.

Last week in Preparing for Sunday, we published a couple of things in error. First, we gave you the Scripture from the previous week, Exodus 21:1–23:9, in the email. By now you’ve probably realized that was supposed to be Exodus 23:10–17; 31:12–18. Second, last week we also gave you the title and intro for this week’s message, Instructions for Holiness. That was supposed to be Instructions for Freedom, Rest, & Celebration. We made that as confusing as possible. But now that we’re up to speed—here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday, which is actually called Instructions for Holiness:

1. Read through our text, 23:20-24:18.

One of the key themes of the Mosaic Law is holiness. In the Law, the Holy God of Israel calls His people to conform their lives to His holiness. The word “holiness” has varying connotations for different people, but in the Bible it primarily refers to something’s “uniqueness” or “distinctiveness.” As the people live according the Lord’s instructions, they will be set apart from the other nations and set apart to the Lord. If they obey His instruction, they will be a holy nation, His treasured people who represent and spread His glory and righteousness to the world. However, three things will threaten their holiness: 1. Their own internal disposition to turn away from God; 2. Their own fear of the surrounding nations; and 3. Temptations from spiritual powers of darkness. The people of God are called to resist these threats, to draw near to God, and to trust in His word so that they will enjoy the blessings of life in His presence.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 99:1–5, 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!

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber, John Bacchus Dykes)
In Tenderness (Garvey, Gordon, Walton)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Almighty and merciful God,
we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much
the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against your holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

O Lord, have mercy upon us.
Spare those who confess their faults.
Restore those who are penitent,
according to your promises declared to the world
in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
And grant, O merciful God, for his sake,
that we may live a holy, just, and humble life
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 Peter 2:9–10

King Of Kings (Jason Ingram, Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE, & COMMUNION

Like Incense / Sometimes By Step (Brooke Ligertwood, David (Beaker) Strasser, Rich Mullins)
Build My Life (Barrett, Kable, Martin, Redman, Younker)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

September 29, 2019

We’re in week four of Exodus. The book of Exodus is about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in the world. We’re in Part Two of the series, and you can listen to sermons from Part One starting here.

Here’s how you can prepare this week, Instructions for Holiness:

1. Read through our text, Exodus 23:10–19.

One of the key themes of the Mosaic Law is holiness. In the Law, the Holy God of Israel calls His people to conform their lives to His holiness. The word “holiness” has varying connotations for different people, but in the Bible it primarily refers to something’s “uniqueness” or “distinctiveness.” As the people live according the Lord’s instructions, they will be set apart from the other nations and set apart to the Lord. If they obey His instruction, they will be a holy nation, His treasured people who represent and spread His glory and righteousness to the world. However, three things will threaten their holiness: 1. Their own internal disposition to turn away from God; 2. Their own fear of the surrounding nations; and 3. Temptations from spiritual powers of darkness. The people of God are called to resist these threats, to draw near to God, and to trust in His word so that they will enjoy the blessings of life in His presence.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 62:5–8, 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!

Come Thou Fount (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth arr. Charlie Hall)
Heart Won’t Stop (John Mark McMillan)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Thou, Dear God: Prayers That Open Hearts and Spirits by Martin Luther King, Jr.

O Thou Eternal God,
out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence
the whole universe has come into being.
We humbly confess that we have not loved Thee
with our hearts, souls and minds,
and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us.
We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses
rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ.
We often give in order to receive,
we love our friends and hate our enemies,
we go the first mile but dare not travel the second,
we forgive but dare not forget.
And so as we look within ourselves
we are confronted with the appalling fact
that the history of our lives is the history
of an eternal revolt against Thee.
But Thou, O God, have mercy upon us.
Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be.
Give us the intelligence to know Thy will.
Give us the courage to do Thy will.
Give us the devotion to love Thy will.
In the name and Spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:1–3

Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE, & COMMUNION

King Of Kings (Jason Ingram, Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood)
Great Are You Lord (Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday