Is God Really in Control?

July 8, 2007 10:00 am

Prelude

Ushers will collect Prayer cards during the first hymn.

Welcome

Call to Worship

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13–14 NIV).

*Praise # 141 “Lift High the Cross”

*Invocation (Lord’s Prayer) Eternal God, who is worshiped by all the hosts of heaven, touch our hearts today. Search our consciences and remove from us any evil that hinders our worship. Give us pure hearts, O God, that we may rightly speak the words of praise.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

*Gloria Patri (Sung together) #575

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Psalm for Today Psalm 30 NLT

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.

You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”

Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

“What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness?

Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.”

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Our Offering to God “God was reconciling the world unto him in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19 NIV).

*Doxology #572

*Prayer of Dedication Father, we pray that your blessings, which are as numerous as the stars of the sky, may be so received with grace that in turn they will be used to bring light and love to people everywhere. Bless these gifts, for Christ’s sake.

Scripture Reading Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 NLT The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. 5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 7 Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. 8 “If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. 9 Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ 10 But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’ 16 Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.” 17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

Hymn of Prayer # 158 “He Lives”

Pastoral Prayer Eternal and glorious God, as we gather together in this holy place we come to you humbly to glorify your name. As we recognize our faults before you, we stand ready to open our hearts and hear your voice. / We give you thanks for your continuing presence in the world, for your guidance to the nations, for the acts of transformation in the human heart.

This morning we lift to you the condition of the members of this congregation. We pray that new signs of hope, comfort, and consolation will be brought into their lives.

Give them the comfort of your presence and the assurance of your promises. Strengthen their faith so that whenever they feel weak they might be empowered by your grace. Whenever fear comes to their lives, give them courage. In their affliction, afford them the patience you gave your servant Job.

We give you thanks for the ministries of this great church. For all the saints who now rest in your presence, we give you thanks and praise your holy name. Bless this worship. Speak to us through your Word. Lift our hearts, open our minds, and give us wisdom to live day-by-day in your presence as children of light. Help us to be a faithful church and renew our discipleship. This is our prayer.—Djalma Araujo

*Hymn of Praise # 480 “Rescue the Perishing”

Scripture Text James 5: 15 – 20 NRSV 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.