This is part of the worship series,
"A Classic TULIP Bouquet”
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3
Week 4 | Week 5
Week Five—Perseverance of the saints
Opening of Worship
We sang “O Worship the King” Grant, which focuses on God’s sovereignty and God’s care for his children. Our opening litany was based on Psalm 103, our psalm lesson for the day.
“O Worship the King” Grant
Psalm of Entrance
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We come together to worship the God of creation, of salvation, of time and eternity; the God of all peoples, all nations, all people everywhere.
Praise the Lord! All that is within me, praise God’s holy name.
Praise the Lord and remember all his kindness: in forgiving our sins; in curing our diseases; in saving us from destruction; in surrounding us with love.
The Lord is full of mercy and compassion. The Lord is slow to anger and generous in love. Praise the Lord! Oh, all that is within me, praise the Lord!
We Are Reconciled to God
[Our sung call to confession was “Come, You Sinners, Poor and Needy," which emphasizes God’s activity in our salvation and our inactivity: "all that he requires as fitness is to know your need of him”]
Sung Call to Confession
“Come, You Sinners, Poor and Needy” Hart
Prayer of Confession
Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, we confess that we have tried to hide from you, for we have done wrong. We have lived for ourselves, and apart from you. We have turned from our neighbors, and refused to bear the burdens of others. We have ignored the pain of the world, and passed by the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed.
In your great mercy forgive our sins and free us from selfishness, that we may obey your commandments, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
—Mary Hulst © 2002 Reformed Worship.org CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Assurance of Pardon:
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life is begun. Know that you are forgiven and beat peace.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
The Word
Scripture Lessons
Psalm 103; Romans 12
Sermon Notes
Many biblical writers compare the Christian life to running a race. Does perseverance of the saints mean that we Christians need to persevere, to stay the course, to do everything we can to make it to the finish line? No. Instead it reflects our belief that God has chosen those who will finish this race, and that God the Holy Spirit comes along side us as we run and ensures that we will finish.
In an interview aired on National Public Radio, an Iowa university professor described three important principles he teaches students in his course on marathon running:
- First, he teaches them to view themselves as marathoners. They aren’t people who hope to run a marathon, they are marathoners. Similarly, God encourages us to view ourselves as God’s holy children. If we view ourselves this way, we will be less likely to veer off course.
- Second, he teaches them accountability by having them train together. That principle is equally applicable to the Christian life. Running our best race happens in community. Our election in Christ was not just about us. God chose us with a purpose that we fulfill in community with other people. God’s perseverance in getting us home includes working through us for the benefit of our fellow runners and using them to bless us.
- Finally, he teaches them to add the phrase “but it doesn’t matter” at the end of every complaint about training. As in, “It’s really cold out here today—but it doesn’t matter.” In this way students learn to focus on the goal. God’s people need to be assured that, in light of the goal, our past mistakes and failures no longer matter. God forgives us and longs for us to follow in obedience and love. As far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our transgressions from us. Nothing we have ever done can make us lose our salvation. Nothing we have ever done will make God give up on us.
The perseverance of the saints means that the Holy Spirit is always with us, even on the side roads. God will never leave us or forsake us. No matter what happens, we are children of God, placed in the communion of saints, washed in the blood of the lamb. No matter what happens, we are held by God forever.
Hymn of Response
“When Peace Like a River” Spafford
Closing Hymn
Revised Common Lectionary
Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 16 (21)
Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 17 (22)
Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 19 (24)
Year B: Epiphany—Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 3 (8)
Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 16 (21)
