worship order 01.29.12

Bible Class 9 am + Worship 10 am

- Psalm 95

Call to Worship | God Gathers His People

Minister:  The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is the LORD!
The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in [the Church].
Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is the LORD!
(Psalm 99:1-5 ESV)

- Blessed be Your Name
- Rock of Ages
- Salvation Belongs to Our God

(Classes for kids 3 and under during the sermon)

Consecration | God Equips His People

Scripture Reading – Mark 15:42-16:8

Sermon Bo Cogbill – Jesus the Firstborn (Mark 15:42-16:8)

- Before The Throne

Confession of Faith | God Forgives His People

Congregation Reads:

We believe Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested by God,
with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him;
he was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,
he was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

We believe God raised Jesus up, loosing the pangs of death,
because it was not possible for death to hold him.

We believe Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God,
and he received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit,
and he poured out the Spirit on all flesh.

Let all know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
(Based on Acts 2:22-36 ESV)

- Jesus Paid it All

Communion | God Nourishes His People

Meditation on the Stone

[Interlude]

Gifts and Offerings – Prayer of Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings

- Amazing Grace

Commission | God Sends His People

Ordination Service for Deacons:

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 3:8-13 ESV)

- Doxology

enewz: resurrection, brackets, deacons, toys

Mark’s Gospel – In Mark’s time, Graeco-Roman “biographies” tended to focus on the death of a person. That is one reason Mark’s Gospel spends so much time on the death of Jesus. Roman people wanted to know how a person died, not simply how they lived. That is why Mark tells the story of the Roman centurion who stood facing Jesus at the cross. When he saw how Jesus died, he confessed that Jesus was a Son of God. But Mark does something that Graeco-Roman biographers didn’t do: he tells the story of Jesus’ glorious life after hideous death. This week Bo will preach on the resurrection of Jesus (Mark 15:42-16:8).

Brackets – What do you do when you are reading Mark 16 and come across this phrase: [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]? Ignore it, and keep reading? Freak out, and close the Bible? Research it, and trust Jesus? We need to be aware of the issues behind the “bracketed text” in Mark 16. We will tackle those issues in the Adult Bible Class for the next two sessions.

Deacons – This Sunday the following men will be ordained as deacons at New Hope Church: Aaron Ellis, Brandon Musgrove, and Jason Toombs. The ordination service will take place at the end of worship. Praise God for his good and faithful servants!

“Table Talk” will resume at Marq and Shannon’s house this Sunday @ 6 PM. Read over John 21 before you come. Refreshments provided. All are invited.

Toys and Supplies – Recently our church was blessed through another church with lots of preschool toys and supplies. Our plan is: First, to incorporate what we can into our classrooms. (If any Moms would like to help organize and re-arrange, we will meet at the church this coming Saturday the 28th at 9:00 am.) Second, after we place what we need into our classrooms, then New Hope parents will be invited to get items they would like to have for a small donation. That will take place after worship on February 5th. Finally, the rest of the items will be sold and all the proceeds (and donations) will be used to help a family at New Hope. Please contact Shannon if you have any questions.

diaconate: process

Here is an overview of the process of training, selecting, and ordaining men to serve as deacons at New Hope Church.

(1) Last March 2011 we encouraged all the men of New Hope Church to participate in a Leadership Training Program which was developed by our minister. The primary focus of the training program was on biblical eldership, but the material also proves suitable for deacons.

(2) At the outset we made it clear that any and all of the men of NHC could participate in the training program for spiritual enrichment. However, we said that all men (including current elders and ministers) who desire and/or aspire to serve as elders or deacons were required to participate in the training program. Any man who declined or refused to participate in leadership training forfeited the privilege of serving as an elder or deacon at New Hope Church.

(3) We informed the men who joined the LTP that participation in the program did not guarantee that they would be nominated or appointed to the eldership or diaconate. Only those men who meet the biblical requirements may be nominated and appointed to serve as elders or deacons (1 Tim 3:1-13).

(4) Fifteen men started the Leadership Training Program in April 2011; twelve men finished it in October 2011. At the end of the LTP each man was surveyed to see whether he felt qualified to serve as an elder or a deacon, and whether he desired such an office. Results: Some men expressed a desire to serve as elders but wish to receive additional training to make sure they qualify biblically. Other men wish to serve as deacons at this time. (A few men either felt they were not qualified to serve, or they did not desire to serve as elders or deacons.)

(5) Last November 2011 we announced at a congregational meeting that we were going to form a diaconate (comprised of men who participated in the LTP) to take care of the “business end” of church life.

(6) The twelve men who completed the training nominated other men from the LTP to serve as deacons. Results: several men were nominated by their peers, but only four of the nominees expressed a desire to serve as deacons and met the biblical qualifications: Aaron Ellis, Brandon Musgrove, Jason Toombs, and Bo Cogbill.

[Note: Since Bo is better-equipped to serve as a minister of the word (Eph 4:11-12), he was encouraged to serve as a teacher instead of a deacon. We want Bo to devote himself to the ministry of the word and prayer as long as he is able to serve with us at New Hope Church.]

The current leadership supports the nomination of the three other men to the diaconate.

(8) An ordination service is scheduled for Sunday, January 29. The diaconate will be authorized to take care of the business and administrative matters of the church (e.g, budget, lease, benevolence). They will not be expected to take care of pastoral duties such as teaching, preaching, or the care of souls.  [Note: Art H. will continue to serve as church treasurer, so the deacons will work closely with him.]

To learn more about deacons and their responsibilities click here.