We Welcome Jesus

Call to Worship

 

Reader 1: We’d like to welcome to this worship service our honored guest,

Reader 2: the matchless King, His Holy Majesty,

All: Jesus!

Reader 3: The Christ.

Reader 4: And Peter said, “You are Christ the Son of the Living God.

All: Jesus!

Reader 1: The Anointed One sent from the throne of the Father.

All: Jesus, the Lord.

Reader 2: The Lord—whose arrival was announced by a host of angels.

Reader 3: The Lord—the Master of our lives.

All: Jesus!

Reader 4: Our peace—not a state of mind, but a person. For He is Peace.

Reader 3: Oh, war-torn nations, prepare yourselves for the coming of the Prince of Peace.

All: Jesus!

Reader 2: Wonderful Savior. If you have ever come to the realization of who we are and who He is and what He does, how can you doubt that Jesus’ name is Wonderful.

All: Jesus!

Reader 1: Counselor—The God who listens and directs. He is light in darkness, voice in silence, and wisdom in a land of lostness.

All: Jesus!

Reader 4: The Almighty God.

Reader 2: Who could He be? The Savior who controls the land and the sea.

Reader 3: Oh, brother,

Reader 4: sister,

Reader 1: friend,

Reader 2: are you fearful, distraught, and hopeless? Look to this Undefeated Warrior whose name is Jesus. The nations and kingdoms of this terminal society are a drop in the bucket, dust on the scale in comparison to the arsenal of Almighty God. So hop on board or get out of the way. His Kingdom’s coming through!

Reader 1: His name is Mighty Jesus,

Reader 3: The everlasting Father.

Reader 4: Have you mourned at the death bed of your earthly father? See the joy of a loving Father who never dies. He lives forever.

All: Jesus!

Reader 3: The Word of God.

Reader 2: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was Jesus. Think of the mystery. God’s power resides in the vibrating vocal chords of the believer. So speak His name.

All: Jesus!

Reader 1: The fourth man in the furnace, the Damascus road intercom, the stone in our sling, the wave-walking, foot-washing, life-giving, soul-cleansing Son of God.

All: Jesus!

Reader 3: The Friend.

Reader 2: No greater love hath any man but this man named

All: Jesus!

Reader 4: The Bread.

Reader 3: We will not starve because He nourishes and sustains us.

All: Jesus!

Reader 2: The Mediator.

Reader 1: The One whose holy hands stretch to the throng of mankind from the throne of God.

All: Jesus!

Reader 3: The Physician who touched my sin-scarred soul and made me truly whole.

All: Jesus!

Reader 2: The Lamb.

Reader 4: The gentle sacrifice taking our place on the alter.

All: Jesus!

Reader 1: The Conqueror who puts all things under His feet, who crushed the head of the enemy and who reigns on high.

All: Jesus!

Reader 3: The Way.

All: Jesus!

Reader 2: The Truth.

All: Jesus!

Reader 4: The Life.

All: Jesus!

Reader 1: The Answer.

Reader 3: We welcome this morning to our worship service our friend, His Majesty—

All: Jesus!

He Was Worthy

When He cried out in the garden in the cool of the evening, He was worthy.

When He flung a rainbow across a waterlogged world, He was worthy.

When He whispered in the ear of an old, old man and said, “It’s a boy,” He was worthy.

When He walked with a young songwriter/shepherd and heard “surely goodness and mercy” for the first time ever, He was worthy.

When He spoke through mules and on walls and in furnaces, He was worthy.

And when He, through unequaled grace, stepped into flesh and became like us, He was worthy.

When He spit in mud to open eyes,

When He loosed the captives, When He turned over the tables in the temple,

When He calmed the torrent, When He stooped to reconcile,

When He fed the masses,

When He washed the calloused, When He touched the untouchables

When He (wonder of all wonders—this precious truth!) open-handedly stretched out His arms on an old Judean beam (could it be?) and bore the anger, sin, rebellion, pride, and idolatry of us all, He was worthy.

He was worthy when He breathed His last.

He was worthy when the Roman seal was plastered on that borrowed tomb.

He was worthy when no one believed anymore.

And when the grave could hold Him no more, When He felt the vibration of His own creation,

When the veil was shredded, and when the accuser was silenced, ransoming the souls of a multitude of millions in one weekend, HE WAS WORTHY! And when I look at who I am, and then realize who He is, I can’t help proclaiming,

“You are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy.”

So now two words that should always unite us, and despite style, taste, or reason, should never divide us— 

Let’s worship!

Your Great Name: Worship Intro

Before there was anything there was a Name.
Before seas and land, before dust was formed into flesh
Before Babel’s broken tower, before the ark was set in place
Before there was anything
Before prophet, priest or king…
There was a Name.
No other name in history
could banish demons, calm the sea.
It echoes through eternity.
Chains are broken, souls set free
by His Great Name!
His Name birthed stars and pinned them in the sky.
His Name brought angels to Bethlehem
from the greatest and the least
To see the One True Name
And when we speak His Name all heavenly hosts revere.
It reaches past our weakness and our fragile, thin veneer.
It’s a Name above every name- spoken in each race and tongue.
There is power and blessing
Perfection and peace.
There’s  understanding!
Even when we feel pain,
there’s healing, faith and redemption,
at the mention of His name.
And it doesn’t matter the size of your burden,
the scale of your mountain,
the weariness of your journey…
In that Name there is hope and joy and rest
In his Name we are blessed.
His Name is listening for the echo of worshipers.
In the midst of this earthly mess
His Name redeems.
The all-sufficient king
The warrior of righteousness
Over every living thing…
And no matter how deep the hurt,
or the chains you have bound you for years,
We are free! All those things that drive us insane
are stepping stones to holiness with the power of that Name.
What is that name that changes us?
Who is the fourth person in the furnace
The One who closed the mouths of lions
Who crushed the head of the accuser
And exiled demons from the weak.
And opened muted mouths to speak.
What is that Name?
What is the greatest name we’ll ever say?
Who remains victorious to this day?
Who is this one greater than the grave?
Who lived and died to save?
Who conquered death and walked away
With scars of crimson stain
The one who bears the mark
Jesus is His Great NAME!