We want to take a break this week from walking through our Worship Gathering Purpose Statement and focus in on some lyrics that we will be singing when we gather this weekend. The songs that we sing each week help carry out our purpose and the one we want to focus on really demonstrates this.
Rock of Ages by Augustus M. Toplady
Verse 1:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure
Verse 2:
Not the labors of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow
These for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone
Verse 3:
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die
I can think of no better way to . . . "remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God" than to sing these words. Let me try to summarize the themes of this great hymn that was written almost 300 years ago.
Verse 1 - Jesus is our Rock of Refuge whose blood was shed on Calvary. His sacrifice (water and blood is a reference to His brutal torture and death by crucifixion) brings about two remedies - it satisfies the wrath of God against our sin and it purifies us from our sin.
Verse 2 - No matter how zealous we might be to obey God's laws or how sorrowful and broken we are for our sin, these cannot bring about our salvation. We must completely trust in God to save us.
Verse 3 - Again, we are helpless, naked, foul. Our only hope is that God would wash us by the blood of Christ, that He would cloth us in Christ's righteousness and that He would continue to pour out His grace upon us.
What great truths to remember, proclaim, celebrate and to live by!
"Father, we acknowledge that we are unable to add anything to our salvation. You have done it all. It is all a gift of grace and yet of great cost to You. As we gather this weekend to sing these songs may Your glories become greater and greater in our sight, may we sing with understanding and may Your Spirit produce fruit in our lives this week because of our time together. Amen."
Rock of Ages by Augustus M. Toplady
Verse 1:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure
Verse 2:
Not the labors of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow
These for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone
Verse 3:
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die
I can think of no better way to . . . "remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God" than to sing these words. Let me try to summarize the themes of this great hymn that was written almost 300 years ago.
Verse 1 - Jesus is our Rock of Refuge whose blood was shed on Calvary. His sacrifice (water and blood is a reference to His brutal torture and death by crucifixion) brings about two remedies - it satisfies the wrath of God against our sin and it purifies us from our sin.
Verse 2 - No matter how zealous we might be to obey God's laws or how sorrowful and broken we are for our sin, these cannot bring about our salvation. We must completely trust in God to save us.
Verse 3 - Again, we are helpless, naked, foul. Our only hope is that God would wash us by the blood of Christ, that He would cloth us in Christ's righteousness and that He would continue to pour out His grace upon us.
What great truths to remember, proclaim, celebrate and to live by!
"Father, we acknowledge that we are unable to add anything to our salvation. You have done it all. It is all a gift of grace and yet of great cost to You. As we gather this weekend to sing these songs may Your glories become greater and greater in our sight, may we sing with understanding and may Your Spirit produce fruit in our lives this week because of our time together. Amen."
Songs for Our Gathering this Week:
Let God Arise
Our Song From Age to Age
by Joel Sczebel
Rock of Ages
by Augustus M. Toplady
Now Why This Fear
by Augustus Toplady | Doug Plank
I Will Praise Him Still
by Fernando Ortega
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
by by Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman
No comments:
Post a Comment