Order of Worship
4th of Febuary | 10:30 (Espoo) & 16:00 (Helsinki)
Song 1 – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Hear God call you to worship:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” Philippians 3:7-9a
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Song 3 – I Worship You, Almighty God
Song 4 – Christ Be Magnified
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
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Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!
If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes!
Our Scripture reading today is 1 Samuel 12:1-25. Hear the Word of God:
1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lordhas set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Samuel’s Farewell Address
– 1 Samuel 12:1-25
1. Samuel’s Faithfulness vv1-5
2. Yahweh’s Faithfulness vv6-12
3. A New Era vv13-18
4. Sovereign Preservation vv19-25
As we prepare our hearts to come to the table, let us read together this prayer of confession:
Confession of Sin
Lord,
We confess that we have made ourselves
king of our own life,
and that we so often struggle
to truly surrender to you
all that we are and desire.
Lord,
Shape us for your glory.
Help us to surrender to you
what we have,
what we cannot have,
what we can no longer have,
what we fear we might have,
what we long too much to have,
and what we may never have.
We give you all our deep fears
and all our deep desires,
and in our surrender, we give you our trust.
Lord, deepen our trust in you, we pray.
You are making all things new;
You are redeeming and restoring your creation;
You are redeeming and restoring us.
Lord,
Shape us for your glory
By the power of your Spirit
and in your holy name,
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Let’s pray.
If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you are welcome to receive the elements of communion.
The bread and the cup will be distributed as we sing together. Please hold the elements until all have received; we will all partake together as one body.
Song 5 – I Surrender All
Song 6 – His Mercy Is More
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
– Numbers 6:24-26
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Study Questions: 1 Samuel 12
Introduction
1. What events are described in 1 Samuel 11:12-15? Questions over 1 Samuel 12
What sets apart Samuel’s leadership from that of the future kings? (Identify the recurring word used by Samuel and also mention the future reign of kings in 1 Samuel 8:10-18.)
Summarize Samuel’s actions with God and Israel. How is this ultimately exhibited and fulfilled in Christ? What lessons can we draw from how Christ enables us to live a life before God in the same way Samuel, and ultimately Christ, example?
Summarize the interactions between God and Israel. Summarize Israel’s responses to God. What lessons can we derive from the dynamics between God and Israel?
1 Samuel 12:14-18 illustrates how God sews kingship into His covenant with Israel. What guidelines govern kingship within this relationship? Do you see any distinctions between these rules and those outlined in the covenant before this period, such as in Deuteronomy 28? If so, how do they differ?
Application Questions
Israel found its hope and confidence in having a king like the other nations rather than calling on God alone for help. As Christians, what are some things today that we put our hope and confidence in rather than God alone?
Samuel calls Israel to remember the faithfulness of God as they move into this new era. What are some memories of God’s faithfulness in your life that you can share with us? How can remembering God’s faithfulness bring contentment to our lives?
Following Israel’s repentance, Samuel reaffirmed God’s promises to them. He reassured them, saying, “Do not be afraid. You have done this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord…” How does this passage help Christians consider their sinfulness in the context of God’s faithfulness? How and why do we persevere in following the Lord despite our failures? Verse 22 may provide further insight into your response.
We saw that Israel repents after being reminded of God’s faithfulness and the seriousness of their sin. As you remember God’s faithfulness from the last question, consider (either now in small groups or later with a partner) repenting together and praying for one another to be renewed in Christ.