Order of Worship
8th of September | 10:30 (Espoo)
Song 1 – Be Still for the Presence of hte Lord
Hear God call you to worship:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
– Revelation 4:11
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Only a Holy God
Song 3 – Holy
Song 4 – Build My Life
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.
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
Confession of Sin
Most holy and merciful Father,
We confess to you and to one another,
that we have sinned against you
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our
whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not fully loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We have not always had in us the mind of Christ.
You alone know how often we have grieved you
by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways.
Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father;
and free us from our sin.
Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, our Saviour.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness:
Brothers and sisters, hear and rejoice in the simple and profound truth found in Romans 8:1:
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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 2 Samuel 6 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:
6:1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
Uzzah and the Ark
5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs[c] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lordhad gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.
David and Michal
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Schooled in God’s Holiness
– 2 Samuel 6:1-15
I. Surveying God’s Holiness vv 1-4
II. Struck by God’s Holiness vv 5-7
III. Sanctified Through God’s Holiness vv 8-15a
IV. Surrendering to God’s Holiness vv 8-15b
Song 5 –
Song 6 –
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
For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
Getting Started:
1. This is a challenging passage. What are your first impressions of it? What does it seem to say about God’s character and His holiness?
2. How do the difficult stories in the Bible, like this one, help confirm its inspiration and challenge our understanding of God?
Into the Text:
3. In 2 Samuel 6:2, how is the ark described, and what does this highlight about its significance?
4. Examine the differences in how the ark was transported in 2 Samuel 6:3-4 compared to the instructions in Exodus 25:10-22. What does this tell us about the importance of obeying God’s specific commands?
5. After Uzzah’s death, David was angry with God (2 Samuel 6:8). How did his perspective change by the end of the story? What does this teach us about confronting and understanding God’s holiness?
6. In the sermon, it was said that, “The holiness of God is our Christian hope because in God’s holiness, He’s serious about your sin. In His holiness, God is absolutely driven to rescue you and me from you and me.” Discuss what this statement means in the context of God’s character and actions in this passage.
Applying the Text:
7. Discuss the idea from the sermon: “You don’t want to serve a God who’s willing to compromise His law. You don’t want to serve a God who will let you do anything you want to do.” How does this perspective shape our understanding of God’s holiness and His expectations of us?
8. “Rejoice with trembling!” (Ps. 2:11) is a call to balance fear and joy in worship. How does this apply to our approach to God, considering His holiness as depicted in 2 Samuel 6?
9. The ark symbolized the Lord’s presence among His people, highlighting His authority, reconciliation, and revelation. How does Christ serve as the greater Ark, allowing us to “touch” or approach Him, balancing both fear and joy?
10. David didn’t consult God before moving the Ark, as he later admits in 1 Chronicles 15:13. Are there major decisions in your life where you need to seek God’s guidance more deliberately? Have you ever acted presumptuously in spiritual matters, and what was the outcome?
Order of Worship
8th of September | 16:00 (Helsinki)
Song 1 –
Hear God call you to worship:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
– Revelation 4:11
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 –
Song 3 –
Song 4 –
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.
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
Confession of Sin
Most holy and merciful Father,
We confess to you and to one another,
that we have sinned against you
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our
whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not fully loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We have not always had in us the mind of Christ.
You alone know how often we have grieved you
by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways.
Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father;
and free us from our sin.
Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, our Saviour.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness:
Brothers and sisters, hear and rejoice in the simple and profound truth found in Romans 8:1:
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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 2 Samuel 6 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:
6:1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
Uzzah and the Ark
5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs[c] and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lordhad gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.
David and Michal
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Schooled in God’s Holiness
– 2 Samuel 6:1-15
I. Surveying God’s Holiness vv 1-4
II. Struck by God’s Holiness vv 5-7
III. Sanctified Through God’s Holiness vv 8-15a
IV. Surrendering to God’s Holiness vv 8-15b
Song 5 –
Song 6 –
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
For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
Getting Started:
1. This is a challenging passage. What are your first impressions of it? What does it seem to say about God’s character and His holiness?
2. How do the difficult stories in the Bible, like this one, help confirm its inspiration and challenge our understanding of God?
Into the Text:
3. In 2 Samuel 6:2, how is the ark described, and what does this highlight about its significance?
4. Examine the differences in how the ark was transported in 2 Samuel 6:3-4 compared to the instructions in Exodus 25:10-22. What does this tell us about the importance of obeying God’s specific commands?
5. After Uzzah’s death, David was angry with God (2 Samuel 6:8). How did his perspective change by the end of the story? What does this teach us about confronting and understanding God’s holiness?
6. In the sermon, it was said that, “The holiness of God is our Christian hope because in God’s holiness, He’s serious about your sin. In His holiness, God is absolutely driven to rescue you and me from you and me.” Discuss what this statement means in the context of God’s character and actions in this passage.
Applying the Text:
7. Discuss the idea from the sermon: “You don’t want to serve a God who’s willing to compromise His law. You don’t want to serve a God who will let you do anything you want to do.” How does this perspective shape our understanding of God’s holiness and His expectations of us?
8. “Rejoice with trembling!” (Ps. 2:11) is a call to balance fear and joy in worship. How does this apply to our approach to God, considering His holiness as depicted in 2 Samuel 6?
9. The ark symbolized the Lord’s presence among His people, highlighting His authority, reconciliation, and revelation. How does Christ serve as the greater Ark, allowing us to “touch” or approach Him, balancing both fear and joy?
10. David didn’t consult God before moving the Ark, as he later admits in 1 Chronicles 15:13. Are there major decisions in your life where you need to seek God’s guidance more deliberately? Have you ever acted presumptuously in spiritual matters, and what was the outcome?