Order of Worship
22nd of September | 10:30 (Espoo) & 16:00 (Helsinki)
Song 1 – Praise to the Lord
Hear God call you to worship:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68b–69 ESV
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Come Thou Fount
Song 3 – Jesus, Strong & Kind / Jesus Loves Me
Song 4 – I Am Not My Own
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
Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent,
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness:
Colossians 2:13–14
13 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, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
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 Luke 5:1–11 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:
5:1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Following Jesus
Luke 5:1–11
I. What Peter saw in Jesus.
1. Jesus is compelling
2. Jesus speaks the words of God
3. Jesus has power over all things
4. Jesus is God
II. What Peter did in response to what He saw.
1. Obeyed
2. Humble confession
3. Peter left things behind
Song 5 – Christ Be Magnified
Song 6 – God Is For Us
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. Mark Rogers titled this sermon “Following Jesus,” emphasizing that all Christians are called to follow Him. Take a moment to reflect and share your personal story of how God called you to follow Jesus.
Into the Text:
2. In Luke 5:4-5, Jesus instructs Peter to cast his nets into deep water, even though Peter had fished all night without success. How would you have responded to this request if you were in Peter’s position? Peter’s obedience, despite it not seeming logical, is a profound example of faith. How does this challenge us in our own walk with Christ?
3. In Luke 5:8-10, we see Peter’s response to the miraculous catch of fish. Compare this with Isaiah 6:1-5, where Isaiah encounters a vision of God’s glory. What effect does encountering God’s greatness have on us? How is this reflected in Peter’s response? As believers, how can we balance a sense of awe toward God with intimacy in our relationship with Him?
4. Peter, James, and John left everything behind to follow Jesus. What does this example teach us about the level of commitment Jesus expects from His disciples? How can we demonstrate the same wholehearted dedication to following Jesus in a modern context filled with competing priorities?
Applying the Text:
1. Peter’s encounter with Jesus led him to leave everything and follow Him (Luke 5:11). In what areas of your life do you feel Jesus is calling you to “leave everything” in order to follow Him more fully? What practical steps can you take to respond to His call with the same level of commitment?
2. In Luke 5:10, Jesus tells Peter not to be afraid and calls him to be a “fisher of men.” How can we overcome fear or hesitation when sharing the Gospel with others? What opportunities do you have in your life right now to be a “fisher of men,” and how can you take action this week to follow Jesus in this calling?