Tag: We Saw Thee Not

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Dealing with Rejection…July 2nd

“To dismiss or refuse a proposal; to shun or cast out.” At one time or another each of has experienced REJECTION. Have you ever said, ‘That was a good idea, how could they just shoot it down?’ When you believe in a project, and have taken a strong stance, only to be soundly rejected…how do you handle it? To be honest, we all know that rejection hurts.Rejection

But when we consider the level of rejection the Messiah experienced, our ‘broken heart’ is minor at best. And He knew His disciples would be faced with times of rejection as well. Therefore He tried to prepare them (and us) for being told ‘NO…’ Read Mark chapter 6… “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you…shake the dust off the soles of your feet.” Join us on Sunday (July 2nd) as we consider the idea of ‘Dealing with Rejection.’

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, July 2, 2017

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Holy, Holy, Holy” – 47

Beginning with the soprano voices and adding each subsequent part, we sing the words of Revelation 4; “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty (vs. 8)…all the saints adore Thee, casting down their golden crowns around the crystal sea (vs. 6)…Only Thou art holy! There is none beside Thee (vs. 2-9)…Who wast, and art, and ever more shall be!” (vs. 8)

“Create in Me a Clean Heart” – no book

Taken almost verbatim for Psalm 51, we’ll sing the words of King David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (right) spirit within me. Do not cast me away (Cast me not away) from Your presence (O Lord). And (take not) do not take Your Holy Spirit from Me. Restore (un)to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit (renew a right spirit within me).”

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

The next two songs will be in a medley using verse one from “We Saw Thee Not” followed immediately with verse 1 & 2 of “Ten-Thousand Angels.” Notice the connection… “We Saw Thee Not when Thou dids’t come to this poor world of sin and death; Nor yet beheld Thy cottage home in that despised Nazareth…But we believe Thy footsteps trod it’s streets and plains, Thou Son of God…” “They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed, they lead Him through the streets in shame. They spat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin, they said ‘Crucify Him! He’s to blame.”

twelve legions of angels“Ten-Thousand Angels” – 349

As we continue this medley before the Lord’s Supper, the pattern will continue; back to verse 2 of our previous song, “We saw Thee not when lifted high…” transition to verse 3 & 4 of Ten-Thousand Angels; “When they nailed Him to the cross…” and “To the howling mob He yielded…” Be sure to focus on the words and the message these two spirit songs provide as you prepare for the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

Coming back to where we started before the Lord’s Supper, we’ll remember that even though we never gazed in the open tomb nor walked with those who saw Him “from the earth ascend…” we still believe in His death, burial and resurrection. We may not have seen, but we believe!

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” – 391

Not if, but when we face rejection that causes our hearts to melt, we look to our Savior for strength and leadership. He love us and He will lead us. He is the one who will defend us, receive us and free us! Perhaps we should be more earnest in our following of Him, and as we sing in the third verse…“Early let us turn to Thee.”

“Jesus Is Tenderly Calling” – 947

Being rejected can cause us to feel weary and entice us to sink into despair. But that’s not where we stay. We must never give up as that causes us to drift, “…farther and farther away.” So you have to ask yourself, when rejection comes and depression covers our hearts (dust covers our feet), will we sink away or shake the dust off and answer His call? He is calling today…what’s your answer?

“Hand in Hand with Jesus” – no book

A great message that focuses us through the days of rejection. Notice verse 2… “In my night of dark despair, Jesus heard and answered prayer. Now I’m walking free as air, hand in hand with Jesus.” But we must remember that we can only ‘handle the rejection’ when we stay close to Him overcomes. “Hand in hand we walk each day. Hand in hand alone the way. Walking thus we will not stray… hand in hand with Jesus.”

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Jesus’ Plan For Drawing Us to God…June 9th

bronze serpentThe scripture reading on Sunday morning at Waterview will be coming from John chapter 3, verses 9-15.  Notice the words of Jesus as He says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…”  The text of this reading is the basis for our lesson.

In Numbers 21 we read of the rebellion among the people against God.  He sends ‘fiery serpents’ that plague the people, and many died because of their rebellion.  The Lord’s instruction however was clear, “Make a fiery (bronze) serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”  The Jews were told if they wanted healing, they simply needed to come to ‘the standard’ that was raised in the wilderness.  The songs this morning are designed to focus us on the saving power of Christ and His plan to draw us toward God.

 

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, June 9, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“To God Be the Glory” – 4

One of several great songs of praise, this hymn was written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1875.  It always amazes me when I read the words of this woman who was blind from birth.  In this hymn she writes, ‘…let the earth hear His voice…’ and obvious statement coming from someone whose sense of hearing was likely well developed.  But I’m more intrigued by her words in the last verse.  Never having seen the light of day, Fanny Crosby writes, “…But purer and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we SEE.”   Praise the Lord!

“My Only Hope is You” – no book

The beauty of this song comes as it builds upon each verse.  Some may consider this a ‘7-11 song’ (7 words sung 11 times), yet the repetition and development of the thought should take precedence.  From early in the morning, until late at night, Jesus is my only HOPE, PEACE, and JOY.  The fourth verse sums it up best… “All that I need is You, Jesus, all that I need is You…”  Listen to the song below, but Sunday we’ll sing it without the soloist.

“More Precious Than Silver” – 273

A simple hymn that implores us to consider how we view (yes, spend) our wealth.  To what, in this life, do you  dedicate your prosperity?  Another song that’s easy to sing…but perhaps not so easy to fulfill.  Really, what is it that you desire?

“I Come to the Garden Alone” – 595

Written from the perspective of Mary as she comes to the garden after Christ burial, you can see her emotional pull to be with Jesus, the soothing comfort of His voice and the longing to stay with Him.  C. Austin Miles captures the feeling Mary may have felt as we read John chapter 20.  Perhaps with that understand we can sing this song differently; “…and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has every know.”  From Mary’s eyes, truer than we may have previously thought.

“We Saw Thee Not” – 342

An older hymn (again this is sung to our God) that brings the saints to a clearer understanding of Jesus life here on earth.  None of us ever saw Christ or His ‘cottage home.’  We didn’t stand on Golgotha’s hill and see the soldiers ‘lift Him up’ on the cross, and none of us stooped down to look into the empty tomb.  But together we’ll sing, “But we believe the deed was done, that shook the earth and veiled the sun.” 

“Lift Him Up” – 631

How do we reach the masses?  What can we do to show Jesus to a lost and dying world?  Jesus told us that He would be lifted up so all men could come to Him. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” John 12:32  How do we reach men with Christ?  Perhaps we start by lifting Him up in our own lives.

“I Am Thine, O Lord” – 666looking up

Our song before the lesson implores us to draw nearer to God.  Do we really long to rise in our faith, and truly seek to be closer drawn to Jesus?  In the second verse we’ll sing that our souls look up with a steadfast faith, and our will be lost in Jesus.  He was lifted up to draw us to Him…now will you look up to Him as you draw nearer in faith?

“Come to Jesus” – no book

In the chorus of this invitation song we’ll sing,“Come to Jesus!”   Repeated more than 6 times, this old spiritual song implores the lost to seek His salvation.  And like the Jews who were rebellious and bitten by the fiery serpents, we need to look up to the cross.  But notice the admonition, “…Oh delay not till the morrow, lest thy coming be too late.”

“The Greatest Command” – 448

Though we sing with simplicity we sing with the scripture… “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4:7, 8 It’s easy to love the loveable, but what about those who persecute you and refuse to love you back?  We can better understand how to love when we draw near to the One who was lifted up.