Sunday Meditation, April 5: Palm Sunday
The King Who Calls Us to Faith and Repentance
When Christ entered into Jerusalem the people spread their garments in the way. When He enters into our hearts, we pull off our own righteousness, and not only lay it under Christ’s feet, but even trample upon it ourselves.
— Augustus Toplady
Scripture for Meditation: Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.*
Hymn of Promise: By Faith
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design;
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sightBy faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God's own hand
A place where peace and justice reign.Chorus:
We will stand as children of the promise!
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward!
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We'll walk by faith and not by sight.
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
With the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.
By faith the church was called to go
In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth.Chorus
By faith this mountain shall be moved,
And the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail;
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name.
— Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend / CCLI # 2783020
Hymn of Praise: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all!Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all;
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all!Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all!
Go, spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all!Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe on this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all!Oh, that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!— Edward Perronet, 1726-1792 / Adapted by John Rippon, 1751-1836
Prayer of Blessing
Responsive Reading: Psalm 118:25-29
Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Hymn of Confession: Your Mercy Flows
Your mercy flows upon us like a river,
Your mercy stands unshakeable and true.
Most holy God, of all good things the Giver,
We turn and lift our fervent prayer to You.Refrain:
Hear our cry, (echo) O Lord, (echo)
Be merciful (echo) once more; (echo)
Let your love (echo) Your anger stem, (echo)
Remember mercy, O Lord again.(Repeat all)
—Wes Sutton
© 1987 Sovereign Lifestyle Music. Used by permission. CCLI #2783020
Prayer of Corporate Confession
Silence for Personal Confession
Assurance of Pardon: John 12:31, 32
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
Response: Thanks be to God.
Hymn of Praise: All Glory, Laud, and Honor
All glory, laud, and honor
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went:
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before Thee we present.To Thee before Thy passion
They sang their hymns of praise:
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.All glory, laud, and honor
To Thee, Redeemer, King!
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet Hosannas ring.—Theodulph of Orleans, circa 820
Translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale, 1851
Hymn of Love: My Song Is Love Unknown
My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?He came from his blest throne,
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need his life did spend!Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease; and ’gainst him rise.They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they saved,
The Prince of life they slay,
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.In life, no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death, no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav’n was his home,
But mine the tomb wherein he lay.Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.—Samuel Crossman, 1623-1683
Ministry of the Word
*All Scripture, English Standard Version. © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission.