Welcome
Thank you for joining us in gathered worship today! At Covenant, we believe that true hope, joy, meaning, and redemption is found in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we hope that you will be moved towards greater love for Jesus and one another as we pause to praise, pray, and ponder under God’s Word.
The emphasis throughout our Sunday service is that worship is all about God. We gather to worship Him. Our gathered worship is that it is foundationally and fundamentally about God. In our service, we will: worship our Heavenly Father for his miraculous deeds, bear witness to Jesus Christ the Son and the hope he brings through his death and resurrection, be moved to engage with the mission of God through the power of the Holy Spirit as we wait for the return of Christ. All of these activities of worshipping, witnessing, and waiting will be shaped and formed by God’s divine revelation as it is given to us in Holy Scripture.
Our understanding of Scripture, God’s divine action, and theology will shape the flow of our service. Therefore, our worship service is “liturgical” and what you hold before you is our weekly liturgical document. Originating from Greek, this word means, “work of the people”. This means our service is both corporate and communal in nature. We are not individual consumers of a product, but join others in community to participate together in engaging with God. At different points in the service, there will be opportunities to join the liturgy, and we encourage you to enthusiastically participate in these corporate moments of response.
We hope your time with us serves to encourage and fill you with hope and joy.
Call to Worship
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.Romans 11:34-36
Songs of Invitation
Confession of Sin
Lord God, we humbly plead with you to forgive us of our many sins and failures.
Blot them out. Wash away each guilty stain in the blood of Jesus who died for our forgiveness. Remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.
And having forgiven us, change us, sanctify us through and through, remove our desire to sin, take from us that spirit of rebellion which is our great weakness, and replace it with a spirit of glad and willing surrender to all your perfect will. In Jesus’ name
All: Amen!
Word of Assurance
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2
Congregational Prayer
Offering
Weekly Catechism
New City Catechism for Kids – Question 16
Q: What is sin?
A: Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, not being or doing what he requires in his law.
Community News
Covenant Preliminary Vision and Values now available
Session is pleased to release a document setting out the preliminary vision and values that we have been working on for the last two months. Thank you for your patience and prayers. To access the document, click the link below:
https://covenantchurch.com.au/aka/vision
Save the Date for our Big Day In!
Block out your calendars for the following: Saturday 25 October 4pm to late; Sunday 26 October 8am to 3pm. Planning for our Big Day In is underway!
Sunday school and Extreme teachers/helpers
Every parent wants the children and youth of Covenant to come to a saving relationship in Christ and to know God in his word. We need more members of the Covenant family to teach and help at Sunday school and Extreme. Please see Robyn, Gloria, Jayden, Caroline or Dan for more details.
Covenant Session summary reports
Covenant Session summary reports are available for meetings up to 27 July 2025. Please use this link to access: https://covenantchurch.com.au/aka/sessionsummary
Important Dates
| August 31 | Mission Talk with Kevin Murray After service @ Christ College |
| September 7 | Covenant prayer corner 8.30am @ Christ College |
| September 14 | Vision and Values Q&A After service @ Christ College |
| September 19 | Praise & Prayer evening Evening (TBD) @ La Lune Market, North Strathfield |
| October 25 | Big Day In (Day 1) 4pm @ Christ College |
| October 26 | Big Day In (Day 2) 8am to 3pm @ Christ College |
Bible Reading
- Acts 2:1-14 NIV
- Zechariah 8:1-3 & 20-23 NIV
All: Thanks be to God.
Sermon Outline
God’s Guaranteed Harvest
Acts 2:1-14
Kevin Murray
1. What was God doing at the Pentecost? vv 1-4
2. Why did God assemble this crowd? vv 5-14
3. Will all of God’s purposes be achieved?
Songs in Response
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Benediction
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18