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
Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5
Songs of Invitation
Confession of Sin
Lord, you are a God who is ready to forgive and of infinite kindness,
remove from us all needless and destructive anger.
Grant to us a meek, gentle, humble and peaceable spirit that, mindful of our own weakness, we may with greater patience bear with the weaknesses of other;
and thinking of ourselves with sober judgement,
we may not be provoked when others think poorly of us.
So may we be Christlike in character: patient towards all;
easily won over to forgive the wrongs of others;
not keeping a record of wrongs, or holding the sins of others against them;
that you Lord God may so be gracious toward us.
All: Amen!
Word of Assurance
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
Congregational Prayer
Offering
Weekly Catechism
New City Catechism for Kids – Question 18
Q: Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?
A: No, God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them both in this life, and in the life to come.
Community News
Registrations now open for Covenant Big Day In 2025!
BDI is happening on Saturday 25 October 4pm to late and Sunday 26 October 9am to 3pm. Register now by clicking on this link:
https://www.covenantchurch.com.au/bdi25-rego/
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.
Sunday service administration help
Each week, work happens in the background to ensure that everything is ready for the Sunday service. We are looking for additional helpers to assist with the work. If you are interested to help or would like to know more, please contact Chong or Michelle, or use the feedback form.
Zachary Lam’s baptism and lunch
Zachary Lam will be getting baptised next Sunday, 28 September during the Sunday service. Danny and Jess will be opening up their home after the service for lunch. Everyone is warmly invited to the baptism as we formally welcome Zachary into our covenant family, as well as to the lunch afterwards. More details to come.
Important Dates
| September 28 | Zachary Lam’s baptism During service @ Christ College |
| October 5 | Covenant Session meeting 2pm @ Christ College |
| October 25 | Big Day In (Day 1) 4pm @ Christ College |
| October 26 | Big Day In (Day 2) 8am to 3pm @ Christ College |
Bible Reading
- Isaiah 1:1-20 NIV
All: Thanks be to God.
Sermon Outline
Judgement and Hope
Isaiah 1:1-20
Dan Shih
God’s frustration
God’s disgust
God’s tenderness
Songs in Response
Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended to the dead;
On the third day he rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic [universal] Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen
Benediction
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13