First AME Zion Church Virtual Worship
Sunday, July 19, 2020
The Call to Worship and Invocation
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.—Psalm 100
Morning Hymn -- I Decided to Make Jesus My Choice
Performed by Marvin Williams
Scripture Reading -- Joshua 24:1-8, 15, 24
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.
3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,
4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.
5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.
6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.
7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.
Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
The third day he rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Altar Call/Pastoral Prayer -- I Can Go to God in Prayer
Performed by Times Square Church Choir
We are praying for you:
Rev. Keith Johnson, Octavian Rodriquez, Angelikka Carter, James Spaulding, Rev. and Mrs. Braxton, Dwaine Giggans,
Johnie Mae Williams, Christine Ferguson, Rev. Michael Henderson, Rev. Veronica Buckner, Betty Jo Smith, Pat and Monroe Brown, the Family of Cassandra Faire, the Family of Eddie Gale
Lord, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that we need is in your hands.
We pray for all of those on the prayer list. We ask that you bless and keep them; that you provide whatever they stand in need of and give them a peaceful spirit and mind.
You know what our Church is facing at this time and we are not asking, Lord, that you take this trial away. Instead, we simply ask that Your will be done in the life of First Church. Whatever that means, that is what we want. But we admit that it’s hard, Lord. Sometimes we feel like we can’t go on. The pain and the fear are too much for us to bear, and we know that we don’t have the strength on our own to get through this.
We know that we can come to you, Jesus and that you will hear our prayer. We know that it is not your intent to bring us to this point just to leave us in the wilderness alone. Please, Lord, give us the strength that we need to face today. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow. If you just give us the strength that we need today that is all we need.
Keep us from sinning during this trial. Instead, help us to keep our eyes on you. You are the Holy Lord, and all of our hope rests in you.
Thank you for hearing our prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Song of Praise - Jesus I'll Never Forget
Performed by First Baptist Church of Glen Arden
Tithes and Offerings
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2nd Chronicles 9:7
Visit our Gift section on the Gift tab. You may give via credit cards, PayPal and Givelify.com (Download Givelify to your Smartphone). If you prefer, mail your tithes and offerings to First AMEZ Church, 95 S. 20th Street, San Jose CA 95116
Announcements
Please check your text messages and email for further updates on the events and news about the schedule for all local AMEZ services. In accordance with the directives of the Board of Bishops our on-site services are suspended until further notice. This includes Bible Study and choir rehearsals. Our next on-site service to be announced.
The Sermonic Scripture --
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.
8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.
9Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.
10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (New Living Translation)
Philippians 3:14
14My eyes are on the prize. I want to win the race and get the prize of God's call from heaven through Christ Jesus.
Song of Preparation -- God's Grace is Sufficient for Me
Performed by Bishop G.E. Patterson
Sermon -- Going Forward In Spite of Your Handicap
Pastor Rogers
Click icon for sound
INVITATION TO DISCIPLESHIP -
Now is the time when we offer Christ to you. If you wish to unite with our Church, please call (408) 688-6980.
Let the Church Say Amen - Performed by the Winans