March 19, 2023 10AM

In consideration of others and as guests of West High School . . .

• Please silence your phone and watch.
• Name tags are a great start to a meaningful connection. Thanks for wearing one.
• If you’d like to give an offering, there are two baskets in the back or you can use the “Giving” tab at the bottom-right corner of the mobile app.

PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’
Numbers 14:18

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:7

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
John 8:44-45

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”
― Martin Luther

“But listen, there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

“If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon

“Repentance means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into… It means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death.”
― C.S. Lewis

“Low self-esteem causes me to believe that I have so little worth that my response does not matter. With repentance, however, I understand that being worth so much to God is why my response is so important. Repentance is remedial work to mend our minds and hearts, which get bent by sin.”
― John Ortberg

WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP

Psalm 97:1-5

¹ The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
² Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
³ Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
⁴ His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.

SONG

He Lives

[Verse 1]
See the tomb where He laid
See the stone rolled away
He is risen, He is risen
He’s alive

See His hands, see His feet
Touch His scars and believe
He is risen, He is risen
He’s alive

[Chorus]
He lives
All honor and power are His
All glory forever, amen
Jesus lives

[Verse 2]
Hear the shackles breaking free
Hear the song of the redeemed
He is moving, He is moving
He’s alive

So take this freedom, take this love
Can you feel it rising up
He is here, He is here
He’s alive

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
You took all our shame, left it in the grave
We’re forgiven, we’re forgiven
The work forever done, only by the blood
It is finished, it is finished

[Chorus]

© 2019 Be Essential Songs, Cashagamble Jet Music, Capitol CMG Genesis.
CCLI Lic # 20307629

SONG

Sovereign Over Us

CONFESSION OF SIN
Read in Unison

Psalm 51:1-4, 7-12

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Pastor Only

1 John 1:8-10

⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

SONG

Amazing Grace

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Election Today – Immediately after our worship service. Only members will be able to vote. Thank you for giving us many excellent nominations. We will use paper ballots, which will be available after the service.

Bible Study on Daniel – Chris Lau is starting a new Bible Study in the book of Daniel on Friday, March 24th. There are three weeks in March and April, and then the second part of this study will resume in May and June. You can receive more information and register here. Space is limited.

Bible Study on Daniel: Women’s Accountability – Women committed to attending Chris Lau’s Friday Bible Book Studies are invited to gather together on the alternating weeks for accountability and prayer. Discussion is based on reflections from the prior week’s study. Meets every other Thursday evening in the  Torrance area at 7 pm. Contact Rebecca Wu or Danielle Heath for more details, or simply register here.

Meet King’s Cross Church! Sunday, April 23, 2023 after church. For newer people to get to know our church and some leaders. In-person at Joe Brown’s house. Lunch will be included! REGISTER here.

OFFERTORY

If you would like to give electronically, you may do so using the “Giving” tab at the bottom-right corner of the mobile app. There are also white baskets in the back of our worship space, where you can give via check, made out to King’s Cross Church, or cash.

SERMON

Series – Elijah & Elisha: Fire and Mercy
Message: “King of the Hill”

1 Kings 22:51 – 2 Kings 1:17a (ESV)

⁵¹ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. ⁵² He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. ⁵³ He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.

¹ After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

² Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” ³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ⁴ Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

⁵ The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” ⁶ And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” ⁷ He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” ⁸ They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹ Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” ¹⁰ But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹ Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” ¹² But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹³ Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” ¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king ¹⁶ and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

¹⁷ So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

SONG

Nothing I Hold Onto/Tis So Sweet

BENEDICTION

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14