If you haven’t been to a Delta Church service yet, you’ll notice that our Sunday gatherings are a little more structured than you might expect. This is deliberate. In each service we intentionally practice the gospel rhythm that we see as essential to the Christian life. Our hope is that this gospel rhythm itself helps coach us to live more faithfully to God.
Below is a brief description of our liturgy, or order of service. Each movement has us act in a way that acknowledges the central impact of the gospel for the Christian life.
| Act I: God |
Call to Worship – God is holy
At the beginning of our service, we always want to bring our attention to God, who is holy and spoke creation into existence. In our call to worship we are reminded that God is the one who initiates everything and that He alone deserves our praise and affection. God speaks, we respond.
See Genesis 1:1, Revelation 4:8
Prayer Of Adoration – Praising God in prayer
A proper response to being reoriented to God through Scripture is prayer! We begin our service by taking the Call to Worship and praying it back to God.
See Nehemiah 8, Psalm 100:4-5
Scripture Reading
The word of God is essential to the Christian faith. Every part of our service is shaped by the word of God. This is a tradition that dates back to the early church. The leaders of the church would read the words of God aloud to bless and encourage the body.
See 1 Timothy 4:13, Colossians 4:13, Revelation 1:3
| Act II: Sin |
Prayer Of Confession – We are sinners
The confession is a direct response to the holiness of God. Once we see His holiness we are immediately disturbed by our sinfulness. The congregation then responds to the promise of God that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us.
See Isaiah 6:3-5, 1 John 1:9
| Act III: Jesus |
Assurance – Jesus saves us
Once we see the holiness of God and our sin, we naturally long for a Savior. Every single week will remind each other that Jesus has come to seek and save the lost. God has provided redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ.
See Romans 5, Ephesians 2:4-5
Community Prayer - Intercession and Thanksgiving in prayer
Through Jesus Christ we have an opportunity to approach God and beg him to work. We are a church that is driven by God's promise to make all things new. Each Sunday we pray for the advance of God's gospel locally, nationally, and globally. We pray in faith that God will use us to change the world through his Son and for his glory.
See Revelation 21:4-5, Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 2:9-10
Preaching
Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God uses men to teach and encourage us in the Word of God. Each message has one central theme: Jesus. Every sermon you hear will end with the good news of Jesus Christ.
See 1 Timothy 4:13
| Act IV: Response Of Faith |
The Lord's Supper
Taking the Lord's Supper (also called communion) is a command from Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus Christ is what unites us as brothers and sisters. We partake every week to remind each other that the blood of Christ was shed for us and his body was broken for us.
The Lord's Supper is also a family meal. It is only meant for those who believe and submit to the authority of Christ. In the early church some partook in the Lord's Supper and literally became ill or died. The beauty of the gospel is that everyone can have the opportunity to come to the table and partake in the banquet of grace.
See Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Exhortation – Jesus sends us
Before Jesus left his disciples, he gave them a mission. Followers of Jesus are missionaries, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as witness for Him. Encouraged by the assurance we have in the work of Christ we scatter as 'sent ones' into our local context.
See Matthew 10, John 17:18
Benediction
Each service we leave with a good word ('bene' = good; 'diction' = word) for the road. We leave the congregation with peace, a peace that only comes from Jesus Christ.
See John 14:27