The Lord’s Day
April 20, 2008
Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You
when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
(Psalm 61:1, 2)
Prelude
Apostolic Greeting
*Call to Worship Psalm 34:1-3
I will bless the Lord all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord,
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
*Gloria Patri No. 734
*Prayer of Invocation
*Hymn Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim No. 12
Public Confession
Though our sins are great, O God, Your grace is greater. Have mercy on us, dear Lord, for we so easily lose our way. Forgive our transgressions, and make us a people filled with joy. Forgive our errors in judgment and quickness to believe a bad report.
Forgive our hastily spoken words and slowness to seek peace. Forgive our selfishness and expressions of pride. Forgive our lack of compassion and neglect of duty. O Lord, create in us clean hearts, and cause us to hunger for righteousness in all things.
Words of Assurance Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Response Psalm 136B (inside front cover)
Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings
Collection of the Tithe and Offerings
*Doxology No. 731
*Declaring Our Faith The Larger Catechism (166, 167)
Unto whom is baptism to be administered?
Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ and obedience to Him, but infants descending from parents, either both or but one of them professing faith in Christ and obedience to Him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.
How is our baptism to be improved by us?
The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein.
Pastoral Prayer
*Responsive Reading Proverbs 23:17-35
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always.
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.
Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you.
Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes delight in my ways.
For a harlot is a deep pit and an adulterous woman is a narrow well.
Surely she lurks as a robber, and increases the faithless among men.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions?
Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Those who linger long over wine, those who go to taste mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things and your mind will utter perverse things.
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.
“They struck me, but I did not become ill; they beat me, but I did not know it.”
“When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”
*Hymn Though Troubles Assail Us No. 95
*Public Reading of the Word Philippians 4
*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word
Sermon Matthew 17:1–13
Hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross No. 252
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+
*Hymn We Are God’s People No. 355
*Benediction
*Threefold Amen No. 740
* Congregation will please stand
+ Visitors: please see the note on the back of this bulletin