The Lord’s Day
December 2, 2007
First Sunday of Advent
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything,
you may have an abundance for every good deed.
(2 Corinthians 9:8)
Prelude
Lighting of the Advent Candle Genesis 3:14, 15
The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
*Call to Worship Psalm 44:25, 26 and Isaiah 9:2
Minister: Our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Congregation: Our body cleaves to the earth.
Minister: Rise up, O God, be our help,
Congregation: And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
Minister: The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
Congregation: Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.
*Gloria Patri No. 734
*Prayer of Invocation
*Hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus No. 196
Public Confession
All: Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy on Your people. Deliver us, we pray, from the misery of sin and the temptations that so easily beset us. Forgive us for our expressions of pride. Forgive us for boasting in ourselves. Forgive us for lacking joy. For Your glory, give us discernment regarding our sin. Create in us hearts that thrive on goodness and truth.
Children: Thank You, Father, for loving us. Please pardon all our sins and help us to obey Your Word at all times.
Words of Assurance Galatians 5:22-25
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Response In Sweet Communion (inside front)
Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings
Collection of the Tithe and Offerings
*Doxology No. 731
*Declaring Our Faith The Larger Catechism (78, 79)
Where does the imperfection of sanctification in believers come from?
The imperfection of sanctification in believers arises from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lusting of the flesh against the Spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins.
May true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?
True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and His decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, Christ’s continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Pastoral Prayer
*Responsive Reading The Law of God
Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.’” (Matthew 6:9)
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:9, 10)
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”
Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
“You shall not murder.”
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:8, 9)
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)
“You shall not steal.”
Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28)
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:25)
“You shall not covet.”
Do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (Ephesians 5:3)
*Hymn O Word of God Incarnate No. 140
*Public Reading of the Word 2 Corinthians 11:17-33
*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word
Sermon Psalm 145:1-13
Hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence No. 193
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+
*Hymn Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates! No. 198
*Benediction
*Threefold Amen No. 740
* Congregation will please stand
+ Visitors: please see the note on the back of this bulletin