The Lord’s Day

February 8, 2009

 

I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

(Psalm 145:1, 2)

 

 

Prelude

 

Apostolic Greeting

 

*Call to Worship Psalm 57:1–3

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.

I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches him who tramples upon me.

God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.

 

*Gloria Patri        No. 734

 

*Prayer of Invocation

 

*Hymn   Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven   Nos. 76, 77

                 (alternating verses)

 

Public Confession

Lord, we acknowledge and confess our sinfulness in doing what You forbid and leaving undone what You command. Your Word has made known to us our guilt, and apart from Christ, we judge ourselves unworthy of the smallest of Your favors. In Christ’s name, we encourage ourselves with the hope of Your merciful response to our confession.

 

Words of Assurance           Colossians 2:13, 14

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 

Response   Searcher of Hearts   (facing page)

 

Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

 

*Doxology           No. 731

 

*Declaring Our Faith[†]      The Written Word

What do we confess concerning the Word of God?

We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of men, but that holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

What happened to this revelation?

Afterwards our God—because of the special care He has for us and our salvation—commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit this revealed Word to writing.

 

Pastoral Prayer

 

*Responsive Reading  Psalm 26

Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,

And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

Examine me, O Lord, and try me;

Test my mind and my heart.

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders.

I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

I shall wash my hands in innocence,

And I will go about Your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders.

O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house

And the place where Your glory dwells.

Do not take my soul away along with sinners,

Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

In whose hands is a wicked scheme,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;

Redeem me, and be gracious to me.

My foot stands on a level place;

In the congregations I shall bless the Lord.

 

*Hymn I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord   No. 353

 

*Public Reading of the Word  1 Peter 2

 

 

 

 

 

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

 

Sermon    James 1:2–18 (part 3)

 

  Hymn   Not What My Hands Have Done   No. 461

 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+

 

*Hymn   Fountain of Never-Ceasing Grace   No. 519

 

*Benediction

 

*Threefold Amen       No. 740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Congregation will please stand

+ Visitors: please see the note on the back of this bulletin

 



[†] Based on The Belgic Confession (edited for use in the worship bulletin)