The Lord’s Day

July 3, 2011

 

Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, whose mouth speaks deceit

and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

(Psalm 144:11)

  Prelude

 

  Apostolic Greeting

 

*Call to Worship Psalm 68:1-3

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,

And let those who hate Him flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;

As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before God.

But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;

Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

 

*Gloria Patri No. 734

 

*Prayer of Invocation

 

*Hymn Stand Up, O God, Be Present Now No. 71

 

  Public Confession

Being reminded of our struggles with sin, we ask for forgiveness. And we ask for mercy regarding our sinful speech and thoughts. Pardon our sinful attitudes and actions; and enable us to rejoice in our Savior.

 

  Words of Assurance    Titus 3:4-7

When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

  Response Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode  (facing page)

 

  Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

 

  Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

 

*Doxology  No. 731

 

*Declaring Our Faith[†] Fisher’s Catechism

Our Standards declare that God executes His decrees in the works of creation and providence. What does it mean to say that God “executes” His decrees?

To say that God executes His decrees means that He brings them to pass so that what He purposed from eternity is realized.

Can the decrees of God be defeated or fail to be executed?

The decrees of God cannot be defeated, nor can they fail to be executed, because the counsel of the Lord shall stand and He will do all His pleasure.

 

  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 How Shall the Young Direct Their Way? No. 148

 

 

 

*Public Reading of the Word Acts 25:1–22

 

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

 

  Sermon    

 

  Hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross No. 252

 

  Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

 

*Hymn O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart’s Desire No. 161

 

*Benediction

 

*Threefold Amen No. 740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Congregation will please stand

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

 



[†] These questions and responses are based on Fisher’s Catechism, written by James Fisher in 1753.