The Lord’s Day

March 15, 2009

 

The Lord keeps all who love Him; but all the wicked, He will destroy.

(Psalm 145:20)

Prelude

 

Apostolic Greeting

 

*Call to Worship                                                     Psalm 93:1, 2

The Lord reigns,

He is clothed with majesty;

The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;

You are from everlasting.

 

*Gloria Patri                                                                      No. 734

 

*Prayer of Invocation

 

*Hymn                God, the Lord, a King Remaineth        No. 64

 

Public Confession

O God, our heavenly Father, pardon our iniquity, for it is great. Cause us to repent and turn away from all our transgressions so that sin may not become a stumbling block to us. Give us a steadfast heart and an obedient spirit; and make us worthy of Your name as we rejoice in righteousness.

 

  Words of Comfort and Assurance                     Ephesians 1:3–6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

 

Response                         Lead Me, Lord          (following page)

Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

 

Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

 

*Doxology                                                                          No. 731

 

*Declaring Our Faith[†]                             The Trinity (continued)

What do we believe concerning the divinity of the Holy Spirit?

We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son—neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but only proceeding from the two of them.

 

What do we believe concerning the order of relationships in the Trinity?

In regard to order, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity—of one and the same essence, and majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son.

 

Pastoral Prayer

 

*Responsive Reading                                                Psalm 31:1–8

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed;

In Your righteousness deliver me.

Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;

Be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me.

For You are my rock and my fortress;

For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

I hate those who regard vain idols,

But I trust in the Lord.

I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction;

You have known the troubles of my soul,

And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;

You have set my feet in a large place.

 

*Hymn             Give Thanks unto the Lord, Jehovah      No. 613

 

Public Reading of the Word                                           2 Peter 2

 

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

 

Sermon                         A Lesson on Wisdom        James 3:13–18

 

 

*Hymn                             Be Thou My Vision                     No. 642

 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+

 

*Hymn                      O God beyond All Praising               No. 660

 

*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)