The Lord’s Day

March 20, 2011

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

in Your righteousness deliver me.

(Psalm 31:1)

Prelude

Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship Psalm 67:1–3

God be gracious to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us.

That Your way may be known on the earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You.

*Gloria Patri No. 734

*Prayer of Invocation

*Hymn Praise to the Lord, the Almighty No. 53

Public Confession

Heavenly Father, knowing that Christ shed His blood for us, we ask You to forgive our many transgressions. Forgive our wicked thoughts and hateful words. Forgive our lack of charity toward one another. And forgive our lack of zeal for righteousness.

Words of Comfort and Assurance Isaiah 53:4, 5

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

Response The Lord’s Prayer (facing page)

Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

*Doxology No. 731

*Declaring Our Faith² Heidelberg Catechism

What profit is the glory of Christ, our Head, to us?

First, that by His Holy Spirit He pours out heavenly graces upon us; and then that by His power He defends and preserves us against all enemies.

What comfort is it to us that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?

That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered Himself for my sake, to come as Judge from heaven to cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation; but He shall translate me with all His chosen ones to Himself, into heavenly joys and glory.

Pastoral Prayer

*Responsive Reading Psalm 78:1–8

Listen, O my people, to my instruction;

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,

And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children,

That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children,

That they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation,

A generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

*Hymn Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds No. 364

*Public Reading of the Word Acts 15:22–16:5

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

Sermon Jerusalem Secured Nehemiah 6:15–7:4

*Hymn Jesus Christ, Our Sure Foundation No. 354

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper^

*Hymn Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation No. 342

*Benediction

*Threefold Amen No. 740

* Congregation will please stand

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

2^ These questions and responses are based on the Heidelberg Catechism.