The Lord’s Day

March 8, 2009

 

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

(Psalm 145:18)

 

 

Prelude

 

Apostolic Greeting

 

*Call to Worship                                                     Psalm 86:4–6

Make glad the soul of Thy servant,

For to Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

And give heed to the voice of my supplications!

 

*Gloria Patri                                                                      No. 734

 

*Prayer of Invocation

 

*Hymn                             Give Praise to God           (facing page)

 

Public Confession

Our merciful Father, we confess that we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep; we have followed the desires of our hearts; we have left undone those things that You command and we have done those things that You forbid. Please forgive us as we acknowledge our sins. Please enable us to repent and walk rightly before You. We ask this in Christ’s name.

 

  Words of Comfort and Assurance                   Hebrews 9:11, 12

When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

 

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 Christ?

We believe that Jesus Christ, according to His divine nature, is the only Son of God—begotten, not made nor created, for then He would be a creature.

What is the nature of Christ’s relationship to the Father?

He is one in essence with the Father; coeternal; the exact image of the person of the Father and the reflection of His glory, being in all things like Him.

 

Pastoral Prayer

 

*Responsive Reading                                                        Psalm 30

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,

And hast not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to You for help,

And You healed me.

O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;

You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,

And give thanks to His holy name.

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime;

Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.”

O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

To You, O Lord, I called,

And to the Lord I made supplication:

“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?”

“Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?”

“Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me”;

“O Lord, be my helper.”

You have turned my mourning into dancing;

You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;

That my soul may sing praise to You, and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

 

*Hymn                Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns        No. 369

 

 

Public Reading of the Word                                           2 Peter 1

 

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

 

Sermon                    Understanding the Tongue     James 3:1–12

 

  Sacrament of Baptism                         Micah Eugene Sturtevant

 

*Hymn               Baptized into Your Name Most Holy        No. 415

 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper+

 

*Hymn            Teach Me, O Lord, Your Way of Truth    No. 149

 

*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)