The Lord’s Day

November 16, 2008

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor.

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.

(Psalm 140:12, 13)

Prelude

Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship Psalm 36:5–7a

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

Your judgments are like a great deep.

O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

*Gloria Patri No. 734

*Prayer of Invocation

*Hymn Give to Our God Immortal Praise No. 3

Public Confession

We are most grateful for the mercy You have shown us, O Lord. We are humbled by Your willingness to hear our confession and extend forgiveness. Therefore, we ask that You would forgive the transgressions of this past week—sins of speech and thought, sins of conduct and negligence, sins of presumption and doubt. Help us to walk before You this coming week with our eyes on Christ, the One who gave Himself for us and now sits as our King and Redeemer.

Words of Assurance Psalm 68:19, 20

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Response In Thee, O Lord, I Put My Trust (facing page)

Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

*Doxology No. 731

*Declaring Our Faith² God’s Law and Man’s Imperfection

We confess and acknowledge that the law of God is most just, equal, holy, and perfect, commanding those things which, when perfectly done, can give life and bring man to eternal felicity; but our nature is so corrupt, weak, and imperfect, that we are never able perfectly to fulfill the works of the law. Even after we are reborn, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth of God is not in us. It is therefore essential for us to lay hold on Christ Jesus, in His righteousness and His atonement, since He is the end and consummation of the Law and since it is by Him that we are set at liberty so that the curse of God may not fall upon us, even though we do not fulfill the Law in all points.

Pastoral Prayer

*Responsive Reading Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my groaning.

Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,

For to You I pray.

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;

In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;

No evil dwells with You.

The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;

You hate all who do iniquity.

You destroy those who speak falsehood;

The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,

At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.

O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;

Make Your way straight before me.

There is nothing reliable in what they say;

Their inward part is destruction itself.

Their throat is an open grave;

They flatter with their tongue.

Hold them guilty, O God;

By their own devices let them fall!

In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,

For they are rebellious against You.

But let all who take refuge in You be glad,

Let them ever sing for joy;

And may You shelter them;

Let those who love Your name exult in You.

For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,

You surround him with favor as with a shield.

*Hymn My Song Forever Shall Record No. 99

*Public Reading of the Word Hebrews 4

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

Sermon Matthew 27:1–10

Hymn O Thou That Hear’st When Sinners Cry No. 485

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper^

*Hymn How Marvelous, How Wise, How Great (next page)

*Benediction

*Threefold Amen No. 740

* Congregation will please stand

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

HYMN: How marvellous, how wonderful, how wise.