The Lord’s Day

September 28, 2008

Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

(Psalm 135:6)

  Prelude

  Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship                                                                Psalm 138:4–7

All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O Lord,

When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

And they will sing of the ways of the Lord,

For great is the glory of the Lord.

For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly,

But the haughty He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;

You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.

*Gloria Patri                                                                                     No. 734

*Prayer of Invocation

*Hymn              With Grateful Heart My Thanks I Bring       No. 88

  Public Confession

Heavenly Father, You alone are God. You are holy in all Your ways, and Your words are righteous. We confess that we have fallen short of Your standard in our speech and conduct. Even in our thoughts, O Lord, we have sinned against You. Please forgive us and restore the joy of our salvation. We ask this in the name of our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

  Words of Assurance                                                                John 5:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

  Response                     The King of Love My Shepherd Is      (facing page)

  Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

  Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

*Doxology                                                                                          No. 731

*Declaring Our Faith The Scots Confession (God’s Promise)

We constantly believe that God, after the fearful and horrible departure of man from his obedience, did seek Adam again, call upon him, rebuke and convict him of his sin, and in the end made unto him a most joyful promise, that “the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent,” that is, that he should destroy the works of the devil.

This promise was repeated and made clearer from time to time; it was embraced with joy, and most constantly received by all the faithful from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and so onwards to the incarnation of Christ Jesus; all did see the joyful day of Christ Jesus, and did rejoice.

  Pastoral Prayer

*Responsive Reading                                                 Matthew 5:13-20

You are the salt of the earth;

But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything,

Except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

You are the light of the world; a city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works,

And glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets;

I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;

But whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

*Hymn                                          Psalm 119X                                 (below)

*Public Reading of the Word                                                         Titus 1

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

  Sermon                                                            Matthew 23 (continued)

  Sacrament of Baptism

  Hymn               How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place      No. 469

  Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper⁺

*Hymn                                  All Praise to Christ        (following page)

*Benediction

*Threefold Amen                                                                            No. 740

* Congregation will please stand

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