260329: Worship Bulletin

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!

*Call to Worship: Psalm 118:22-25, John 12:13

Minister: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

People: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Minister: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

People: Save us, we pray, O LORD; O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Unison: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!

*Hymn of Adoration: “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” (TH No. 235)

1 All glory, laud, and honor
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring!
Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David's royal Son,
who in the Lord's name comest,
the King and blessed One!

2 The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present:
to thee, before thy passion,
they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted,
our melody we raise.

3 Thou didst accept their praises;
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King!
All glory, laud, and honor
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring!

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer

Unison: God Most High, you are creator of the ends of the earth, governor of the universe, judge of all men, head of the church, savior of sinners. Your greatness is unsearchable, your goodness infinite, your compassion unfailing, your providence boundless, your mercies ever new. We bless you for the gospel of peace; for we were lost, but through your Son, you have given us full, free, and eternal salvation. He is our only refuge, foundation, hope, and confidence. We depend upon his death, rest in his righteousness, and desire to bear his image. May his glory fill our minds, and may his love reign in our affections. We come to you in his mighty name. Amen.

Adapted from “The Gospel” in The Valley of Vision

*Confession of Faith: The Westminster Confession of Faith 8.1

Minister: What do you believe concerning Christ the Mediator?

People: God was pleased, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and man. As the mediator, he is the prophet, priest, and king, the Head and Savior of the church, the heir of all things, and the judge of the world. God gave to him, from all eternity, a people to be his seed and to be by him, in time, redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

*Gloria (Tune: “Lauda Anima”)

Glory to the King of angels, glory to the church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations; heav'n and earth your praises bring!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! To the King of glory sing!

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3
New Testament Reading: Luke 4:16-30

Hymn of Response: “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (TH No. 164)

1 O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace.

2 My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3 Jesus, the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life and health and peace.

4 He breaks the pow'r of reigning sin,
he sets the pris'ner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean,
his blood availed for me.

5 He speaks and, list'ning to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice;
the humble poor believe.

6 Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosen'd tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Savior come;
and leap, ye lame, for joy.

Prayers of the People

Minister: Loving Father, on this Palm Sunday, we look back to the day when your Son rode into Jerusalem and was greeted by crowds shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

People: Remembering this, we look forward to the day when we, with a great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, stand before the throne and before the Lamb, and cry out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And our hearts will worship with the angels as they fall on their faces before the throne and worship you, saying, “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Minister: But on this day, we also remember that those who worshiped your Son soon rejected him and crucified him.

People: And we confess that our hearts are as fickle and rebellious as the hearts of the people on that day. Our faith is often more show than substance. We desire a king who will give us what we want, but we resist your wise and loving rule.
Father, we are in need of cleansing. Please, have mercy on us, and forgive our sins. And may we know you, fear you, love you, and serve you as we ought.

Unison: We pray in the name of Jesus—the Suffering Servant, the Risen Savior, our Coming King. Amen.

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Words of Assurance

Minister: Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:2, 4)

People: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

*Hymn of Thanksgiving: “I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art” (TH No. 168)

1 I greet thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
my only trust and Savior of my heart,
who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray thee from our hearts all cares to take.

2 Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
reigning omnipotent in ev'ry place:
so come, O King, and our whole being sway;
shine on us with the light of thy pure day.

3 Thou art the Life, by which alone we live,
and all our substance and our strength receive;
O comfort us in death's approaching hour,
strong-hearted then to face it by thy pow'r.

4 Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
no harshness hast thou and no bitterness:
make us to taste the sweet grace found in thee
and ever stay in thy sweet unity.

5 Our hope is in no other save in thee;
our faith is built upon thy promise free;
O grant to us such stronger hope and sure
that we can boldly conquer and endure.

Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology (Tune: “Old Hundredth”)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Amen

*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication

*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: Luke 7:11-17

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “The Greatness of Jesus” (Rev. Ben Harris)

*Hymn of Response: “In Christ Alone” (SH No. 181)

1 In Christ alone my hope is found;
he is my light, my strength, my song;
this cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm thro' the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
here in the love of Christ I stand.

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless babe,
this gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones he came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied.
For ev'ry sin on him was laid—
here in the death of Christ I live.

3 There in the ground his body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day—
up from the grave he rose again!
And as he stands in victory,
sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
For I am his and he is mine,
bought with the precious blood of Christ.

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death:
this is the pow'r of Christ in me.
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man
can ever pluck me from his hand.
Till he returns or calls me home:
here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

*Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregational standing, if able.