240901 – Worship Bulletin

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. (Proverbs 4:18)

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

*Call to Worship: Romans 11:33-36

Minister: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

People: How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Minister: “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

People: For from him and through him and to him are all things.

Unison: To him be glory forever. Amen.

*Hymn of Adoration: “Give to Our God Immortal Praise” (No. 3)

1 Give to our God immortal praise;
mercy and truth are all his ways:
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

2 Give to the Lord of lords renown;
the King of kings with glory crown:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when lords and kings are known no more.

3 He built the earth, he spread the sky,
and fixed the starry lights on high:
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

4 He fills the sun with morning light;
he bids the moon direct the night:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when suns and moons shall shine no more.

5 He sent his Son with pow'r to save
from guilt and darkness and the grave:
wonders of grace to God belong;
repeat his mercies in your song.

6 Through this vain world he guides our feet,
and leads us to his heav'nly seat:
his mercies ever shall endure,
when this vain world shall be no more.

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Invocation

Unison: Holy Father, your wisdom excites our admiration, your power fills us with fear, your omnipresence turns every spot of earth into holy ground; but how shall we thank you enough for your mercy which comes down to the lowest part of our need to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and for the spirit of heaviness a garment of praise? We bless and magnify your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

from The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

*Confession of Faith (Westminster Larger Catechism, 7)

Minister: What is God?

People: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

*Gloria Patri (Tune: “Gloria Patri, Greatorex”)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen. Amen.

The Revelation of God’s Will (Ex. 20:1-17; Mt. 22:37-40)

Unison: And God spoke all these words saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.'

Minister: You shall have no other gods before me.

People: You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Minister: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

People: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

Minister: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

People: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Minister: You shall not murder.

People: You shall not commit adultery.

Minister: You shall not steal.

People: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Minister: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

Unison: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”

*Hymn of Confession: “O Sacred Head Now Wounded” (No. 247)

1 O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down;
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.

2 What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners' gain:
mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe to me thy grace.

3 What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest Friend,
for this, thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love to thee.

Corporate Confession

Unison: Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find your mind in your Word, of neglect to seek you in my daily life. My transgressions and shortcomings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless you that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lusts of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but may you rule over me in liberty and power, through Jesus Christ our one Lord, Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

Silent Confession

Pastoral Prayer

Assurance of Pardon

Minister: If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. (Psalm 130:3-4, 7)

*Hymn of Thanksgiving: “Arise, My Soul, Arise” (No. 305)

1 Arise, my soul, arise,
shake off your guilty fears:
the bleeding Sacrifice
in my behalf appears:
before the throne my Surety stands,
before the throne my Surety stands,
my name is written on his hands.

2 He ever lives above,
for me to intercede,
his all-redeeming love,
his precious blood to plead;
his blood atoned for ev'ry race,
his blood atoned for ev'ry race,
and sprinkles now the throne of grace.

3 Five bleeding wounds he bears,
received on Calvary;
they pour effectual prayers,
they strongly plead for me.
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"nor let that ransomed sinner die!"

4 My God is reconciled;
his pard'ning voice I hear;
he owns me for his child,
I can no longer fear;
with confidence I now draw nigh,
with confidence I now draw nigh,
and "Father, Abba, Father!" cry.

Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology (Tune: “Lasst Uns Erfreuen”)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
alleluia, alleluia!
Praise him above, ye heav'nly host,
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication

*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “O Lord, Thou Judge of All the Earth” (No. 49)

1 O Lord, thou Judge of all the earth,
to whom all vengeance doth belong,
arise and show thy glory forth,
requite the proud, condemn the wrong.

2 How long, O Lord, in boastful pride
shall wicked men triumphant stand?
How long shall they afflict thy saints
and scorn thy wrath, thy dreadful hand?

3 Be wise, ye fools and brutish men;
shall not he see, who formed the eye?
Shall not he hear, who formed the ear,
and judge, who reigneth, God Most High?

4 The Lord will judge in righteousness,
from him all truth and knowledge flow;
the foolish thoughts of wicked men,
how vain they are the Lord doth know.

5 That man is blest whom thou, O Lord,
with chast'ning hand dost teach thy will,
for in the day when sinners fall,
that man in peace abideth still.

6 Unless the Lord had been my help,
my life had quickly passed away;
but when my foot had almost slipped,
O Lord, thy mercy was my stay.

*The Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregational standing, if able.