250615-Worship Bulletin

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

*Call to Worship: Exodus 34:5-8, Psalm 103:1

Minister: The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with [Moses] there and proclaimed the name of the Lord….

People: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,

Minister: forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

People: And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

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

*Hymn of Adoration: “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!” (No. 498)

1 Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! lover of my soul;
friends may fail me, foes assail me,
he, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
he is with me to the end.

2 Jesus! what a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in him;
tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
he, my strength, my vict'ry wins. [Refrain]

3 Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows o'er me roll,
even when my heart is breaking,
he, my comfort, helps my soul. [Refrain]

4 Jesus! what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
storms about me, night o'ertakes me,
he, my pilot, hears my cry. [Refrain]

5 Jesus! I do now receive him,
more than all in him I find;
he hath granted me forgiveness,
I am his, and he is mine. [Refrain]

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer

Unison: God of Mercy: We praise you! For we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, and we were by our nature children of wrath. But you, God, are rich in mercy! Because of your great love for us, even while we were dead in our trespasses, you made us alive together with Christ. By grace we have been saved! And you raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places, so that in the coming ages you might show the immeasurable riches of your grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For this, Father, we thank you and we praise you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. From Ephesians 2:1-7

*Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism 12-15

Minister: Since, according to God's righteous judgment we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how can we escape this punishment and be again received into favor?

People: God demands that his justice be satisfied. Therefore we must make full payment, either by ourselves or through another.

Minister: Can we by ourselves make this payment?

People: Certainly not. On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.

Minister: Can any mere creature pay for us?

People: No. In the first place, God will not punish another creature for the sin which man has committed. Furthermore, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it.

Minister: What kind of mediator and deliverer must we seek?

People: One who is a true and righteous man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.

*Gloria (Tune: “To God Be the Glory”)

To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that we may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thro' Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 86

Presentation of New Members

Hymn of Response: “What Tho’ I Cannot Break My Chain” (No. 458)

1 What tho' I cannot break my chain
or e'er throw off my load,
the things impossible to men
are possible to God.

2 Who, who shall in thy presence stand,
or match Omnipotence;
unfold the grasp of thy right hand
and pluck the sinner thence?

3 Faith to be healed I fain would have,
O might it now be giv'n;
thou canst, thou canst the sinner save,
and make me meet for heav'n.

4 Bound down with twice ten thousand ties,
yet let me hear thy call;
my soul in confidence shall rise,
shall rise and break through all.

5 Thou canst o'ercome this heart of mine,
thou wilt victorious prove;
for everlasting strength is thine,
and everlasting love.

The Prayers of Intercession

Unison: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Minister: Father, we pray for your people throughout the world; for our denomination; for this church; and for all ministers and missionaries. We pray especially for the Mahands in England, the Lees with RUF, and the Mugaris in Zimbabwe.

People: We pray for the leaders of our nation and all who hold authority, that they would govern according to your truth, and especially that they would resolve to protect the lives of the unborn and defenseless.

Minister: We pray for the world, especially that you would bring peace and justice and deliverance to nations and peoples oppressed by war, by disaster, by tyranny, and by evil. We pray for our brothers and sisters in these places as they offer the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ amid great danger and opposition.

Unison: Lord, hear our prayer.

Pastoral Prayer

Words of Encouragement

Minister: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20)

*Hymn of Thanksgiving: “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” (SH No. 4)

1 Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heav'n are still my own.

2 Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
Oh while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.

3 Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me
Were that joy unmixed with thee.

4 Go then, earthly fame and treasure;
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain.
In thy service pain is pleasure;
With thy favor loss is gain.
I have called thee Abba, Father.
I have stayed my heart on thee.
Storms my howl and clouds may gather—
All must work for good to me.

5 Soul, then know thy full salvation;
Rise o'er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee;
Think what Father's smiles are thine,
think that Jesus died to win thee;
Child of heaven, canst thou repine?

6 Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven's eternal days before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
CCLI 3036374

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: Matthew 19:16-30

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

Sermon: “Who Then Can Be Saved?” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (No. 92)

1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and pow'r are great;
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing;
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he,
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4 That Word above all earthly pow'rs,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

*Benediction

Postlude