250817: Worship Bulletin

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants,…these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;…for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:6-7)

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

*Call to Worship: Psalm 8

Minister: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

People: You have set your glory above the heavens.

Minister: Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

People: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Minister: Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Unison: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

*Hymn of Adoration: “How Great Thou Art” (No. 44)

1 O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hands hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!

2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]

3 And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
that on the cross my burden gladly bearing
he bled and died to take away my sin; [Refrain]

4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim: "My God, how great thou art!" [Refrain]

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer

Unison: Almighty and Everlasting God, the heavens declare your glory and the earth your riches; the universe is your temple, and you fill it with the immensity and majesty of your being. Yet you who inhabit eternity are pleased to dwell with the humble and contrite in heart. O God, make us, each one and all together, a fit habitation for yourself so that we might know the joy of your fellowship. In the name of Him who lay down in the grave and rose again for us: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*Confession of Faith (Westminster Confession of Faith 4.1)

Minister: What do you believe concerning creation?

People: It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create—or make out of nothing—the world and everything in it, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.

Unison: To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.

*Hallelujah (Tune: “Regent Square”)

Glory be to God the Father, glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit, God Almighty, Three in One!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory be to him alone

Old Testament Reading: II Chronicles 6:1-21

*Hymn of Praise: “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (No. 38)

1 Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2 Unresting, unhasting and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3 Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

The Prayers of Intercession

Unison: Almighty, incomprehensible but prayer-hearing God: We bless you that you have made us capable of knowing you, the author of all being; of bearing your likeness, the perfection of all beauty; of enjoying you, the source of all happiness. We come to you in the midst of our difficulties, necessities and distresses. We need the same counsel, defense, and comfort we found at our beginning. Continue the gentleness of your goodness towards us, and whether we wake or sleep, let your presence go with us and your blessing attend us; in the name and for the sake of Jesus, our Redeemer and great High Priest. Amen.

Minister: I pray for your people throughout the world; for our denomination; for this church; and for all ministers and missionaries, especially for the staff of The Women’s Refuge, the board and staff of Care Net, Mike Osborne with Standing Stone Ministries, Amjad and Sarah in England, the Lee family at FAU, and the Mugaris in Zimbabwe. I pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. I pray for the Church.

People: We pray for the poor, the sick, the bereaved, the burdened, and for the widows, orphans and prisoners. Please help those in any need or trouble.

Minister: We pray for those who do not know Christ and for those who seek a deeper knowledge of Him. May they find and be found by Him.

People: We pray for all of our children and future generations which will be born to them. May the knowledge of the Lord fill the earth through them.

Minister: We pray that God would grant us grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Unison: Lord, hear our prayers.

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 3:20-21)

*Hymn of Response: “O God, to Us Show Mercy” (No. 437)

1 O God, to us show mercy and bless us in your grace;
cause now to shine upon us the brightness of your face;
that so your way most holy on earth may soon be known,
and unto ev'ry people your saving grace be shown.

2 O God, let all men praise you, let all the nations sing;
in ev'ry land let praises and songs of gladness ring;
for you shall judge the people in truth and righteousness,
and through the earth the nations shall your just rule confess.

3 O God, let people praise you, let all the nations sing,
for earth in rich abundance to us her fruit shall bring.
The Lord our God shall bless us, our God shall blessing send,
and all the earth shall fear him to its remotest end.

Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology (Tune: “Lasst Uns Erfreuen”)

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication

*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: Matthew 21:12-17

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*The Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “The Lord of the Temple” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “From All That Dwell below the Skies” (No. 7)

1 From all that dwell below the skies
let the Creator’s praise arise;
let the Redeemer’s name be sung
through every land, by every tongue.

2 In every land begin the song;
to every land the strains belong.
In cheerful sound all voices raise
and fill the world with joyful praise.

3 Eternal are your mercies, Lord;
eternal truth attends your word.
Your praise shall sound from shore to shore
till suns rise and set no more.

*The Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregation standing, if able.