Service for April 6, 2025

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Welcome

Prelude – Children’s choir – The Coloring Song

Call to Worship

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17

Hymn # 38 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

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!

Call To Confession

And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image...5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

12 Honor your father and your mother.

13 You shall not murder.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 You shall not desire...anything that is your neighbor’s.

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

In a time when You may be found.

Psalm 32:5–6 (NKJV)

Confession of Sins

Let us, therefore, confess our sin, saying together:

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me... Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” through Jesus your Son. Amen.

Word of Assurance

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11–13 (NKJV)

Song of Renewal

Gracious God my heart renew,

Make my spirit right and true;

Cast me not away from thee,

Let thy Spirit dwell in me;

Thy salvation's joy impart.

Steadfast make my willing heart.

#486, stanza 5 (Ps 51:10-11)

Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Sermon

Hymn # 535 O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

1 O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free;

rolling as a mighty ocean

in its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me,

is the current of thy love;

leading onward, leading homeward,

to thy glorious rest above.

2 O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

Spread his praise from shore to shore;

how he loveth, ever loveth,

changeth never, nevermore;

how he watches o'er his loved ones,

died to call them all his own;

how for them he intercedeth,

watcheth o'er them from the throne.

3 O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

Love of ev'ry love the best:

'tis an ocean vast of blessing,

'tis a haven sweet of rest.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

'tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me;

and it lifts me up to glory,

for it lifts me up to thee.

Prayer of the Church and the Lord’s Prayer

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on 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 forever. Amen.”

The Apostles’ Creed – page 845

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended into hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Hymn # 420 At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (1-2)

1 At the Lamb's high feast we sing

praise to our victorious King,

who has washed us in the tide

flowing from his pierced side;

praise we him whose love divine

gives his sacred blood for wine,

gives his body for the feast,

Christ the victim, Christ the priest.

2 Where the paschal blood is poured,

death's dark angel sheathes his sword;

Israel's hosts triumphant go

through the wave that drowns the foe.

Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,

paschal victim, paschal bread;

with sincerity and love

eat we manna from above.

The Lord’s Supper

Hymn # 420 At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (3)

3 Mighty victim from the sky,

pow'rs of hell beneath thee lie;

death is conquered in the fight,

thou hast brought us life and light:

hymns of glory and of praise,

risen Lord, to thee we raise;

holy Father, praise to thee,

with the Spirit, ever be.

Benediction