Service for September 14, 2025

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Prelude

Prelude – O Worship the Risen Christ

Call to Worship

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

Hymn # 521 My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

1 My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;

all other ground is sinking sand,

all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face,

I rest on his unchanging grace;

in every high and stormy gale,

my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood

support me in the whelming flood;

when all around my soul gives way,

he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in him be found;

dressed in his righteousness alone,

faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

Call To Confession

Our Lord Jesus says, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ And also, ‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us... If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Let us, therefore, confess ours sins to the Lord, saying together:

1 John 1:8 (NKJV)

Confession of Sins

Almighty and Gracious Father, we confess to you that we have sinned by not loving you with our whole heart and by not loving our neighbor as ourselves. Our faith is weak, and we easily give in to doubt. Forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness in thought, word and deed. For we ask this in the name of your Son, who is our sure Redeemer and our Savior. Amen.

Word of Assurance

Brothers and Sisters in Jesus, our Gracious Heavenly Father has forgiven us our sins according to His word that "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:13–14

Doxology # 731

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heav'nly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Scripture Lesson:

Ephesians 5:3-21

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Sermon

Hymn # 333 Gracious Spirit, Dove Divine

1 Gracious Spirit, Dove divine,

let thy light within me shine;

all my guilty fears remove,

fill me full of heav'n and love.

2 Speak thy pard'ning grace to me,

set the burdened sinner free;

lead me to the Lamb of God,

wash me in his precious blood.

3 Life and peace to me impart;

seal salvation on my heart;

breathe thyself into my breast,

earnest of immortal rest.

4 Let me never from thee stray,

keep me in the narrow way,

fill my soul with joy divine,

keep me, Lord, forever thine.

Prayer of the Church with the Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:

“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.”

Hymn – O Worship the Risen Christ

1 What name is the praise of the heavens above

That enraptures the wonder of angels?

Whose Glory outshines all the burning of suns

And shall blaze all the brighter through ages?

[Chorus]

O praise the One, the Risen Christ

The name of  names, the Lord  of Life

Let songs of joy now fill the skies

He lives, he lives, O Worship the Risen Christ

2 What morning has known such a glorious light

And what hour beheld such a promise

When Hе who was slain dawned the end of all night

Whеn He rose to crush death and our darkness

[Chorus]

O praise the One, the Risen Christ

The name of names, the Lord of Life

Let songs of joy now fill the skies

He lives, he lives, O Worship the Risen Christ

3 From Heaven to Earth, for a people He came

From the Earth bore our sin unto Calv'ry

From Calv'ry he sank to the depths of the grave

From the grave unto infinite glory

[Chorus]

O praise the One, the Risen Christ

The name of names, the Lord of Life

Let songs of joy now fill the skies

He lives, he lives, O Worship the Risen Christ

4 What riches of hope, now what treasures are mine

What a blessed foretaste of redemption

What oceans of happiness when we meet Christ

And we're swept into his resurrection

[Chorus]

O praise the One, the Risen Christ

The name of names, the Lord of Life

Let songs of joy now fill the skies

He lives, he lives

He lives, he lives

He lives, he lives, O Worship the Risen Christ

Benediction