Welcome
Call to Worship
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.
Psalm 113:1–3 (NKJV)
Hymn # 54 Hallelujah! Raise, O Raise
1 Hallelujah! Raise, O raise to our God the song of praise; all his servants join to sing God our Savior and our King.
2 Blessed be forevermore that dread name which we adore: round the world his praise be sung through all lands, in ev'ry tongue.
3 O'er all nations God alone, higher than the heav'ns his throne; who is like to God Most High, infinite in majesty!
4 Yet to view the heav'ns he bends; yea, to earth he condescends; passing by the rich and great, for the low and desolate.
5 He can raise the poor to stand with the princes of the land; wealth upon the needy show'r: set him with the high in pow'r.
6 He the broken spirit cheers: turns to joy the mourner's tears; such the wonders of his ways; praise his name, forever praise!
Call To Confession
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:9–14 (NKJV):
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You that You may be feared.
Psalm 130:1–4 (NKJV)
Confession of Sins
Let us, therefore, confess our sin, saying together:
Merciful Heavenly Father, pardon us our many sins; the sins we know and the sins hidden from our conscience. Cleanse us from wrong motives and forgive us for feeble obedience. By your Spirit renew our hearts to love you, our minds to know you, and our wills to obey you. For we ask this mercy in the name of your Son who shed his blood for us. Amen.
Word of Assurance
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Romans 5:8–9 (NKJV)
Song of Renewal
Thy cross, not mine, O Christ, has borne the awful load of sins that none in heav'n or earth could bear but God.
To whom, save thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
Hymn #524, stanza 3
Scripture Lessons:
from Malachi 3:1–3 (NKJV):
1 "Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts.
2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.
1 John 3:1–3 (NKJV):
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Sermon
Hymn # 277 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
1 "Christ the Lord is ris'n today," Alleluia! sons of men and angels say; Alleluia! raise your joys and triumphs high; Alleluia! Sing ye heav'ns, and earth, reply. Alleluia!
2 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; Alleluia! Christ has burst the gates of hell: Alleluia! death in vain forbids his rise; Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!
3 Lives again our glorious King; Alleluia! where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once he died, our souls to save; Alleluia! where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! foll'wing our exalted Head; Alleluia! made like him, like him we rise: Alleluia! ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!
5 Hail, the Lord of earth and heav'n! Alleluia! Praise to thee by both be giv'n; Alleluia! thee we greet triumphant now; Alleluia! hail, the Resurrection, thou! Alleluia!
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.”
Hymn # 642 Be Thou My Vision*
*The phrase "heart of my own heart" should be "Christ of my own heart."
1 Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art - thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word; I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; thou my great Father, I thy true son; thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
3 Be thou my battle shield, sword for my fight; be thou my dignity, thou my delight, thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tow'r; raise thou me heav'n-ward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, thou mine inheritance, now and always: thou and thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
5 High King of heaven, my victory won, may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'n's Sun! Christ of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Benediction
