Welcome
Call to Worship
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Psalm 100:1–2
Hymn # 65 Before Jehovah's Awesome Throne
1 Before Jehovah's awesome throne, all nations, bow with sacred joy; know that the Lord is God alone, he can create, and he destroy - he can create, and he destroy. 2 His sovereign pow'r without our aid, made us of dust and formed us men; and when like wand'ring sheep we strayed, he brought us to his fold again - he brought us to his fold again. 3 We are his people, we his care, our souls and all our mortal frame: what lasting honors shall we rear, almighty Maker, to your name? - almighty Maker, to your name? 4 We'll crowd your gates with thankful songs, high as the heav'ns our voices raise; and earth, with her ten thousand tongues, shall fill your courts with sounding praise - shall fill your courts with sounding praise. 5 Wide as the world is your command, vast as eternity your love; firm as a rock your truth must stand, when rolling years shall cease to move - when rolling years shall cease to move.
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
Man of Sorrows! what a name for the Son of God, who came ruined sinners to reclaim: Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Trinity Hymnal # 246, stanzas 1&2
Scripture Lessons
Daniel 4:1–27 (NKJV):
Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.
3 How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
9 “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10 These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great.
11 The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12 Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14 He cried aloud and said thus:‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.
15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth.
16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him.
17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’
18 “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!
20 “The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,
21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home—
22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 “And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’;
24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
25 They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
26 “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.
27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
Sermon
Hymn # 335 Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me
1 Gracious Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would gracious be; and with words that help and heal would thy life in mine reveal; and with actions bold and meek would for Christ my Savior speak.
2 Truthful Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would truthful be; and with wisdom kind and clear let Thy life in mine appear; and with actions brotherly speak my Lord’s sincerity.
3 Mighty Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would mighty be; mighty so as to prevail, where unaided man must fail; ever by a mighty hope, pressing on and bearing up.
4 Holy Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would holy be; separate from sin, I would choose and cherish all things good, and whatever I can be give to him who gave me 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.”
Hymn Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery (insert) (1-2)
1 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry in the dawning of the king;
He the theme of heaven's praises Robed in frail humanity.
In our longing, in our darkness now the Light of Life has come;
Look to Christ who condescended Took on flesh to ransom us.
2 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry He the perfect son of man;
In His living, in His suffering Never trace nor stain of sin.
See the true and better Adam come to save the hellbound man;
Christ the great and sure fulfillment Of the law; in Him we stand.
Lord's Supper
Hymn Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery (insert) (3-4)
3 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry, Christ the Lord upon the tree;
In the stead of ruined sinners Hangs the Lamb in victory.
See the price of our redemption, see the Father's plan unfold;
Bringing many sons to glory, Grace unmeasured, love untold.
4 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry Slain by death the God of life;
but no grave could e'er restrain him, Praise the Lord, He is alive!
What a foretaste of Deliv’rance, How unwavering our hope;
Christ in power resurrected, As we will be when he comes.
Benediction
