Welcome Call to Worship Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:1–2 (NKJV)
Hymn # 30 - Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
1 Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home:
2 Under the shadow of your throne your saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.
3 Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, from everlasting you are God, to endless years the same. 4 A thousand ages in your sight are like an evening gone; short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.
5 The busy tribes of flesh and blood, with all their lives and cares, are carried downward by your flood, and lost in foll'wing years.
6 Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op'ning day.
7 Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come: O be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home.
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
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.
On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Trinity Hymnal # 521, stanza 1
Scripture Lessons: Daniel 3:1-18; Matthew 5:10-12; Hebrews 11:32-40
Daniel 3:1–18 (NKJV):
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;
6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.
9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!
10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image;
11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?
15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Matthew 5:10–12 (NKJV):
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Hebrews 11:32–40 (NKJV):
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Sermon
Hymn # 705 - I Know Whom I Have Believed
1 I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he has made known, nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for his own.
Refrain: But "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day."
2 I know not how this saving faith to me he did impart, nor how believing in his Word wrought peace within my heart. [Refrain]
3 I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin, revealing Jesus through the Word, creating faith in him. [Refrain]
4 I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me, of weary ways or golden days, before his face I see. [Refrain]
5 I know not when my Lord may come, at night or noonday fair, nor if I'll walk the vale with him, or "meet him in the air." [Refrain]
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 # 587 - Who Is on the Lord's Side
1 Who is on the Lord's side? Who will serve the King? Who will be his helpers, other lives to bring? Who will leave the world's side? Who will face the foe? Who is on the Lord's side? Who for him will go? By thy call of mercy, by thy grace divine, we are on the Lord's side, Savior, we are thine.
2 Not for weight of glory, not for crown and palm, enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm; but for Love that claimeth lives for whom he died: he whom Jesus nameth must be on his side. By thy love constraining, by thy grace divine, we are on the Lord's side, Savior, we are thine.
3 Jesus, thou has bought us, not with gold or gem, but with thine own life-blood for thy diadem: with thy blessing filling each who comes to thee, thou hast made us willing, thou has made us free. By thy grand redemption, by thy grace divine, we are on the Lord's side, Savior, we are thine.
4 Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe, but the King's own army none can overthrow: round his standard ranging, vict'ry is secure; for his truth unchanging makes the triumph sure. Joyfully enlisting by thy grace divine, we are on the Lord's side, Savior, we are thine.
Benediction
