Welcome
Call to Worship
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy.
Psalm 99:1–3 (NKJV)
Hymn # Psalter 99B The Lord God Reigns in Majesty (new Psalter ¥Hymnbook)
1 The LORD God reigns in majesty; let all the nations quake. He dwells between the cherubim; let earth's foundations shake. Supreme in Zion is the LORD, exalted gloriously. All nations, praise his name with awe: the Holy One is he.
2 The mighty King loves justice well, and equity ordains; he rules his people righteously and faithfulness maintains. O magnify the LORD our God, let him exalted be; in worship at his footstool bow: the Holy One is he.
3 When priests and prophets called on God, he their petitions heard. His cloudy pillar led them on, and they obeyed his word. Tho' sending judgments for their sins, he pardoned graciously. Exalt the LORD and worship him: the Holy One is he.
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: 2 Peter 3:1–18 (NKJV)
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),
2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Sermon
Hymn # 713 Great King of Nations, Hear Our Prayer
1 Great King of nations, hear our prayer, while at your feet we fall, and humbly, with united cry, to you for mercy call. 2 The guilt is ours, but grace is yours, O turn us not away; but hear us from your lofty throne, and help us when we pray. 3 Our fathers' sins were manifold, and ours no less we own, yet wondrously from age to age your goodness has been shown. 4 When dangers, like a stormy sea, beset our country round, to you we looked, to you we cried, and help in you was found. 5 With one consent we meekly bow beneath your chast'ning hand, and, pouring forth confession meet, mourn with our mourning land. 6 With pitying eye behold our need, as thus we lift our prayer; correct us with your judgments, Lord, then let your mercy spare.
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 # 466 I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew (1-2)
1 I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me; it was not I that found, O Savior true, no, I was found of thee.
2 Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold; I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea - 'twas not so much that I on thee took hold, as thou, dear Lord, on me.
The Lord's Supper
Hymn # 466 I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew (3)
3 I find, I walk, I love, but, O the whole of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee; for thou wert long beforehand with my soul, always thou lovedst me.
Benediction
