The Lord’s Day

July 13, 2008

O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;

make Your way straight before me.

(Psalm 5:8)

  Prelude

  Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship                                             Psalm 96:1-4

Sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth. 

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

*Gloria Patri                                                             No. 734

*Prayer of Invocation

*Hymn                              Psalm 98A                       (page 4)

  Public Confession

When our words should have comforted and healed, we used them to malign and intimidate. When we should have had compassion, we were selfish and unconcerned. When we should have spoken eagerly about our blessed Savior, we remained silent. When we should have distinguished ourselves from the world, we joined the world in ungodly pursuits. According to Your great mercy, O God, forgive us and sustain us by Your grace.

  Words of Assurance                                        1 John 3:1-3

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

  Response          Blessed the Man That Fears Jehovah          (inside front)

  Prayer for the Tithe and Offerings

  Collection of the Tithe and Offerings

*Doxology                                                                 No. 731

*Declaring Our Faith The Larger Catechism (190)

What do we pray for in the first petition?

In the first petition (which is: Hallowed be thy name), acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright, we pray that God would by His grace enable and incline us and others to know, acknowledge, and highly to esteem Him, His titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, works; we pray that He is pleased to make Himself known; that we would glorify Him in thought, word, and deed; we pray that He would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonorable to Him; and we pray that by His overruling providence, He would direct and dispose of all things to His own glory.

  Pastoral Prayer

*Responsive Reading                                  Proverbs 28:1-14

The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,

But the righteous are bold as a lion.

By the transgression of a land many are its princes,

But by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.

A poor man who oppresses the lowly is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

But those who keep the law strive with them.

Evil men do not understand justice,

But those who seek the Lord understand all things.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich.

He who keeps the law is a discerning son,

But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

He who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit,

But the blameless will inherit good.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

How blessed is the man who fears always,

But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

*Hymn            Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God     No. 589

*Public Reading of the Word                     2 Thessalonians 3

*Prayer for the Ministry of the Word

  Sermon                                                  Matthew 19:16-30

  Hymn                        Be Thou My Vision                 No. 642

  Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper⁺

*Hymn             O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing      No. 164

*Benediction

*Threefold Amen                                                      No. 740

* Congregation will please stand

⁺ Visitors: please see the note on the back of this bulletin