THE LORD'S DAY

November 17, 2002 - 10:30 A.M.

Worship Theme: The Sacrifice of Christ

PRELUDE

ACTIVITIES & CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH

PREPARING IN STILLNESS

INTROIT

God be in my head and in my understanding
God be in mine eyes and in my looking
God be in my mouth and in my speaking
God be in mine heart and in my thinking
God be at my end and in my departing

CALL TO WORSHIP

PASTOR: “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High.

PEOPLE: And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me,” says the LORD.

ALL: “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

PASTOR: The Lord be with you!

PEOPLE: And also with you!

PRAISING THE LORD

CONFESSING OUR SINS PUBLICLY

ALL: O Lord Most High, we confess that we have often tried to please You with our righteousness instead of pleading the righteousness of Christ. We have tried to cleanse our sins by becoming “better” Christians rather than receiving forgiveness through Your blood. We have constructed idols for pleasure and for ambition, and have not been joyful in Your presence, nor rested in Your accomplishment. We have sought our nourishment in vain activities and in setting our own course instead of trusting in Your daily provision.

Merciful Father, continue to purge our darkened hearts with the light of Your gospel. Help us not to fear the cleansing work of Your Spirit, but make us eager for it, delight in it, and rejoice with unspeakable joy that we are being conformed to the image of Your dear Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

SILENT CONFESSION OF SIN

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

LEADER: Hear the promises of God to those who truly repent of their sins and trust in Christ: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Now, lift up your hearts!

PEOPLE: We lift them up to the Lord!

RESPONDING IN SONG

We Sing Your Mercies

We sing your mercies, we sing your endless praises,
We sing your everlasting love.
We sing your mercies, we sing your endless praises,
Sovereign One who died, Sovereign One who died for us.

Should He who made the stars be hung upon a tree?
And should the hands that healed be driven through for me?
Should He who gave us bread be made to swallow gall,
Should He who gave us breath and life be slaughtered for us all?

Repeat Chorus

Should He who is the light be cast into the dark?
And should the Lord of love be pierced through His own heart?
Should He who called us friends be deserted by us all,
Should He who lived a sinless life be punished for our fall?

Repeat Chorus

Mark Altrogge ? 1997 PDI Praise, a division of PDI Music. Used by Permission. CCLI #89178

THANKING GOD FOR HIS PRESENCE

LEADER: We give thanks to you, Lord, for you are good.
ALL: Your love endures forever. Amen.

CONFESSING OUR FAITH

LEADER: What do you confess when you say that Jesus suffered?

PEOPLE: During all the time He lived on earth, but especially at the end, Christ bore in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. Thus, by His suffering, as the only atoning sacrifice, He has redeemed our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtained for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life.

LEADER: What further benefit do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?

PEOPLE: Through Christ's death our old nature is crucified, put to death, and buried with Him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer reign in us, but that we may offer ourselves to Him as a sacrifice of thankfulness.

PRAYING TOGETHER FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

WORSHIPPING BY GIVING

Offertory - - Bill Burns

If With All Your Hearts (from Mendelssohn’s Elijah)

If with all your hearts ye truly seek me
Ye shall ever surely find me, thus saith our God.
O that I knew where I might find him
That I might even come before his presence.

PRAISING OUR GOD

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.

DEDICATING OUR LIVES & GIFTS

ALL: Our gracious God and Father, everything we have comes from you. We acknowledge that we are but stewards of all that you have provided for us. Accept now these offerings your people make unto you, and grant that the work to which they are devoted may prosper under your guidance, to the glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HEARING SCRIPTURE - Matthew 25:31–46

READER: This is the Word of the Lord.
CONGREGATION: Thanks be to God!

GREETING ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE

• Children ages 4-5 dismissed to Children's Church in Rooms M1 & M3.

PREPARING TO HEAR GOD'S WORD

Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed

Alas! and did my Savior bleed and did my Sov’reign Die?
Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?
Was it for sins that I had done He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree.

My God, why would You shed Your blood, so pure and undefiled,
To make a sinful one like me Your chosen, precious child?

Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut His glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died for man the creature’s sin;
Thus might I hide my blushing face while His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness and melt my eyes to tears.

Repeat Chorus

Words: Isaac Watts, 1707; Music: Bob Kauflin ? 1997 People of Destiny International. Used by Permission. CCLI #89178

Think About His Love

Think about His love, think about his goodness,
Think about His grace that’s brought us through.
For as high as the heavens above,
So great is the measure of our Father’s love;
Great is the measure of our Father’s love.

How could I forget his love? How could I forget His mercy?
He satisfies, He satisfies, He satisfies my desires.
Great is the measure of our Father’s love.

Walt Harrah © 1987 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music. Used by Permission. CCLI #89178

APPLYING GOD'S WORD

“Beyond Ability” - 2 Corinthians 8:1–9

RESPONDING IN SONG

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

RECEIVING GOD'S BLESSING

PASTOR: Do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. And may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

ALL: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

POSTLUDE