THE LORD'S DAY

January 26, 2003 - 10:30 A.M.

Worship Theme: The Mercy of God

PRELUDE

ACTIVITIES & CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH

PREPARING IN STILLNESS

INTROIT

I will arise and go to Jesus, he will embrace me with his arms
In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are ten thousand charms

Come thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

CALL TO WORSHIP

PASTOR: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

PEOPLE: According to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

PASTOR: Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

PEOPLE: O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

PASTOR: The Lord be with you!

PEOPLE: And also with you!

INVOCATION

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

PRAISING THE LORD

PUBLIC CONFESSION OF SIN

ALL: Most holy and merciful Father, we acknowledge and confess before you our sinful nature—prone to evil and slothful in good—and all our shortcomings and offenses against You. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from Your ways, in wasting Your gifts, in forgetting Your love.

O Lord, have mercy on us, who are ashamed and sorry for all wherein we have displeased You. Teach us to hate our errors, cleanse us from our secret faults, and forgive our sins for the sake of Your dear Son. And, O most holy and loving Father, send Your purifying grace into our hearts, we beseech You, that we may henceforth live in Your light and walk in Your ways, according to the commandments of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRIVATE CONFESSION OF SIN

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

LEADER:Hear the promises of God to those who truly repent of their sins and trust in Christ: Christ: For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Now, lift up your hearts!

PEOPLE: We lift them up to the Lord!"

RESPONDING IN SONG

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who has caused us to be born again to a living hope,
Who has caused us to be born again to a living hope,
A hope that won’t fade away, reserved in heaven for us,
Protected by the power of God through faith, we are saved, we are saved!

We greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible,
Greatly rejoice with glorious praise, greatly rejoice in a life incorruptible,
Love beyond measure, and infinite grace,
Love beyond measure, and infinite grace.

Through the trials of life you’re working to prove our faith as gold,
In Your love we’re persevering for one day soon we know
You’ll explode through the clouds as Your shout cracks the sky,
Dead in Christ will arise as You call home Your bride,
And though we’ve not seen Your face, this greatest glory awaits,
‘Till then by the power of God through faith we are saved, we are saved!

Repeat Chorus

Steve Earl © 1997 PDI Praise, a division of PDI Music. Used by Permission. CCLI #89178

CONFESSION OF FAITH

LEADER: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

PEOPLE: That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

LEADER: What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?

PEOPLE: Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such redemption.

PRAYING TOGETHER FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

WORSHIPPING BY GIVING

• Choral Offertory - Come Thou Fount (Wyeth)
(Text on p. 457 in the hymnal)

PRAISING OUR GOD

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below.
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

DEDICATING OUR LIVES & GIFTS

ALL: O God, the Fountain of all good: We bring to you our gifts, according to how you have prospered us. Enable us, with our earthly things, to give you the love of our hearts and the service of our lives. Let your favor, which is life, and your lovingkindness, which is better than life, be upon us now and always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HEARING SCRIPTURE - 2 Corinthians 7: 1–16

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

I will offer up my life in spirit and truth,
Pouring out the oil of love as my worship to you.
In surrender I must give my ev'ry part,
Lord, receive the sacrifice of a broken heart.

Jesus, what can I give, what can I bring
To so faithful a friend, to so loving a King?
Savior, what can be said, what can be sung
As a praise of your name for the things you have done
Oh, my words could not tell, not even in part
Of the debt of love that is owed by this thankful heart.

You deserve my ev'ry breath, for you've paid the great cost,
Giving up your life to death, even death on a cross.
You took all my shame away, there defeated my sin,
Opened up the gates of heav'n and have beckoned me in.

Repeat Chorus

Matt Redman © 1994 Kingsway's Thankyou Music. Used by Permission. CCLI #89178

APPLYING GOD'S WORD

"A Song of Deliverance" - Psalm 32

RESPONDING IN SONG

You Are My Hiding Place

You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance,
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you, I will trust in you
Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord

© 1981 MARANATHA! MUSIC. Words and Music by Michael Ledner. Used by permission. CCLI# 89167

RECEIVING GOD'S BLESSING

PASTOR: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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

POSTLUDE