The Worship of God January 18, 2009

Welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus! If you are a guest with us, please be sure

to sign our Registry when it is passed during the service. Children are welcome in

our worship. We have a nursery available for children 3 and under. Children not yet

in kindergarten will be dismissed prior to the sermon. Thank you for joining us

today and may the Lord richly bless you.

Welcome and Preparation for Worship

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the

redeemed of the LORD say this – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those

he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Let them give

thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. For he

satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Whoever is wise, let him

heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. – Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Call to Worship1 Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast

love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

Hymn of Praise2

Crown Him with Many Crowns Bridges

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne; Hark! How the heav'nly anthem drowns all music but its own:

Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,

And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side;

Rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified;

No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,

But downward bends His burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of peace; whose pow’r a scepter sways

From pole to pole that wars may cease, absorbed in prayer and praise:

His reign shall know no end; and round his pierced feet

Fair flow’rs of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time;

Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime:

All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me:

Thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.

To the great One in Three, Eternal praises be,

Hence ever more. His sovereign majesty, May we in glory see,

And to eternity, love and adore.

1 We believe that God always initiates with sinners, so we begin worship with his invitation

and command to us to gather in his name.

2 All songs used by permission or covered under CCLI license # 391165

Confession of Faith Adapted from 1Peter 2

We are like living stones, being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy

priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. We

are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that we may

proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous

light. Once we were not a people, but now we are God’s people; once we had not

received mercy, but now we have received mercy.

We Are the Body of Christ Hampton

One heart, one Spirit, one voice to praise You,

We are the body of Christ.

One goal, one vision, to see You exalted,

We are the body of Christ.

And to this we give our lives

To see You glorified.

One heart, one Spirit, one voice to praise You,

We are the body of Christ.

We are the body of Christ.

Call to Confession of Sin Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies

as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do

not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable

and perfect.

Corporate Confession of Sin

Our Father in Heaven, because of Your great mercy You have forgiven our sins

and rescued us from the power of sin. You have changed our hearts and renewed

our wills so that we might live as Your people. Yet we have disobeyed Your law and

we have not reflected Your character in the world. Instead of desiring fellowship

with You, our hearts have been obsessed with the pleasures of this life. Rather than

seeking Your favor, we have sought the approval of others. Rather than serving

others, we have served ourselves.

O Lord, we have sinned against You and are truly sorry. Deepen within us our

sorrow for the wrong we have done, and for the good we have left undone. Teach us

to hate and forsake our sins and guide us in the paths of righteousness for Your

name’s sake. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon in Christ Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Worship with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Neander

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,

Join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;

Ponder anew what the Almighty will do,

If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee,

Decked thee with health and with loving hand guided and stayed thee;

How oft in grief hath not He brought thee relief,

Spreading His wings to o'ershade thee!

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!

All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!

Let the amen sound from His people again;

Gladly fore'er we adore Him.

I Will Sing of My Redeemer Prichard

I will sing of my Redeemer, and His wondrous love to me:

On the cruel cross He suffered, from the curse to set me free.

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! With His blood He purchased me,

On the cross He sealed my pardon, paid the debt and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story, how my lost estate to save,

In His boundless love and mercy, He the ransom freely gave.

I will praise my dear Redeemer, His triumphant power I’ll tell,

How the victory He giveth over sin and death and hell.

Give Thanks Smith

Give thanks with a grateful heart,

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because He's given

Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, "I am strong,"

Let the poor say, "I am rich,"

Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Corporate Prayer Rev. Steve Coward

Offering

Sacrament of Infant Baptism

Noah Octavius Smith

Sermon3 Matthew 5: 1-12 Rev. Rob Bailey

3 4, 5, & 6-year-old children may be dismissed before the sermon to Godly Play in room 173.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper A Word About Communion – The bread and wine you see on the Communion

table may not look like much to the casual observer. In fact, it is merely bread and

wine. What makes this meal special is that the Lord Jesus Christ is spiritually present

in a unique way. This sacrament is not something to be taken lightly but neither is it

a time to be somber; rather, we should be filled with thankfulness and joy. Our

Savior, out of His great mercy, bids His people to come to this meal. If you are a

member of a church who embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are at peace with

your fellow Christians, we welcome you to this table. Come and consider with us

our Lord’s body and shed blood symbolized in the bread and wine. Rejoice with us

in our union with Him and with each other as His Covenant people. For those not

taking Communion today, we encourage you to carefully think on the prayers found

in the section entitled: “Prayers for Those Not Communing”, and we look forward to

the day when you may join us in this meal.

I Need Thee Every Hour Hawks

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord

No tender voice like Thine, can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou near by,

Temptations lose their power, when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee,

O I need Thee, every hour I need you Lord,

O bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain.

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will

And Thy rich promises, in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One.

O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

Benediction4

4 Just as God has the first word in worship, he also has the last word. For those who are in

Christ Jesus, these are always words of blessing. We look up and extend our hands out in a

posture of receiving the blessing of God.

Prayers of Meditation for Those Not Communing

Prayer for Those Searching for Truth

Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth, and the life. Grant that I might be

undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. If

what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who

you are. Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing, and that

leads to the life that you promise. Amen.

Prayer of Belief

Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before

believed, but, through Your Son Jesus, I can be more loved and accepted than I ever

dared hope. I thank You that He lived the life I should have lived, and paid the debt

and punishment I owed. Receive me now for His sake. I turn from my sins and

receive Him as Savior. Amen.

Prayer for Those Struggling with Sin

Lord Jesus, grant that I may see in you the fulfillment of all my need, and may turn

from every false satisfaction to feed on you, the true and living bread. Enable me to

lay aside the sin that clings so closely, and run with perseverance the race set before

me, looking to you, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith. Amen.

Prayer of Commitment

Lord Jesus, you have called us to follow you in baptism and in a life of committed

discipleship in your church. Grant that I may take the necessary steps to be one with

your people, and live in the fullness of your Spirit. Amen.