Liturgy

- CALL TO WORSHIP -

Let us rise and worship the Triune God.

ADORATION

Minister: The Lord is risen! Congregation: He is risen indeed.

SCRIPTURE

Isaiah 42:10–11“Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them! Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.” Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord!

PRAYER

Our Father, before you all hearts lay bare, to you all desires are known, and from you no secrets are hid. Your all-seeing eye knows how to divide between soul and spirit. No dark spots in our hearts are dark to you. Where can we flee from your presence? If we ascend to the heights of angels, you are there. If we make our bed in Sheol, you are there. Lord, you are holy, holy, holy. And if you so desired it and revealed to us the full weight of your glory, we would disintegrate with shame.

Evenso, O Father, you have loved us with an everlasting love and summoned us to come with boldness before your throne of grace. We, who at one time did nothing else than to run from your presence, are now assembled before you, as your blood-bought people. Even as you sear our lips by the fire of your Word, we are ready to go where you send us and do what you tell us. Almighty God, we worship you now through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with You, and the Holy Spirit, One God, world without end, and Amen.

HYMN

From Heaven, O Praise the Lord......................294

- CONFESSION -

Please sit.

EXHORTATION (Samuel Davidson)

There is a kind of postmillennialism that can make one sit back, relax and let our great grandchildren deal with what’s wrong with the world. Let’s call it Hezekiah postmillennialism. You will remember that he is the one who rejoiced at the fact that while Judah will fall into captivity, this won’t happen until he is dead and gone. His sons will be eunuchs in the king’s palace in Babylon. But he said, “The word of the Lord is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.” (Isaiah 39:8) Or let’s call it someone-will-come-along postmillennialism. Things are going downhill all around us but we know God’s promise for victory in history stands, so surely God will raise the right man and clear things up in a bit. True enough but what are you doing right now? Don’t presume upon the obedience of future generations. If you disobey God, there may not be any. The wiping out of entire nations on account of their active rebellion or passive neglect of God’s commands is not inconsistent with an optimistic eschatology. Yes, God will bring about His kingdom. But will you partake in that blessing? You should want to. The Christian life is not about the bare minimum that you can do in order to make it to heaven or to make sure your children are walking with the Lord. The Christian life is about the glorious vision of all the nations glorifying God with all that they have and are. There are abundant good works that God has predestined for you to walk in.

The way to not be caught up short in the final judgment before God is to be willing to be judged by the Lord now. As He examines your work, your relationship with your wife, your nurture of your children, your witness in the world, do not despise his correction and rebuke. If you receive judgment from God now, you will be in the God-ordained spot to receive blessing from him in the future. If you defer God’s judgment, you will be saved but not without fire. Are you just scraping by? Or are you listening to what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do? This reminds us of our need to confess our sins so let us prepare to do so as we sing..

PSALM

Be Gracious unto Me, O God............................107

CONFESSION OF SIN

So, as you are able please kneel in confession before God

1 Corinthians 5:6–7“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” Lord, you died and rose again so that we might die and rise again in you. You have made us new. Yet, for indolence and apathy we have failed to walk in that newness of life. We have despised your rod of correction. Our ears have not heeded your voice of warning and rebuke. We have not taken responsibility for the mess we are in. Wash us by the blood of your Son that forever new cleanses us of our faults.

You have called Your church to truth in the inward parts, so we confess our individual sins to you now, Selah.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Please rise for the assurance of pardon! 1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Christian, Christ Jesus receives you right where you are, in all the messiness of your present situation. You may strengthen your weak knees and continue the work of building God’s glorious kingdom, one brick at a time, for.. Minister: Your sins are forgiven through Christ. Congregation: Thanks be to God!

CONFESSION OF FAITH

Having confessed our sins, let us now confess our common faith by singing together the words of the apostles’ creed, Minister: Christian, what do you believe? Congregation: I believe in God the Father Almighty,Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, Hisonly begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceivedby the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,died, and was buried. He descended into Hades.On the third day He rose again from the dead,ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right handof God the Father Almighty; from thence He willcome to judge the living and the dead. I believein the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, thecommunion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, theresurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Responsive Reading

Minister: The nations still rage, Congregation: And the peoples still imagine vanities. Minister: But God is still in His Heaven, Congregation: And the Church is still established on earth, Minister: As the gates of Hades shake. Congregation: Amen.

HYMN

Who Shall the Lord’s Elect Condemn?....................422

- CONSECRATION -

SCRIPTURE READING

(Tim Rice) Genesis 39:7-21, 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 Reader: The Word of the Lord. Congregation: Thanks be to God!

Baptisms and Memberships

HYMN

Please sit. Why Boast in Evil, Mighty Man?........................99

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

(Tim Rice) Opening: James 1:12 Thanksgiving: Matthew 5:11-12 Petitions: 1 Corinthians 10:13

HYMN

Please stand. It’s Good to Thank the Lord.................................169

SERMON

Captivity Taken Captive..................Joshua Dockter

PRAYER

Ending with The Lord’s Prayer…

OFFERTORY

Please stand. Holy, Holy, Holy................................................317

[Pray for Offering]

- COMMUNION -

Please sit.

MEDITATION

God has blessed you abundantly! He has given you your life, your circumstances, your family, your church. God seeks to bless you more. He seeks to fill your mouth with laughter and satisfy your soul with as much joy as you please. But the way for that to happen is that you are to lay all that he has blessed you with on his altar for him to do with them as he will. He may consume all of it or leave some behind. Shouldn’t matter to you. As far as you’re concerned it’s all been given to him.

That is how the table set before you was produced. God gives you a wheat seed. You take the perfectly healthy seed and for no fault of it, bury it out of sight for a while. Then you must be patient to water the plant till in God’s time the seed you lost returns back to you along with many more kernels. God has blessed you more! But he wants to bless you even more. So he asks you to take all those kernels and crush them. Punch them hard and mix in oil and salt and yeast to a point that its virtually unrecognisable. And then you throw it into the fire. Then you break it and cut it up again as I am about to do in just a bit. That’s how you get this bread. So also with the wine! This is how God glorifies the world in all things. So much so that even our Lord Jesus Christ for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. He was perfectly joyful in heaven. But he gave that up, becoming man, dying a sinner’s death and rising again to glory. And he did all this in order to get more joy at the end. It was the Lord’s will to crush him and to put him to grief. After he made an guilt offering for us, he was to see his seed; which he had lost and the will of the LORD was to prosper in his hand.

You too are being crushed, kneaded and fermented into a pleasing sacrifice before the Lord today as you present yourselves as one body before the Lord. As you receive God’s gospel made visible in this meal before you, do not despise the discipline and correction of the Lord. It is for your future joy and blessing. So, come and welcome to Jesus Christ.

[Pray for the Eucharist]

THE BREAD

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he broke it:

Father, We Thank Thee Who Hast Planted............495 And when Jesus had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

THE WINE

Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners.........................449

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

- COMMISSION -

Please stand.

CLOSING DOXOLOGY

The congregation may raise hands.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

Numbers 6:24–26 ““The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’”