::  Download the 6.5.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Noontime, St. Botolph Street, Boston, George Luks (1928, American)

Preparation for Worship :: Where is the Promise of His Coming?

“The judgment consists in the very fact that men prefer darkness to light…The characteristic of lost souls is their rejection of everything that is not simply themselves.”  (C.S. Lewis)

“Jesus, our true and faithful Lord, Your promise we receive,
You are not slow to keep Your Word, But we are, to believe:
Should we throughout our seventy years For Your appearing stay,
A thousand, when Your face appears, Would seem but as one day.” (Charles Wesley)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday June 5 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O God Our Help in Ages Past (Isaac Watts, 1719) CHART [bandcamp track=650804974 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Things New (Horatius Bonar, 1846) CHART [bandcamp track=503053927 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1759) CHART [bandcamp track=1984899776 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come, All Ye Pining (Anne Steele, b.1717) CHART [bandcamp track=2538870965 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How Great Thou Art (Carl Boberg, 1885) CHART [bandcamp track=4153898077 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Our Lord, Come (I Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20) CHART

Call to Worship :: Psalm 90:1-4, 12-14

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Gospel Reading :: Matthew 24:34-44

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,   and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Confession of Sin

O Lord, we have not longed for Your coming nor for Your Kingdom as we ought. We have not denied ourselves, taking up Your cross, following You. Instead, clinging to the things of this world and counting them dear, we have grown callous to our neighbor. We have not cried out for justice nor cared about those who are without Christ and without hope in this world. Lord, forgive us for our offenses and grant that by the power of Your Spirit, we might live in light of Your coming again.

Words of Encouragement :: Psalm 130:3-4

If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

Sermon :: II Peter 3:1-10

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. ⁷ But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

::  Download the 5.29.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Balaam’s Ass, Rembrandt van Rijn (1626, Dutch)

Preparation for Worship :: False & True

“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

“Christ alone makes all other [false teachings] suddenly vanish. There is nothing that Satan so much endeavors to accomplish as to bring on mists with the view of obscuring Christ, because he knows, that by this means the way is opened up for every kind of falsehood. This, therefore, is the only means of retaining, as well as restoring pure doctrine: to place Christ before the view such as He is with all His blessings, that His excellence may be truly perceived.” (John Calvin)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday May 29 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758) CHART [bandcamp track=4015998502 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In Christ Alone (Getty & Townend, 2002) CHART [bandcamp track=676321818 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]::  From Depths of Woe / Psalm 130 (Martin Luther, 1524) CHART [bandcamp track=762862813 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Good, Good Father (Barrett & Brown, 2015) CHART  >>> AUDIO

:: Lord I Need You (Matt Maher, 2013) CHART  >>> AUDIO

Call to Worship :: Psalm 86:9-12

All the nations You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.

Old Testament Reading :: Numbers 22:21-31

So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.  Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.  And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again.  Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.  When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.  Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”  And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”  And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.

Confession of Sin

Gracious Lord, we confess that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, words and deeds. Depending on our own strength, we stumble. Glorying in our own righteousness, we mock You. Turning our faces from You, we desire the things of this world to satisfy us. We repent of our self-pity and pride, our cowardice and sloth, our anger and envy. We pray now, Lord, for You to forgive us; Let us hear Your voice saying: “His blood is your peace, His death is your freedom, His Spirit is your power.” We pray these things in the name of Your most precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: I Peter 2:22-24

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

Sermon :: II Peter 2:11-22

¹¹ whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, ¹³ suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! ¹⁵ Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, ¹⁶ but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

¹⁷ These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

::  Download the 5.22.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Noah’s Ark On Mount Ararat (Obverse), Hieronymus Bosch (1514, Dutch) 

Preparation for Worship :: The Lord Knows How

“In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me.” (Heidelberg Catechism, 52)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday May 22 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber,1826) CHART [bandcamp track=3071271614 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Crown Him With Many Crowns (Matthew Bridges, 1851) CHART [bandcamp track=92738205 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Calmer of My Troubled Heart (Charles Wesley, 1762) CHART [bandcamp track=787838808 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: We Are Not Overcome (Heiskell & Wardell, 2013) CHART [bandcamp track=3830598251 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How Firm a Foundation (Rippon’s Selection of Hymns, 1787) CHART [bandcamp track=1364970937 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: I Cry Out (Musseau, 1990) CHART

Call to Worship :: Psalm 71:1-3

In You, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!  Be to me a Rock of Refuge, to which I may continually come; You have given the command to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

Gospel Reading :: John 7:14-18

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”

Confession of Sin :: Psalm 32:1-5,7

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

Words of Encouragement :: John 5:24

Jesus said “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Sermon :: II Peter 2:1-10 

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; ⁵ if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; ⁷ and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

::  Download the 5.15.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Canto VII, Barnett Newman (1963, American)

Preparation for Worship :: Spoke from God

“This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in Him and are offered to us by Him from God the Father. If one were to sift through the whole Law and the Prophets, he would not find a single word which would not draw and bring us to Him.”  (John Calvin)

“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; His word is on my tongue.”  (II Samuel 23:2)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday May 15 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]::  God is Love Let Heaven Adore Him (Timothy Rees, 1922) CHART [bandcamp track=381279901 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of my Song (John Stocker, 1776) CHART [bandcamp track=2834013035 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Be Thou My Vision (8th Century Irish Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=1801427840 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Hail the Power of Jesus Name (Edward Perronet, 1780) CHART [bandcamp track=1047855256 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

:: All The Way My Savior Leads Me (Fanny Crosby, 1875) CHART 
>>> AUDIO

Call to Worship

“I will pour out My Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on My servants, both men and women,
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”  (Joel 2:28-29)

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Old Testament Reading :: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Confession of Sin

Father in heaven, we confess that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, words and deeds. As the prophets testified, You have spoken definitively by Your Son: forgive us for living as if You never act, never hear, never speak. We have grieved Your Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. Rather than be led by You, we have followed the spirit of our age into self-reliance and self-worship. We have acted as if the Cross has no power and as if there is no Spirit of God convicting, encouraging and helping us. Forgive us for living as if You do not care for us, and grant that we might  delight in Your will and walk in Your ways. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: II Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Sermon :: II Peter 1:20-21

²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

::  Download the 5.8.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Street Light, Giacomo Balla (Italian, c.1909-11)

Preparation for Worship :: Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

“You shall remember the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:18)

“God has a disposition to communicate Himself, to spread abroad His own fullness. His purpose was for His goodness to over-spill His own Being, as it were. He chose to create the heavens and the earth so that His glory could come pouring out from Himself in abundance. He brought a physical reality into existence in order that it might experience His glory and be filled with it and reflect it – every atom, every second, every part and moment of creation. He made human beings in His own image to reflect His glory, and He placed them in a perfect environment which also reflected it.” (Jonathan Edwards)

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” (Irenaeus)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday May 8 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Must Be Well (Mary Bowley-Peters, 1847) CHART [bandcamp track=2424243148 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Gloria Patri (2nd Century Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=1717027862 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Give Me Jesus (African-American Spiritual) CHART [bandcamp track=893825801 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber,1826) CHART [bandcamp track=3071271614 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Approach My Soul The Mercy Seat (John Newton, 1779) CHART
>>AUDIO

:: Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies (Charles Wesley, 1740) CHART

Call to Worship :: Psalm 99:1-3,9

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

Old Testament Reading :: Exodus 33:18-23

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Confession of Sin

Holy God, when You call us to follow You with great boldness, we tremble at Your presence and cover our eyes. We are afraid of what we will see for Your greatness unveils our weakness, Your justice unveils our iniquity, and Your holiness unveils our stained hearts and minds. O Lord, hear our prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, Giver of all grace, forgive us our sins. Give us the strength to renounce that which hides You from us. Give us the wisdom to trust Your atoning sacrifice. We believe; help our unbelief, that we might know the freedom and power of Your Cross.

Words of Encouragement :: from Colossians 2:13-15

When you were dead in your sins God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the Law that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the Cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.

Sermon :: II Peter 1:12-19

¹² Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,¹⁴ since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

::  Download the 5.1.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Confirmation Day, Childe Hassam (1889, American)

Preparation for Worship :: Confirm

“How we give the impression that to be Christian means that you display in your life a kind of general belief of faith, and then you add to it virtue and knowledge and charity. [As if] the Christian message is an exhortation to us to live a certain type of life, and an exhortation to put these things into practice. But that is an utter travesty of the Gospel. The Christian Gospel in the first instance does not ask us to do anything. It first of all proclaims and announces to us what God has done for us. The first statement of the Gospel is not an exhortation to action or to conduct and behavior. Before man is called upon to do anything, he must have received something. Before God calls upon a man to put anything into practice, He has made it possible for man to put it into practice.” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday May 1 include ::

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (Stuart Townend, 1995) CHART [bandcamp track=4169581556 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Be Thou My Vision  (8th Century Irish Hymn)  CHART [bandcamp track=1801427840 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus (Louisa Stead, 1882) CHART [bandcamp track=3021677932 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Father Long Before Creation (Chinese Hymn, c.1951) CHART [bandcamp track=165182312 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Behold Our God (Baird & Altrogge, 2011) CHART [bandcamp track=4160179747 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Better Is One Day In Your Courts (Matt Redman,2005) CHART //  AUDIO

Call to Worship :: Psalm 134, 65:4

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth! Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple!

Old Testament Reading :: Isaiah 43:10-11,18-19

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.  I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior….Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Confession of Sin

Gracious Father, our sins are too heavy to carry, too great to cover, and too deep to undo. In our hostility toward You, we squandered life and inheritance.  Forgive our forgetfulness, blindness, and rebellion against You. May Your Spirit who is at work in us transform us into the likeness of Your Son; and grant us grace to confirm our calling and election, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: II Timothy 1:9

God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

Sermon :: II Peter 1:5-11

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.