:: Download the 7.19.2015 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
:: Download the 7.19.2015 Bulletin
:: Download the 7.19.2015 Sermon Audio
image :: Lamb of God (detail), Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck (1432, Belgium)
Preparation for Worship :: The Seventh Commandment: No Adultery
“The power and charge of sex are maintained when there is some sacredness to it, when it is not on tap all the time.” (Naomi Wolf)
“In the Name of God, I, _____ take you, _____, to be my husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.” (Wedding Vow, Book of Common Prayer)
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday July 19 include ::
:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Before the Throne of God Above (Charitie Lees Bancroft, 1863) CHART [bandcamp track=3844385493 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus (Samuel Trevor Francis, c.1890) CHART [bandcamp track=828526162 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: What Wondrous Love is This (American Folk Hymn, c.1811) CHART [bandcamp track=455609457 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: The Church’s One Foundation (Samuel Stone, 1866) CHART [bandcamp track=4187815592 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In Christ Alone (Getty, 2002) CHART [bandcamp track=676321818 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]
Call to Worship :: Revelation 19:6-7, 9
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Gospel Reading :: Matthew 5:27-30
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”
Declaration of Faith :: The Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 108-109
What does the seventh commandment teach us? That God condemns all unchastity, and that therefore we should thoroughly detest it and live decent and chaste lives, within or outside of the holy state of marriage.
Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such scandalous sins as adultery? We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why God forbids all unchaste actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires, and whatever may incite someone to them.
Prayer of Confession :: The Book of Common Prayer
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us.
Words of Encouragement :: I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Sermon :: Exodus 20:1-2,14
And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…”
14 “You shall not commit adultery.”