October 7, 2018
Before We Worship
What does it mean to worship God? This seemingly simple question is actually the most important question. We will begin to reflect upon this important question by reflecting upon the articles of faith as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed.
The first article of the Apostles’ Creed states, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” That is, to worship God means to worship the Creator. And, of course, this is the very first thing that the Bible teaches us in Genesis 1 & 2. What, then, does it mean to worship God as our Creator?
First, it means recognizing that he is the source of our life and every good thing. This leads us to a place of gratitude. That is, worshiping the Creator means we cease from boasting about ourselves (our accomplishments and possessions). Instead, we gratefully and humbly acknowledge that all that we have come from God. Our very lives, existence, and everything we need for life, are gifts of our kind Creator.
Second, knowing God as the Creator whose works produced the world gives a great sense of dignity to our productive endeavors. Work is not the product of sin. Rather, we are imitating God when we do good work, when we produce things of worth and value, when our works meet the needs of mankind and creation. From this perspective, we realize that “ministry” means more than preaching and teaching the Bible. There is a sense in which every believer is a minister doing God’s work as they faithfully perform the tasks God has given them to do.
Third, worshiping the Creator also means our lives have a certain rhythm. We work for six days and rest on the seventh day. We acknowledge our Creator not only in our work, but also in our rest. Just as God worked and rested, so we work and rest. And when we rest, it does not mean wasting time. It does not mean being unproductive. Rather, our Sabbath rest is one of the most tangible and credible ways our faith is demonstrated. For as we rest from our labors, we rest in God. We acknowledge that all that we need comes from God. Not only so, we become intentional about giving thanks for all that God has done and continues to do, and all that he has given and continues to give.
Come, then, and let us worship our Creator together. He is good and kind. He is worthy of our worship.
Call to Worship
‡ Genesis 1:1, 31, 2:1–3 (p. 1)
‡ Trinity Hymnal #391 “Safely through Another Week”
‡ Trinity Hymnal #731 “Doxology”
Prayer of Invocation
The Reading and Exposition of the Law
Exodus 20:12 (p. 61)
The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) — Lord’s Day 39
Prayer of Confession
The Proclamation of the Gospel
“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” (Psalms 86:5 ESV)
Trinity Hymnal #654 “O Jesus, I Have Promised”
Presentation of Gifts and Offering
Pastoral Prayer
The Proclamation of God’s Word
Luke 15:11–32 (p. 874)
Two Were Lost; Only One Was Found
Rev. Ken Han
The Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper
We participate in the Lord’s Supper weekly. We welcome to the Lord’s Table all baptized believers who have sincere faith in Jesus Christ, and regularly worship in a Reformed or evangelical church.
The Lord’s Supper is a sign and a seal of the new covenant blessings. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper with faith, it strengthens our bond with our covenant Lord, Jesus Christ. Thus we participate properly when we come to our Savior with faith and repentance as we renew our resolve to forsake sin and live for his glory.
The Lord’s Supper also renews our bonds with God’s covenant community, the body of believers in the local church. As we receive the Lord’s Supper, we renew our pledge to give ourselves away in loving service.
During the distribution of the bread we will sing Trinity Hymnal #460 “Amazing Grace” stanzas 1–3, and stanzas 4–6 during the distribution of the cup.
Trinity Hymnal #108 “What’er My God Ordains Is Right”
Benediction
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Growth Resources
Family Devotion for the Week
The September 30, 2018 sermon, Luke 15:1–10. “Midway This Way of Life We’re Bound Upon” is available on our church website. You can also catch up on older sermons from our Sermon page and subscribe to sermon podcast here.
The Shorter Catechism lesson of the week is posted here: Q. 39.
Upcoming Events and Notices
Every Lord’s Day 10:15 AM: Please join us for Hymnsing, a time of preparing our hearts for worship in praise, and for learning new hymns for worship.
Join us for “12 for 18” as we read 12 great books in the year 2018. For October we are reading Robert Godfrey’s “Learning to Love the Psalms.” For November we will read Jared Wilson’s “The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together.”
TODAY: Please join us as we discuss John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”
October 7 (Lord’s Day): The children’s catechism lesson (Qs. 118–121), and the Shorter Catechism lessons (Q. 39) will follow after the worship service.
October 14 (Lord’s Day): Please join us for the monthly fellowship potluck meal.
Nursery Volunteers
(Nursery meets in the Conference Room)
October 7: Liza Beede
October 14: Michelle Kay