Sunday’s Bulletin — 9 August 2020

NORTH LIBERTY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Bulletin for Sunday, 9 August 2020 — 11:00 A.M.

 

✠ ✠ Preparing to Hear the Word of God ✠ ✠
Prelude:

 

Joys & Concerns:

 

Time of Meditation:

 

Call to Worship:
Pastor: Glory to the Father in Whom all things began!
People: Glory to the Son Who became the Son of Man!
Pastor: Glory to the Spirit Who inspires and renews, the Lord our God forever! Let us worship the Lord our God with heart and mind.
Unison: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake the evil way; Call the unrighteous to forsake evil thoughts; and let that one return to the Lord Who will have mercy upon the repentant and abundantly pardon them. Let us worship the Triune Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. [Adapted from the 1946 Book of Common Worship; Page 32]

Prayer of Invocation:

 

Hymn:              “We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer”            # 68

Call to Confession:

 

Prayer of Confession:
Unison: Righteous, just and holy Lord, You give us the gifts of existence and life. You call clearly to us in the clamor of distracting voices with light that dispels our darkness. You bestow grace upon grace, fulfilling it by the miracle of tangible forgiveness made real by the sacrifice of Your Only-begotten Son.
All You require of us is our faithful surrender and repentance of sin. Yet, we often refuse Your gift and presence, like spoiled children unhappy with Gift and Giver. We refuse to hear Your voice, and we close our eyes, rejecting Your Light. Worst of all, we harden our hearts to Your grace and refuse to extend it to others in need.
Confessing our sinful nature, faults and ingratitude, we approach Your throne with renewed humility and broken hearts. Renew our faith and grant us the fruits of repentance and faithfulness. Of Your great mercy, and by Your Son’s sacrifice, we ask all this that we might live Your Gospel. Amen

Declaration of Pardon:

 

* Gloria Patri:

 

                                         ✠ ✠ ✠ Hearing the Word of God ✠ ✠ ✠

Childrens’ Message:

 

Scripture Lessons:                                       Deuteronomy 6:1 – 9
                                                                        Jeremiah 17:1 – 13
                                                                        John 3:16 – 21
                                                                        Romans 3:1 – 20

Prayers of the People & The Lord’s Prayer:

 

Sermon: “How Do We Know of Our Misery?”
The Rev. Albert Rhodes Stuart

 

✠ ✠ ✠ Responding to the Word of God ✠ ✠ ✠
Prayer of Response:

 

The Affirmation of Faith: The Apostles’ Creed

 

*Hymn:                            “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”                # 101

The Offering:
* Prayer of Dedication:
* The Doxology:

 

Hymn:                                         “Just As I Am”                                         # 488

* Ascription of Praise: (Jude 24-25)

 

Charge & Benediction:

 

Postlude:

 

✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠

 

Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 3 – 5:

 

Q3] How do you come to know your misery?
A3] The law of God tells me.

Q4] What does God’s law require of us?
A4] Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment.”
And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Q5] Can you live up to all this perfectly?
A5] No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor.