Scripture Reading of Praise Psalm 99
Pastor: Lift up your hearts!
Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord!
Prayer of Invocation
Hymn (stand) “Rejoice the Lord Is King” Trinity 226
Passage of Confession Psalm 146:3
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
Personal Silent Prayer of Confession (kneel)
Corporate Prayer of Confession (All Together):
Almighty God, since You have delayed with great forbearance the punishment which we deserve and daily draw on ourselves, grant that we may not indulge ourselves but carefully consider how often and in how many different ways we have provoked Your wrath against us. May we learn humbly to present ourselves to You for pardon, and with true repentance implore Your mercy. With all our heart we desire to submit ourselves to You, whether You chastise us, or according to Your infinite goodness, forgive us. Let our condition be ever blessed, not by flattering ourselves in our apathy, but by finding You to be our kind and bountiful Father, reconciled to us in Your only-begotten Son. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon (stand) Hebrews 7:23–25
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever. Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Pastor: Our sins are forgiven through Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!
Hymn (stand) “O The Deep Deep Love” Cantus 264
The Apostles’ Creed AD Second Century
Pastor: Christian, what do you believe?
I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into Hades;
The third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Heidelberg Catechism ad 1563
Question 99: What is required in the third Commandment?
Answer: That we must not by cursing, or by false swearing, nor yet by unnecessary oaths, profane or abuse the name of God; nor even by our silence and connivance be partakers of these horrible sins in others; and in summary, that we use the holy name of God in no other way than with fear and reverence, so that He may be rightly confessed and worshiped by us, and be glorified in all our words and works.
q 100: Is the profaning of God’s name, by swearing and cursing, so grievous a sin that His wrath is kindled against those also who do not help as much as they can to hinder and forbid it?
a: Yes, truly, for no sin is greater and more provoking to God than the profaning of His name; wherefore He even commanded it to be punished with death.
q 101: But may we swear reverently by the name of God?
a: Yes, when the magistrate requires it, or when it may be needful otherwise, to maintain and promote fidelity and truth to the glory of God and our neighbor’s good; for such an oath is grounded in God’s Word, and therefore was rightly used by the saints in the Old and New Testaments.
q 102: May we swear by “the saints” or by any other creatures?
a: No, for a lawful oath is a calling upon God, that He, as the only searcher of hearts, may bear witness to the truth, and punish me if I swear falsely; which honor is due to no creature.
Psalm (stand) “The Lord’s My Shepherd” Ps. 23 Cantus 38
The Reading of the Universal Word (stand)
Old Testament Proverbs 5:15-19
Congregation: Thanks be to God!
New Testament 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Congregation: Thanks be to God!
Pastoral Prayer (sit)
Concluding with The Lord’s Prayer (all together)
Preaching of the Word
“Final Instructions on Marriage” 1 Corinthians 7:36-40
Hymn (stand) “The Church’s One Foundation” cantus 327
Typically, heads of household serve their own families, but this is not mandatory. See our note about Communion on the cover of this bulletin.
Gloria Patri (stand) Cantus 436
Benediction (stand)