Second Sunday of Lent

PRELUDE

Call to Worship  From Revelation 11

 Pastor:  Then the seventh angel blew his

  trumpet, and there were loud voices

  in heaven, saying,

 People: “The kingdom of the world has   become the kingdom of our Lord

  and of his Christ, and he shall

  reign forever and ever.”

 Pastor: And the 24 elders who sit on their   thrones before God fell on their

  faces and worshiped God, saying,

 People: “We give thanks to you, Lord    God Almighty, who is and who

  was, for you have taken your  

  great power and begun to reign.”

 Pastor: “The nations raged, but your wrath

  came, and the time for the dead

  to be judged, and for rewarding

  your servants, the prophets and    saints, and those who fear your

  name, both small and great.”

 All: Then God's temple in heaven   was opened, and the ark of his

  covenant was seen within his    temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of

  thunder, an earthquake, and    heavy hail.

WELCOME

PRAYER of INVOCATION    From Psalm 9:9-10 

SONG of ADORATION    “The Love of God”

 

It's so good I almost can’t believe it
Far beyond what hearts could ever dream
The God who set the galaxies in motion
Would descend to give His life for me

For what could make perfection bleed for sinners
What leads a King to pay so great a cost
All my life, my heart will sing the answer:
Only the love of God

 

Singing oh, how great is the love of God!
He paid our debt on that rugged cross
For all our days, we will sing our Savior's praise
How great is the love of God!

 

It's so kind, it leads us to repentance
And it's so bright, the darkness has to flee
Hallelujah, it cleared my guilty sentence
For I was bound but now I stand redeemed

For what could break the chains of any prison?
What force could rob the power from the grave?
What would trade my rags for heaven's riches?
Only the love of God

Though I try, my mind can't comprehend it
It's so high, too marvelous for words
I could sing a million songs about it
And barely scratch the surface of Your worth

This all my life, the banner I'll be waving
My anthem cry no matter what may come
And when I rise to walk the streets of heaven
I'll still be singing this song, for everything that You've done
How great the love of God!

Wickham / Lake © All Essential Music, Be Essential Songs CCLI#3071858

 

Confession and Assurance

READING of GOD’S LAW

   Hear God’s Law, His Will for Your Life, from John 15:9-17

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends . . . You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

 

 This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. ◆

 

 

PRAYER of CONFESSION     John Bradford

 Remember, O Lord, that we are a parcel of Your portion, Your flock, the inheritors of Your kingdom, the sheep of Your pas-ture, and the members of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Deal with us therefore, not according to the multitude of our sings, but according to the multitude of Your mercies, that all nations, tribes, and languages, may celebrate Your praises in the restoring of Your ruined church to perfection again.

 

For it is Your work, O Lord, and not man’s, and from You do we look with patience for the same, and not from the fleshly arm of man,

 

And therefore to You only is due all dominion, power, and thanksgiving—now in our days and for evermore. Amen.◆

 

ASSURANCE of PARDON   from Galatians 2:19-20

  Hear these words of comfort from the Apostle Paul:

“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Friends in Christ, the wages of sin is death—but we have died in Christ, and the gift of God, through Christ our Savior, is ever-lasting life. With full assurance of pardon, let us live by faith in the Son of God, turning from sin, and turning to Jesus to receive forgiveness and newness of life. Amen. ◆

 

SONG of RESPONSE   “When I Survey . . . ”   CH#324

 

Life of Worship

PROFESSION of FAITH The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that exists—seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father before all worlds; Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, of One Being with the Father. Through Him, all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven.     By the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suf-fered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and from the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy, universal, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism unto the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.◆

 

OFFERING

 

DOXOLOGY CH#815

 

PRAYER of DEDICATION

CHILDREN’S CATECHISM

   Q40: What should we pray?    

A: The whole Word of God directs us in

     what we should pray.

         From The New City Catechism for Kids, ©2018 Crossway Books. Used with permission

PASSING of the PEACE

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,

and the glory, forever.  

Amen. ◆

 

Ministry of the Word

SONG   “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”    CH #151

PRAYER for ILLUMINATION

Gracious God,

We do not live by bread alone, but by

every word that comes from your mouth.

Make us hungry for this heavenly food,

that it may nourish us today

in the way of eternal life;

through Jesus Christ,

the bread of heaven. Amen. ◆

SERMON        “Turning Tables”    John 2:12

SONG of RESPONSE   “Glory Be to the Father”   CH#813

BENEDICTION

 

POSTLUDE