Praise to God for His Majesty
Call to Worship
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
*Trinity Hymnal No. 441
Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
does his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.To him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown his head;
his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song;
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.Blessings abound where'er he reigns;
the pris'ner leaps to lose his chains,
the weary find eternal rest,
and all the sons of want are blest.Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honors to our King,
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen!
Prayer of Invocation
*Trinity Hymnal No. 735
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
*Confession of Faith
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets;
and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church;
we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Confession Before a Holy God
Reading of the Law
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon
“I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
The Means of Grace
Prayer of Intercession
*Scripture Reading and Text
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Sermon
Peace, Proclamation, Power
Rev. James Alexander
Prayer of Application
*Trinity Hymnal No. 448
We Have Heard the Joyful Sound
We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to ev'ry land,
Climb the steeps and cross the waves,
onward! 'tis our Lord's command;
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!Waft it on the rolling tide:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell to sinners far and wide:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, ye islands of the sea;
echo back, ye ocean caves;
earth shall keep her jubilee:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!Sing above the battle strife,
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By his death and endless life,
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing it softly through the gloom,
when the heart for mercy craves;
sing in triumph o'er the tomb —
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!Give the winds a mighty voice,
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Let the nations now rejoice —
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free,
highest hills and deepest caves;
this our song of victory —
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Thanksgiving and Blessing
Offering
*Trinity Hymnal No. 478
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;
it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.Refrain: I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
the message of salvation from God's own holy Word.I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.I love to tell the story; for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest,
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long.I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
*Benediction
*Trinity Hymnal No. 731
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'ly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.