Call to Worship Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:7–13 (NKJV) Hymn # 115 All Creatures of Our God and King
1 All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing alleluia, alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in heav'n along, O praise him, alleluia! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening, find a voice, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 3 Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear, alleluia, alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, that givest man both warmth and light, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 And all ye men of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye, alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on him cast your care, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, O praise him, alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, three in one, O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Call To Confession
Our Lord Jesus says, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ And also, ‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us... If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Let us, therefore, confess ours sins to the Lord, saying together:
1 John 1:8 (NKJV)
Confession of Sins
Almighty and Gracious Father, we confess to you that we have sinned by not loving you with our whole heart and by not loving our neighbor as ourselves. Our faith is weak and we easily give in to doubt. Forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness in thought, word and deed. For we ask this in the name of your Son, who is our sure Redeemer and our Savior. Amen.
Word of Assurance
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus, our Gracious Heavenly Father has forgiven us our sins according to His word that "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:13–14
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'nly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Scripture Lesson: 2 Peter 2:1–22 (NKJV):
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,
14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Sermon
Hymn # 558 That Man Is Blest Who, Fearing God
1 That man is blest who, fearing God, from sin restrains his feet, who will not stand with wicked men, who shuns the scorners' seat.
2 Yea, blest is he who makes God's law his portion and delight, and meditates upon that law with gladness day and night.
3 That man is nourished like a tree set by the rivers' side; its leaf is green, its fruit is sure, and thus his works abide.
4 The wicked like the driven chaff are swept from off the land; they shall not gather with the just, nor in the judgment stand.
5 The Lord will guard the righteous well, their way to him is known; the way of sinners, far from God, shall surely be o'erthrown.
Prayer of the Church with the Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on 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.”
Hymn # 59 Forever Settled in the Heavens
1 Forever settled in the heav'ns, thy word, O Lord, shall firmly stand; thy faithfulness shall never fail; the earth abides at thy command.
2 Thy word and works unmoved remain, thine ev'ry purpose to fulfil; all things are thine and thee obey, and all as servants wait thy will.
3 I should have perished in my woe had not I loved thy law divine; that law I never can forget; O save me, Lord, for I am thine.
4 The wicked would destroy my soul, but in thy truth is refuge sure; exceeding broad is thy command, and in perfection shall endure.
Benediction
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