Morning Worship

 January 15, 2006

Reflection

There once was a nymph named Narcissus,

Who thought himself very delicious;

    So he stared like a fool

    At his face in a pool,

And his folly today is still with us.

                                                        —John Piper

As we behold the glory of Christ in the gospel and savor his purity, we come to see sin as repugnant, and salvation as magnificent.

                                                                                           —John Piper

“It is an item of faith that we are children of God; there is plenty of experience in us against it.”  The faith that surmounts this evidence and is able to warm itself at the fire of God’s love, instead of having to steal love and self-acceptance from other sources, is actually the root of holiness.  We are not saved by the love we exercise, but by the love we trust.

                                                                                         —P. T. Forsyth

Welcome

Call to Worship— Psalm 103:1-5

Leader:              ¹Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me,
bless his holy name! ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, ³who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, ⁴who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, ⁵who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

 Hymn of Praise— Praise to the Lord
Prayer of Adoration

Confession of Faith— Heidelberg Catechism #26

What do you believe when you say, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth"? That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by His eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ His Son.

     I trust so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity He sends me in this sad world. 

He is able to do this because he is almighty God;

he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

 Praise Song— Sing to the Lord (from Psalm 149)

Sing to the Lord a new song,

His praise in the assembly of saints.

Israel rejoice in your Maker;

People of Zion be glad in your King.

Praise His name with dancing

And make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!

Praise our God! Hallelujah!  Praise his name!

For the Lord delights in his people;

He crowns the humble with salvation.

Let the saints rejoice in this honor

And sing for joy on their beds.

Renewal

Scripture Reading— Luke 6:27-36

 ²⁷"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ³²"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

 Prayer of Confession

      We confess, our Father, that we do not live up to the family name.

     We are more ready to resent than to forgive, more ready to manipulate than to serve, more ready to fear than to love, more ready to keep our distance than to welcome, more ready to compete than to help, at the root of this behavior is mistrust.  We do not love one another as we should, because we do not believe that you love us as you do. Forgive us our cold unbelief.  And make more vivid to us the meaning and depth of your love at the cross.

     Show us what it cost you to give up your Son that we might become your sons and daughters.

        Make us to be those who love you and others with a sincere love.  Let us be those who willingly pay the debt of love we owe to one another.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  AMEN

     Private Confession

 Words of Encouragement— Psalm 103:11-14

  ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love  toward those who fear him; ¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  ¹³As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. ¹⁴For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

 Praise Songs

 I Will Boast in the Cross

God did not call us because we were wise,

Or gifted with riches and might.

His chosen ones are the weak in this world,

Who hope in his all saving name,

That he might receive all the praise.

  So I will boast in the cross of Christ

And I will glory in Jesus and his sacrifice.

I will boast in the cross of Christ.

It is the power, it is the wisdom of God

And my great ransom, the cross of Christ.

  Great is the myst’ry of God’s sovereign ways

That flow from the depths of his grace.

That he would give up his one precious Son

To bear all the cost of my sin,

Is a wonder I can’t comprehend.

Grace Alone

 Ev'ry promise we can make,

Ev'ry prayer and step of faith,

Ev'ry diff'rence we can make,

Is only by His grace.

Ev'ry mountain we will climb,

Ev'ry ray of hope we shine,

Ev'ry blessing left behind,

Is only by His grace.

  Grace alone, which God supplies.

Strength unknown He will provide.

Christ in us our cornerstone

We will go forth in grace alone.

 Ev'ry soul we long to reach,

Ev'ry heart we hope to teach,

Ev'rywhere we share His peace,

Is only by His grace.

Ev'ry loving word we say,

Ev'ry tear we wipe away,

Ev'ry sorrow turned to praise,

Is only by His grace.

 King of Grace

We have come to a throne of grace

Where our mighty Savior perfects our praise

Where wrath and judgment have been put away

Where not a trace of all our sin remains

 You're the King of grace unending

To Your open arms we run

You're the King of Grace unending

And we rest in Your unfailing love

And we rest in Your unfailing love

 We have come to a throne of grace

Where our Prince of Peace ever lives to pray

For those his sacrifice has bought and saved

Where saints and angels sing eternal praise

 Congregational Prayer

Commitment

Sermon Text— Ephesians 5:1-2

¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Sermon— Walking in Love                                           Pastor Dick Ellis

Offering God our Wealth/Offertory

 Closing Hymn— O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

Benediction

Postlude

 Prayer and Praise Update

Missions

 Mr. Doug Clawson, Assistant General Secretary, Foreign Missions

 Phil and Meredith Proctor, Uganda

Pray that Phil will find wisdom and balance as he divides his labors    between training men at Knox Theological College and addressing the needs in his congregation.

Pray for safety as approaching elections have sparked an increase in violence.

 Providence, Charlottesville VA

Pray that God would send more visitors and that the congregation would glorify Him.

Praise God for the addition of a number of new families.

 Becca Myers, Quebec

   Pray for opportunities for Becca to spread the gospel message.

Pray for  Miriam, a university student, who has some questions about Christianity but seems deeply rooted in new-age beliefs.

 At New Hope

 Pray for all of young people that are away at school and here in Frederick, that they would be Christ’s witnesses.

 Continue to pray that the adoption process for Patrick McClellan will go smoothly and that God will provide for all of the financial needs involved.