Morning Worship

        February 5, 2006

 Reflection

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

                                                                                          —1 Timothy 4:4

Man in his sinfulness may distort it, but in the context of marriage, sex itself remains an unblemished, untainted gift from God.  When we are told that “the marriage bed,” an obvious reference to sexuality, is to be “undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4), we’re reminded that sex in marriage is intended by God to be a pure and good thing.  Even though it’s intensely physical, it is not the least bit unspiritual...The scriptures aren’t sour on sex, you know.  They view marital relations as a source of legitimate, godly joy and satisfaction—a holy gift from God.

                                                                                        —C. J. Mahaney

The reason why Christians should dislike and avoid vulgarity is not because we have a warped view of sex and are either ashamed or afraid of it, but because we have a high and holy view of it as being in it’s right place God’s good gift, which we do not want to see cheapened.  All God’s gifts, including sex, are subjects for thanksgiving.

                                                                                     —John R. W. Stott                                       

 Welcome

 Preparation— Bill Johansen

 Prelude

Praise

Call to Worship— Psalm 8

People:            When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Leader:             Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
 and crowned him with glory and honor.

People:            You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,

Leader:             all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

People:            the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

Together:          O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Hymn of Praise— God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory

Prayer of Adoration

Renewal

Scripture Reading— Matthew 5:6, 8, 10

 ⁶"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  ⁸"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  ¹⁰"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Prayer of Confession

Our Father and our God, we bow before you this morning to humbly confess our sins.  We have hungered and thirsted after forbidden pleasures more than righteousness and have been left unsatisfied.  Have mercy on us!  We have     allowed ourselves to indulge ourselves in impure desires, thoughts, and even acts and thereby have been unable to see and savor your glory.  Have mercy on us!  We have also been unwilling to suffer for righteousness sake, by denying ourselves lesser pleasures for the greater pleasures of your kingdom.  Forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Fill us with your grace that we may be strengthened to willingly pursue righteousness, purity in heart, and suffering for the sake of the gospel and your glory through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

Private Confession

Words of Encouragement— Hebrews 9:13-14

¹³For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Songs of Thanksgiving—

I Come By the Blood

You are the perfect and Righteous God

Whose presence bears no sin

You bid me come to Your holy place

How can I enter in

when Your presence bears no sin?     

Through Him who poured out His life for me

The atoning Lamb of God

Through Him and His work alone I boldly come

  I come by the blood, I come by the cross

Where your mercy flows from hands pierced for me

For I dare not stand on my righteousness

My every hope rests on what Christ has done

And I come by the blood.

 You are the high and exalted King

The One the angels fear

So far above me in every way Lord,

How can I draw near

To the One the angels fear?

Through him who laid down his life for me

And ascended to your side

Through him, through Jesus alone, I boldly come.

 Jesus, Thank You

The mystr'y of the cross I cannot comprehend

The agonies of Calvary

You the perfect holy One crushed Your Son

Drank the bitter cup reserved for me

     Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus thank You

Once Your enemy now seated at Your table

Jesus thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near

Your enemy You've made Your friend

Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace

Your mercy and kindness know no end

Congregational Prayer

Offering

Commitment

Sermon Text— Ephesians 5:3-4

 ³But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Sermon— Sex in God’s City:  The Alternate Lifestyle, part2                                                                                                           ~Pastor Vinny Tauriello

Closing Song— In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, what strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone!—who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied—

For every sin on him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground his body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as he stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am his and he is mine—

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from his hand;

Till he returns or calls me home,

      Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

 Benediction

Postlude

Lord’s Supper Service                                                                                                 Praise

 As you prepare for worship, read through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5

Prelude

Call to Worship— Psalm 115:1

Leader:          Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

Hymn of Praise— The Beatitudes vs 1,2,4,6,8 

Prayers of Praise

Renewal

Scripture Reading— Matthew 5:2-3

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Meditation— Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Prayers of Confession and Praise

Song of Response— Arise My Soul

Arise, my soul, arise;

Shake off your guilty fears.

The bleeding Sacrifice on my behalf appears.

Before the throne my Surety stands;

Before the throne my Surety stands;

My name is written on His hands.

 Arise,      arise,

    Arise,     arise,

Arise, arise, my soul, arise

Arise,      arise,

    Arise,     arise,

Arise, arise, my soul, arise

Shake off your guilty fear and rise.

 He ever lives above, for me to intercede;

His all redeeming love,

His precious blood to plead.

His blood atoned for every race,

His blood atoned for every race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

 Five bleeding wounds he bears,

Received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers,

They strongly plead for me.

Forgive Him, O forgive, they cry,

Forgive Him, O forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear.

He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear.

With confidence I now draw nigh,

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

 Commitment

Prayers of Praise

Closing Hymn— Jesus Paid It All

Benediction

Prayer and Praise Update

 Missions

 Mr. Mark T. Bube, General Secretary, Foreign Missions

Gerry and Marja Mynders, Suriname

Marja returned safely to Suriname on January 11 after staying in Canada with their son, Gerry Jr., following a serious auto accident last October.

Gerry Jr. is continuing to recover and may be able to return to work by April.

Gerry Sr. asks that this be an encouragement to us all to continue to pray for one another for the Lord does answer prayer!

 Becca Myers, Quebec

Pray for St-Marc Church, for it’s ministry to the community, and for the spiritual health of it’s members.

Praise the Lord for all of the work He has already done and the plans that He has in mind for the future.

 At New Hope  

Pray for God’s glory to be seen as we continue with our sermon series Sex and God’s City:  The Alternate Lifestyle.

Pray for safe travel for Pastor Ellis as he travels to Southern Maryland to preach this morning.      

As Rich and Christy McClellan work to complete the adoption process for Patrick, pray that the staff at the orphanage will give Patrick loving care and attention and that God will be with him.  Pray also for financial resources necessary for the adoption process.

   Pray for the trustees as they consider a promising property option.

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb

My perfect spotless righteousness

The great unchangeable I Am

The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

With Christ my Savior and my God

Offering God Our Wealth

Commitment

Sermon Text— Ephesians 5:3

³But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

 Sermon— Sex and God’s City:  The Alternative Lifestyle
                                                                          ~Pastor Vinny Tauriello

 Closing Hymn— All for Jesus!

Benediction

Postlude

Prayer and Praise Update

Missions

 Rev. Richard R. Gerber, Associate General Secretary, Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension

Matt and Shannon Baugh

Pray for Haiti as it is in the midst of political transition and confusion.  Kidnapping has become more prevalent and gang activity has increased greatly over the past few months.

Pray that the Lord will protect the Baugh family and give them wisdom and grace to fulfill their calling.

House of Correction, Jessup, MD

Pray that the faith of the men will not fail and that they will find unity.

Becca Myers, Quebec

   Continue to pray for Becca’s faith, hope, and love.

Praise the Lord for all of the work He has already done and the plans that He has for the future.

At New Hope

Continue to pray that Patrick will receive the care and love that he need’s from the orphanage staff and that God will be with him.

Pray for John Rusk as he recovers from triple bypass surgery at Washington Hospital Center.  Pray also that the Lord will provide Sarah with the faith and strength that she will need during John’s recovery.