Scripture Reading:
#1. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 24-25).
#2. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4).
Prayer of Praise to God: Refer to the verses above and hymn below.
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
Reading of the Law: Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin: Almighty God, we are unworthy to come into your presence, because of our many sins. We do not deserve any grace or mercy from you, if you dealt with us as we deserve. We have sinned against you, O Lord, and we have offended you. And yet, O Lord, as we acknowledge our sins and offenses, so also do we acknowledge you to be a merciful God, a loving and favorable Father, to all who turn to you. And so we humbly ask you, for the sake of Christ your son, to show mercy to us, and forgive us all our offenses. Forgive the sins of our youth, and the sins of our old age. By your Spirit, O God, take possession of our hearts, so that, not only the actions of our life, but also the words of our mouths, and the smallest thought of our minds, may be guided and governed by you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Reading of the Gospel: And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14)
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 31
Question #83
Q. What are the keys of the kingdom?
A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both of them open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.
Question #84
Q. How does preaching the holy gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?
A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of Christ’s merit, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.
Question #85
Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline?
A. According to the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and who after repeated personal and loving admonitions, refuse to abandon their errors and evil ways, and who after being reported to the church, that is, to those ordained by the church for that purpose, fail to respond also to the church’s admonitions— such persons the church excludes from the Christian community by withholding the sacraments from them, and God also excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church.
Prayer of Thanksgiving: Give thanks to God for all the spiritual blessings that Jesus won for us on the cross and for the blessings of a local church.
Prayer of Supplication: Pray for continued resources and protection for all the missionaries that we support and for the evangelism of the surrounding community near our church.
Bible reading and commentary:
Read: 1 Corinthians 16:5-12
In these verses, Paul explains to the Corinthians his future ministry plans as well as the travel plans of his co-workers Timothy and Apollos. Reformation commentators highlight for their readers Paul’s astonishing passion to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, his passion for God’s glory, and his pastoral concern for the churches. Paul’s outstanding example demonstrates that “the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 10:16) consists mainly in the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of the church. These ministries require a good deal of personal sacrifice and may involve intense spiritual conflict. The fact that Paul decides to extend his stay in Ephesus illustrates this principle: where there is greatest opportunity for gospel advance, there Satan and his minions are particularly active to obstruct it. Several Reformation commentators are also impressed by the fact that Paul qualifies his travel plans with the phrase “if the Lord permits” (1 Cor. 16:7), an apt reminder that Christians must always submit themselves to God and entrust their future plans to his providence. Proverbs 16:1-3 says: The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
Quotes on the church:
John Owen: What is the church for? There are two great ends why Christ did institute a particular church, and they were to express the two great graces and duties that He requires of us. The first end was that his saints together might jointly profess their faith in Him and obedience to Him. And we have no other way of doing it: He hath tied us up to this. The next great end was that we might have a direct exercise of His other great command and of that other great duty, of love to believers.
Richard Sibbes: The church of Christ is a common hospital wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other, [and] that we should all have ground of exercising mutually the spirit of wisdom and meekness.
George Swinnock: If the church be a burning bush, it will not be consumed because God is in it.
Quotes on God’s providence:
Thomas Boston: Everyone knows what is most pleasant to him, but God alone knows what is most profitable.
John Flavel: Providence is nothing else but the performance of God’s gracious purposes and promises to His people.
William Gurnall: Is the eye of providence ever shut? No, “He slumbers not” that keeps you. Or is it one moment off you? No, “the eye of the Lord is upon the righteous”; He has fixed it forever and with infinite delight pleased Himself in the object. When was His ear shut, or His hand either, from receiving your cries or supplying your wants? Nay, does not your condition take up the thoughts of God, and are they any other than thoughts of peace which He entertains? A few drops of this oil will keep the wheel in motion.
Closing Hymn: The 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.
Closing Scripture: Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:15-16).
The Lord’s Prayer (together): 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.