We Gather Together
Adrianus Valerius, Theodore Baker

We gather together
To ask the Lord's blessing
He chastens and hastens
His will to make known
The wicked oppressing
Now cease from distressing
Sing praises to His Name
He forgets not His own

Beside us to guide us
Our God with us joining
Ordaining, maintaining
His kingdom divine
So from the beginning
The fight we were winning
Thou, Lord, were at our side
All glory be Thine

We all do extol Thee
Thou Leader triumphant
And pray that Thou still
Our Defender will be
Let Thy congregation
Escape tribulation
Thy Name be ever praised
O Lord, make us free

With voices United
Our praises we offer
To thee in thanksgiving
Glad anthems we raise
Thy strong arm will guide us
For thou art beside us
To Father, Son, and Spirit
Forever be praised

 

 

 

 


Call to Worship
Psalm 143

Lord, hear my prayer!  Listen to my cry for mercy.  In your faithfulness and righteousness, come to my relief.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

The enemy pursues me.  He crushes me to the ground.  He makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.  My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed.

I remember the days of long ago.  I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

Answer me quickly, Lord, for my spirit fails.  Rescue me from my enemies, for I hide myself in you.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.

May your Spirit lead me on level ground.  Preserve my life, and bring me out of trouble, for the sake of your name, for I am your servant.

 

 

 



Hallelujah to My King
Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown

Oh how strong the power of Jesus’ name
It is stronger than any other name
How sweet the victory that bore my shame
Took the burden of my sin away

Hallelujah
What a Savior
I owe everything to Him
Hallelujah
What a Savior
Hallelujah to my King

O how great the kindness our God has shown
We were strangers; now we're called His own
His grace has welcomed the sinner home
Tender mercies lead us to the throne

Hallelujah
What a Savior
I owe everything to Him
Hallelujah
What a Savior
Hallelujah to my King

Hallelujah
Hallelujah to my King

Oh what peace the Spirit of Jesus brings
Through the trials He will carry me
One day in Heaven our eyes will meet
Filled with wonder all the saints will sing

Hallelujah
What a Savior
I owe everything to Him
Hallelujah
What a Savior
Hallelujah to my King

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Worship the King
Robert Grant, Chris Tomlin

Oh worship the King, all glorious above
Oh gratefully sing His wonderful love
Our shield and defender, The Ancient of Days
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise

Oh tell of His might, oh sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunder clouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

You alone are the matchless King
To You alone be all majesty
Your glories and wonders, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail
In You do we trust, nor find You to fail
Your mercies how tender, how firm to the end
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend

You alone are the matchless King
To You alone be all majesty
Your glories and wonders, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light

Oh measureless might, ineffable love
While angels delight to worship above
The humbler creation, though feebler their lays
With true adoration shall sing to Your praise

You alone are the matchless King
To You alone be all majesty
Your glories and wonders, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light

 

 

 

 


Congregational Prayer
Based on Psalm 137

Heavenly Father,

We come before you with the words of the psalmist on our lips:

Where can we go from your Spirit?  Where can we flee from your presence?

If we ascend to heaven, you are there!  If we descend to hell, you are there!  If we dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead us and hold us.

There is absolutely nothing that is hidden from you.  You know us completely, and we cannot hide our sins from you.

Have mercy on us, O Lord.  Please save us, and keep us, because of what Christ has done for us.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

New City Catechism
Question 24

Why was it necessary for Christ, the Redeemer, to die?

Since death is the punishment for sin, Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and bring us back to God. By his substitutionary atoning death, he alone redeems us from hell and gains for us forgiveness of sin, righteousness, and everlasting life.

 

 

 

 


Speak, Oh Lord
Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory

Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of pow’r that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 1:1-3

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar….

 


Genesis 38

1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

 

 

 

 


Majesty of Heaven
Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Matt Redman

Majesty of heaven
You’re glory fills the skies
Light of the world
You are Lord of all
Humbled by your presence
Amazed by who You are
Nothing compares
You are Lord of all

To You the nations bow down
To You a creation cries out
Majesty
All things You hold together
Your name will stand forever
Majesty
You are majesty

Merciful and mighty
My heart is overwhelmed
You stand alone
You are Lord of all

To You the nations bow down
To You a creation cries out
Majesty
All things You hold together
Your name will stand forever
Majesty
You are majesty

Your name above all others
High and exalted
Your kingdom shall reign forever
High and exalted

To You the nations bow down
To You a creation cries out
Majesty
All things You hold together
Your name will stand forever
Majesty
You are majesty

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