The Full Assurance of Understanding in a Rich Knowledge of God's Mystery, Christ

And He Who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb, in the center of the throne, shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life, and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.

—Revelation 7:15b-17

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Introit                                        Choir

“In Memoriam”

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy Like the wideness of the sea;

There’s a kindness in His justice Which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth’s sorrows Are more felt than up in heaven;

There is no place in earth’s failings Have such kindly judgment given.

 There is grace enough for thousands Of new worlds as great as this;

There is room for fresh creations In that upper home of bliss.

For the love of God is broader Than the measures of man’s mind;

And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind.

Taken from Welsh and English Hymns and Anthems (Reformatted) © 1995 The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association, Inc., 662 Melwood Drive N.E., Warren, OH 44483.

Call to Worship*                                                                 Psalm 95:1-7a

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm of Praise*                                                                         #90A

“Lord, You Have Been Our Dwelling Place”

Invocation*

Confession of Faith                                               Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Confession of Sin                                                    Psalm 34:11-14

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Silent Confession of Sin & Corporate Confession of Sin                        

Assurance of Pardon                                              Psalm 34:15-22

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Hymn of Assurance*                                                                #507

“Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat”

Giving of Tithes and Offerings      

(Please fill out the fellowship pads at this time and pass them down the aisle.)                   

Prayer of Response

Scripture Reading*

Psalm 131; Philippians 3:8-11; 20-21

Doxology*

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Taken from “Trinity Hymnal Revised Edition”, ©1990 Great Commission Publications, Inc. Used by permission.

Preaching of God’s Word                                     Pastor Jim Claycomb

“The full assurance of understanding in a rich

knowledge of God’s Mystery, Christ”

Colossians 2:1-7

Holy Communion

Hymn of Affirmation                                              #420

“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”

Blessing*                                                                                   Jude 24-25

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless 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.

Benediction*

 “Gloria Patri”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

And to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning,

Is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen, amen.

Taken from “Trinity Hymnal Revised Edition”, ©1990 Great Commission Publications, Inc. Used by permission.

Postlude*