And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

While we’re unable to meet, we encourage you all to seek the Lord together as families (or on your own) using the following liturgy. One person may lead by reading Scriptures and praying. Or, everyone may read together in unison.

Pastor Carter’s sermon this week is on 1 John 1:1-4. A video of this sermon is embedded below. Click here to find an audio version on Sermonaudio.

All Scripture read or quoted is from the English Standard Version (read it online here).

For the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, click here. Links to the psalms, hymns, and creeds are provided below, if available online.

For a PDF of this Worship Guide that you can print, click here.

May God bless your worship and continue to sustain your faith through his word and spirit!

Worship Guide // Sunday, May 10, 2020


opening Scripture - psalm 95:6-7

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.


the lord’s prayer

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors. 
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.


Psalm of Praise - “I was filled with joy and gladness” (Trinity Psalter Hymnal, Ps. 122A)


The law of god - micah 6:8

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?


Prayer of confession - Psalm 25:1-11

1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your name's sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.


A word of grace and pardon - Micah 7:18-20

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.


doxology: (Trinity Psalter Hymnal, 570)


Prayer of Thanksgiving and Supplication

Give thanks to the Father for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray for the Lord’s continuing work in your life, and in the lives of others. Pray to grow in faith, hope, and love. Pray for your family’s physical and spiritual needs and well-being. Pray especially for Sovereign Grace and the church in the midst of this uncertain time. The best way to do this is to use the Prayer List (emailed out to members).


first reading of Scripture: John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.


sermon passage: 1 John 1:1-4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.


Sermon: “Christ Is Our Life” (1 John 1:1-4)

Point: The incarnate Son of God is for us life itself and everything you have from God is found in him.

Outline:

  1. The Truth of the Incarnation

    • The Son has always existed

    • The Son became flesh

    • Proclaiming the incarnate Christ

  2. The Gifts of the Incarnate Christ

    • Eternal Life

    • Fellowship

    • Joy

  3. Applications:

    • Seize hold of Christ for eternal life!

    • Meditate on and wonder at the glory of the incarnation.

    • Meditate on and wonder at the Triune nature of your redemption and the Christian life.

    • Long for the blessedness of Christian fellowship.

    • Long for the joy that only God gives in Christ.

Additional Scripture References (mentioned in sermon):

For an audio version of this sermon, click here.


confession of faith - Westminster larger catechism, Questions 36-37 (Trinity Psalter hymnal, p. 943)

Q. 36. Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace?
A. The only mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fullness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.

Q. 37. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
A. Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.


closing hymn: “Joy to the World” (Trinity psalter hymnal, 299)


Closing prayer and Scripture - 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.