Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

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 2:3-17. 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 24, 2020

opening Scripture - psalm 103:1-5

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

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 - “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Trinity Psalter Hymnal, 230)

The law of god - romans 13:8-10

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Prayer of confession - Psalm 143:1-8

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

A word of grace and pardon - romans 5:8

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

doxology: (Trinity Psalter Hymnal, 567)

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 13:31-35

31 When [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

sermon passage: 1 John 2:3-17

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Sermon: “The Christian and fruitfulness” (1 John 2:3-17)

Point: Christians will bear fruit and pursue greater fruitfulness.  

Outline:

  1. The Description of Christian Fruitfulness

    • Keeping God’s commandments

    • Imitating Christ

    • Loving God and each other

  2. The Certainty of Christian Fruitfulness

    • A Christian will certainly produce fruit.

    • A Christian can find assurance through their fruitfulness.

  3. The Pursuit of Christian Fruitfulness

    • By remembering who you are.

    • By remembering where you live.

    • By knowing the temptations you face.

Additional Scripture References (mentioned in sermon):

For an audio version of this sermon, click here.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED - TRINITY PSALTER HYMNAL, P. 851

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

closing hymn: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (Trinity psalter hymnal, 338)

Closing prayer and Scripture - Hebrews 13:20-21

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.