Exeter Presbyterian Church
Worship Preparation for Next Sunday
Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)
Monday: Acts 2:22-24
Tuesday: 1 Samuel 17:1-27
Wednesday: 1 Samuel 17:28-58
Thursday: Isaiah 61
Friday: Exodus 20:2-3
Saturday: Acts 2
Next Sunday: January 16, 2011
Preaching: Pastor Magee
Sermon text: Acts 2:22-24
Sermon title: “Immanuel Spirit” - Part 4
Music: Opening – Our God Our Help In Ages Past 30
Preparation – The Spirit Breathes Upon the Word 145
Response – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross 252
Closing – What Wondrous Love Is This 261
Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism
OT Reading: Isaiah 61
Suggested Bible Study and Prayers
(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)
1 Samuel 17
Mighty God, You can use the faith of a boy to slay a man of the most powerful stature. Though our enemies may be superior in natural strength, though they may have better weapons and proud taunts, we have You, O Lord, and we fight in the strength of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Your foes defy You openly, and claim that Your church is nothing. Within our ranks, even strong men fear to use the means of grace that You have given to Your people. We imagine that if we speak the Word forthrightly that we will be unable to gather the lost. We have not used Your sacraments in accord with Your instruction, thinking that people would leave if we did things Your way. We do not pray because we see it as powerless and useless, so we retain the form of strong spiritual armor, but we deny the truth and power of Your love. We are afraid to obey You. The man that speaks in favor of Your Word and Your worship can expect criticism as so many would dismiss him as naive. Grant to us David’s courage to use the simple tools of warfare that You have given to Your church. You have delivered us from sin and death. Place in our hands again the spiritual weapons that we need for the battle ahead. Take off our backs the heavy weight of the world’s armor, for we will never win the battle with the unbearable burden of worldliness. Grant to us godliness, faith, hope, and love. Let us move ahead with truth and gospel peace. Send us forward in the Name of our Savior Jesus, and grant us victory in the fight that rages throughout the church and into the world. We need no Goliath for success. You can make a simple stone that comes from the hand of our Redeemer powerful. You can win any battle against any champion that the world may deem undefeatable. Make us bold, that we might see a great day of vindication for the cause of Christ now, and even beyond our mortal lives. Whose Son is our Redeemer? He is the Son of Man to be sure, but He has shown Himself to be Your Son, and He is mighty in battle.
Isaiah 61
O Spirit of the Living God who so filled our great Messiah, we ask that You would fill us, that we might follow this great Man of Blessing. You have fed us and healed us. You use us to rebuild what sin has destroyed. We are priests to You, O God, and we rejoice in You, for You are our portion. You hate injustice, and will keep it far from us on the day of our deliverance, for we are Your blessed offspring. We have been covered with the righteous robes of Your Son. We live and grow in You, O God.
Acts 2
Great God, You have granted to Your church the promised blessing of the Holy Spirit. You have enabled us to hear the message of Your mighty works. Glory to Your Name, O God! You will pour out Your Spirit on all flesh in the age to come. That age has broken in now through Your great work of salvation. All who call upon the Name of the Lord as worshipers in the covenant assembly shall be brought from death to life. That Name above all names is Jesus, who is the Lord of Glory. He is yet alive, and so we call upon Him even now, for He is both Man and God. He is David’s Son and David’s Lord. He is our King and our Messiah. Our sins sent Him to the cross. We now repent of all known sin. We thank You for the covenant sign and seal of baptism, testifying of the life to come by the cleansing work of the Spirit and the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. We give ourselves to You and to one another, as we devote ourselves to the way of worship as the community of salvation in this present age.
