Worship Next Sunday
July 24, 2011
Preaching: Pastor Magee
Sermon text: Acts 7:2-8
Sermon title: “Listening to Stephen Preach About Abraham”
Music:
Opening – 115 All Creatures of Our God and King
Preparation – 156 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
Response – 34 The God of Abraham Praise
Closing – 128 God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism
OT Reading: Genesis 15
Preparation Guide
Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)
Monday: Acts 7
Tuesday: 2 Samuel 13:1-22
Wednesday: 2 Samuel 13:23-39
Thursday: Genesis 15
Friday: Exodus 20:4-6
Saturday: Acts 7
Suggested Bible Study and Prayers
(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)
2 Samuel 13
Sovereign Lord, our affections have become perverse in sin. We live in a world that has long been full of strange evil. We would pursue unholy desires and would uncover great troubles for ourselves and many others. Have we lost all sense? Will we do outrageous things that are obviously foolish and shameful?Will we use our strength for violent assaults, rather than to protect the weak and vulnerable? Will we use the power at our disposal to abuse others? In this world of sin, how can we escape the ugliness of wickedness? Father, we need Your powerful help to keep us from disaster. Keep our hearts strong in Your Son, in Your Word, and in Your Spirit. Help us to believe Your promises. May our affections rise up to You in the time of temptation, so that we will not be mired in the depravity of this world and of ugliness of our own sinful flesh.
Genesis 15
O Author and Finisher of Our Faith, You were true to Abraham so long ago, for He believed You, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. His offspring is beyond our ability to number. You brought Him out of the land of pagan religion, and gave Him a place for His descendants. You have given to him and to us a great covenant sign. You assured us that Your Son would give His life, so that Your covenant with Abraham would be kept. You have promised to give us a great land, far beyond the land of Canaan. We believe You, O Lord, for Your promise is sure.
Acts 7
Our Father, grant that we would rightly appreciate the privilege of suffering for the name of Jesus Christ. Without this true assessment of our trials, we will always shrink away from a forthright statement of Your Word in situations of danger. You have sent one Man who would truly keep Your perfect Law. Through His death and resurrection He became the cornerstone of a new spiritual temple, Your church throughout the world. All of the patriarchs and heroes of the faith in earlier days longed for this day of the Messiah. Now He has actually visited us. This Jesus did all things well. He has poured out Your Holy Spirit upon Your church. We love the Law of Christ. We rejoice in the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We long for the fulfillment of Your promise in the age to come, in the land of Resurrection. We love the Word of the Prophets which has now come in person in the great beauty of our Messiah. He is the perfect Son of David, and He has built a new house for His people in His own world-wide body. We will not resist the Holy Spirit. We will love and serve the Righteous One. Teach us the truth about our sin, that we might more fully and earnestly repent of it and be forgiven. Though men might work together to kill us, Your truth can never be stopped. Grant us such a beauty of holiness and love that we would be willing to forgive those who seek our destruction.
