Worship Next Sunday
September 4, 2011
Preaching: Pastor Magee
Sermon text: Acts 7:44-50
Sermon title: “Listening to Stephen Preach About the Temple”
Music:
Opening – 12 Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim
Preparation – 377 Jesus, Where'er Your People Meet
Response – 647 How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
Closing – 305 Arise, My Soul, Arise
Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism
OT Reading: Isaiah 66:1-2
Preparation Guide
Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)
Monday: Acts 7
Tuesday: 2 Samuel 19:1-15
Wednesday: 2 Samuel 19:16-43
Thursday: Isaiah 66
Friday: Exodus 20:15
Saturday: Acts 7
Suggested Bible Study and Prayers
(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)
2 Samuel 19
Father God, we mourn over the sin and misery that we face in this world. Help us to understand the limits of our grieving, for we do not want to add sin to sin. Grant to us a clear understanding of how we can move forward in Your service when it would appear that our former life is gone because of some challenging loss. Remind us of our identity in our Savior and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Show us that Your Son is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Him we have stability. There is no loss so great that it could take us away from Your great love. May we live in a day of life and joy in Christ. Make us agents of abundant mercy through Him. Restore those who have fallen. Grant to us repentance. Give us the right words to speak in Your presence, that we might remember the security and blessing that we have in Your promises. As we grow in age, help us to look for our hope in a city yet to come. Bring the young along in the tasks that You have for them in Your kingdom, and grant rest to Your servants who have served You for many years. You know how to build Your kingdom, how to use those who are vigorous and young, and how to give rest and joy to those who are weary.
Isaiah 66
O Lord, it is amazing that You would care for us. Your Son came in humility and trembled at Your Word. His perfect heart of worship moved toward You continually in sincere devotion and obedience. This He did for our sake. We shall not be put to shame. We look for the sound in the heavens of Your Son’s return in glory. Bring forth Your holy nation. May Your Kingdom come, O God. We rejoice with the Jerusalem that is above. Bring peace to her like a river. Bring joy that we have almost forgotten in the day of trouble. Show forth Your mercy to us. Grant to us a taste of Your perfect peace even today. You know the works and thoughts of Christ which have been credited to our account. Use us today to declare Your glory among the nations. Draw all Your people to Your holy mountain, that we might gather together in Your house in the new heavens and the new earth. We worship You, O sovereign Lord.
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.
